Armchairs by Arne Vodder for Sibast Scandinavian

Along with Vernor Panton, cabinetmaker and architect Arne Vodder was a leading light of what might be called the “second generation” of forward-thinking 20th-century Danish furniture designers — those who, following in the footsteps of Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl and others, first applied the skills, traditions and philosophical tenets of Scandinavian craftsmanship to a modern furniture idiom.

As a graduate student in architecture trained by pioneering furniture designer Finn Juhl, Vodder made his mark in the 1960s, when modern design had gained wide acceptance, particularly in the business world. Accordingly, many of Vodder's chairs are quiet in form — projecting an air of sturdiness and strength, rather than avant-garde styling.

Vodder’s aesthetic flair was very pronounced in his vintage cabinets and storage pieces — sideboards, bookcases, credenzas and buffets. In such pieces, Vodder liked to play with asymmetry. His bookcases often have a seemingly random array of variously sized shelves and nooks. A typical Vodder sideboard might have four sections, each different in purpose and look: an open stack of vertical shelves, and other cupboards covered with sliding panels in contrasting colored laminates and wood veneers.

As you will see from the works on 1stDibs, Arne Vodder had a sense of what kind of design was appropriate for which space: sobriety in the boardroom; playfulness at home.

While the origins of Sibast can be traced back to wooden furnishings created in a modest cabinetmaker’s workshop in 1908, the Danish company is best known for the vintage dining chairs, desks, armchairs and other pieces it produced during the postwar years. Owing largely to the creative direction of designer Helge Sibast during that period, the manufacturer is internationally revered today for its wide range of sleek and collectible Scandinavian modern furniture. 

Sibast was established by cabinetmaker Peder Olsen Sibast in 1908 as a small carpentry shop in rural Denmark. Peder's son Helge was born that year and began apprenticing alongside his father at a young age. In the 1940s, when the elder Sibast passed away, Helge assumed a management role at the company alongside his siblings, Ole and Emma.

Helge was tasked with leading design, production and product development at a time when what we now call mid-century modernist furniture design was gaining popularity with American consumers and elsewhere, and his own designs reflected a focus on craftsmanship and an emphasis on clean lines as well as the use of organic materials in their construction. Sibast also enlisted the talents of other renowned Danish modernists including Piet Hein, Arne Vodder and Grete Jalk. Vodder designed many of the brand’s armchairs, dining tables and dining chairs that were exported to the United States throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s.

In 1953, the company introduced two of Helge Sibast's most celebrated creations — the Sibast No. 7 and No. 8 chairs. The popular Sibast No. 7 dining chair is noted for its floating backrest and expressive form. With its sturdy Y-frame, the unassuming Sibast No. 8 was a worldwide hit when it debuted, and its simple and functional mid-century modern appeal made it an instant classic. In the 1960s, Sibast chairs were even purchased for interiors at the White House.

The Sibast family sold the company in 1984 but retained the copyrights to Helge's designs. In 2012, Helge's grandson Ditlev and his wife Anna relaunched the Sibast furniture company. The brand’s offerings include many of Helge's original creations alongside new designs that adhere to the company's long-held tradition of creating sculptural, innovative and functional furniture.

Find vintage Sibast storage pieces, seating and tables on 1stDibs.