Tomlinson Armchairs
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 Armchairs
Cotton, Polyester
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tomlinson Armchairs
Fabric, Walnut, Burl
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Armchairs
Fabric, Beech
1960s American Modern Vintage Tomlinson Armchairs
Beech
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Armchairs
Fabric, Beech
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tomlinson Armchairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Armchairs
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Art Deco Tomlinson Armchairs
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Modern Tomlinson Armchairs
Wood
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tomlinson Armchairs
Teak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Armchairs
Upholstery, Cane, Wood
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tomlinson Armchairs
Brass
1950s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tomlinson Armchairs
Fabric, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Modern Tomlinson Armchairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Louis XVI Tomlinson Armchairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Armchairs
Upholstery, Cane, Walnut
1960s Modern Vintage Tomlinson Armchairs
Velvet
1960s American Vintage Tomlinson Armchairs
Cane, Leather, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Modern Tomlinson Armchairs
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Regency Tomlinson Armchairs
Cane, Upholstery, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Armchairs
1970s Vintage Tomlinson Armchairs
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Armchairs
Mahogany, Silk, Upholstery
1960s American Vintage Tomlinson Armchairs
Leather