Lane Cedar Chest Love Chest
Mid-20th Century North American Blanket Chests
Rattan, Cedar
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Metal
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Rosewood, Walnut
Late 20th Century American Modern Side Tables
Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
Walnut, Burl
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and...
Aluminum, Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and...
Aluminum
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
2010s Austrian Jugendstil Chandeliers and Pendants
Silk
Vintage 1930s French Mid-Century Modern Stools
Rosewood
Vintage 1940s Italian Art Deco Sideboards
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Textile, Wood
Vintage 1930s Italian Art Deco Beds and Bed Frames
Maple, Walnut, Burl
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Cane, Teak
Mid-20th Century English Art Deco Beds and Bed Frames
Iron
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
Burl
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Fiberglass
Antique 1780s Scandinavian Baroque Blanket Chests
Pine
Mid-20th Century British Blanket Chests
Wood
Antique 19th Century Russian Campaign Trunks and Luggage
Brass
Recent Sales
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut
Vintage 1970s American Modern End Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Chinoiserie Blanket Chests
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
Faux Leather, Walnut, Paint
20th Century American Blanket Chests
Cedar
Lane Furniture for sale on 1stDibs
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. The brand’s vintage mid-century furniture is highly sought after.
Lane’s Acclaim walnut furniture line, which, designed by Andre Bus, has been compared to Drexel’s Declaration series for its blend of modern furniture’s clean contours and traditional craftsmanship. Ads for the Lane series suggested that it included “probably the best-selling table in the world.” (There are end tables, cocktail tables and more in the Acclaim collection, sporting graceful tapered legs and dovetail inlays.) Later, during the 1960s, Lane offered handsome modular wall units designed by the likes of Paul McCobb. 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.