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Edward Wormley Sideboards

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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Creator: Edward Wormley
Recognized Seller Listings
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Furniture Woven Front Dark Brown Mahogany Credenza
By Edward Wormley
Located in New York, NY
American Mid-Century (1950s) mahogany credenza with woven design front panels that slide to reveal a blond wood interior with a large central cabinet and two drawer sets on either si...
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Sideboards

Materials

Wood, Mahogany, Lacquer

Edward Wormley for Dunbar Furniture Woven Front White Painted Credenza
By Edward Wormley
Located in New York, NY
American Mid-Century (1950s) white painted mahogany credenza with woven design front panels that slide to reveal a green painted interior with a large central cabinet and two drawer ...
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Sideboards

Materials

Wood, Mahogany, Lacquer

Drop Tambour Front Cabinet by Edward Wormley
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An innovative and uncommon drop tambour front cabinet of bleached walnut having recessed finger pulls, the cabinet with drawers, shelves and vert...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Sideboards

Materials

Walnut

A Walnut Sideboard by Edward Wormley
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A walnut server with central compartment having a removable glass-bottom serving tray & one adjustable shelf, flanked by two banks of four drawers over one long drawer all with brass...
Category

1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Sideboards

Materials

Brass

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Edward Wormley for Dunbar Black Lacquered Sideboard or Bar Cabinet, Refinished
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Edward Wormley Beautiful Pedestal Cabinet in Olive Burl, 1963
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Edward J. Wormley for Dunbar Cabinet with Asian Hardware
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Small Mid-Century Cabinet by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
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Modular Six-Piece Credenza by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
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Located in Chicago, IL
Very rare and unusual piece by Edward Wormley. This modular credenza in walnut can be put together in a host of different configurations. Detailed with large Moorish style solid bras...
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Edward Wormley for Dunbar Credenza
By Edward Wormley
Located in Pasadena, TX
Elegantly crafted credenza made of walnut. Credenza features distinctive half moon drawer and door pulls.
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Edward Wormley for Dunbar Credenza
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Credenza
H 29 in W 63 in D 20 in
Wormley Designed Precedent Credenza by Drexel
By Edward Wormley, Drexel
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Impressive credenza, sideboard, server, designed by Edward Wormley, made by Drexel as part of the classic Precedent line. The cabinet features center bank of five drawers, flanked by...
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Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Sideboards

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Wormley Designed Precedent Credenza by Drexel
Wormley Designed Precedent Credenza by Drexel
H 32.5 in W 66.5 in D 20.25 in
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Cabinet / Credenza in Mahogany and Walnut
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Located in Culver City, CA
This buffet is absolutely stunning! This ebonized mahogany and walnut sideboard / buffet designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar features heavy brass accents and pulls in a gorgeous chinoiserie feel. A piece like this is so elegant and clean it can really seamlessly inject a modern, refined look into any environment. We currently have this piece in our gallery paired with a brass Mastercraft dining table, accented with brass Paul Evans cityscape dining chairs...
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Mid-Century Edward Wormley for Dunbar Credenza with Brass Hardware
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A warm Edward Wormley for Dunbar credenza in a beautiful mahogany wood with solid brass hardware. There are nine drawers with center cabinet. The quality of the construction is very ...
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Floating Cabinets by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, C. 1950s
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Westport, CT
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Previously Available Items
Cabinet / Hutch by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Dallas, TX
A rare and refined two piece cabinet designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar. The top portion has inset antique Chinese printing blocks with a row...
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Edward Wormley for Dunbar Olive Burl Cabinet
By Edward Wormley
Located in Dallas, TX
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Woven Front Cabinet by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
By Edward Wormley
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A bleached mahogany woven front credenza designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar.
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Edward Wormley Elegant Credenza in Walnut and Mahogany 1960s, Signed
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
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Edward Wormley Carved Oak Bar Cabinet for Dunbar, circa 1960
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautifully crafted credenza by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, fabricated from pine, which could make an excellent liquor bar cabinet or even a sink pedestal cabinet for a custom bathroom. Centred on each door panel is a carved medallion which is surrounded by a decorative border and above the doors is a Vitruvian scroll frieze. There is a fixed brass key which is used to open and close one door, allowing the other to open in turn. When opened there is a single shelf revealed which provides ample storage space. This sideboard is supported by a plinth style base and underneath the piece is the original Dunbar label. This ornate cabinet...
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Edward Wormley Curved-Front Credenza
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Chicago, IL
Edward Wormley for Dunbar. This curved-front cabinet is constructed from burled maple doors on a walnut case with brass trim detail and brass feet. The minimal curved front is free o...
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1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Sideboards

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Brass

Edward Wormley Curved-Front Credenza
Edward Wormley Curved-Front Credenza
H 29.25 in W 72 in D 19 in
Edward Wormley Woven Front Credenza
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Chicago, IL
Edward Wormley for Dunbar. Model 5324 Credenza with two toned woven front doors. Features three top drawers with three sliding doors that conceal ten drawe...
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1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Sideboards

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Edward Wormley Woven Front Credenza
Edward Wormley Woven Front Credenza
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Edward Wormley for Dunbar Mahogany Credenza, 1940s
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Located in New York, NY
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Dunbar Sidebard
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in New York, NY
Rare sideboard by Edward Wormley for Dunbar. Overhanging slab walnut top. Mahogany case with three drawers, and three sliding doors that open to reveal more storage. Bentwood pulls a...
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Dunbar Sidebard
Dunbar Sidebard
H 36 in W 80 in D 22 in
Japanesque Edward Wormley Sideboard for Dunbar
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in New York, NY
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Credenza by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, ca. 1960
By Edward Wormley
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful credenza by Edward Wormley in Olive burl wood, ca. 1960. Four doors with separate compartments and adjustable shelves. 80"L x 18"d x 27.5"H
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Edward Wormley Four Door Cabinet
By Edward Wormley
Located in Chicago, IL
Wormley for Dunbar model 5324 Four drawers above four sliding doors concealing ten drawers and two adjustable shelves.
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Edward Wormley Four Door Cabinet
Edward Wormley Four Door Cabinet
H 32 in W 81.5 in D 18 in

Edward Wormley sideboards for sale on 1stDibs.

Edward Wormley sideboards 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 sideboards, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original sideboards 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 sideboards by Dunbar, Paul McCobb, and Mastercraft. Prices for Edward Wormley sideboards can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,595 and can go as high as $28,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $8,500.

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