Vipp was founded by Holger Nielsen in 1939, however the story began on a spring Sunday in 1932, 17-year-old Holger Nielsen wins a car in a lottery at the local football stadium. Holger loves cars, but has no driver's license, so he decides to sell the car and invest the money in a metal lathe that allows him to work with one of his great passions - steel. 

By 1939 young Holger is married and trained as a metal smith and decides to craft his wife Marie a sturdy, pedal-controlled bin for her hair dressing salon.  The bin was never intended for sale however, many wives of doctors and dentists have their hair done at Marie’s salon and find the practical Vipp bin ideal for their husbands’ clinics. The request for more bins prompted Holger to start production on a larger scale.

After the sudden death of Holger Nielsen, his youngest daughter Jette along with her two children Kasper and Sofie, set out to bring Holger’s principles of functionality into private homes.

After the sudden death of my father, I simply could not bear to see his life’s work sold and disappear. I knew the bin had potential.

With the Vipp bin under her arm, Jette does something her father never did - visits customers. She visits the finest furniture and design shops in Scandinavia. Very few recognise the potential of a “dentist bin”, but Jette’s determination is rewarded. The Conran Shop orders bins for their London and Paris stores, Jette knows she is on the right track.

In November 2009, the Vipp pedal bin is accepted into the permanent architecture and design collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA).   'It's a true humble masterpiece. The no-frills industrial aesthetic and efficient pedal exemplify good design', says Chay Costello, associate director of merchandising for MoMA.

'It's a true humble masterpiece. The no-frills industrial aesthetic and efficient pedal exemplify good design',

In 2014 Vipp created the Vipp Shelter, a 50 m2 steel pod by a Swedish lake.  A nature retreat designed down to the last detail, putting Vipp’s legacy in steel-work to use.  It is 5-star camping getaway where the landscape is purposely framed, turning it into the predominant element of the interior. A true escape from urban chaos where you can recharge your batteries.

Since the Vipp Shelter Vipp has been quietly unfolding a palette of guesthouses, each unveiling a locally rooted architectural archetype. This has prompted Vipp to develop a complete collection of furniture for these spaces. Through a tactile approach, a softer layer is added to Vipps trademark steel production.

In collaboration with Danish architect, Studio David Thulstrup, Vipp introduces the Vipp chimney House. This 1902 water pumping station with its towering chimney was reborn while retaining the charm of the architectural shell.  The original, industrial space has been extended with a cutting-edge, modern overlay and equipped with Vipp products and curated art pieces.

The Vipp Loft is a 400m2 urban habitat perched atop the old printing factory from 1910 in Copenhagen's Islands Brygge area that houses the Vipp office. The high-sloped ceilings and grand volume of the light-filled Vipp Loft welcomes you in a holistic home environment.  The Vipp610 loft sofa was designed with larger lounge elements and wide armrests for this spacious room

The Sofa features angular shapes with a wood and steel construction, on a slender powder-coated steel frame. The Loft sofa is a modular system that can be configured in numerous ways.

We hope you are as excited as we are to welcome Vipp into the Funktion Alley collection.  You can view and purchase a curated collection of timeless design from Vipp here on our website and in our showroom in Yorkshire.  Funktion Alley and Vipp’s principles of lasting timeless design align in so many ways we are thrilled to part of each others journey.