Secretary By Lorin Jackson

The New York City modern furniture manufacturer and retailer Grosfeld House, which had showrooms in Chicago and Los Angeles, forged enduring partnerships with celebrated designers and is known to collectors for its vintage Lucite furniture and other pieces made between the 1930s and the 1970s.

Following the introduction of Lucite in the 1930s, Grosfeld House used the acrylic plastic extensively in its manufacture of everything from coffee tables to chairs to mirrors — its “Glassic” line came to encompass all manner of furnishings. Owing to offerings that took on unconventional forms as well as an integration of flamboyant ornamentation such as lacquered parchment, gilt metal and ebonized wood, the brand became popular with decorators who worked in what we now call the Hollywood Regency style. Grosfeld House also produced chairs, end tables and other pieces in historical furniture styles such as Hepplewhite and Louis XV.

Grosfeld House prospered under the creative direction of furniture designer Lorin Jackson, whose collections of plastic furniture became popular with consumers, and enjoyed collaborations with designers such as distinguished German-American creator Vladimir Kagan.

Kagan, whose oft-copied furnishings for Directional are well-known to collectors, created nearly 150 pieces for Grosfeld House. Eugene Schoen, an American architect and designer most closely associated with the Art Deco style, also developed pieces for the company, while designer Marc Berge made understated mid-century modern furniture for Grosfeld House into the 1960s.

Find vintage Grosfeld House tables, seating and storage pieces for your home on 1stDibs.

The California-born style of Hollywood Regency, also known as Regency Moderne, emerged during the Golden Era of cinema from the 1920s to the ’50s. Decadent and bold, vintage Hollywood Regency furniture and interiors playfully mix colors like jewel tones and hot pinks with lacquered walls, gilded accents, mirrored surfaces and metallic finishes for maximalist spaces.

Although it involved elements of the coinciding Art Deco movement, such as a preference for clean lines, Hollywood Regency was much more opulent, inspired by glamorous movie stars and the lavish set designs for films being made in Tinseltown. Furniture designers associated with the style embraced an eclectic range of influences, including throwbacks to previous styles of grandeur, such as Rococo, neoclassical and chinoiserie, as well as materials, from bamboo dining chairs to lucite bar carts to sunburst mirrors made from gilded resin. Hollywood Regency end tables, floor lamps, chandeliers and other pieces tended to be small-scale, fitting into an overall design rather than serving as a focal point.

Interior decorator Dorothy Draper led the shaping of the Hollywood Regency style and also designed iconic pieces like the España chest, which was manufactured by Henredon. Virginia native William “Billy” Haines, a furniture designer who started as an actor, contrasted hand-painted wallpaper with Chinese ceramics and Chippendale chairs, while architect John Elgin Woolf imbued his Beverly Hills designs with theatrical details. Paul Revere Williams, a trailblazing African-American architect, was pivotal in defining the look through his commercial projects, such as the 1940s Beverly Hills Hotel and bespoke homes that mixed everything from Louis XV paneling to Georgian architecture.

Find a collection of vintage Hollywood Regency bedroom furniture, tables, seating and other pieces on 1stDibs.

Whether burnished or lacquered, antique, new and vintage brass furniture can elevate a room.

From traditional spaces that use brass as an accent — by way of brass dining chairs or brass pendant lights — to contemporary rooms that embrace bold brass decor, there are many ways to incorporate the golden-hued metal.

“I find mixed metals to be a very updated approach, as opposed to the old days, when it was all shiny brass of dulled-out silver tones,” says interior designer Drew McGukin. “I especially love working with brass and blackened steel for added warmth and tonality. To me, aged brass is complementary across many design styles and can trend contemporary or traditional when pushed either way.”

He proves his point in a San Francisco entryway, where a Lindsey Adelman light fixture hangs above a limited-edition table and stools by Kelly Wearstler — also an enthusiast of juxtapositions — all providing bronze accents. The walls were hand-painted by artist Caroline Lizarraga and the ombré stair runner is by DMc.

West Coast designer Catherine Kwong chose a sleek brass and lacquered-parchment credenza by Scala Luxury to fit this San Francisco apartment. “The design of this sideboard is reminiscent of work by French modernist Jean Prouvé. The brass font imbues the space with warmth and the round ‘portholes’ provide an arresting geometric element.”

Find antique, new and vintage brass tables, case pieces and other furnishings now on 1stDibs.

As long as curious people have collected stories, we have needed a place to stow them away and preserve them. When auction houses and book dealers proliferated by the late 17th century, the bibliophile was born. And, of course, as with any treasured objects, a book lover’s volumes were suddenly worthy of a luxurious display — enter the bookcase. Americans of means during the 19th century took to amassing art as well as rare books, and antique bookcases of the era, rife with hand-carved decorative accents and architectural motifs, were ideal for displaying their handsome leather-bound wares.

Although our favorite titles may change over the years, the functionality and beauty of their home within our home is timeless. Whether you proudly shelve your books in regal mahogany or behind glass cabinet doors, a bookcase — or perhaps more than one — is essential to creating a cozy nook for any book lover. Even those who don’t covet the perfect home library can benefit from an attractive display case, as bookcases can easily double as charming étagères. 

Contemporary and customizable options make it easier for you to find the perfect bookcase for your style and stacks. If you don’t wish to fill your storage piece so that your collection is snug within its confines, incorporate extra space to allow for additional displays and decorative objects. And by introducing a striking dark wood Art Deco bookcase or low-profile mid-century modern design by Paul McCobb into your living room, your signed first editions won’t be the only items making a statement. 

Find your dream bookcase on 1stDibs now.