Dunbar Lydia Depolo
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
Oak
Vintage 1970s American Modern Lounge Chairs
Bouclé, Upholstery
People Also Browsed
2010s British Ottomans and Poufs
Fabric, Bouclé, Walnut
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Beds and Bed Frames
Cotton, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and...
Onyx, Brass
2010s British Modern More Mirrors
Brass
2010s Mexican Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Organic Modern Center Tables
Travertine
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
Marble, Metal, Steel
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Oak, Plywood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Chairs
Bouclé, Wood
2010s German Modern Dining Room Chairs
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Brass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tables
Chrome
Vintage 1940s Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Desks
Steel
Recent Sales
Vintage 1970s American Modern Lounge Chairs
Bouclé
Vintage 1980s North American Mid-Century Modern Desks
Marble
Dunbar Furniture for sale on 1stDibs
Revered for its handcrafted and highly collectible mid-century modern sofas, coffee tables and other furnishings, Dunbar Furniture was founded in 1910 in Berne, Indiana, but it didn’t gain widespread recognition until the ’30s, following the introduction of its president to a designer who would leave an indelible mark on the company’s legacy: Edward Wormley.
After a stint at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Oswego, Illinois-born Wormley worked as an interior designer for Marshall Field’s before joining Dunbar in 1931. Initially focused on developing the company’s cheapest furniture line, which could be bought with soap coupons, he was soon leading Dunbar Furniture into a new era of residential furniture for modern American homes. He would serve as the company’s design director for over three decades, designing about 150 pieces each year.
During that time, he oversaw the production of designs in a wide range of materials, with influences ranging from Scandinavian modernism to Art Deco. There were modern upholstery pieces, like swiveling lounge chairs and low-slung sofas, and experiments with textural wood on bar carts and cabinets as well as minimal, sculptural tables and functional office furniture. A passionate collector of Tiffany Studios lamps, Wormley used their glass tiles in Dunbar tables in 1956. He also worked on the reproduction of pieces by designers such as Jean-Michel Frank and Richard Riemerschmid.
One standout Dunbar Furniture collection was Janus, introduced in the 1960s, with Austrian-born ceramicists Otto and Gertrud Natzler. These pieces see the Natzlers’ uniquely artful ceramic tiles set into several styles of wooden tables. They remain some of the most sought-after mid-century modern Dunbar pieces on the vintage market today. During the peak of his design career and, indeed, the height of Dunbar Furniture’s history, Wormley amassed a whopping 30 Good Design awards between 1950 and 1955 through the “Good Design” exhibition, hosted by the Chicago Merchandise Mart and the Museum of Modern Art. Dunbar today produces a limited selection of archival Wormley designs, but many sales of original Dunbar pieces are through the resale market.
Find a collection of authentic vintage Dunbar Furniture today on 1stDibs.