Drexel Heritage Studio
1990s North American Modern Dining Room Sets
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Modern Lounge Chairs
Faux Leather, Plywood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Walnut
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Minimalist Side Tables
Marble, Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile
2010s Modern Tables
Hardwood, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Walnut
2010s Belgian Modern Sofas
Linen
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Metal
2010s Austrian Jugendstil Chandeliers and Pendants
Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Armchairs
Bouclé
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Benches
Fabric, Velvet, Lacquer, Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Cane, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Art Deco Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
Late 20th Century American Modern Swivel Chairs
Bouclé
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Chrome, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Minimalist Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble, Travertine
Recent Sales
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Canvas, Rosewood, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Porcelain, Glass, Milk Glass, Walnut
Early 2000s American Modern Console Tables
Walnut
20th Century American Art Deco Club Chairs
Leather
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Glass, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Buffets
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Brass
Drexel for sale on 1stDibs
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 vintage Drexel furniture for sale on 1stDibs includes end tables designed by Edward Wormley, walnut side tables designed by Kipp Stewart and lots more.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021Yes, Drexel Furniture makes high-quality furniture in a variety of styles. The company's vintage pieces are highly sought after by collectors. You can find a wide range of Drexel Furniture on 1stDibs.