Somewhat of an overlooked icon of American design, Ficks Reed was founded by Louis Ficks in 1885 as the National Carriage and Reed Company, a New York purveyor of wicker baby carriages. By the turn of the century, however, the company had moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, and, under the auspices of Ficks Reed, began manufacturing furniture with wicker, rattan and bamboo.
Over the coming decades, Ficks Reed would benefit from an increased interest in Asian imports, as evidenced in everything from the growing popularity of chinoiserie wallpaper and Chinese porcelain to the Japanese influence in Frank Lloyd Wright’s modern architecture.
The brand was also bolstered by partnerships with several prominent architects and designers throughout the 20th century, including Paul László, Pipsan Saarinen Swanson — creator of the company's Sol-Air Group and elder sister of Eero Saarinen — John B. Wisner, Paul T. Frankl and Dorothy Draper.
Each Ficks Reed partner brought their unique sensibility to the designs — Swanson’s had skeletal frames while Draper, a largely forgotten decorator and pioneer of the Hollywood Regency style, favored more ornate detailing; László created low-slung seats — but all were rendered in the company’s signature wicker and bamboo.
Thanks in large part to the Draper relationship, Ficks Reed furniture has long been a fixture at The Greenbrier and Colony hotels, as well as other luxury properties including the Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton resorts and The Breakers in Palm Beach. In 2006, Draper protégé Carleton Varney continued his mentor’s legacy by debuting a new 20-piece collection for Ficks Reed based on her original designs.
A recent resurgence in the popularity of wicker and rattan has given way to newfound demand for Ficks Reed rattan chairs and other furniture in the secondary market, where original vintage pieces are often refinished, repainted or lacquered to further underscore the textural detail of their bamboo and rattan frames.
Find vintage Ficks Reed sofas, tables, armchairs and other furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Ficks Reed Bamboo & Reed Square Glass Top Coffee Table c.1970s Mint!
By Ficks Reed
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Ficks Reed Bamboo & Reed Square Glass Top Coffee Table c.1970s Mint!
Bamboo, Rattan, Glass
$2,565Sale Price|20% Off
H 12.6 in W 33.47 in D 33.47 in
Square glass coffee table G. Ausenda for NY Form 1970's
By Ny Form, Giovanni Ausenda
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Square coffee table model 'Shilling' designed in the 1970s by Giovanni Ausenda, Guido Baldo Grossi & Gianni Gavioli for NY Form. Gold-colored table with green mirror top divided into...
Glass, Wood
$5,327Sale Price|35% Off
H 17 in W 60 in D 60 in
Large Bamboo and Glass Square Coffee Table by John McGuire
By John McGuire
Located in Van Nuys, CA
This vintage 1970 square coffee table, designed by John McGuire, boasts a 60" x 60" glass top, 3/4" thick with a 1" bevel, offering a sleek and spacious surface. The distinctive base...
Rattan, Glass
Wood, glass, and steel coffee table, "CHROME ONE," 1970s
By Mice di rugiano domenico e c. s.n.c.
Located in Cantù, IT
An elegant coffee table with a modernist design, featuring a smoked glass top with rounded corners, a chrome-plated tubular steel frame, and a central wooden compartment with two sto...
Steel
$760Sale Price|20% Off
H 20.25 in W 31 in D 18.75 in
Handsome John Wisner Ficks Reed Asian Modern Rattan Bamboo Tile Top Side Table
By Ficks Reed
Located in Pemberton, NJ
Handsome John Wisner for Ficks Reed Asian modern tile top side table. This piece features a white tile top framed with solid mahogany with applied Chinese character and fan decoratio...
Ceramic, Rattan
Italian oval marble top and metal legs coffee table, 1970s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian and modern period coffee table, with oval marble top and black painted shaped metal legs, ca. 1970. Coffee table with black painted metal structure, with three curled legs an...
Marble, Metal
Mid-Century Circular Bamboo Coffee Table by Ficks Reed
By Ficks Reed
Located in New York, NY
Super chic bamboo coffee table by noted American maker, Ficks Reed, circa 1950's. The table features a columnar center post with rests on a disk form bamboo based base, and supports ...
Bamboo, Wood
Natural Rattan Ficks Reed Square Coffee Table
By Ficks Reed
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Natural rattan and bamboo Ficks Reed coffee table with lattice pattern. Very rare in natural rattan tones. Nice larger square size works well with today’s upholstery styles too. Add ...
Rattan
$1,930
H 28 in W 48 in D 15.5 in
Attributed Ficks Reed Bamboo Rattan Console Sofa Table with Glass Top 1970s
By Ficks Reed
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
A beautifully crafted vintage bamboo and rattan console table attributed to Ficks Reed, dating to the 1970s. The rectangular frame features a raised bamboo gallery supporting a remov...
Bamboo, Rattan, Glass
Rare Ficks Reed Rattan Tile Square Coffee Table John Wisner
By Ficks Reed
Located in Pemberton, NJ
Rare form Ficks Reed rattan and tile square coffee table. This table is from Ficks Reed’s Far Horizons collection by John Wisner which was introduced in 1954. The original tiles stil...
Brass
Ficks Reed Mid-Century Bamboo and Glass Coffee Table
By Ficks Reed
Located in Bellport, NY
A Ficks reed painted bamboo coffee table. Two levels with glass inserts, lattice work on second level. Restored condition, painted in an oa...
Bamboo
Ficks & Reed Mid-Century Bamboo and Cane Coffee Table
By Ficks Reed
Located in Bellport, NY
A Ficks & Reed bamboo and cane coffee table. We also have two matching side tables and a pair of high back armchairs all the same match and pe...
Bamboo, Cane
Pair of Bamboo Side, End Tables Attributed to Ficks Reed
By Ficks Reed, McGuire
Located in New York, NY
Stylish pair of side, or end tables, having bamboo frames and Formica tops. Both tables are in very good, clean original condition, one stand shows minor loss to wrapping at the corn...
Bamboo, Formica
McGuire Oval Glass Top Bamboo & Leather Coffee Table MINT!
By Ficks Reed, McGuire
Located in Rockaway, NJ
McGuire Oval Glass Top Bamboo & Leather Coffee Table MINT!
Bamboo, Glass