1972 Lane Cedar Chest

When the first iteration of the Lane Furniture company began to produce its now-famous Lane cedar chests in the early 20th century, the family behind the brand was unsure of how successful they’d be, so they initially didn’t bother adding their name to the offerings.

The manufacturer was off to a modest start but the family was industrious: The Lanes were made up of farmers and contractors who’d built more than 30 miles of the Virginian railroad. They owned a cotton mill and purchased thousands of acres of land in Campbell County, Virginia, where the Virginian railroad was intended to cross the main line of the Southern Railway.

The Lanes hoped to start a town in this region of the state, and by 1912, streets for the town of Altavista had been laid out and utility lines were installed. In the spring of that year, John Lane purchased a defunct box factory at a bankruptcy auction. His son, Edward Hudson Lane, was tasked with the manufacturing of the cedar “hope” chests for which the Lane family would become known, even though the company was initially incorporated as the Standard Red Cedar Chest Company.

The Standard Red Cedar Chest Company struggled in its early days but introduced an assembly system at its small factory after securing a contract with the federal government to produce ammunition boxes made of pine during World War I. The company prospered and applied mass-production methods to its cedar-chest manufacturing after the war, and, in 1922, rebranding as the Lane Company, it implemented a national advertising campaign to market its products.

Ads tied the company’s strong cedar hope chests to romance. Anchored by copy that read “The gift that starts the home,” the campaign rendered a Lane cedar chest a necessary purchase for young women to store linens, clothing and keepsakes as they prepared to marry.

Wartime production during World War II had Lane producing aircraft parts. In the 1950s, the family-owned company began to branch out into manufacturing tables, bedroom pieces and other various furnishings for the entire home. Today, the brand’s vintage mid-century furniture — which includes the Perception, Tuxedo and Acclaim collections — is highly sought after. 

Designed by Andre Bus, Lane’s Acclaim furniture collection of coffee tables, end tables, dressers and more has been compared to Drexel’s wildly popular Declaration series for its blend of traditional craftsmanship and the impeccably clean contours that are frequently associated with the best of mid-century modern design. 

Ads for the Acclaim line suggested that it included “probably the best-selling table in the world.” Before its offerings expanded to include items for the bedroom and dining room, Lane was primarily known for its tables and case pieces — there are side tables, coffee tables and more created by Bus in the Acclaim collection, each sporting graceful tapered legs and dovetail inlays. 

Later, during the 1960s, Lane offered handsome modular wall units created by the likes of Paul McCobb, an award-winning Massachusetts-born designer best known for his work at Directional.

The company was acquired by United Furniture Industries in 2017 and became particularly well-known among contemporary consumers for its upholstered furniture. In 2022 United abruptly closed and ceased operations at Lane.  

Vintage Lane furniture is generally characterized by relatively neutral styles, which are versatile in different kinds of interiors, as well as good quality woods and careful manufacturing. All of these attributes have made Lane one of the most recognizable names in American furniture.

Browse storage cabinets, side tables and other vintage Lane furniture on 1stDibs.

After the conquest of Mexico in 1521 and the Philippines in 1565, Spain dictated a global culture. The colonization of territories in the Americas, Western Europe, Africa, Oceania and the Pacific imposed the values of Spain, including Catholicism, while the extraction of resources reinforced the empire’s wealth and power. Unlike many styles that came out of European colonialism, such as British Colonial, Spanish Colonial furniture and architecture frequently mixed local heritage with the artistic traditions of Spain.

Spanish Colonial furniture was informed by the shifting styles of Europe as well as Indigenous culture. There were Inca tapestries depicting Spanish coats of arms and Baroque chairs adorned with tropical flora. The butaca, a low easy chair popular in the Caribbean, was inspired by Rococo’s curving forms and the shape of precolonial seating. In New Mexico, Pueblo artisans carved chests with patterns reminiscent of Anasazi art.

Even within the homes of the wealthy, furniture was usually restricted to necessities like benches, desks, cupboards and chests. These were often ornately designed and especially important for storing prized goods like textiles. Spanish Colonial houses were built with adobe and clay and tended to be minimally decorated, so the style’s heavily carved wooden furniture pieces stood out against a home’s white stucco walls.

The Spanish Colonial period mostly came to an end after the territories achieved independence from Spain. However, its aesthetics continued to influence Southwestern style and Spanish Colonial Revival style after Spanish Colonial style was used extensively at San Diego’s 1915 Panama-California Exposition.

Find a collection of antique Spanish Colonial chairs, tables, bedroom furniture and other furniture on 1stDibs.

Don’t underestimate a good bench — antique and vintage benches are storage pieces, stylish accents and statement-making additional seating.

Today, benches are a great option to maximize seating in your house and outdoor space. The perfect option to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere in foyers and entryways, benches can also transform dining areas, making it possible to host a hungry family with limited space. Whether you’re sprucing up your entertaining with upholstered Empire-style benches or adding more options to a dining room that’s seen a farmhouse makeover, this humble furnishing has only become more versatile over the years. Designers have recognized the demand for a good bench, crafting the convenient seating alternative from a range of materials, including wood, iron and even concrete.

Mid-century modern benches from George Nakashima, Charlotte Perriand and the pared-down Platform bench by George Nelson for Herman Miller are classics of innovation, but maybe you’re looking for an unconventional design approach to your home's seating. Opt for something totally outside the box — an antique pine church-pew bench paired with a vintage wool throw and stationed under the mounted coatrack in your mudroom is a distinctive touch.

For your outdoor oasis, a wrought-iron patio bench is the obvious choice but not the only option. An enclosed back patio would do well to inherit a rattan bench with cushions, but it can be susceptible to weathering and should be covered or moved indoors when not in use.

Whatever your seating arrangement needs are, find vintage, new and antique benches for every space on 1stDibs.