Desk, Mid Century Desk X Base by Drexel
View Similar Items
Desk, Mid Century Desk X Base by Drexel
About the Item
- Creator:Drexel (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 34.5 in (87.63 cm)Width: 54 in (137.16 cm)Depth: 26 in (66.04 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:United States
- Period:1960-1969
- Date of Manufacture:unknown
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Glendale, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU98201137608
Drexel
While vintage Drexel Furniture dining tables, dressers and other pieces remain highly desirable for enthusiasts of mid-century modern design, the manufacturer's story actually begins decades before its celebrated postwar-era Declaration line took shape.
In 1903, in the small town of Drexel in the foothills of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, six partners came together to found a company that would become one of the country’s leading furniture producers. The first offerings from Drexel Furniture were simple: a bed, washstand and bureau all crafted from native oakwood, sold as a bedroom suite for $14.50.
One of Drexel’s early innovations was to employ staff designers, something the company initiated in the 1930s. This focus on design, which few other furniture companies were committing to at the time, allowed Drexel to respond to a variety of new and traditional tastes. This included making pieces inspired by historic European furniture, like the popular French Provincial–style Touraine bedroom and dining group that borrowed its curves from Louis XV-era furniture. Others replicated the ornate details of 18th-century chinoiserie or the embellishments of Queen Anne furniture. Always ready to adapt to new customer demands, during World War II, Drexel built a sturdy desk designed especially for General Douglas MacArthur.
In the postwar era, Drexel embraced the clean lines of mid-century modernism with the Declaration collection designed by Stewart MacDougall and Kipp Stewart that featured elegant credenzas and more made in walnut, and the Profile and Projection collections designed with sculptural shapes by John Van Koert. In the 1970s, Drexel introduced high-end furniture in a Mediterranean style.
Drexel changed hands and visions throughout the years. It was managed by one of the original partners — Samuel Huffman — until 1935, at which time his son Robert O. Huffman took over as president. It was then that the company began to expand, with several acquisitions of competitors in the 1950s, including Table Rock Furniture, the Heritage Furniture Co. and more. With the manufacturer’s success — spurred by its embrace of advertising in home and garden magazines — it opened more factories in both North and South Carolina. By 1957, the company that had started with a factory of 50 workers had 2,300 employees and was selling its furniture nationwide.
Drexel underwent a series of name changes in its long history. Its acquisition of Southern Desk Company in 1960 bolstered its production of institutional furniture for dormitories, classrooms, churches and laboratories. In the following decades, contracts with government agencies, hotels, schools and hospitals brought its high-quality furniture to a global audience. U.S. Plywood-Champion Papers bought Drexel Enterprises in 1968, and it became Drexel Heritage Furnishings.
In 2014, the last Drexel Heritage plant, in Morganton, North Carolina, reportedly closed its doors. The company rebranded as Drexel in 2017.
The range of vintage Drexel furniture for sale on 1stDibs includes end tables designed by Edward Wormley, walnut side tables designed by Kipp Stewart and lots more.
- Mid-Century Modern Walnut Drexel DeskBy DrexelLocated in Brooklyn, NYBeautiful walnut Drexel desk with matte black metal handles. Great piece for any office or bedroom. (Please confirm item location - NY or NJ - wit...Category
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWalnut
$1,120 Sale Price30% Off - Fine French Mid-Century Lacquered Desk by RaphaelBy Raphael RaffelLocated in Long Island City, NYRaphael (Raphael Raffel, 1912-2000) Rare Beka lacquer pedestal desk with three drawers, a black lacquered base and bronze details.Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBronze
Price Upon Request - Mid-Century Modern Walnut DeskLocated in Brooklyn, NYVintage modern writing desk featured in rich walnut grain. This desk sits on sleek tapered legs and has two spacious drawers. This would be...Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood, Walnut
$1,400 Sale Price30% Off - Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Mid Century Walnut Corner DeskBy Kipp Stewart, DrexelLocated in Countryside, ILKipp Stewart for Drexel declaration mid century walnut corner desk This desk measures: 52.5 wide x 40.25 deep x 31.5 inches high, with a c...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsWalnut
- Important Mid Century Executive Desk by Ico Parisi for MIM 1958By Ico ParisiLocated in Rome, ITThis large Terni executive desk was designed by Ico Parisi in 1958 for MIM (Mobili Italiani Moderni) Rome, Italy, with a rectangular tabletop, The desk contains a three drawer block ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tables
MaterialsWood
$11,532 Sale Price25% Off - Mid-Century Modern Italian Desk Table by Gianni Moscatelli for FormanovaBy Formanova, Gianni MoscatelliLocated in Prato, ITWriting or conference table with console designed by Gianni Moscatelli for Formanova, dated circa 1965. Chromed metal structure and mahogany veneer top. Formanova born from the c...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsStainless Steel