Gilbert Rohde Paldao Cabinet for Herman Miller
About the Item
- Creator:Gilbert Rohde (Designer),Herman Miller (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 42 in (106.68 cm)Width: 40 in (101.6 cm)Depth: 17 in (43.18 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1941
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Beautifully restored. Ready to place.
- Seller Location:Hanover, MA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU886617552561
Gilbert Rohde
Pioneering self-taught industrial designer, writer and teacher Gilbert Rohde helped define the earliest phase of modernism in the United States. He is one of the most influential figures of 20th-century design and is credited with helping legendary mid-century modern furniture manufacturer Herman Miller avert financial disaster during the Great Depression.
Born in New York City, Rohde studied painting at the Art Students League after high school. He found lucrative employment, first as a political cartoonist and then as a catalog illustrator for American department stores. He was particularly enthralled with drawing furnished interiors.
Rohde began to design furniture in his spare time. He traveled to the Bauhaus school in Germany and the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris, and drew on the Art Deco movement and the work of designers such as Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann in his early pieces. Rohde opened his own studio in 1929 and secured private and commercial commissions. His clients would come to include formidable furniture makers Heywood-Wakefield and Troy Sunshade, and his innovative bentwood furnishings for them were practical and intended for the modern consumer.
In 1930, Rohde met Herman Miller founder D.J. De Pree in the company’s Michigan showroom during a business trip. By then, Rohde had a long list of prominent clients and his furniture had been exhibited in museums and galleries. Herman Miller was weathering a devastating slowdown in business, and the American furniture industry had generally been hit hard by the Great Depression.
Rohde boldly informed De Pree that the brand’s furniture had become outdated, which was part of the reason the company was in financial jeopardy. Homes had become smaller and could no longer accommodate the large Gothic– and Victorian–style furnishings and traditional reproductions of period bedroom suites that Herman Miller was offering at the time, Rohde explained.
Rohde secured a contract to design for the Michigan manufacturer. He championed the use of exotic woods and tubular steel, and created streamlined, unadorned bedroom furniture for Herman Miller — collections that included convenient vanities, which were unconventional pieces for De Pree’s company back then.
In 1933, Rohde oversaw the design of two bedrooms featuring sleek Herman Miller furniture — including innovative storage pieces he designed — as part of an International–style exhibit at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. The installation garnered acclaim for De Pree’s brand all over the world and afforded Rohde the opportunity to execute on his visionary ideas in front of a global audience. Rohde later designed lighting, seating and more for Herman Miller and was extensively involved in the company's marketing strategy and other areas of the business.
In 1942, Herman Miller, anticipating a postwar economic boom, began to produce office furniture for the first time, but its legacy is in the home. Working with legendary designers such as Ray and Charles Eames, Isamu Noguchi and Alexander Girard, the manufacturer fostered some of the boldest expressions of what we now call mid-century modern style.
Find vintage Gilbert Rohde coffee tables, lounge chairs, table lamps and other items on 1stDibs.
Herman Miller
No other business of its kind did more than the Herman Miller Furniture Company to introduce modern design into American homes. Working with legendary designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and Alexander Girard, the Zeeland, Michigan-based firm fostered some of the boldest expressions of what we now call mid-century modern style. In doing so, Herman Miller produced some of the most beautiful, iconic and, one can even say, noblest furniture ever.
Founded in 1923, Herman Miller was originally known for grand historicist bedroom suites: heavily ornamented wood furniture that appealed to a high-minded, wealthier clientele. The company — named for its chief financial backer — began to suffer in the early 1930s as the Great Depression hit, and D.J. De Pree, the company’s CEO, feared bankruptcy. In 1932, aid came in the form of Gilbert Rohde, a self-taught furniture designer who had traveled widely in Europe, absorbing details of the Art Deco movement and other modernist influences. After persuading De Pree that the growing middle-class required smaller, lighter household furnishings, Rohde set a new course for Herman Miller, creating sleek chairs, tables and cabinetry that were the essence of the Streamline Moderne style.
Rohde died suddenly in 1944. The following year, De Pree turned to George Nelson, an architect who had written widely about modern furniture design. Under Nelson’s leadership, Herman Miller would embrace new technologies and materials and audacious biomorphic forms. Some of the pieces the company produced are now emblems of 20th century American design, including the Eames lounge chair and ottoman and Nelson’s Marshmallow sofa and Coconut chair. As you can see on 1stDibs, such instantly recognizable furnishings have become timeless — staples of a modernist décor; striking, offbeat notes in traditional environments.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Hanover, MA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Gilbert Rohde 4140 Tall Chest for Herman MillerBy Gilbert Rohde, Herman MillerLocated in Hanover, MABeautifully refinished mahogany tall boy chest of four drawers by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller's 4140 collection with original off-white "leather cloth" (Fabrikoid) padded drawers. Top drawer is fitted with vide poche sliding and removable tray. See pages from original 1941 Herman Miller catalog...Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsFaux Leather, Mahogany
- Gilbert Rohde 4140 Dresser for Herman Miller 3 AvailableBy Gilbert Rohde, Herman MillerLocated in Hanover, MAWe have a total of three available of these beautifully refinished mahogany chests of three drawers by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller's 4140 collection with original off-white "leather cloth" (Fabrikoid) padded drawers. Top drawer is fitted with vide poche sliding and removable tray and has original label. See pages from original 1941 Herman Miller catalog...Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsFaux Leather, Mahogany
- Gilbert Rohde 4140 Vanity for Herman MillerBy Gilbert Rohde, Herman MillerLocated in Hanover, MABeautifully refinished mahogany vanity/coiffeuse by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller with original off-white "leather cloth" (Fabrikoid) top and padded drawers. Kneehole: 26" high x 22" wide x 17.5" deep See our separate listings for other pieces from this same collection. See pages from original 1941 Herman Miller catalog.Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Vanities
MaterialsFaux Leather, Mahogany
- Gilbert Rohde 4140 Full Size Bed for Herman MillerBy Gilbert Rohde, Herman MillerLocated in Hanover, MASleek and handsome full size bed (headboard, footboard and side rails) designed by Gilbert Rohde and produced by Herman Miller circa 1939/1940 as part of their iconic 4140 collection...Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsFaux Leather, Mahogany
- Lorin Jackson for Grosfeld House Double Door Chest of DrawersBy Grosfeld HouseLocated in Hanover, MAEarly 1940's sideboard or linen press by Lorin Jackson for Grosfeld House. Two banks of four open drawers behind double doors. Carved foliate handles and curved notched corners. T...Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsWalnut
- George Nelson for Herman Miller Model 5153 Mobile TableBy Herman Miller, Irving Harper, George NelsonLocated in Hanover, MAWhite enameled steel frame and white laminate rolling cart designed in 1951 by George Nelson for Herman Miller. Also referred to as an Angle Iron table...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsIron
- Gilbert Rohde Cabinet for Herman MillerBy Gilbert Rohde, Herman MillerLocated in Philadelphia, PAGilbert Rohde Cabinet from the Mahogany Series dating to the late 1930's. Refinished about 10 years ago in a Satin Black Finish. Still presents pretty well but not perfect. Retains O...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Cabinets
MaterialsMetal
- Gilbert Rohde Paldao Secretary Display Case for Herman MillerBy Gilbert Rohde, Herman MillerLocated in Brooklyn, NYBookcase with drop-front secretary desk and storage drawers in paldao wood. Glass dividers separate storage compartments, and cork-lined back. Retains Herman Miller tag. Great origin...Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Bookcases
MaterialsPaldao
- Gilbert Rohde 'Paldao' Desk for Herman MillerBy Gilbert RohdeLocated in Middlesex, NJGilbert Rohde 'Paldao' desk for Herman Miller.Category
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Desks
- Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller Paldao Group Bookcases, Newly RefinishedBy Herman Miller, Gilbert RohdeLocated in South Bend, INAn extremely rare and exceptional pair of Mid-Century Modern bookcase cabinets Designed by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller "Paldao Group" USA, 1940s Exotic book-matched pald...Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsGlass, Paldao
- Pair of Chest of Drawers by Gilbert Rohde for Herman MillerBy Gilbert Rohde, Herman MillerLocated in Palm Springs, CAA pair of three drawer chests, designed by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller in the the 1930's. Bleached mahogany cabinets with original padded naugahyde drawer fronts. Great detailing...Category
20th Century American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsMahogany, Naugahyde
- Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller ShelfBy Gilbert Rohde, Herman MillerLocated in Philadelphia, PAGilbert Rohde for Herman Miller Open Display or Bookshelf. Newly refinished and ready to go! Perfect for your amazing collection! Pe...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Shelves
MaterialsMahogany
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
A Guide to Herman Miller’s Most Iconic Furniture
The prolific manufacturer has partnered with many of the world’s top designers since opening its doors in 1923. Here are some of the company’s greatest hits, which helped transform the American home and office.