Tomlinson Seating
Pay a visit to the town of High Point, North Carolina — long the capital of American-made furniture — and, from nearly any location in the city, you’ll see a tall smokestack bearing the name Tomlinson. It’s a name with deep roots there: In 1901, Sidney Halstead Tomlinson, Sr., and his brother founded the Tomlinson Chair Manufacturing Co., producing adaptations of 19th-century European antiques for an enthusiastic American audience. Later the Tomlinson Furniture Company grew rapidly over the ensuing decades, becoming a significant contributor to High Point’s thriving manufacturing economy.
Although Tomlinson began with a focus on antique-style furniture, by the middle of the century the company had adopted aesthetics from the modern style that was rapidly growing in popularity around the world.
Throughout the 1950s and 60s, Tomlinson Furniture produced coffee tables, storage cabinets and seating in the low-slung, sleek silhouettes that were typically characteristic of what we now know as mid-century modern designs.
Working with designers like John Lubberts and Lambert Mulder, the company experimented with materials like woven cane and unique styles such as neoclassical lounge chairs in cherrywood that were seen as thoughtful modern interpretations of Biedermeier furniture.
During the mid-1950s, Tomlinson Furniture introduced its dramatic and decorative Sophisticate line, a collection of case pieces, seating, tables and more, available in a variety of woods. Today, designs that originated in the collection, such as its pecan-framed chairs with seats and backs of woven leather straps, are increasingly sought after by collectors.
Find vintage Tomlinson furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
20th Century Georgian Tomlinson Seating
Cotton, Polyester
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Leather, Walnut
1990s American Baroque Tomlinson Seating
Textile, Wood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Upholstery, Cane, Walnut
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Seating
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Seating
Upholstery, Rattan, Cane, Burl
1960s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Velvet, Wood, Lacquer
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Fabric, Walnut
1980s Chinoiserie Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Cotton
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Walnut, Upholstery, Cane
1960s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Fabric, Wood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Upholstery, Walnut, Burl
1950s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1950s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Mohair, Oak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Walnut
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Fabric, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Upholstery, Fruitwood
1950s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Wood, Upholstery
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tomlinson Seating
Fabric, Walnut, Burl
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Chestnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Cherry, Fabric
1960s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Upholstery
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Fabric, Beech
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Beech, Leather
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Maple
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Wood, Upholstery
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Leather, Wood
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Cane, Walnut
1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Tomlinson Seating
Wood, Cane
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Seating
Iron
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Fabric, Beech
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Seating
Walnut
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Bouclé, Teak
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Seating
Upholstery, Cane, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Seating
Upholstery, Wood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Velvet, Cane, Ash, Burl
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Cane, Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Cane, Chestnut
1960s Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Fabric
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Seating
Upholstery, Cane, Wood, Fabric, Felt, Cotton
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Tomlinson Seating
Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Upholstery, Fruitwood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Fabric, Cane, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tomlinson Seating
Fabric, Walnut, Burl
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tomlinson Seating
Fabric, Walnut, Burl
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Upholstery, Fruitwood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Fabric, Cane, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Seating
Upholstery, Cane, Hardwood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Seating
Fabric, Cane, Walnut