Drexel Rolling
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Walnut
Vintage 1970s American French Provincial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Kilim Ottomans and Poufs
Upholstery
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Buffets
Brass
Vintage 1970s Unknown Carts and Bar Carts
Mahogany
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Buffets
Brass
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Regency Revival Carts and Bar Carts
Wood, Paint
Vintage 1970s American Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Campaign Carts and Bar Carts
Brass
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Mahogany
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary South African Campaign Ottomans and Poufs
Zebra Hide
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Bamboo, Cane, Rattan, Laminate
20th Century Unknown Sofas
Upholstery, Velvet
Late 20th Century American Campaign End Tables
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1970s American French Provincial Dressers
Brass
Vintage 1950s French Neoclassical Carts and Bar Carts
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Serving Tables
Brass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Mahogany
20th Century American Gothic Revival Armchairs
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Hepplewhite Drop-leaf and Pembroke Tables
Brass
Vintage 1970s Hollywood Regency Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Wood
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Bamboo
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
Metal
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Walnut, Upholstery
Recent Sales
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Wood
Vintage 1960s North American Georgian Cabinets
Brass
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Buffets
Wood
Vintage 1980s American Georgian Dry Bars
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Benches
Metal
Vintage 1970s Chinoiserie Buffets
Hardwood, Lacquer
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Ottomans and Poufs
Walnut, Linen
1990s Georgian Buffets
Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Regency Carts and Bar Carts
Brass
Vintage 1970s Chinoiserie Dry Bars
Wood, Lacquer
Vintage 1970s American Campaign Dry Bars
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Credenzas
Ebony, Cane, Walnut
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Buffets
Wood
Vintage 1970s American Campaign Dry Bars
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Brass
20th Century American Campaign Carts and Bar Carts
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Campaign Desks
Brass
1970s Pop Art Black and White Photography
Silver Gelatin
Vintage 1940s American Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Laminate, Cherry
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Brass
Drexel Rolling For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Drexel Rolling?
Drexel for sale on 1stDibs
While vintage Drexel Furniture dining tables, dressers and other pieces remain highly desirable for enthusiasts of mid-century modern design, the manufacturer's story actually begins decades before its celebrated postwar-era Declaration line took shape.
In 1903, in the small town of Drexel in the foothills of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, six partners came together to found a company that would become one of the country’s leading furniture producers. The first offerings from Drexel Furniture were simple: a bed, washstand and bureau all crafted from native oakwood, sold as a bedroom suite for $14.50.
One of Drexel’s early innovations was to employ staff designers, something the company initiated in the 1930s. This focus on design, which few other furniture companies were committing to at the time, allowed Drexel to respond to a variety of new and traditional tastes. This included making pieces inspired by historic European furniture, like the popular French Provincial–style Touraine bedroom and dining group that borrowed its curves from Louis XV-era furniture. Others replicated the ornate details of 18th-century chinoiserie or the embellishments of Queen Anne furniture. Always ready to adapt to new customer demands, during World War II, Drexel built a sturdy desk designed especially for General Douglas MacArthur.
In the postwar era, Drexel embraced the clean lines of mid-century modernism with the Declaration collection designed by Stewart MacDougall and Kipp Stewart that featured elegant credenzas and more made in walnut, and the Profile and Projection collections designed with sculptural shapes by John Van Koert. In the 1970s, Drexel introduced high-end furniture in a Mediterranean style.
Drexel changed hands and visions throughout the years. It was managed by one of the original partners — Samuel Huffman — until 1935, at which time his son Robert O. Huffman took over as president. It was then that the company began to expand, with several acquisitions of competitors in the 1950s, including Table Rock Furniture, the Heritage Furniture Co. and more.
With the manufacturer’s success — spurred by its embrace of advertising in home and garden magazines — it opened more factories in both North and South Carolina. By 1957, the company that had started with a factory of 50 workers had 2,300 employees and was selling its furniture nationwide.
Drexel underwent a series of name changes in its long history. Its acquisition of Southern Desk Company in 1960 bolstered its production of institutional furniture for dormitories, classrooms, churches and laboratories.
In the following decades, contracts with government agencies, hotels, schools and hospitals brought its high-quality furniture to a global audience. U.S. Plywood-Champion Papers bought Drexel Enterprises in 1968, and it became Drexel Heritage Furnishings.
In 2014, the last Drexel Heritage plant, in Morganton, North Carolina, reportedly closed its doors. The company rebranded as Drexel in 2017.
The vintage Drexel furniture for sale on 1stDibs includes end tables designed by Edward Wormley, walnut side tables designed by Kipp Stewart and lots more.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021Yes, Drexel Furniture makes high-quality furniture in a variety of styles. The company's vintage pieces are highly sought after by collectors. You can find a wide range of Drexel Furniture on 1stDibs.