Nanna Ivarsson is a skilled and highly respected pipe maker, who learned her trade from her grandfather Sixten and her father Lars, with both of whom she worked closely for many years. Here is a gallery of some of Nanna's recent pipes. The family resemblance is clear, wouldn't you agree?

But in addition to her considerable pipe making skills, Nanna is a industrial designer, a graduate from the best Danish design school, and worked with the renowned Arne Jacobsen firm. Her designs include vacuum cleaners, cutlery, glassware, the famous "Brum Bear" whose worldwide sales have raised hundreds of millions of dollars for UNICEF, an elegant plastic ice scraper (a necessity in Denmark) and a particularly graceful porcelain toilet and sink set.

During my last visit to Denmark, I was at her father's house by the ocean (see the studio tour), and had the pleasure of meeting Nanna. Over lunch, I inquired about her design career, and she discussed the difficulties she was having in establishing her own name in the highly competitive Danish design business, where it is common practice for the design firm to take credit for the individual designer's work. I was pondering this during my drive back to Copenhagen, where I was staying in Tom Eltang's studio. It struck me that there was a field in which she already had perhaps the best name in the business--the world of pipes. So I called her, and suggested that she consider designing a line of a pipe smoker's furniture and accessories. Perhaps, I said, she might begin with a special pipe smoker's chair, and then proceed to a pipe rack, pipe cabinet, and assorted pipe tools. I agreed to finance the development and prototyping of the products, and to take responsibility for sales and marketing.

She and her father both liked this idea, and went into deep consultation about the fundamental principals of a pipe smoker's chair. They agreed that such a chair should create a complete world for the smoker to inhabit, should be as simple and elegant as a pipe, and of course superbly comfortable. Having agreed upon these principles, Nanna set to work. You can see the results below. She exceeded all of my expectations, and created an elegant variation on the famous Arne Jacobsen "Danish Egg Chair." Note particularly the side view, and the remarkable details, including the adjustable head rest, and the compartments for ashtray and integral pipe rack.

Currently, Nanna is approaching the finest furniture manufacturers in Denmark to produce the chair in a limited quantities. It will be available either in leather as shown, or in a premium woven wool. Soon we will determine pricing and solicit pre-production orders. The next product will be a footrest for the chair, and then additional products in the line.

We estimate that the chair will be available for purchase from Fine Pipes and from a variety of dealers beginning in the third quarter of 2004.

Dealers wishing to carry the chair please call, or send email. Please include name, address, and a phone number.
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Back and Arm Rest Detail

Head Rest Detail