Paul Laszlo Furniture
The suave architect and interior designer Paul Laszlo made his reputation in Hollywood, where his clients included Barbara Stanwyck, Cary Grant and Elizabeth Taylor. He was aligned to no artistic or design movements, relying on his own carefully honed instincts to create his celebrated lounge chairs, tables, dressers and other furnishings. From the late 1930s to the 1960s, Laszlo’s name was a byword for sumptuous modernity among members of the smart set.
Born in Hungary in 1900, Laszlo learned about quality from his father, a prosperous furniture manufacturer. He studied design in Vienna and had his technical training in Stuttgart, Germany, where, at age 27, he established an upscale design business that gained an international reputation. Nine years later, with the Nazis in power, Laszlo, a Jew, left Germany for the United States and made his way to Los Angeles. There, he established an interior design office in Beverly Hills and was pleased to find that his Stuttgart credentials carried weight.
While he took many commercial assignments for American department stores, custom residential work was Laszlo’s stock in trade. He turned his hand to every element in a room, “down to the last ashtray,” Time magazine once wrote. Like his clients, Laszlo appreciated luxury — not the luxury of rare and precious materials, but the luxury of rich colors and textures, and deep comforts. He had a contemporary élan, exemplified by spaces that were bright, airy, uncluttered and up-to-date.
The classic earmarks of Laszlo’s furnishings are generous proportions and, in the case of his Paddle and Plank armchairs, namesake armrests that are flat and wide, the perfect spot to rest a cocktail. His case goods, tables and dining chairs have clean, elegant lines; they are simply formed yet warm, with interesting details such as woven veneer door fronts.
In recent years, Laszlo’s designs have found a new audience among fans of his easygoing modernism. Prices are in the neighborhood of $5,000 for his vintage cabinets, and from $8,000 to upwards of $20,000 for seating pieces, which are generally found in pairs or groups of six or more.
There was a reason that Laszlo’s work was so admired in the mid-20th century: every design contributes to an environment that is comfortable and elegant — at once robust and relaxed.
Find vintage Paul Laszlo furniture on 1stDibs.
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wood, Mahogany
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wood
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Upholstery, Maple
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Mahogany, Cork, Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wood, Resin
1950s Italian Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Aluminum
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wire
1980s American Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Chrome
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Metal
1950s American Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Laminate, Birch
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
1930s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Paul Laszlo Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century American Victorian Paul Laszlo Furniture
Fabric, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wood
2010s American American Classical Paul Laszlo Furniture
Upholstery, Maple
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Faux Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Upholstery
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Naugahyde, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Paul Laszlo Furniture
Rattan
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Mahogany
1940s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Glass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Fabric
1950s Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Oak
1940s American Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Metal, Nickel
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Mahogany
1950s American Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Lucite