Arne Wahl Iversen Daybed

Danish furniture designer Arne Wahl Iversen created a range of sculptural storage cabinets, secretary desks, armchairs and dressers in teak, rosewood and other durable woods that reflect the pared-back elegance and prioritization of function that are so often attributes of the finest examples of vintage Scandinavian modern furniture.

Born in Nyborg, Iversen learned the craft of furniture making from his father, who operated a modest furniture business near the family home. Iversen apprenticed as a cabinetmaker and later enrolled in the Odense Technical School to study furniture design. In 1949, Iversen attend the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, in Copenhagen. It was there he studied under legendary furniture designer Kaare Klint. Widely recognized as the father of modern Danish furniture, Klint helped found the furniture design school at the academy and mentored such esteemed cabinetmakers and furniture designers as Børge Mogensen, Hans Wegner and Ole Wanscher. Iversen was in good hands.

Upon finishing school, Iversen opened his own furniture shop in Nyborg. Soon after, his work immediately impressed Swedish furniture maker and IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad.

At the time, the popularity of modern Danish furniture was gaining steam around the world — it was in the postwar era that American tastemakers sold the citizenry on the appeal of Scandinavian design and its emphasis on the principles of traditional craftsmanship. Copenhagen native Finn Juhl had shown his work in the United States in 1950 and created a Danish modern line for Michigan’s Baker Furniture in 1951 (the company produced his award-winning Chieftain chair for a short time). Kamprad was eager for Iversen to create modern Danish furniture for IKEA, but their collaboration didn't last very long. Iversen decided to work independently on his own designs.

Initially, Iversen's furniture was mainly sold in Denmark, but by the end of the 1960s, he had expanded his sales to the rest of Europe and in America. Though he designed for many manufacturers, he created his most popular works for Komfort and Vinde Møbelfabrik. Iversen continued to design furniture until he retired in the mid-1980s. 

Find vintage Arne Wahl Iversen chairs, cabinets, console tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.

An antique or vintage daybed is a practical solution for furnishing any modest-sized bedroom or guest room and can even be a versatile option for the reading nook in your living room.

Daybeds, which traditionally comprise a simple three-sided frame and twin-size mattress or boxy foam cushion, have a long history that dates back at least to the early Greeks and Romans. The spare construction and multipurpose nature of these multifunctional marvels — they’re not loveseats, sofas or chaise longues, but each share some commonalities — have over time rendered them an easy and often essential piece of seating.

All manner of daybeds have materialized over the years. There are ornate, unconventional versions created in the Louis XV, Art Deco and Empire styles, while popular mid-century modern iterations include the Barcelona daybed, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, as well as the Nelson daybed, which architect George Nelson created for Herman Miller in the 1940s. But you don’t have to limit yourself to one of the classics.

Variations on the daybed have been developed all over the world, and contemporary examples come in all shapes, upholstery options and sizes. (They’re no longer limited to twin size.) No matter what style you choose, this luxury furnishing ensures that you don’t have to wait until nighttime to start dreaming.

On 1stDibs, find a cozy collection of antique, new and vintage daybeds today.