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Gilbert Rohde Sideboards

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Rohde boldly informed De Pree that the brand’s furniture had become outdated, which was part of the reason the company was in financial jeopardy.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
Three Pc. Set of Art Deco  Paldao Line Rohde for Herman Miller
Three Pc. Set of Art Deco  Paldao Line Rohde for Herman Miller

Three Pc. Set of Art Deco Paldao Line Rohde for Herman Miller

By Gilbert Rohde, Herman Miller

Located in New York, NY

Incredible suite of Gilbert Rohde design Paldao line, circa 1940's made by Herman Miller. This set has been professionally refinished, and is in virtually immaculate condition. Rare ...

Category

1940s American Art Deco Vintage Gilbert Rohde Sideboards

Materials

Wood, Burl

Gilbert Rohde, Paldao Sideboard
Gilbert Rohde, Paldao Sideboard

Gilbert Rohde, Paldao Sideboard

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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 Sideboards

Materials

Paldao

Herman Miller by Gilbert Rohde Art Deco Four Door 10 Drawer Buffet
Herman Miller by Gilbert Rohde Art Deco Four Door 10 Drawer Buffet

Herman Miller by Gilbert Rohde Art Deco Four Door 10 Drawer Buffet

By Gilbert Rohde, Herman Miller

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller Art Deco burl mahogany sideboard buffet - the classic Burl buffet or sideboard has an elegantly curved front panel with f...

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20th Century German Art Deco Gilbert Rohde Sideboards

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Steel

Art Deco Server Étagère by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller C1930
Art Deco Server Étagère by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller C1930

Art Deco Server Étagère by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller C1930

By Herman Miller, Gilbert Rohde

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...

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1930s American Art Deco Vintage Gilbert Rohde Sideboards

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Gilbert Rhode Streamline Art Deco Cabinet Sideboard/Buffet
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Gilbert Rhode Art Deco Iconic design streamline sideboard cabinet, 1936 with stepped up top, burled front doors circular cut-out and brushed steel pull. I...

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1930s American Art Deco Vintage Gilbert Rohde Sideboards

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Steel

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1940s American Art Deco Vintage Gilbert Rohde Sideboards

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Art Deco Sideboard Designed by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller

Art Deco Sideboard Designed by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller

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This very sophisticated sideboard features a streamline Art Deco modernist design. It is made of fine bookmatched walnut. This sideboard has cupboard space at each end for lines and ...

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1930s American Art Deco Vintage Gilbert Rohde Sideboards

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Art Deco "Paldao" Sideboard by Gilbert Rohde for the Herman Miller Co.

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Scalloped Sideboard by Gilbert Rohde
Scalloped Sideboard by Gilbert Rohde

Scalloped Sideboard by Gilbert Rohde

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H 33 in W 66 in D 15 in

Scalloped Sideboard by Gilbert Rohde

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Ebonized scalloped sideboard by Gilbert Rohde with detailed knobs Please call or use the contact dealer link below to reach us directly with any...

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Gilbert Rohde sideboards for sale on 1stDibs.

Gilbert Rohde 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 Gilbert Rohde sideboards, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original sideboards by Gilbert Rohde were created in the Art Deco style in united states during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider sideboards by Lam Lee Group, and Paul Frankl. Prices for Gilbert Rohde sideboards can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $6,495 and can go as high as $30,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $12,150.