Phillip Lloyd Powell Large Cabinet in Walnut and Gold Leaf

About the Item

Phillip Lloyd Powell, large cabinet, walnut, gold leaf, painted wood, United States, circa 1965 Crafted by the skilled hands of Phillip Lloyd Powell, this highboard stands as a testament to the designer’s bespoke artistry. It is a unique creation commissioned specifically for a private client during the mid-1960s. This cabinet commands attention with its imposing stature and substantial size, measuring 241 cm/94.88 inches in height. The cabinet is organized into six distinct sections, each featuring a consistent design. Within each compartment, a folding door framed in walnut reveals a central stroke adorned with intricately carved rhomboid and squared patterns embellished with gold leaf. The open lines allow glimpses of blue paint to peek through. The sides of the cabinet feature a slatted framework of rectangular walnut slats arranged against a radiant golden backdrop with horizontal carvings. The interior is painted in a green-blueish shade, applied unevenly with visible brushstrokes. This creates a visually captivating contrast between the harmonious blend of gold and warm walnut tones on the exterior and the vivid burst of color within. His contemporary and showroom partner Paul Evans also used expressive paint colors to decorate the insides of some of his pieces. The interior is thoughtfully organized to ensure practical utility, featuring a diverse array of storage elements including a movable cabinet and platform, pigeonholes, and a drawer equipped with organizers. Through its essential form, meticulous material selection, and masterful woodwork, this grand cabinet serves as a testament to Phillip Lloyd Powell's unparalleled craftsmanship and distinctive artistic vision. Phillip Lloyd Powell (1919-2008) is one of the essential members of the American Studio Craft Movement. Born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1919, he discovered his love for furniture design at a young age. He already began crafting his own furniture and custom furniture for family and friends in his adolescent years. He studied engineering at Drexel university but was drafted to serve in the Army Air Corps during the Second World War. After his return from the army, he settled in New Hope, Pennsylvania, a place that was crowded with craftspeople such as Paul Evans. It was during this period that he met Evans and throughout the 1950s and 1960s the two men shared a studio. Therefore, they often collaborated, creating some of the most important furniture of the Midcentury Studio Furniture Movement. Together, they shared a love for materials and a passion for handcrafted pieces. Therefore, all his pieces are handmade from high quality, grained woods that often recall their natural shape and form. Another natural material that he often used was slate, the deep grey material was often utilized for table or credenza tops. Over the span of slightly more than half a century, Powell's production yielded just around 1000 pieces. The designer stands in stark contrast to the prolific output of contemporaries such as the renowned furniture designer George Nakashima, who is estimated to have created well over 10,000 objects. It was in fact Nakashima who urged Powell to begin designing for himself in the first place. Today, Powell’s well-known carved wooden cabinets, consoles, chairs and dining tables are one of the most sought-after pieces from that era.

Creator:
Phillip Lloyd Powell (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 94.89 in (241 cm)Width: 70.08 in (178 cm)Depth: 25.99 in (66 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Gold Leaf,Paint,Walnut,Wood
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
1960-1969
Date of Manufacture:
1965
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Every item Morentz offers is checked by our team of 30 craftspeople in our in-house workshop. Special restoration or reupholstery requests can be done. Check ‘About the item’ or ask our design specialists for detailed information on the condition.
Seller Location:
Waalwijk, NL
Reference Number:
Seller: 501149651stDibs: LU933138759542
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Shop All Phillip Lloyd Powell

Phillip Lloyd Powell

An American woodworker known for a wide range of furniture that is sensuous, sculptural and imbued with character, Phillip Lloyd Powell is an iconic figure in design. His organic style transcended the conventions of popular mid-century modern furniture and is best reflected in the vintage cabinets and tables for which he is renowned.

“I am an artist working with furniture,” Powell once said. But the self-taught furniture maker wore a number of different hats throughout his lifetime. He crafted handmade furniture as a teenager at his boyhood home and went on to study engineering at what is now Drexel University. Powell served in the Army Air Corps during World War II, and, on his return, he established his first showroom in New Hope, in his home state of Pennsylvania, stocking furniture from Knoll, Herman Miller and Isamu Noguchi.

In New Hope, Powell encountered fellow furniture designers Paul Evans and George Nakashima. The latter, a master woodworker who preferred a personal approach to design over industrial methods and materials, encouraged Powell to concentrate on making his own furniture. When Powell did so, he’d experiment with Nakashima’s unused stock of wood, drawing on natural world forms for seating and shapely coffee tables.

Evans, who moved to New Hope in 1955, was invited to share Powell’s studio space. Powell’s furniture design practice really took off and a collaboration with Evans put into motion the 1960s American Studio Craft Movement, which came to include furniture designers Wharton Esherick and Sam Maloof. The decade-long partnership between Evans and Powell yielded stone-topped tables, walnut chests with sculptured metal exteriors and more.

Powell was inspired by Evans’s artistry as a jewelry designer — he was a skilled welder whose Cityscape pieces are milestones of brutalism. Powell, in turn, encouraged him to turn his sculptures into furniture. Like Evans, Powell incorporated a range of materials into his work, rendering the interiors of his hand-carved cabinets alluring and distinctive with applications of silver leaf and fabrics.

The sinewy arms of Powell’s famous New Hope lounge chair are representative of his broad expertise with wood and his ability to make graceful yet functional furniture. He worked slowly, and the influence of the natural world remained a driving force in his designs. Powell produced approximately 1,000 pieces while he lived and worked in New Hope until his death in 2008.

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