In its inaugural days, iconic mid-century modern furniture brand Craft Associates was largely the work of founder and forward-thinking designer Adrian Pearsall and his wife, Dorie. The pair assembled sexy, stylish furniture in their Pennsylvania basement that they later sold from the back of a truck to the era’s marquee department stores in Philadelphia and New York City.
The New York–born Pearsall (1925–2011) served in the Navy before earning his architectural engineering degree from the University of Illinois in 1950. He abandoned architecture after only a couple of years and turned instead to furniture design, opening Craft Associates in 1952 to sell his sophisticated living room seating, dining room furnishings and more. Flush with dynamic angles and clean lines, Pearsall’s sculptural, expressive designs — coffee tables, luxurious lounge chairs and more — helped define the style of the Atomic Age. With the help of Dorie and working in partnership with his brother Richard, Pearsall oversaw the expansion of Craft Associates into a leading employer of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, with popular furniture including architecturally striking tables as well as plush beanbag chairs.
From Craft, there was Pearsall’s low-slung Gondola sofa, which embraces the sitter with its enveloping, geometrically rich form, his range of glass-topped tables — most boasting provocatively shaped wood slabs that serve as bases — as well as his skinny, high-backed upholstered walnut armchairs. Pearsall drew on his background in architecture for the organic and eye-catching structures of these pieces in addition to his larger scale work. One of his biggest projects was the complete design of his family’s 10,000-square-foot Pennsylvania home in Forty Fort, which boasted an indoor pool, sauna, tennis court and ice cream bar.
After growing his business to 800 employees, Pearsall sold Craft Associates in 1968 to Lane Furniture, which continued producing his pieces into the late 1970s before halting production. With business partner John Graham, Pearsall established a new company, Comfort Designs, in the 1970s, while also devoting time to his lifelong hobbies of sailing and restoring classic yachts.
A company called New Craft Associates revived Pearsall’s brand’s name, referencing mid-century-era furniture design in its current projects while not formally associated with Pearsall or his family. Restoration Hardware has also reissued some of his Craft Associates designs, with Pearsall and his company’s distinctive furniture remaining popular statement pieces adaptable to any home.
Find a range of vintage Craft Associates furniture on 1stDibs.
Modern Ceramic Vase by Suzy Goodelman for Craft Associates Furniture, 1910-SG
By Craft Associates
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
Designer: Suzy Goodelman Distributor: Craft Associates Furniture Period/Model: New Specs: Clay Dimensions H 17" (43.18cm) W 6.5" (16.51cm) ...
Clay
Modern Black and White Vases by Suzy Goodelman for Craft Associates Furniture
By Craft Associates
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
Designer: Suzy Goodelman Distributor: Craft Associates Furniture Period/model: New Specs: Clay Dimensions: White vase H 17" (43.18 cm) W ...
Clay
Modern Pottery by Suzy Goodelman for Craft Associates Furniture, 1912-SG
By Craft Associates
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
Designer: Suzy Goodelman Distributor: Craft Associates Furniture Period/Model: New Specs: Clay Dimensions: H 8.5" (43.18cm) W 6.5" (16.51cm...
Clay
Ceramic Vase by Suzy Goodelman for Craft Associates Furniture, 1911-SG
By Craft Associates
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
Designer: Suzy Goodelman Distributor: Craft Associates Furniture Period/Model: New Specs: Clay dimensions H 11.75" (29.85cm) W 8.5" (21.59c...
Pottery
Mid-Century Modern Drip Glaze Vase by Marcello Fantoni for Raymor
By Marcello Fantoni
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fantastic coloring in the drip glaze, lively vibrant yellows and greens. Vase is terracotta and approx. 11 inches x 6.25 x 6. In excellent original condition. Beautiful addition to a...
Terracotta
Blue and White Vintage Vase
Located in Dallas, TX
Porcelain
$1,695 / item
H 15.7 in W 11.8 in D 8.7 in
Matte Black and Gold Sicilian Terracotta Vase Designed by Stefania Boemi
By Stefania Boemi
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Scroll down and click "view all from Seller" to see more than 400 other unique products. (2) A captivating ode to traditional craftsmanship and modern sensibility, this anthropomorphic vase of a Sicilian woman is crafted with care by master ceramicist Stefania Boemi, this piece is hand glazed in a deep black matte hue and boasts an expressive visage with an ornate headdress and crown flanked by locks of hair intertwined with Sicilian lemons...
Gold Leaf
2 Arts & Crafts McCoy School Pottery Periwinkle Swags & Bows Floor Vases
By Nelson McCoy Pottery Company
Located in Big Flats, NY
Pair of Arts & Crafts McCoy School art pottery floor vases feature collar with embossed swags and bows and periwinkle blue glazing, 20th century. Measures: 27" height x 11"dia...
Pottery
$3,870
H 7.49 in Dm 7.09 in
Stunning White 'Carrara' Vase by Wilhelm Kåge for Gustavsberg, Sweden, 1930s
By Rörstrand, Stig Lindberg, Gunnar Nylund, Gustavsberg, Wilhelm Kage
Located in Malmö, SE
A beautiful and rare Art Deco / Swedish Grace stoneware vase with 'Carrara' glaze. Made by Wilhelm Kåge at Gustavsberg in Sweden, 1930s. Excellent original condition. No chips, cra...
Ceramic, Stoneware
$1,100
H 8.51 in W 3.35 in D 2.21 in
Italian Vintage Ceramic Rhimini Blue Vase by Aldo Londi for Bitossi, circa 1960
By Aldo Londi, Bitossi
Located in Landau an der Isar, Bayern
Beautiful tall embossed vase in vibrant 'Rhimini' blue and turquoise by Aldo Londi for Bitossi, circa 1968. A great. piece of vintage, mid-century handmade Italian pottery. Shape number 727/21. We have more rare Bitossi...
Ceramic, Clay
Mid-Century Modern Studio Ceramic Vase
Located in Dallas, TX
Great detail in this signed ceramic vase with a glazed white ceramic and detailed with cut and formed ceramic ornamentation around upper portion. Well executed.
Ceramic
$1,695 / item
H 15.7 in W 11.8 in D 8.6 in
White, Orange and Gold Sicilian Terracotta Vase Designed by Stefania Boemi
By Stefania Boemi
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Scroll down and click "view all from Seller" to see more than 400 similar products. (2) This mythology inspired vase has been crafted entirely by hand in terracotta, painted with a ...
Gold Leaf
Art Nouveau Period Arts & Crafts Monumental Ceramic Floor Vase
By Wasmuel Majolica
Located in Verviers, BE
Brilliant handmade hand-glazed Art Nouveau planter jardinière, 1930. Wonderful Art Nouveau (Arts & Crafts) monumental ceramic vase. Handmade and hand-glazed in brilliant colors. ...
Ceramic
Unique Green Ceramic Vase by Turi Heisselberg Pedersen
By Turi Heisselberg Pedersen
Located in New York, NY
Organic Vase, 2015, (Ceramic, C. 12.1 in. h x 7.5 in. d, Object No.: 3389). Turi Heisselberg Pedersen has, all through her career, strived to develop the vessel as abstract form and as an independent sculptural object. As Turi notes “working in clay is to me connected with many underlying cultural bound references, but also strongly connected to nature. The very process of building in clay is a process from nature to culture. We have an inherent understanding of beauty and design evolved in thousands of years of visual impressions from our cultural history, but especially also from nature. In this context, I am aiming to create a visual and emotional reading of the objects, working with shape, rhythm, volume, movement, and texture”. In the interplay between culture and nature, Turi’s works are inspired by geological structures and crystal formations, but also by architecture, the edged rendering of a computer drawing or folded paper shapes. Most of her faceted shapes seem to have a seed of coincidence or unplanned development, reminding one of crystal formations growing in irregular clusters.? Heisselberg Pedersen’s sculptures are hand-modeled from stoneware and glazed with slip-glazes, which gives the works a stone-like, dry surface with a rich texture. Some of Turi’s designs...
Ceramic
Arts and Crafts Three Handled Pottery Vase Attributed to Linthorpe
By Christopher Dresser
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A stunning Arts & Crafts three handled hourglass shaped vase attributed to Linthorpe and in the manner of Christopher Dresser (British, 1834 – 1904) dating from around 1880. The vase...
Earthenware
![Japanese antique pottery bowl/[Banko ware] Mie prefecture/1850-1912](https://a.1stdibscdn.com/japanese-antique-pottery-bowl-banko-ware-mie-prefecture-1850-1912-for-sale/1121189/f_319674221672470538196/31967422_datamatics.jpg?width=240)
![Japanese antique pottery bowl/[Banko ware] Mie prefecture/1850-1912](https://a.1stdibscdn.com/japanese-antique-pottery-bowl-banko-ware-mie-prefecture-1850-1912-for-sale-picture-2/f_54872/f_319674221672299028647/DSC_0375_master.jpg?width=240)
$900
H 2.45 in W 7.29 in D 7.17 in
Japanese antique pottery bowl/[Banko ware] Mie prefecture/1850-1912
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
Banko-yaki is a type of pottery that began in the northern part of Mie Prefecture in the middle of the Edo period. (The places marked with red circles on the map are the kilns of Banko ware...
Pottery