Calvin Furniture
The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based company Calvin Furniture opened its doors in 1953 and became a sought-after contract manufacturer for the day’s top furniture designers and brands. Its appealing mid-century modern and Hollywood Regency offerings — nightstands, dressers and more — graced the showrooms of department stores all over North America during the 1950s and 1960s.
Calvin’s relationship with the work of Massachusetts-born designer Paul McCobb is well known to enthusiasts of mid-century modern furniture. McCobb, whose unadorned and efficient storage pieces, seating and desks drew on Shaker simplicity and Bauhaus minimalism, wasn’t exactly a designer for Calvin — in partnership with New York furniture salesman B.G. Mesberg, McCobb set up the Directional Furniture Company in Manhattan in 1949, and Calvin was one of the manufacturers contracted to produce the furniture he designed for Directional (and later, for pieces designed under his own name).
Among McCobb’s most acclaimed lines made by Calvin Furniture were the Calvin Group and the Irwin Collection. The travertine-topped sideboards and mahogany nightstands of those lines as well as the other Calvin-produced dressers, bookcases and chests of drawers designed by McCobb were elegant and spare, free of unnecessary embellishments.
Calvin also manufactured the very popular American Design Foundation line of furniture that Kipp Stewart and Stewart MacDougall designed. The Pennsylvania-born, California-raised MacDougall enjoyed a postwar collaboration with West Coast native Stewart that resulted in great success with manufacturers such as Glenn of California and Drexel Furniture. The duo’s celebrated Declaration line for the latter featured streamlined credenzas, dressers and more made in walnut with comely porcelain hardware. The dining chairs, tables and coffee tables manufactured by Calvin flaunt the pair’s signature clean lines, gentle curves and organic shapes.
In the late 1950s and early ‘60s, Calvin Furniture continued its business relationship with B.G. Mesberg National Sales and Directional Furniture. Calvin finally closed their doors during the early 1970s, but their legacy can be found in enduring pieces of modern furniture that remain popular today.
On 1stDibs, find a selection of vintage Calvin Furniture tables, credenzas, chairs and more.
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Calvin Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Calvin Furniture
Travertine, Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Calvin Furniture
Metal, Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Calvin Furniture
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Mirror, Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Vitrolite, Wood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Vitrolite, Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Marble, Brass
1850s American Mid-Century Modern Antique Calvin Furniture
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Calvin Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Calvin Furniture
Stone, Marble, Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Brass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Calvin Furniture
Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Cane, Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Wood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Wood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Travertine, Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Cane, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Calvin Furniture
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Leather, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Mirror, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Travertine, Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Calvin Furniture
Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Calvin Furniture
Brass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Calvin Furniture
Aluminum
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Walnut, Lacquer
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Mirror, Mahogany, Lacquer
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Walnut
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Calvin Furniture
Leather, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Stone, Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Calvin Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Calvin Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Calvin Furniture
Brass
Calvin furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Creators Similar to Calvin
- Why is Calvin Klein so popular?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 21, 2024Calvin Klein is popular for a few reasons. Known for his minimalist, comfortable womenswear as well as a range of sexually provocative ad campaigns that continue to generate conversation decades later, Klein led the designer jeans craze of the late 1970s. The brand’s skirts, jackets, day dresses and shirts, sold at modest prices and frequently created in soft fabrics and understated neutral hues, are still versatile components of everyday wear. Controversial marketing helped broaden the label’s reach, too. During the 1980s, Klein’s jeans were promoted in scandalous ads featuring Brooke Shields and others that were banned by television stations and challenged by politicians. More eye-catching ad campaigns with up-and-coming models and celebrities like Kate Moss and Mark Wahlberg followed in the ‘90s, also bringing fresh attention to the brand. On 1stDibs, shop a range of Calvin Klein apparel and accessories.
- Is Calvin Klein a good brand?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 13, 2024Yes, Calvin Klein is a good brand. Known for minimalist, comfortable womenswear as well as sexually provocative ad campaigns that continue to generate conversation decades later, Klein led the designer jeans craze of the late 1970s. The brand’s skirts, jackets, day dresses and shirts, sold at modest prices and frequently created in soft fabrics and understated neutral hues, are versatile components of everyday wear. Shop a range of Calvin Klein apparel and accessories on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022The Calvin Klein brand is known for their sensual ads featuring well-known celebrities as well as for producing simple, understated fashions. Among the brand's most popular offerings are fragrances, men's underwear and jeans for men, women and children. Find a range of Calvin Klein apparel and accessories on 1stDibs.