DREXEL FURNITURE CATALOG SKIN
DREXEL FURNITURE CATALOG FULL

Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.Īrchitect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer. Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.

The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS Danish modernists Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, whose emphasis on natural materials and craftsmanship influenced American designers and vice versa.MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW Glass walls and an emphasis on the outdoors.Light-filled spaces with colorful upholstery.Use of natural and man-made materials - alluring woods such as teak, rosewood and oak steel, fiberglass and molded plywood.A blend of neutral and bold Pop art colors.

Experimentation with new ideas, new materials and new forms flourished in Scandinavia, Italy, the former Czechoslovakia and elsewhere in EuropeĬHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN.

A heyday of innovation in postwar America.

Informed by European modernism, Bauhaus, International style, Scandinavian modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture.

ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.

To view slide show, click on the first image, it will open larger on your screen, click anywhere on the photo to move forward, use the arrows on the left to move back you may start or stop at any image.Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The art: Supergraphics!Ībove: Catherine bought this Drexel Declaration dresser from her great-grandmother - the story shows reader Rob’s Drexel furniture too.

DREXEL FURNITURE CATALOG FULL

See the full story here.Ībove: Reader Troy found a Drexel Declaration bed for his midcentury modern house. MacDougall put incredible thought and craftsmanship into designing this line of furniture, and it really hit the mark in terms of its consumer appeal.Īboe: An amazing Drexel Declaration grandfather clock that I later spotted. Stewart MacDougall’s interest lay in the design of the furniture. MacDougall told me that Kipp Stewart was generally responsible for designing the upholstery. I was recently so fortunate to connect with Stewart MacDougall - principal designer of this furniture line. Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021 these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.ĭrexel Declaration was designed by Stewart MacDougall and Kipp Stewart.

Drexel furniture catalog