COR Furniture
Cor is Latin for heart, and COR furniture exemplifies the qualities at the heart of exceptional design: practicality, comfort and style. The company's sofas, lounge chairs and coffee tables capture the essence of the best of mid-century modernism. Simple silhouettes, quality materials and function-first designs ensure that vintage COR furniture is still in high demand with collectors all over the world.
COR was founded in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany, in 1954 by Leo Lübke — in the name of his son, Helmut — and the Prince of Bentheim-Tecklenburg, a northern German county. Nearly a couple of decades prior, in 1937, a manufacturer of bedroom furniture called Interlübke was established by Leo and his brother Hans. The latter’s son Horst, who was managing partner from 1972, retired during the 1990s and his son Helmut Lübke joined Interlübke and shifted the brand’s focus toward modular furniture systems. During the 1980s, the Prince of Bentheim-Tecklenburg left COR and the Lübke family became its sole owner. In 2006, COR-Interlübke retail locations opened their doors.
COR made its mark in 1959 with a sleek modular seating system consisting of five parts called Quinta, which was created by designer Michael Bayer. The upholstered line boasted clean, angular contours and appealed to the day's ever-broadening flexible interior design sensibilities. It remained in production until 1978. The success of the Quinta was followed by the 1964 Conseta system, which featured a sofa and other pieces of seating designed by Friedrich Wilhelm Möller.
The following decades saw more successful collaborations with designers like Peter Maly and Luigi Colani. The latter, a German industrial designer born Lutz Colani, created a range of gorgeous organically shaped Space Age seating for BASF and Fritz Hansen, serveware for Rosenthal and worked on automobile designs for Fiat. Colani designed the popular Orbis line for COR during the 1970s.
In 2000, the Arthe sofa by Wulf Schneider was awarded the prestigious Red Dot Award from the North Rhine-Westphalia Design Centre.
COR is still owned and operated by the Lübke family’s parent company Gebrüder Lübke GmbH & Co. KG and continues to produce furniture at the Rheda-Wiedenbrück factory, sourcing leather from southern Germany and upholstery from Italy. The company partnered with Jehs+Laub, a renowned Stuttgart-based studio, in 2010.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage COR seating, tables and more.
21st Century and Contemporary German Mid-Century Modern COR Furniture
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary German COR Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American COR Furniture
Leather, Linen, Wood
2010s English Modern COR Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Lacquer
1710s American Mid-Century Modern Antique COR Furniture
Brass
1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage COR Furniture
Fabric
1930s Czech Bauhaus Vintage COR Furniture
Steel, Chrome
20th Century Balinese COR Furniture
Teak
Late 20th Century Swiss Modern COR Furniture
Fabric, Foam
1960s German Modern Vintage COR Furniture
Leather, Down, Upholstery
1950s Dutch Vintage COR Furniture
Leather, Bentwood
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern COR Furniture
Fabric, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary Modern COR Furniture
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage COR Furniture
Plywood
2010s German Mid-Century Modern COR Furniture
Stainless Steel
