Henredon Artefacts Headboard

Founded in 1945, Henredon is one of the more recently minted of the top-tier North Carolina furniture makers. Among collectors, Henredon is admired both for its sleek, sexy sofas, dining tables and other furniture of the 1970s and for its partnerships with noted designers, a program that began in the 1950s with decorating icon Dorothy Draper and architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

From the start, Henredon has been best known for its bedroom furniture and vintage case pieces, such as cabinets, dressers, armoires and credenzas. The brand was established in Morganton by former Drexel Furniture Company executives, and its name is a portmanteau term, derived from the first names of three of the company’s founders — T. Henry Wilson, Ralph Edwards and Don VanNoppen. (Sterling Collett, a fourth figure mentioned in Henredon Furniture’s history, chaired the company and served as treasurer).

Though not on the cutting edge stylistically, Henredon’s production — as well as its output under the Heritage-Henredon label — has always kept pace with contemporary tastes. 

In 1953, High Point manufacturer Heritage began a collaboration with Dorothy Draper, famed for bravura interior design commissions such as the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco and the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia. Her taste for bold, modernized historical style is reflected in the incised baroque medallions of her España line and the geometric motif of her Viennese furnishings group. In 1955, Henredon launched the Taliesin Ensemble by Wright, named after the architect’s houses in Wisconsin and Arizona. Taliesin dressers and coffee tables are recognizable by their angular shapes and a dentil motif on their edges. In those years, Henredon had a cross-licensing agreement with Heritage, and Draper and Wright's furniture is usually labeled Heritage-Henredon.

In later decades, Henredon produced collections for such designers as Ralph Lauren and Laura Ashley. The company took a stylish turn in the 1970s, fabricating new and unusual forms like mirrored room dividers and console tables with rounded corners and burl-wood veneers. Such pieces are priced in the $3,000 to $4,000 range, as are chests of drawers by Draper. Wright furniture tends toward the higher end, priced around $7,000. Henredon was an aesthetically diverse maker, but its furniture commands attention and makes a statement in any eclectic decor.

The vintage Henredon furniture for sale on 1stDibs includes bedroom furniture, coffee tables, chairs and other pieces.

We find relaxation and solace in our bedrooms, which are often the most cherished rooms of a home. Your antique, new or vintage bed and bed frame are integral to this oasis of personal comfort.

Beds and bed frames have long been an important part of the sanctuary that is the bedroom. For the upper class in countries such as England, the massive, costly beds of the 16th and 17th centuries were decorative and of the poster variety. Some were characterized by large painted wooden headboards, often made of oak, that featured ornate carvings and richly colored curtains affixed to each of the two or four posts — think of today’s sumptuous upholstered headboards as a distant cousin to these luxurious furnishings. The heavy fabric curtains were drawn across a fringed canopy to close out the sunlight that might’ve warmed your grandiose and opulent bedchambers. This feature could also offer privacy as desired, because, as we all know, a bedroom is for more than just sleeping. 

Coiled springs didn’t make their way into mattresses until the 1800s, which likely made for a far more comfortable night’s sleep for many. Bed frames of cast iron and brass were introduced during the mid- to late-19th century. Later, the 20th century brought with it marvelous innovations for slumberland, among them daybeds from the likes of George Nelson and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich as well as convertible sofa beds.

Today, you will find a range of beds geared toward your individual personality and preferred style of decor. When shopping for a bed and bed frame, keep in mind that you’ve got options. Sizes range from twin to California king. At 76 inches wide and 80 inches long, a king-size bed is roughly 16 inches wider than a queen-size mattress, and your bed frame will likely add two to five inches to each side. (The California king bed is 84 inches long.)

From dramatic bedroom designs to uncomplicated, minimalist approaches, the bedroom has evolved into the haven that it should be: a peaceful place of respite, where we begin and end every day. Take the time to create your very own oasis — you deserve it. Rest easy with an expansive collection of antique, new and vintage beds and bed frames available on 1stDibs.