Gunni Omann "Model 13" Sideboard, Denmark 1960s

This rosewood sideboard was designed for Omann Jun Møbelfabrik in the mid-20th century. Quality materials and great attention to detail make this “Model 13” sideboard a beautifully constructed, elegant piece.

The front has two drawers in the bottom and four sliding doors revealing the different inner compartments, including six trays and six shelves. Omann Jun’s signature triangular handles can be found on each door. The signature grip designs are recognisable even from a distance thanks to their shapes, resembling an aerodynamic spaceship. The heavy looking body is balanced out by the slim legs, creating the modern look.

The dark-tinted rosewood has a pronounced, symmetrical drawing. Rosewood is generally known for its irregular and striking, almost black patterning, with a light to dark base colour. The patterns on the sliding doors are especially alluring.

The manufacturer, Omann Jun Møbelfabrik, is a Danish family-owned business with most of its designs created by Gunni Omann. The classic “Model 13” is among the rarer designs as its production ceased in the 20th century.

About the designer:
Gunni Omann designed until the late 1960s for Omann Jun Møbelfabrik. The company was founded in 1933 by Andreas Omann in Horsens, Denmark. Initially, the family-owned company produced bedroom furniture, later adding dining room furniture and shelving systems. Many of the company's products were designed by family members, for the most part by Gunni Omann.

At first, the company mostly produced beds and dining tables, but from the 1950s it also started making desks and sideboards, often working in teak, oak and rosewood. Thanks to the high-level execution, quality, and great attention to detail, Omann Jun products have been exclusively sold worldwide since the mid-century. Besides the family business, Gunni Omann also designed for Axel Christiansen Odder/ACO Møbler. His most recognisable and famous pieces are waist-high: cadenzas, desks and tables. These pieces feature many hallmarks of Scandinavian modernist design, like beautiful grained surfaces, tapered legs, sliding doors, and bevelled edges.

From 1979, Andreas’ son, Bjorne Omann, took over the Omann Jun and started to produce exclusive furnishings for professional offices. In 1979, Bjarne Omann took over the company from his father and expanded the line to include office furniture.

In 2005, his son Ulrich Omann took over the company, beginning the third generation of the manufactory, mostly producing re-editions of his grandfather’s designs. The various pieces of furniture with the Omann label are high quality examples of Danish mid-century modern design. The “Credenza 18” model has been continuously so popular that it was brought back to production in 2016.~H.