Gibbings Widdicomb Mid-Century Modern Crushed Velvet 5 Pc Sectional Sofa Curved
View Similar Items
Gibbings Widdicomb Mid-Century Modern Crushed Velvet 5 Pc Sectional Sofa Curved
About the Item
- Creator:T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings (Designer),Widdicomb Furniture Co. (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31 in (78.74 cm)Width: 96 in (243.84 cm)Depth: 33 in (83.82 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 5
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa Mid-20th Century
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Keego Harbor, MI
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2715326964222
T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings
British-born designer, interior decorator and author T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings was one of the great American tastemakers in the middle decades of the 20th century. Much like Edward Wormley, Robsjohn-Gibbings was a design classicist by education and inclination, but he would come to create some of the most gracious and livable modern furnishings of the era.
Robsjohn-Gibbings studied architecture at the University of London, then held various jobs that included designing décors for passenger liners and working as the art director of a film studio. In the early 1930s, while employed by the upper-crust interior designer Charles J. Duveen, Robsjohn-Gibbings experienced an epiphany during a visit to the British Museum.
Examining the furniture depicted on ancient Greek ceramics — lithe stools and klismos chairs — he realized that he had found a design touchstone. By 1936, Robsjohn-Gibbings had moved to New York and set up a showroom on Madison Avenue for his modern reinterpretations of Classical Greek designs. Aided by contacts he’d developed while working with Duveen, he quickly established a clientele that included Elizabeth Arden, Doris Duke and Thelma Chrysler Foy.
Through his writings for magazines and books, Robsjohn-Gibbings earned a public following and was established as an urbane arbiter of taste. From 1943 to 1956, he produced an understated line of modernist furnishings for Widdicomb, which included one of the icons of the period: the tiered, biomorphic Mesa coffee table (1951). Robsjohn-Gibbings moved to Athens, Greece, in 1966, and created a new line of antiquity-inspired pieces for the firm Saridis. The series turned out to be his swan song.
Collectors’ interest in Robsjohn-Gibbings was reignited in the 1980s when the 200-plus pieces from his 1936–38 commission for the Bel-Air estate of Los Angeles socialite Hilda Boldt Weber — pared-down neoclassical pieces rendered in blond wood (with the occasional flourish) — came on the market. (Up until then, the collection had remained in the house, despite its having changed hands several times.)
But his work for Widdicomb remains his most widely known, appreciated for its elegance and generous proportions. Robsjohn-Gibbings despised the stern aesthetic associated with his Bauhaus contemporaries, and a keynote of his modernist pieces is that they have no sharp angles. His chair and sofa frames, table legs and even many cabinets feature softly contoured edges. In whatever style he designed, Robsjohn-Gibbings was guided by simplicity and timelessness. He wanted his furniture to be lived with happily.
Find antique T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings coffee tables, dining tables, credenzas and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Widdicomb Furniture Co.
Admirers of vintage mid-century modern furnishings likely recognize the Widdicomb Furniture Company name for the fruitful partnerships it forged with iconic designers such as Frank Lloyd Wright, T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings and Mario Buatta. But there is more to the Widdicomb story than the albeit quite covetable sofas and bedroom furniture it produced during the middle of the 20th century.
A wealth of pine and oak forests rendered Grand Rapids, Michigan, a logging center during the 1800s, and it eventually gained recognition for its furniture industry. The American city became a destination for furniture makers who hailed from across the United States and beyond. Furniture maker George Widdicomb emigrated from England to the United States in 1845, eventually setting up a cabinet shop in Syracuse, New York, before moving west to Grand Rapids. There, he opened a shop with his four sons, including John Widdicomb, whose name would help carry the family legacy into the 20th century.
The Widdicomb shop in Grand Rapids prospered, as the patriarch’s formal English training allowed him to produce pieces with superior craftsmanship compared to those of his competitors. Although the Civil War halted business and took the life of one of the Widdicomb brothers, the family’s survivors would start anew as Widdicomb Brothers and Richards, soon renamed the Widdicomb Furniture Company.
John Widdicomb, however, split from the family business in 1897 to create the John Widdicomb Company, where he would go on to focus on Louis XV- and French Provincial-style furnishings. Chairs made in these styles have distinct characteristics, such as floral motifs carved in the frames and gently angled backrests. John's company also remained a family affair: The founder’s son, Harry, assumed control of the company when his father died in 1910, while John's nephew Ralph Widdicombe — who retained the English spelling of his last name and joined the John Widdicomb Company at its start — designed every single piece of the offerings at his uncle's manufacturing outfit until he retired in 1951. Ralph was an internationally distinguished furniture designer whose modern mahogany bedroom suite won first prize at the Paris Exposition in 1900.
The original iteration of Widdicomb, which was helmed by John's older brother William while John ran his own brand, had shifted from making period revival styles of furniture, such as Georgian and Chippendale, to manufacturing modern pieces in the late 1920s. Today vintage Widdicomb seating, tables and other pieces produced during the postwar years are particularly sought after by collectors of mid-20th-century furniture.
In 1959, master woodworker George Nakashima created his Origins collection for Widdicomb when the firm merged with Mueller Furniture Corporation and was known, for around 10 years, as Widdicomb-Mueller. Origins, a revered Shaker-influenced group of nightstands, upholstered lounge chairs, dining-room tables and more, saw Nakashima working with woods like Carpathian elm and laurel in his Pennsylvania studio.
Eventually, the two Widdicomb companies would combine in 1970, operating under the name John Widdicomb Co.
In 2002, the business closed after more than a century of operations, and its assets were acquired by Stickley Furniture. Interestingly, it was not the first time Widdicomb and Stickley overlapped: In the final years of the 19th century, the companies opened a shared storehouse in London, while John Widdicomb and Albert Stickley would travel Europe together for the purposes of research.
Find vintage Widdicomb coffee tables, case pieces, dining chairs and more on 1stDibs.
- Mid Century Modern Curved Beige Floral Sofa in the Manner of Harvey ProbberLocated in Keego Harbor, MIA curved sofa in the manner of Harvey Probber. A gorgeous mid century modern sofa piece with a unique curved shape and design. This piece is stunning with its combination of contempo...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin Deep Grey Tufted 3pc Sectional Sofa with ChaiseBy Milo BaughmanLocated in Keego Harbor, MIA Milo Baughman 3 piece sectional sofa for Thayer Coggin. An absolutely stunning sofa featuring a 3 piece sectional design with a left side chais...Category
20th Century American Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsCotton
- Contemporary West Elm x Steelcase Belle Prototype Navy and Grey Sectional SofaBy SteelcaseLocated in Keego Harbor, MIA contemporary west elm x Steelcase Belle prototype navy and grey sectional sofa. A stunning and unique multicolored 3pc sofa sectional. This piec...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Sectional Sofas
MaterialsVelvet
$7,040 Sale Price20% Off - Mariani Contemporary Italian Leather & Mohair U Shaped Custom SectionalBy i4 MarianiLocated in Keego Harbor, MIThis custom made contemporary custom Mariani "U" shaped section is up for consideration. Made with Italian leather and dark brown mohair fabric. The low lounge seating is inspired by the 1970s "conversation pit...Category
Vintage 1970s Sectional Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Mid Century Modern Bert England for Widdicomb Leather Top DeskBy Bert England, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in Keego Harbor, MIThe Bert England for Widdicomb Leather Top Desk is a remarkable blend of style and functionality. Designed by renowned designer Bert England...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
- George Nelson for Herman Miller Modular Steel Frame 2-Piece Seating & Table 60sBy George Nelson, Herman MillerLocated in Keego Harbor, MIA sleek and minimal modular steel frame 2-piece seating system and tables by George Nelson for Herman Miller. Circa 1960s. Sleek and functional design with built in laminate white ta...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- Mid-Century Modern Curved Sectional Sofa 4 PCLocated in North York, ONMid-Century Modern curved sectional sofa 4 PC. Iconic Mid-Century Modern design in unique curved shape. Reminiscent of famous mid-century desig...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsWood
$18,000 Sale Price20% Off - Signed Directional Furniture Mid Century Modern 3PC Curved Sectional SofaBy DirectionalLocated in West Hartford, CTStunning curved iconic mid century masterpiece from Directional Furniture circa 1970s. Still in great condition with only age appropriate wear. Three pieces and note the center cur...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Textile, Wood
- T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings Model 1676 by Widdicomb Attributed SofaBy T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in Los Angeles, CAThis stylish Mid-Century Modern three-seat sofa, attributed to model 1676 by T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb featuring a blonde wood frame and velvet upholstery. This sofa was ...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Wood
$2,200 Sale Price59% Off - Unusual 2-Piece Curved Sectional Sofa Mid-Century ModernLocated in Pemberton, NJUnusual 2-piece curved sectional sofa. We love the wonderful space aged sculpted quality of this sectional-looks great with or with-out the molded pillows. The original fabric is dat...Category
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsUpholstery
- Mid Century Modern Curved Serpentine L Shape Sectional SofaLocated in Philadelphia, PAA sleek modern curved sectional circa 1980's. This sofa is top notch, and would look great with a brass plinth base instead of fabric wrapped. The fabric has some soiling, so recover...Category
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- Stunning 3 Piece John Widdicomb Sectional Sofa Mid-Century ModernBy John WiddicombLocated in Pemberton, NJStunning 3 piece John Widdicomb sectional sofa with 2 rosewood side tables. Wow, this set is beyond amazing, you should have seen it in its original owner's home-just gorgeous. This ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood, Rosewood