Danish Reupholstered Sofa by Model No. 35 by Arne Wahl Iversen, 1960s

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.

Danish architect-designer Arne Wahl Iversen can be counted among a significant number of Mid-Century Modern Scandinavian designers whose works, despite a scarcity of biographical information, are experiencing a surge in popularity in the 21st century. From sources such as catalogs, advertisements, and labeled furniture, we can deduce that Wahl Iversen was a prolific designer active throughout the 1950s and 1960s. His designs were produced by a wide variety of small and large Danish manufacturers, including Komfort, Vinde Møbelfabrik, Jørgensen & Nissen, Brenderup Møbelfabrik, Hans Hansen, Kolds Savvaerk and Falster Møbelfabriken. His portfolio expanded from seating options to encompass a wide range of furniture, such as secretaries, dining tables, liquor cabinets, desks and dressing tables, with materials and aesthetics in line with the Danish modern style.