It started by chance. Literally. In 1932, 17-year-old Holger Nielsen won a car in a lottery. But with no driver's license, he decided to sell it and invest the money in a metal lathe, soon building a metal factory in the small Danish town of Randers. In 1939, his wife, Marie, opened a hairdresser salon and made a simple request:

Holger answered Marie’s request with the very first Vipp bin. Based on the movement of the lid, Holger’s youngest daughter, Jette Egelund, believes the name was inspired by the Danish word vippe - meaning “to tilt”. It’s presence in Marie’s salon prompted more requests, and by the 1950s the Vipp bin had become a regular feature in clinics and other businesses throughout Denmark.

New production techniques led to slight changes in the lid of the bin. But as the years went on, the design principles and family commitment remained the same. In 1992, Jette Egelund took over her father’s company with just one other employee working in the metal factory. Growing up with the Vipp bin in her home, Jette had a dream. Together with her children, Kasper and Sofie, she set out to bring the function and aesthetic of Holger’s design from businesses into private homes.

She brought the bin to the finest furniture and design shops in Scandinavia. Internationally, it was recognized for its industrial Danish design, and when The Conran Shop ordered bins for its London and Paris stores, Jette knew she was on the right track

Over 80 years since Holger delivered his first bin for Marie, we are still family-owned and operated - with Kasper as CEO and Sofie in charge of the brand’s design identity. In November 2009, the Vipp pedal bin was invited into the permanent architecture and design collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA) – the only place where it functions strictly as décor.

But we knew there was still more in the bin. Based on the simple aesthetic and functionality of Holger’s design, we created our first modular kitchen in 2011. Later that year, we opened the doors to our first concept store located in central Copenhagen.

With a growing range of products, we also imagined a space for people to engage with Vipp beyond our showroom. In 2014, we opened our first guesthouse at Lake Immeln, Sweden – a unique accommodation curated for visitors to stay within our design universe and experience our products together as intended.

Today, our product portfolio now includes kitchens, lighting, furniture, bathroom modules and home accessories – all true to our Danish design tradition and Holger’s founding principles. We remain dedicated to building upon our heritage by doing things our way - continuously working to refine how people live through enduring products and experiences.