Danish Teak 8 Drawer Dresser by Arne Wahl Iversen for Falster Møbelfabrik

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.

Falster Møbelfabrik furniture is effortlessly pleasing to the eye. The mid-20th-century Danish furniture manufacturer is distinguished by its gorgeous hardwood pieces boasting impeccable build quality. Durable teak and rich rosewood were among the company's favorite wood options for its chic credenzas, upscale dressers and elegant highboys. Falster Møbelfabrik pieces are characterized by clean lines, generous proportions, tapered legs and gentle curves — all of the attributes that are typically associated with the best of mid-century Scandinavian design.

While little is known about the beginnings of Falster Møbelfabrik, it was producing furniture by the 1950s. Throughout the second half of the decade, Arne Wahl Iversen worked with the manufacturer on a series of alluring Scandinavian modern pieces. A budding designer at the time, the Nyborg-born Iversen studied under legendary Danish modernist Kaare Klint at Copenhagen’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts and went on to have an illustrious career. His designs for Falster Møbelfabrik included teak tables and chairs, upholstered armchairs and multiple storage cabinets.

In the 1960s, Falster Møbelfabrik enjoyed another fruitful collaboration with talented Danish designer Svend Åge Madsen. The resulting mid-century modern furniture became some of the manufacturer's most well-known creations. Madsen's credenzas, dressers and nightstands were sensible and stylish. They came with rich wood finishes and features like spacious compartments and adjustable shelves. Thoughtful touches like felt-lined drawers and finished backs make them a sophisticated addition to any room.

Operating in the heyday of Danish furniture manufacturing, Falster Møbelfabrik left its own commanding stamp on the industry. Many of the company's vintage pieces were built with durability in mind and remain in good condition today.

On 1stDibs, find Falster Møbelfabrik storage pieces, bedroom furniture, tables and more.