1930s

Metal factory

As a newly educated metal smith with a newly invested methal lathe, Holger builds his own metal factory in the small Danish town of Randers.

Ballroom dancer and metal worker

Withdrawn in his metal workshop during the day and a vivacious ballroom dance instructor after dark, Holger believed that you could learn anything your set your mind to. His father being a coppersmith, Holger grew curious of good craftsmanship and was educated as a metal smith in the 1930s.

Luck is all you need

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.

1939

'Holger', said Marie. 'I need a waste bin for my salon. Can you make me one?'

These words mark the beginning of Vipp. The year is 1939, and Marie, newlywed to Holger, has opened her own salon. As a certified metal smith Holger knows what a quality tool is. With this in mind, he made a bin that works and that very few people will ever wear out. After spending many days labouring in his workshop, Holger is ready to show Marie his pedal bin. Holger names it Vipp – and his wife is delighted with the result.

1950s

For professionals only

In the 1940s and 1950s, the pedal bin becomes a permanent feature in Danish clinics and remains a prerogative for the professional market for the next 50 years. A skilled metal smith, Holger equipped the whole of Marie's salon with solid steel products that later went into production. Here, pictured in an ad from the 1950s, are holders for hairdryers and tissues.

Vintage advertising

In the 1940s and 1950s, the pedal bin becomes a permanent feature in Danish clinics and remains a prerogative for the professional market for the next 50 years. Here, pictured in an ad from the 1950s, is Holger's 'Hilton' bin.

1956

I forgot to ask my father why he named it Vipp

In Danish, 'vippe' means 'to tilt'; it describes the movement of a bin lid. Jette Egelund, daughter of Holger Nielsen, is convinced that this must have been her father's inspiration for the name.

Shape shifter

Due to new production techniques in 1949, the lid changes form. Instead of a wavy welded lid it is now stamped out with a rounded shape.

1992

A new generation takes over

Jette Egelund is the youngest daughter of Holger Nielsen and she was born 11 years later than the bin. Jette grew up with the bin; the Vipp factory was placed in the backyard of her childhood home.

1995

A 3rd generation family company

Having grown up with the bin used in her childhood home, Jette has a dream - she wants others to enjoy the bin in their home as well. Together with her two children, Kasper and Sofie, she sets out to bring Holger’s principles of functionality into the private home.

1996

Wingman

When Jette designed the toilet brush, she had no drawings or specifications, just knowledge of the materials and a desire to work with the ingredients of her father's bin in a new way. She started out by modeling the shape of toilet brush from a drainage pipe and went on from there.

2000

A new kind of customer

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. In Denmark, very few recognise the potential of a “dentist bin”, but Jette’s determination is rewarded. Abroad the bin is recognized for it’s Danish, industrial design and when The Conran Shop orders bins for their London and Paris stores, Jette knows she is on the right track.

2015

Family-founded, family-driven

20 years later, Vipp is still family-driven. Kasper’s education within business and leadership means he today acts as CEO of Vipp. Sofie has an education in graphic design and has developed Vipp’s visual identity.

2006

A growing family of tools

In 2006, Chief designer at Vipp, Morten Bo Jensen, was entrusted the task of carrying Holger’s legacy into the future. His first Vipp product was a laundry basket.

An Invitation to the MoMA

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.

2017

From kitchens to bathrooms

Over the years, the Vipp product family has grown into a wide range of products for the kitchen and bathroom, including also a series of light instruments for both indoor and outdoor use.

2019

A Complete Collection of Furniture

Our recent venture into architectural projects like the Vipp Hotel has prompted the desire to develop a complete collection of furniture to inhabit these spaces. Through a tactile approach, a new, softer layer is added to our trademark material through 80 years – steel.

Chimney House

Named after its towering chimney, the Vipp Chimney House holds the national history of an old Danish water pumping station built in 1902. Rebuilt from its ruins and now converted into a modern space of carefully curated art, customized furniture pieces and high-quality interior. This heritage building now serves as a branded guesthouse, joining the Vipp Shelter and Vipp Loft as yet another destination in our hotel line.

2020

Vipp Home

Under the title ‘Vipp Home’, our flagship store and showroom in Ny Østergade reopened after months of remodeling. The new interior embraces the transformation of going from an accessory brand to a full-blown design universe of lighting, furniture, and kitchens. By assimilating both a kitchen, bathroom, dining room, and a living room, the home of Vipp is naturally filled with personal artworks, textiles, and glimpses of our 80 years of existence, to mirror the personal decor found in a real home.