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Gilbert Rohde Cabinets

American, 1894-1944

Pioneering self-taught industrial designer, writer and teacher Gilbert Rohde helped define the earliest phase of modernism in the United States. He is one of the most influential figures of 20th-century design and is credited with helping legendary mid-century modern furniture manufacturer Herman Miller avert financial disaster during the Great Depression.

Born in New York City, Rohde studied painting at the Art Students League after high school. He found lucrative employment, first as a political cartoonist and then as a catalog illustrator for American department stores. He was particularly enthralled with drawing furnished interiors.

Rohde began to design furniture in his spare time. He traveled to the Bauhaus school in Germany and the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris, and drew on the Art Deco movement and the work of designers such as Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann in his early pieces. Rohde opened his own studio in 1929 and secured private and commercial commissions. His clients would come to include formidable furniture makers Heywood-Wakefield and Troy Sunshade, and his innovative bentwood furnishings for them were practical and intended for the modern consumer.

In 1930, Rohde met Herman Miller founder D.J. De Pree in the company’s Michigan showroom during a business trip. By then, Rohde had a long list of prominent clients and his furniture had been exhibited in museums and galleries. Herman Miller was weathering a devastating slowdown in business, and the American furniture industry had generally been hit hard by the Great Depression.

Rohde boldly informed De Pree that the brand’s furniture had become outdated, which was part of the reason the company was in financial jeopardy. Homes had become smaller and could no longer accommodate the large Gothic– and Victorian–style furnishings and traditional reproductions of period bedroom suites that Herman Miller was offering at the time, Rohde explained.

Rohde secured a contract to design for the Michigan manufacturer. He championed the use of exotic woods and tubular steel, and created streamlined, unadorned bedroom furniture for Herman Miller — collections that included convenient vanities, which were unconventional pieces for De Pree’s company back then.

In 1933, Rohde oversaw the design of two bedrooms featuring sleek Herman Miller furniture — including innovative storage pieces he designed — as part of an International–style exhibit at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. The installation garnered acclaim for De Pree’s brand all over the world and afforded Rohde the opportunity to execute on his visionary ideas in front of a global audience. Rohde later designed lighting, seating and more for Herman Miller and was extensively involved in the company's marketing strategy and other areas of the business.

In 1942, Herman Miller, anticipating a postwar economic boom, began to produce office furniture for the first time, but its legacy is in the home. Working with legendary designers such as Ray and Charles Eames, Isamu Noguchi and Alexander Girard, the manufacturer fostered some of the boldest expressions of what we now call mid-century modern style.

Find vintage Gilbert Rohde coffee tables, lounge chairs, table lamps and other items on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Gilbert Rohde
Gilbert Rohde Art Deco Paldao Cabinet Refinished Drop Front Secretary Bookcase
By Herman Miller, Gilbert Rohde
Located in Atlanta, GA
Clean Lined Art Deco Cabinet, designed by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller, American, circa 1930s. This piece is currently being refinished and will look wonderful when completed. Thi...
Category

1930s American Art Deco Vintage Gilbert Rohde Cabinets

Materials

Metal

Gilbert Rohde, Paldao Sideboard
By Gilbert Rohde
Located in San Francisco, CA
Gilbert Rohde sideboard from the “Paldao” series. Features a pedestal base, pull-out cutting surfaces and four cabinets with carved nobs. In...
Category

1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gilbert Rohde Cabinets

Materials

Paldao

Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller Paldao Group Bookcases, Newly Refinished
By Gilbert Rohde, Herman Miller
Located in South Bend, IN
An extremely rare and exceptional pair of Mid-Century Modern bookcase cabinets Designed by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller "Paldao Group" USA, 1940s Exotic book-matched pald...
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1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gilbert Rohde Cabinets

Materials

Glass, Paldao

Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller Display Cabinet from Formal Dining Room Line
By Gilbert Rohde, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Gilbert Rohde formal dining room display/ China cabinet. Designed in the mid 1930's, unique design that has glass corners and combination of exotic ...
Category

1930s American Art Deco Vintage Gilbert Rohde Cabinets

Materials

Stainless Steel

Rare East Indian Laurel Art Deco, Machine Age Cabinet by Gilbert Rohde
By Gilbert Rohde, Herman Miller
Located in Buffalo, NY
Rare East Indian Laurel Art Deco, Machine Age cabinet by Gilbert Rohde, stunning design and proportion, exceptional quality, wonderful use of richly gr...
Category

1930s American Art Deco Vintage Gilbert Rohde Cabinets

Materials

Nickel

Dry Bar or Bar Cabinet by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller, 1941
By Gilbert Rohde, Herman Miller
Located in New York, NY
Gilbert Rohde No. 4190 Paldao Group Cabinet features two sliding glass doors concealing two adjustable glass shelves and two doors concealing one fixed shelf. Paper manufacturer's la...
Category

1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gilbert Rohde Cabinets

Materials

Brass

C. 1941 Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller Paldao Cabinet with Sliding Glass Doors
By Gilbert Rohde, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Paldao Burled-Acacia and Glass Cabinet, designed by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller in 1940. This example dates to around the same time. It was produced in the USA, and was...
Category

1940s American Modern Vintage Gilbert Rohde Cabinets

Materials

Glass, Wood, Paldao

Gilbert Rohde Petite Cabinet Model 4020 ( Bar Cabinet )
By Gilbert Rohde, Kroehler Mfg. Co.
Located in Chicago, IL
A rare cabinet by Gilbert Rohde on the petite side for scale. Model 4020 for Kroehler. All the pieces from this collection were designed with space saving in a room in mind. The sh...
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Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Gilbert Rohde Cabinets

Materials

Birdseye Maple

Art Deco Server Étagère by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller
By Gilbert Rohde, Herman Miller
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous and hard to find server/étagère cabinet by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller. C1930 early days of Gilbert and Herman Miller collaboration. Two drawers stacked alongside two doors with two large open shelves...
Category

1930s American Art Deco Vintage Gilbert Rohde Cabinets

Materials

Aluminum

Gilbert Rohde Streamline Art Deco Cabinet Credenza Server
By Gilbert Rohde
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-Century Modern compact art deco two door credenza server cabinet by Gilbert Rhode. Burl wood front doors mahogany case.
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20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Gilbert Rohde Cabinets

Materials

Mahogany, Burl

C. 1941 Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller Paldao Burled Acacia Speaker Cabinet
By Herman Miller, Gilbert Rohde
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Paldao Burled-Acacia Speaker Cabinet, designed by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller in 1941. This example dates to the same time. It was produced in the USA, and was featured...
Category

1940s American Modern Vintage Gilbert Rohde Cabinets

Materials

Metal

C. 1941 Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller Paldao Burled Acacia Stereo Cabinet
By Gilbert Rohde, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Paldao Burled-Acacia Stereo Cabinet, Model 4103, designed by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller in 1941. This example dates to the same time. It was produced in the USA, and w...
Category

1940s American Modern Vintage Gilbert Rohde Cabinets

Materials

Metal

Midcentury Gilbert Rohde Shelving Unit
By Gilbert Rohde
Located in New York, NY
1950s Gilbert Rohde shelving unit with black interior and clean lines. Shelf unit height can be adjusted.
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gilbert Rohde Cabinets

Materials

Wood

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Gilbert Rohde Buffet for Brown Saltman
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Gilbert Rohde cabinets for sale on 1stDibs.

Gilbert Rohde cabinets 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 Gilbert Rohde cabinets, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original cabinets by Gilbert Rohde were created in the mid-century modern style in united states during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider cabinets by Knoll, Calvin, and Florence Knoll. Prices for Gilbert Rohde cabinets can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,650 and can go as high as $17,500, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $6,048.

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