Pair of Beech Arne Hovmand-Olsen Armchairs, for Bramin, Denmark, 1950s

Throughout the 1950s and ‘60s, Arne Hovmand-Olsen created furnishings that boasted all of the alluring qualities now associated with vintage Scandinavian modern design. The esteemed Danish designer favored high-quality teak, oak and rosewood for his sideboards, chairs and dining tables. Elsewhere, Hovmand-Olsen’s side tables and credenzas feature elegant organic curves and tapered legs, while his graceful armchairs and dining chairs are characterized by slender frames and sculptural seat backs.

From an early age Hovmand-Olsen showed an interest in drawing and an aptitude for design. In 1938, he began his apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker under Peder Olsen Sibast, the founder of Sibast furniture company. Owing largely to the creative direction of Peder’s son, designer Helge Sibast, during the mid-century era, the manufacturer is internationally revered today for its wide range of sleek and collectible modern furniture. 

In 1941, Hovmand-Olsen enrolled in a technical school to study furniture design, and opened his own workshop shortly after graduating. He created a range of furnishings for such notable manufacturers as Mogens Kold Møbelfabrik, Elven Geertsen and Jutex. He found success in Denmark, but attained even greater notability when he began selling his work in America.

Mid-century-era design from this region of the world — including objects like Arne Jacobsen’s Egg chair, Alvar Aalto’s undulating Savoy vase and Tapio Wirkkala’s leaf-shaped birch-laminate tray — took off in the States after the Second World War, when Scandinavia’s simple, curvilinear wooden furniture, home goods and textiles suddenly seemed the perfect foil for glass-and-steel skyscrapers.

Hovmand-Olsen closed his workshop during the 1970s. Today his work is widely collected by enthusiasts of mid-century Scandinavian modern furniture.

Find vintage Arne Hovmand-Olsen seating, tables, storage pieces and other furniture on 1stDibs.

Bramin Møbler manufactured quality Scandinavian modern furniture from the mid-1950s until the early 1980s. 

Originally founded as N.A. Jørgensen Møbelfabrik in Bramming, Denmark, the company rebranded as Bramin Møbler in the late 1950s. During the 1960s, Bramin Møbler pivoted from the traditional Scandinavian style it had been known for as N.A. Jørgensen Møbelfabrik and steered toward the emerging Scandinavian modern style.

It prioritized quality, form and function, which it promoted in its ad campaigns. By fashioning its chairs, dining tables and sideboards from strong woods like oak, teak and rosewood, and by using wool and leather to upholster its seating, Bramin Møbler ensured that the superb quality of its work would last.

Throughout the company’s operation, Bramin Møbler collaborated with many highly regarded modern furniture makers, including Johannes Andersen, Hans Olsen, Kurt Østervig and Frank Reenskaug. It had its most successful partnership with Norwegian furniture designer H. W. Klein, who moved to Bramming to work for Bramin Møbler. Over two decades, Klein created finely crafted coffee tables and dining chairs, but he is best known for his lounge chairs — most notably, his leather-padded swivel lounger, with its five-spoked, wheeled base. Klein also was fascinated with the concept of plastic furniture and worked closely with the company to come up with a new method for manufacturing furniture from plastic.

The global recession of the 1980s hit Bramming hard. Many of its numerous furniture manufacturers had to close their doors — Bramin Møbler included. Bramin Møbler creations remain highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts of Scandinavian and mid-century modern furniture styles.

On 1stDibs, find a wide selection of tables, storage pieces and seating from the Bramin Møbler furniture company.