Mid-Century Modern Three Seater Sofa in Teak with Black Leather by Arne Vodder

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.

Vodder was a graduate student in architecture trained by Juhl, a pioneer of furniture design credited with igniting the Scandinavian modernist movement that swept like wildfire across the United States in the postwar era. 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, created for manufacturers such as France & Søn, Fritz Hansen and Sibast, are quiet in form — projecting an air of sturdiness and strength, rather than avant-garde styling.

Vodder’s aesthetic flair is very pronounced in his vintage cabinets and storage pieces — sideboards, bookcases, credenzas and buffets. In such pieces, the designer liked to play with asymmetry. 

Vodder’s bookcases often have a seemingly random array of variously sized shelves and nooks. A typical Vodder sideboard of the mid-century period — his classic Model 29 case piece is known to collectors — 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, Vodder had a sense of what kind of design was appropriate for which space: sobriety in the boardroom; playfulness at home.

Find vintage Arne Vodder furniture for sale 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.