Howell Furniture

Vintage Plycraft lounge chair and ottoman Mid-Century Modern swivel lounge chair and matching ottoman by Plycraft. Tufted caramel...

Beautiful, large modernist Bauhaus Steeltube Desk by Mücke-Melder, Czechia circa 1935. Oak solid wood and veneer. Chrome-plated, polished tubular steel frame with original patina. Left and right each 4 long drawers. By locking the top drawer all 4 drawers are locked. Very functional with much storage space and very good legroom. The desk can also be used as a 'partners desk' and be worked on from two sides. In the style of Marcel Breuer’s steel tube desks...

A rare and important American Art Deco Century of Progress Sideboard by iconic designer Wolfgang Hoffmann (Austrian, 1900-1969) for Romweber Company, Batesville, Indiana. circa 1933-1936 Created for the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, fine quality craftsmanship and construction, having a rectangular exotic rosewood veneered top over conforming solid wood case fitted with four drawers affixed with horizontal pulls, the top drawer opening to reveal felt lined divided interior for silverware, flanked by cabinet doors opening to shelved interior, subtle geometric lines add interest. Rosewood, mahogany, richly figured blonde - golden birch or primavera. Signed, top drawer interior, featuring 1933 World's Fair mark impressed. **Please note, at the time of writing this, a matching display case - vitrine cabinet (shown in last photo) is currently available separately** Provenance / Acquisition: Property from the important and iconic Collection of Mr. James I. Rafftesaeth Jr., Dallas, Texas Acquired from highly reputable auction house, Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas. 2022 Design Signature Auction catalog #8091 History: Wolfgang Hoffmann was born in Vienna, Austria in 1900. He is the son of famous architect, pedagogue and Wiener Werkstatte cofounder, Joseph Hoffmann (1870-1956). Early on, following his father’s s interests, he was trained in the decorative arts and design. Wolfgang Hoffmann once reminisced, “I spent eight years at the Realschule, then three years went to a special architectural school, where I perfected my technical knowledge of architecture and general construction. From this school, I was graduated to the Kunstgewerbeschule [Studying under Oskar Strnad and Josef Frank in Vienna]. After finishing this school, I had one and a half years of practical in a well known architect’s office. Thereafter I worked in my Father’s office for two years”. Hoffmann met his future wife, Polish immigrant Pola (1902-1984) when they were both studying at the Kunstgewerbeschule. Joseph Urban (1872-1933) was needing an assistant for his architectural business in New York and contacted his friend and colleague, Joseph Hoffmann in Vienna. Hoffmann recommended his son Wolfgang. Urban hired him and sent a first class passage ticket to Vienna for Wolfgang to travel to New York. Wolfgang married Pola and traded his ticket for two tickets to America in steerage, arriving in New York City in December of 1925. Leaving the Urban office after nine months, Wolfgang and Pola formed an independent design practice with offices on Madison Avenue in Manhattan with the purpose of creating contemporary interiors and industrial designs. Early work included theaters, stores, and apartments mostly in New York City. During the late 1920’s and early 1930’s the Hoffmanns designed custom furniture for private clients. Some of these examples were shown in the February 1929 issue of House and Garden. Curiously, the examples’ design was attributed to Urban and the production to Pola Hoffmann, Inc. Established in the fall of 1928, the American Designers’ Gallery was “devoted exclusively to showing objects and interiors for practical use… by fourteen American architects and designers”. Its members included the Hoffmans and Urban as well as ceramist Henry Varnum Poor (1888-1971), architect Raymond Hood (1881-1934), artist designer Winold Reiss (1886-1953), graphic designer Lucien Bernhard (1896-1981), decorator Donald Deskey (1894-1989), and architect Ely Jacques Kahn (1884-1972). The Hoffmanns’ work was included in the American Designers’ Gallery’s two showcase events, its 1928 and 1929 exhibitions. Their dining alcove at the 1929 event featured a bench with a dinette table and two chairs in American walnut designed by Wolfgang and a rug by Pola. Lucien Bernhard, fellow Austrian immigrant who settled in New York a year before the Hoffmanns, operated the gallery and decorating service Contempora with Munich resident Bruno Paul (1874-1968). The Hoffmanns, occasionally participating with Contempora, designed a number of outstanding interiors, including the constructivist living room of 1930 for Mrs. O.R. Sommerich at 40 East 66th street. In 1934, Donald Deskey commissioned Wolfgang to design birchwood furnishings for the eclectic apartment at 625 Park Avenue belonging to Helena Rubinstein. In 1931, Wolfgang exhibited his work at the Pennsylvania Art Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The same year, with Kem Weber (1889-1963) he organized the second and final exhibition of AUDAC- “Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts”- at the Brooklyn Museum. At this event, the Hoffmanns showed the dining room previously included in the American Designer’s Gallery’s 1929 exhibition in the Chase Bank Building lobby at 145 West 57th Street in Manhattan. In 1932 Wolfgang was asked to assist Urban in developing the color scheme for the 1933-34 Chicago World’s Fair “A Century of Progress”. He was also commissioned to design the interior and furniture for the fair’s lumber industries house. There he executed its living and dining rooms furnished by Kroehler Manufacturing Company of Chicago; the boys’ room by Shower Brothers...

Simple streamline table/desk designed by Wolfgang Hoffmann for Howell Prod. No. 475. Solid, completely original and in very good condition. Black ena...

A remarkable example of Dutch design, this unique Art Deco 'Amsterdam School' corner desk is a piece of quiet authority, dating to the 1920s. The desk embodies the period's expressio...

A stunning Haus Koller Armchair designed by Josef Hoffmann and produced by the esteemed Austrian manufacturer Wittmann. Originally conceived in 1911 for the Koller House in Oberwalte...

Small art deco desk. Professionally stained and repolished.

A striking original Art Deco desk from 1930s France – where sculptural design meets practical function in perfect harmony. The construction is distinctly asymmetrical: the left side...

Very elegant set comprising two chairs and two armchairs, made of wrought iron, with scrolling and curlicue motifs, raised on cabriole legs. Seats in bright, yellow canvas (outdoors)...

Solid oak desk with sculpted curves and a two-tier work top. This desk is art deco era, dated circa 1930's-1940's. The piece has been refinished and shows very well. A single dovetail drawer on the front. Could be used as a small sideboard or entry way console. Desk dimensions...

French desk style: Art Deco Year 1920 Material: Wood and chrome It is an elegant and sophisticated dream desk. The quality of the furniture and the exotic wood used make it unique. ...

Very elegant Italian Art Deco Mid-Century Modern folding slant front desk writing table secretaire, in beautiful wood with three drawers. This beautiful piece is completed by the whi...