Inform
Inform Interiors owner Niels Bendtsen has been working with contemporary furniture all his life. In 1963, he opened his first retail store in West Vancouver, Danet Interiors, focusing on well-designed and well-crafted Danish modern furniture from companies like Fritz Hansen, which the store represents to this day. After seven years in West Vancouver, the store moved to 97 Water Street in Gastown where it has stood ever since. To further his pursuit of quality design, Niels sold the store to a Toronto retailer and moved to Denmark in 1972. He spent a decade in Europe studying and designing furniture for a variety of manufacturers. While in Denmark, he designed the Ribbon chair, which was accepted into the permanent collection of the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Returning from Europe in the 80s, Niels regained control of the store and created Inform Interiors. Shortly after, he began his own manufacturing line BENSEN to provide great design and great quality at an affordable price. Inform Interiors continued to grow under the direction of owners Niels and Nancy Bendtsen. To meet the burgeoning needs of Vancouver developers Inform Projects was created with Harvey Reehal. In 2002, plans began for the expansion of the store. Rather than move away from what they had started, the decision was made to stay in Gastown for the creation of a new showroom. Working with the Heritage Management Plan, the new building retained the entire façade of the previously existing building with a newly designed interior. Niels worked with Architect Omer Arbel to create a stunning space that could truly showcase the future vision for Inform Interiors.
