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Edward Wormley

American, 1907-1995

As the longtime director of design for the Dunbar furniture company, Edward Wormley was, along with such peers as George Nelson at Herman Miller Inc., and Florence Knoll of Knoll Inc., one of the leading forces in bringing modern design into American homes in the mid-20th century. Not an axiomatic modernist, Wormley deeply appreciated traditional design, and consequently his vintage seating, storage cabinets, bar carts and other work has an understated warmth and a timeless quality that sets it apart from other furnishings of the era.

Wormley was born in rural Illinois and as a teenager took correspondence courses from the New York School of Interior Design. He later attended the Art Institute of Chicago but ran out of money for tuition before he could graduate. Marshall Field hired Wormley in 1930 to design a line of reproduction 18th-century English furniture; the following year he was hired by the Indiana-based Dunbar, where he quickly distinguished himself. It was a good match.

Dunbar was an unusual firm: it did not use automated production systems; its pieces were mostly hand-constructed. For his part, Wormley did not use metal as a major component of furniture; he liked craft elements such as caned seatbacks, tambour drawers, or the woven-wood cabinet fronts seen on his Model 5666 sideboard of 1956. He designed two lines for Dunbar each year — one traditional, one modern — until 1944, by which time the contemporary pieces had become the clear best sellers.

Many of Wormley’s signature pieces — chairs, sofas, tables and more — are modern interpretations of traditional forms. His 1946 Riemerschmid Chair — an example is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art — recapitulates a late 19th-century German design. The long, slender finials of his Model 5580 dining chairs are based on those of Louis XVI chairs; his Listen-to-Me Chaise (1948) has a gentle Rococo curve; the “Precedent” line that Wormley designed for Drexel Furniture in 1947 is a simplified, pared-down take on muscular Georgian furniture. But he could invent new forms, as his Magazine table of 1953, with its bent wood pockets, and his tiered Magazine Tree (1947), both show. And Wormley kept his eye on design currents, creating a series of tables with tops that incorporate tiles and roundels by the great modern ceramicists Otto and Gertrud Natzler.

As the vintage items on 1stDibs demonstrate, Edward Wormley conceived of a subdued sort of modernism, designing furniture that fits into any decorating scheme and does not shout for attention.

Average Sold Price
$6,140
Styles
Materials
Related Creators
Iconic Designs from Edward Wormley
Explore timeless pieces that have earned their place in history.
A Frame Chair
A Frame Chair
Edward Wormley Heart Chair
Edward Wormley Heart Chair
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Extension Dining Table
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Chicago, IL
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Extension Dining Table, model 5460, features three 12” leaves with veneer running opposite way as ends, fully extended 120" and 84" without leaves. Walnut ...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley

Materials

Brass

  • Edward Wormley for Dunbar Extension Dining Table
  • Edward Wormley for Dunbar Extension Dining Table
  • Edward Wormley for Dunbar Extension Dining Table
  • Edward Wormley for Dunbar Extension Dining Table
H 29.5 in. W 120 in. D 38.75 in.
Dunbar Bar Cart by Edward Wormley in Rosewood, Cork and Slate
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Dallas, TX
A sculpted rosewood bar cart with single drawer, cork shelves and slate top. Designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar.
Category

1970s Vintage Edward Wormley

Materials

Slate

Ecru Beige Boucle Sophia Slipper Chairs by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Miami, FL
Pair of neutral lacquered mahogany model 5000 or sophia slipper chairs with tufted seat and back. Newly refinished and reupholstered in a light écru white, ivory or bone bouclé. Orig...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley

Materials

Mahogany, Fabric

Edward Wormley Pair of Dining Chairs in Red Leather
By Mobilier Universel, Edward Wormley
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Edward Wormley for Dunbar by Mobilier Universel, armchairs model '5762', lacquered black wood, red leather, Belgium, design 1957 This pair of grand armchairs by Edward Wormley desig...
Category

1950s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley

Materials

Leather, Wood

  • Edward Wormley Pair of Dining Chairs in Red Leather
  • Edward Wormley Pair of Dining Chairs in Red Leather
  • Edward Wormley Pair of Dining Chairs in Red Leather
  • Edward Wormley Pair of Dining Chairs in Red Leather
H 33.08 in. W 24.02 in. D 25.2 in.
Set of Matching Mirrors by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, 1950s
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Stamford, CT
Rare set of matching mirrors designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, circa 1950s. Mahogany framing and caning fully restored. Original mirrors i...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley

Materials

Cane, Mahogany

Edward Wormley for Dunbar Swivel Chair, C. 1950s
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Stamford, CT
A swivel lounge chair designed by the iconic Edward Wormely for Dunbar Furniture, circa 1950-1959. Completely restored, fitted with new high-grade hand cut foam with all insides full...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley

Materials

Velvet, Mahogany

Edward Wormley for Dunbar Mahogany Credenza with Rosewood Pulls, circa 1950s
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Peabody, MA
A three door mahogany credenza with rosewood and brass drawer pulls, and three drawers above, designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, circa 1950s.
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley

Materials

Brass

1940s Cork Top Game Table By Edward Wormley Manufactured by Dunbar
By Edward Wormley
Located in New York, NY
An exquisite Cork Top Game Table, a remarkable piece of mid-century design crafted in the 1950s. Designed by the renowned Edward Wormley and manufactured by Dunbar, this table combin...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley

Materials

Brass

Browse all Furniture from Edward Wormley
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Edward Wormley Sellers

Creators Similar to Edward Wormley

More Edward Wormley Designs
A Frame Chair
A Frame Chair
Average Price
$8,500
Number Available
6
A Frame Chair
By Edward Wormley
Materials
Wood, Animal Skin, Fabric, Leather, Upholstery, Brass, Cane, Mahogany, Metal, Natural Fiber
Styles
Mid Century Modern
The Dunbar furniture company and designer Edward J. Wormley (1907–95) transformed American furnishings during the mid-20th century. Both Wormley and Dunbar hailed from the Midwest, and the fruit of their decades-long partnership is characterized by a strong ethos of classical design and the prioritization of well-made materials. Wormley’s foray into design in the mid-1920s has origins in the correspondence course from New York School of Interior Design that he completed as a high school stude...
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Edward Wormley Heart Chair
Edward Wormley Heart Chair
Average Price
$4,458
Number Available
6
Edward Wormley Heart Chair
By Edward Wormley
Materials
Wood, Cane, Fabric, Limestone, Mahogany, Natural Fiber, Stone, Travertine
Styles
Mid Century Modern
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Edward Wormley furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Edward Wormley furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Edward Wormley furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Edward Wormley were created in the mid-century modern style in north america during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Dunbar, Paul McCobb, and Baker Furniture Company. Prices for Edward Wormley furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at £181 and can go as high as £96,352, while a piece like these, on average, fetch £5,563.

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