Thomasville Segovia

Thomasville Furniture was once a manufacturing giant known for its chic designs and popular licensed collections. Today, every vintage solid wood Thomasville cabinet, dining chair and dining table is a charming piece of American furniture history.

Thomasville was founded in 1904 in the town of Thomasville, North Carolina. The neighboring city of High Point, home to Tomlinson and others, would one day be known as the capital of American-made furniture, while iconic mid-century modern brands Century, Broyhill and Drexel also opened their doors in the so-called “Tar Heel State.”

Thomasville’s initial offerings were limited to one item — the Thomasville chair — and it was known in its early days as the Thomasville Chair Company. People loved Thomasville chairs so much that demand surged for more types of seating and other furnishings. In 1922, there was even a 13-foot replica of the original chair design installed in the town square. Dubbed "The Big Chair," it was rebuilt in 1951 to a height of 30 feet and still serves as the town's most notable landmark.

Thomasville quickly grew and expanded, and was featured in hundreds of retail stores across America. The manufacturer also established Thomasville Home Furnishing stores to carry the company’s products exclusively. In 1995, Thomasville was purchased by Interco Inc.

In 2002, Thomasville unveiled the Humphrey Bogart collection, the first of two highly successful licensed collections. Inspired by the Art Deco movement as well as the Hollywood Regency style, the theatrical line of alluring mahogany chests, mirror-topped nesting tables and other furnishings positioned glamour and sophistication front and center. Upon seeing the collection, Bogart's widow, actress Lauren Bacall, remarked, "They haven't missed a trick."

This was followed in 2004 by the Ernest Hemingway collection, released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the writer's Nobel Prize. The collection, which included sleigh beds, chests, dining tables and more, drew on Chippendale furniture and the French Rococo style. It represented the largest launch in Thomasville's history, boosting the company's sales and brand image.

In 2008, Thomasville introduced a new signature collection in collaboration with designer Darryl Carter. The partnership yielded a line of versatile traditionalist center tables, seating and other pieces with a contemporary twist and saw Carter offering a fresh take on the classic work for which Thomasville is known.

In 2014, Thomasville, then owned by Heritage Home Group, announced the end of operations in its native city.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Thomasville case pieces, tables, seating and more.

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.