Vintage IKEA Teak Vanity by Arne Wahl Iversen

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About the Item

Teak vanity by Arne Wahl Iversen for Ikea, circa 1960s. Compact vanity with solid wood trim and dovetail construction. Platform lifts to reveal mirror and fitted interior storage.

Unrestored item, some marks consistent with age.

Please inquire for international shipping rates.Creator: IKEA (Manufacturer),Arne Wahl Iversen (Designer)Dimensions: Height: 28.5 in (72.39 cm)Width: 39.5 in (100.33 cm)Depth: 18 in (45.72 cm)Style: Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)Materials and Techniques: Teak,VeneerPlace of Origin: SwedenPeriod: 1960-1969Date of Manufacture: 1960sCondition: GoodWear consistent with age and use.Seller Location: VANCOUVER, CAReference Number: Seller: 324-3561stDibs: LU6030233798522Shop All Arne Wahl Iversen

Arne Wahl Iversen

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 Brge 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 Michigans 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 Mbelfabrik. 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.