Arne Wahl Iversen Biography
Arne Wahl Iversen was born in Nyborg, Denmark, in 1927. He was a renowned Danish furniture designer, whose interest in furniture design was inspired by his father, who owned a furniture shop in Nyborg, about 80 miles away. west of Copenhagen. After completing an apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker, he studied furniture design at the Odense Technical School. Subsequently, from 1949 to 1951, he attended the Academy of Fine Arts, in the furniture design and manufacturing department, under the guidance of Kaare Klint.
At the age of twenty-five, Arne Wahl Iversen opened a studio-workshop in his hometown, with the aim of creating elegant and functional furniture using high-quality artisan techniques. In 1957, he began to collaborate with Ingvar Kamprad, founder of IKEA, in the Swedish market. At that time, well-known names such as Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl and Hans Wegner had made Danish design famous around the world, and Kamprad wanted the young designer to create furniture designs for his company. This partnership lasted only a few years, as Arne Wahl Iversen subsequently decided to go his own way.
Arne Wahl Iversen produced his furniture in several factories in Denmark, but is probably best known for his models designed and produced by Komfort and Vinde Møbelfabrik. In 1968, his bedroom no. 92 by Vinde Møbelfabrik was exhibited at the Geneva furniture fair, where Prince Rainier of Monaco and his wife Grace Kelly were present. Impressed with his work, they immediately ordered one. Thanks to the popularity of this bedroom in the US market, supported by the interest of a Hollywood icon and a royal prince, Arne Wahl Iversen furniture has gained great success. Initially, his furniture was sold mainly in Denmark, but starting in the late 1960s it expanded to other major European countries and the American market.
Arne Wahl Iversen remained active until the mid-1980s and passed away on November 18, 2016.
