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Edward Wormley Lounge Chairs

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.

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Color:  Brown
Creator: Edward Wormley
Slipper Chair by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Slipper chair designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar. Newly upholstered in a orange fabric closely matching the original with attention to detail! Solid mahogany frame. Retains the...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Lounge Chairs

Materials

Fabric

Gorgeous Dunbar Arm Chair Edward Wormley Mid-century Modern
By Edward Wormley
Located in Pemberton, NJ
Gorgeous Dunbar chair designed by Edward Wormley. This lovely chair was reupholstered in a salmon chenille about 20 years ago and still looks great. The back cushion is filled with...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Wood

Expertly Restored - Edward J. Wormley Tufted Lounge Chair for Dunbar
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mid-Century Modern lounge chair designed by American furniture designer, Edward J. Wormley, for Dunbar in the United States circa 1950’s. This classic lounge chair is reupholstered i...
Category

1950s American Vintage Edward Wormley Lounge Chairs

Materials

Brass

Pair of Edward Wormley for Dunbar Slipper Chairs
By Edward Wormley
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A pair of Classic Edward Wormley for Dunbar slipper chairs. Frames redone in high gloss black lacquer finish. New upholstery. ...
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Lounge Chairs

Edward Wormley Lounge Chair in Moss Green Wool Upholstery
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Chicago, IL
Edward Wormley for Dunbar lounge chair with unique setback front legs, and clad in moss green wool upholstery. Extremely comfortable with deep seat cushion and slight angle of the th...
Category

1950s American Vintage Edward Wormley Lounge Chairs

Materials

Wood, Wool

Edward Wormley Attributed White Upholstered Lounge Chairs - a Pair
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Charleston, SC
Pair White Upholstered Lounge Chairs in the style of Edward Wormley. Dimensions: H: 31 inches: W: 31 inches: D: 34 inches - Seat Height:...
Category

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

Materials

Upholstery, Wood

Edward Wormley for Dunbar Pair of Lounges Chairs in Knoll Boucle
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Chicago, IL
Edward Wormley for Dunbar pair of lounges chairs in Knoll Boucle, Newly reupholstered with solid oiled walnut cradle bases.  
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Lounge Chairs

Materials

Bouclé, Walnut

Pair of Vintage Dunbar Slipper Chairs by Edward Wormley
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This stylish pair of Mid-Century Modern lounge chairs feature stylish slipper design by iconic designer Edward Wormley for Dunbar. Bronze finish metal legs make a unique statement wh...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery

Edward Wormley lounge chairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Edward Wormley lounge chairs 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 lounge chairs, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original lounge chairs 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 lounge chairs by Dunbar, Charles and Ray Eames, and Herman Miller. Prices for Edward Wormley lounge chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,250 and can go as high as $44,995, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $7,200.

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