Johnson Furniture Co. Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Take a medal from the King of Sweden, a splash of the roaring twenties, and a series of talented designers and you get Johnson Furniture Co.’s elegant Art Deco and period-revival furnishings as well as a taste for why the Johnson name prevailed for over a century in American furniture manufacturing.
A wealth of forests rendered Grand Rapids, Michigan, a logging center during the 1800s. It eventually gained recognition for its furniture industry. The city became a destination for woodworkers who hailed from all over the United States as well as Europe, and Johnson Furniture Co. cofounder Carl Johnson, who had been recognized for cabinetmaking by the head of the royal family in his native Sweden, brought his royally acknowledged talents to America with his two brothers, Hjalmar and Axel in 1887. Together, they established Cabinetmakers Co. in Grand Rapids. In 1908, the brothers sold their start-up and founded Johnson Furniture Co.
Tom Handley, of the well-respected English furniture company Waring and Gillow, became an in-house designer with Johnson Furniture Co. in its early days. Handley would stay on as part of both the Johnson label and of Johnson-Handley-Johnson — a companion company that spun off from Johnson in 1922 — until his death in 1926. At the time, archaeological discoveries were all the rage. The greatest influence on Art Deco jewelry, for example, was the excavation of the tomb of King Tut in 1922, and some vintage Tom Handley designs were adaptations of Egyptian furniture. The brand specialized in a range of styles that included Art Deco, Chippendale, Queen Anne and more.
Acclaimed designer David Robertson Smith, who had made furniture in the Arts and Crafts style for the likes of Gustav Stickley, carried the Johnson Furniture Co. creative team into the early 1930s. Grand Rapids had by then become a thriving hub with respect to the mass production of furniture, and Smith’s sophisticated Dynamique line — a collection of coffee tables, cabinets and more in alluring woods such as walnut and mahogany and based on French furniture — was among the first mass-produced modern furniture made in America.
Johnson hired Lorenzo Rutili, a Carnegie Institute graduate who studied design in Europe, to lead the brand’s design division. Rutili oversaw 30 years of successful Johnson Furniture Co. collaborations with other notable designers including Paul Frankl, Eliel Saarinen, Bert England, J. Robert F. Swanson and Pipsam Saarinen Swanson. After wrapping up his tenure at Johnson, Rutili moved on to design furniture at Tomlinson in North Carolina.
During the 1960s, Kipp Stewart and Milo Baughman designed residential furnishings for Directional — a favorite of mid-century modern furniture enthusiasts — and Johnson produced these pieces, becoming the sole manufacturer for the North Carolina brand.
After a merger with Timberline Inc., Johnson Furniture Co. secured contracts for hotels, motels and university dormitories. In 1983, Johnson and Rose Manufacturing became RoseJohnson Inc. It was later purchased by La-Z-Boy.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Johnson Furniture Co. case pieces and storage cabinets, tables and other furniture.
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Creator: Johnson Furniture Co.
Johnson John Stuart Mid Century Modern Walnut High Chest Dresser Brass Pull MINT
By Johnson Furniture Co., John Stuart
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Very nice mid-century modern walnut dresser high chest by Johnson for John Stuart.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Johnson Furniture Co. Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Brass
Paul Frankl, John Stuart, Mid-Century Modern Rare Station Wagon Full Bedroom Set
By Paul Frankl, John Stuart, Johnson Furniture Co.
Located in Stamford, CT
Rare Mid-Century Modern Paul Frankl for John Stuart complete 1950s bedroom set.
Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture Co. and retailed by John...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Johnson Furniture Co. Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Brass
Paul Frankl "Station Wagon" Three-Drawer Chest for Johnson Furniture
By Paul Frankl, Johnson Furniture Co.
Located in Hanover, MA
Gorgeous three-drawer nightstand chest by Paul Frankl from his highly coveted "Station Wagon Group" created in 1945 for Johnson Furniture Company of Grand Rapids. Branded mark in top...
Category
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Johnson Furniture Co. Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Brass
Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture Co. Mid-Century Walnut Six Drawer High Chests
By Johnson Furniture Co., Paul Frankl
Located in New York, NY
2 Mid-Century walnut high chests / dressers with six drawers mounted with X-shaped brass drawer pulls. (PAUL FRANKL FOR JOHNSON FURNITURE CO)(PRIC...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Johnson Furniture Co. Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Metal, Brass
Paul Frankl Petite Mahogany Chest of Drawers for Johnson Furniture Co.
By Paul Frankl, Johnson Furniture Co.
Located in Miami, FL
Petite mahogany chest of drawers or dresser with inset handles, fully incased with a stepped edge detail.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Johnson Furniture Co. Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Mahogany
Breathtaking Pair of Chests by Renzo Rutili in Cerused Oak and Bird's-Eye Maple
By Renzo Rutili, Johnson Furniture Co.
Located in Atlanta, GA
This magnificent pair of commodes is shipped as professionally photographed and described in the listing narrative: Meticulously professionally restored and completely installation r...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Johnson Furniture Co. Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Brass
Exquisite Mahogany and Bookmatch Bird's-Eye Maple Chest by Renzo Rutili
By Renzo Rutili, Johnson Furniture Co.
Located in Atlanta, GA
If a piece feels like Tommi Parzinger, but is marked Johnson Furniture, there can be only one answer as to its Designer: Renzo Rutili. Mr. Rutili was a seminal furniture designer of ...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Johnson Furniture Co. Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Brass
Magnificent Restored Eight Drawer Chest by Renzo Rutili, circa 1965
By Johnson Furniture Co.
Located in Atlanta, GA
If a piece feels like Tommi Parzinger, but is marked Johnson Furniture, there can be only one answer as to its Designer: Renzo Rutili. Mr. Rutili was a seminal furniture designer of ...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Johnson Furniture Co. Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Brass, Bronze
Renzo Rutili Mahogany and White Micarta Chest-on-Chest
By Johnson Furniture Co., Renzo Rutili
Located in Chicago, IL
Renzo Rutili for Johnson Furniture tall two-tiered gentleman's chest. Mahogany cases and drawer/door fronts with a white Micarta first tier top and four white Micarta sabots over lar...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Johnson Furniture Co. Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Brass
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Johnson Furniture Co. commodes and chests of drawers for sale on 1stDibs.
Johnson Furniture Co. commodes and chests of drawers are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Johnson Furniture Co. commodes and chests of drawers, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original commodes and chests of drawers by Johnson Furniture Co. were created in the mid-century modern style in united states during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider commodes and chests of drawers by Renzo Rutili, Heritage-Henredon, and Raymond Loewy. Prices for Johnson Furniture Co. commodes and chests of drawers can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $2,750 and can go as high as $85,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $16,500.