1960s Highboard, Teak, Design, Gunni Omann

Gunni Omann built a reputation for having created a range of alluring credenzas, desks and other furnishings during the postwar years, and his fans reportedly included the likes of legendary designer and woodworker Hans Wegner. Serving as the main designer in his father’s company, Omann Jun Møbelfabrik A/S, Gunni is known to enthusiasts of Scandinavian modernism for iconic works such as the Model 75 executive desk in 1958 and the gorgeous Model 18 sideboard in 1960.

Founded in 1933 by Andreas Omann in Ølholm, Denmark, the family-run business produced and exported teak, oak and rosewood furniture worldwide between the 1950s and the 1970s. Next door to Omann Jun Møbelfabrik A/S, Andreas’s father owned and operated Ølholm Møbelfabrik, which was later run by Andreas’s brother Sigfred Omann and collaborated with forward-thinking modernist designers such as Arne Vodder. 

Gunni Omann took over Omann Jun Møbelfabrik A/S in 1979 with his younger brother Bjarne, and by then, Ølholm Møbelfabrik and Omann Jun Møbelfabrik were part of one company. Omann continued to design until 1989 when health complications forced the sale of his shares in the brand. 

The company remains in the family and as of 2005, Ulrich Omann has taken leadership and directed their focus toward office furniture. (That said, Omann Jun Møbelfabrik began reproducing many of Gunni’s vintage designs in 2016 for a new market, including the popular Model 18 case piece.)

Outside of the family business, Gunni Omann worked with Axel Christiansen Odder/ACO Møbler. Still, regardless of who Omann designed for, each piece of furniture places the natural beauty of the wood grains at the forefront of its design. 

On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Gunni Omann tables, seating and storage cabinets.