Vipp

 

since 1939 : Danish Design Engineered to Last

 

The story of Vipp begins in 1939 in Randers, Denmark, when metalsmith Holger Nielsen crafted a sturdy, pedal-operated waste bin for his wife Marie’s hair salon. Built to endure daily use, the bin was practical, elegant, and quietly revolutionary. Its name came from the Danish word vippe — “to tilt” — a nod to the smooth motion of the lid.

 

Word spread quickly, and soon Vipp’s pedal bins were being used in clinics and salons across Denmark. By the 1950s, the bin had become a beloved everyday design object, valued as much for its utility as its timeless simplicity.

 

 

about vipp

 

After Holger’s passing, his daughter Jette Egelund took over in 1992, determined to move the brand beyond industrial use and into the home. Partnerships with influential retailers like The Conran Shop introduced Vipp to a global audience, establishing the bin as a cult design icon.

 

Today, Vipp remains proudly family-run under Jette and her children, Kasper (CEO) and Sofie (Design Identity) Egelund. Their stewardship has carried Vipp from a niche workshop to an international design house. Recognition came in 2009 when the iconic pedal bin was inducted into MoMA’s permanent collection, cementing its place in design history.

 

Now in its third generation, Vipp stands as a family-owned Danish design house dedicated to durability, engineering precision, and timeless minimalism. The guiding principle “less but better” informs every product, from its original bin to full home systems.

 

Chief designer Morten Bo Jensen (since 2006) champions Vipp’s uncompromising ethos, engineering products “to the bone” with modularity, serviceability, and longevity in mind. Each piece is crafted not for seasons, but for decades of daily use.

 

 

 

Products

 

Vipp’s portfolio has expanded far beyond its origins to encompass a complete design universe.

 

The Pedal Bin remains its timeless flagship, celebrated for its domed lid, rubber base ring, and indestructible construction.

 

Kitchens & Furniture : Since 2011, Vipp has produced matte-black modular kitchens, alongside sculptural furniture like the Vipp451 chair and sofas such as the Vipp610 and Vipp632.

 

Lighting : Minimal, durable lamps with replaceable LED modules reflect Vipp’s sustainability-first mindset.

 

Bathroom & Accessories : From soap dispensers to bath taps, the same DNA of precision engineering and quiet elegance defines each piece.

 

Outdoor Furniture : Weatherproof yet refined, extending the brand’s aesthetic into open-air living.

 

What ties the collection together is a deeply consistent design language — clean lines, solid materials, tactile finishes, and details that reward daily use.

 

 

 

Brand Highlights 

 

Vipp’s most radical expansion came in 2014 with the launch of the Vipp Shelter, a 55m² prefabricated steel pod set in the Swedish wilderness. More than a product, it was an immersive design experience, sparking the creation of the Vipp Guesthouse concept: design-led homes around the world where visitors live inside the brand.

 

Today, Vipp operates more than a dozen such “stealth showrooms,” including the Vipp Townhouse in Lagrasse, France, a 14th-century building reimagined with Vipp kitchens, swivel chairs, and red marble baths. These spaces blur the line between hospitality and exhibition, offering a lifestyle context for Vipp’s modern craft.

 

 

 

where to find

 

From Copenhagen to New York, Vipp’s products are sold through premium design retailers and concept stores worldwide. But the brand is perhaps best experienced in its guesthouses, where everyday rituals — cooking, bathing, living — are elevated by Vipp’s meticulous design.

 

Rooted in Danish craftsmanship and guided by a philosophy of longevity, Vipp has grown from a single salon bin into a global design house. Today, it stands as proof that even the most utilitarian objects, when designed with precision and honesty, can become cultural icons.

 

 

Website https://vipp.com/

Instagram @vipp

Photo vipp