Johnson Furniture Co. Dressers
Take a medal from the King of Sweden, a splash of the roaring twenties, and a series of talented designers and you get Johnson Furniture Co.’s elegant Art Deco and period-revival furnishings as well as a taste for why the Johnson name prevailed for over a century in American furniture manufacturing.
A wealth of forests rendered Grand Rapids, Michigan, a logging center during the 1800s. It eventually gained recognition for its furniture industry. The city became a destination for woodworkers who hailed from all over the United States as well as Europe, and Johnson Furniture Co. cofounder Carl Johnson, who had been recognized for cabinetmaking by the head of the royal family in his native Sweden, brought his royally acknowledged talents to America with his two brothers, Hjalmar and Axel in 1887. Together, they established Cabinetmakers Co. in Grand Rapids. In 1908, the brothers sold their start-up and founded Johnson Furniture Co.
Tom Handley, of the well-respected English furniture company Waring and Gillow, became an in-house designer with Johnson Furniture Co. in its early days. Handley would stay on as part of both the Johnson label and of Johnson-Handley-Johnson — a companion company that spun off from Johnson in 1922 — until his death in 1926. At the time, archaeological discoveries were all the rage. The greatest influence on Art Deco jewelry, for example, was the excavation of the tomb of King Tut in 1922, and some vintage Tom Handley designs were adaptations of Egyptian furniture. The brand specialized in a range of styles that included Art Deco, Chippendale, Queen Anne and more.
Acclaimed designer David Robertson Smith, who had made furniture in the Arts and Crafts style for the likes of Gustav Stickley, carried the Johnson Furniture Co. creative team into the early 1930s. Grand Rapids had by then become a thriving hub with respect to the mass production of furniture, and Smith’s sophisticated Dynamique line — a collection of coffee tables, cabinets and more in alluring woods such as walnut and mahogany and based on French furniture — was among the first mass-produced modern furniture made in America.
Johnson hired Lorenzo Rutili, a Carnegie Institute graduate who studied design in Europe, to lead the brand’s design division. Rutili oversaw 30 years of successful Johnson Furniture Co. collaborations with other notable designers including Paul Frankl, Eliel Saarinen, Bert England, J. Robert F. Swanson and Pipsam Saarinen Swanson. After wrapping up his tenure at Johnson, Rutili moved on to design furniture at Tomlinson in North Carolina.
During the 1960s, Kipp Stewart and Milo Baughman designed residential furnishings for Directional — a favorite of mid-century modern furniture enthusiasts — and Johnson produced these pieces, becoming the sole manufacturer for the North Carolina brand.
After a merger with Timberline Inc., Johnson Furniture Co. secured contracts for hotels, motels and university dormitories. In 1983, Johnson and Rose Manufacturing became RoseJohnson Inc. It was later purchased by La-Z-Boy.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Johnson Furniture Co. case pieces and storage cabinets, tables and other furniture.
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Creator: Johnson Furniture Co.
Paul Frankl Cork Highboy Dresser for Johnson Furniture Co.
By Johnson Furniture Co., Paul Frankl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Paul Frankl’s cork furniture pieces are among his longest-lasting contributions to American modernism and are highly sought after to this day. This example, a cork top waterfall edge...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Johnson Furniture Co. Dressers
Materials
Brass
Eliel Saarinen Designed Tall Dresser by the Johnson Furniture Co.
By Eliel Saarinen, Johnson Furniture Co.
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Chest of drawers designed by Eliel Saarinen for the Johnson Furniture Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Its design was part of the Flexible Home Arrangements (FHA) furniture colle...
Category
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Johnson Furniture Co. Dressers
Materials
Aluminum
Paul Frankl Cork Dresser for Johnson Furniture Co.
By Johnson Furniture Co., Paul Frankl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Paul Frankl’s cork furniture pieces are among his longest-lasting contributions to American modernism and are highly sought after to this day. This example, a cork top waterfall edge...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Johnson Furniture Co. Dressers
Materials
Brass
Paul Frankl Cork Dresser for Johnson Furniture Co.
By Johnson Furniture Co., Paul Frankl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Paul Frankl’s cork furniture pieces are among his longest-lasting contributions to American modernism and are highly sought after to this day. This example, a cork top waterfall edge...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Johnson Furniture Co. Dressers
Materials
Brass
Ten Drawer Dresser by Paul Frankl, C. 1950s
By Johnson Furniture Co., Paul Frankl
Located in Westport, CT
A meticulously restored Paul Frankl Dresser from Johnson Furniture, a mid-century masterpiece circa 1950s. This vintage gem, designed by the iconic Paul Frankl, features 10 drawers a...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Johnson Furniture Co. Dressers
Materials
Nickel
1939 Eliel Saarinen & Pipsan Saarinen Swanson Johnson Four Drawer Dresser
By Johnson Furniture Co., Eliel Saarinen
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a gorgeous and beautifully restored Eliel Saarinen, J. Robert Swanson, and Pipsan Saarinen Swanson 4-drawer dresser, produced by Johnson Furniture Co. circa 1939. ...
Category
1930s American Modern Vintage Johnson Furniture Co. Dressers
Materials
Metal
Mid Century Teak Bench with Cabinets
By Johnson Furniture Co., Renzo Rutili
Located in Las Vegas, NV
This is a wonderful 3 piece mid century set. An 8.5 ft bench with 2 repositionable cabinets. The set is solid teak construction with very beautiful details,...
Category
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Johnson Furniture Co. Dressers
Materials
Brass
John Stuart Midcentury Highboy Walnut Dresser
By John Stuart, Johnson Furniture Co.
Located in Baltimore, MD
Absolutely stunning Mid-Century Modern Highboy dresser designed by John Stuart for Johnson Furniture Co. in the United States, circa 1960s. Pure style and sophistication, featuring t...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Johnson Furniture Co. Dressers
Materials
Walnut
Exquisite Mahogany and Bookmatch Bird's-Eye Maple Chest by Renzo Rutili
By Johnson Furniture Co., Renzo Rutili
Located in Atlanta, GA
If a piece feels like Tommi Parzinger, but is marked Johnson Furniture, there can be only one answer as to its Designer: Renzo Rutili. Mr. Rutili was a seminal furniture designer of ...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Johnson Furniture Co. Dressers
Materials
Brass
Magnificent Restored Eight Drawer Chest by Renzo Rutili, circa 1965
By Johnson Furniture Co.
Located in Atlanta, GA
If a piece feels like Tommi Parzinger, but is marked Johnson Furniture, there can be only one answer as to its Designer: Renzo Rutili. Mr. Rutili was a seminal furniture designer of ...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Johnson Furniture Co. Dressers
Materials
Brass, Bronze
Renzo Rutili Mahogany and White Micarta Chest-on-Chest
By Johnson Furniture Co., Renzo Rutili
Located in Chicago, IL
Renzo Rutili for Johnson Furniture tall two-tiered gentleman's chest. Mahogany cases and drawer/door fronts with a white Micarta first tier top and four white Micarta sabots over lar...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Johnson Furniture Co. Dressers
Materials
Brass
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Paul McCobb Eight-Drawer Dresser Marble Top for Calvin Furniture, 1950s
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Paul McCobb Planner Group 20-Drawer Dresser or Credenza, 1950s
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Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture Mid Century Modern X Pulls Dresser c. 1950s
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Previously Available Items
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Spectacular Midcentury Dresser with Quartz Handles
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Early Cork Clad Dresser by Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture Company
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Paul T. Frankl "Station Wagon" Tall Chest of Drawers
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Johnson Furniture Co. dressers for sale on 1stDibs.
Johnson Furniture Co. dressers 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 Johnson Furniture Co. dressers, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original dressers by Johnson Furniture Co. 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 dressers by Heritage-Henredon, Grosfeld House, and R-Way Furniture Company. Prices for Johnson Furniture Co. dressers can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $2,595 and can go as high as $22,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $5,250.