Before the Hoptimists saw the light of day, Danish cabinetmaker Hans Gustav Ehrenreich would tinker in his workshop in the house on Aarhusvej in Stilling, Denmark. It was the late 1950s, and in the small "Ehrenreichs Trækunst" workshop, imagination ran high. No two things were ever the same. Small silverfish were transformed into inlays in hand-turned bowls and plates, and unique wooden art items from all over the world were sold from the workshop.