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Johnson Furniture Co. Desks and Writing Tables

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.
Mid-Century Modern James Mont Style Birds Eye Maple Desk / Table / Vanity
By Johnson Furniture Co.
Located in Kennesaw, GA
Extra handling time for this piece! This is a mid-century modern James Mont style style desk or vanity by Johnson Brothers. It is marked and has the original brass hardware that has...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Johnson Furniture Co. Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Mid-Century Modern James Mont Style Birds Eye Maple Desk / Table / Vanity
Mid-Century Modern James Mont Style Birds Eye Maple Desk / Table / Vanity

Mid-Century Modern James Mont Style Birds Eye Maple Desk / Table / Vanity

Classy Paul Frankl Writing Desk for Johnson Furniture
By Paul Frankl, Johnson Furniture Co.
Located in Chicago, IL
Elegant proportions, conical tapering legs and brass X-handles. Reminiscent of Tommi Parzinger. This item should be purchased with the intent to refinish. Structurally sound. Priced ...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Johnson Furniture Co. Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Classy Paul Frankl Writing Desk for Johnson Furniture
Classy Paul Frankl Writing Desk for Johnson Furniture

Classy Paul Frankl Writing Desk for Johnson Furniture

1940s Paul Frankl Eight-Drawer Desk Art Deco Style By Johnson Furniture Co.
By Johnson Furniture Co., Paul Frankl
Located in Miami, FL
Rare Paul Frankl designed eight-drawer desk for the Johnson Furniture Co. of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Re-furbished and newly lacquered cork top, in a satin lacquer white finish. Body of desk also mahogany brown finish. Handles appear to be bakelite, with brass brackets, also newly polished. Exposed concave cut-out to center back of desk for storing books, much like a sculptural effect of a Sol LeWitt or Donald Judd floating square cut-outs piece of art and we say art, because it is an art form to pull off stunning design, with function as the forefront to any furniture, as the body floating has an ethereal quality. As does the body of the desk prove...
Category

1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Johnson Furniture Co. Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

1940s Paul Frankl Eight-Drawer Desk Art Deco Style By Johnson Furniture Co.
1940s Paul Frankl Eight-Drawer Desk Art Deco Style By Johnson Furniture Co.

1940s Paul Frankl Eight-Drawer Desk Art Deco Style By Johnson Furniture Co.

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Previously Available Items
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Elegant Desk or Vanity Designed by Paul Frankl
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Johnson Furniture Curved-Top Blonde Desk
Johnson Furniture Curved-Top Blonde Desk

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Versatile Bert England Walnut and Mahogany Sliding Top Console Table or Desk
Versatile Bert England Walnut and Mahogany Sliding Top Console Table or Desk

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Fine Renzo Rutili Partners Desk for Johnson
By Johnson Furniture Co., Renzo Rutili
Located in Chicago, IL
A fine and early Renzo Rutili desk in manner of Paul Frankl A rare Rutili form in the two-tone wood combination. Drawers on both sides of desk. Perfect for placing in centre of space...
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Fine Renzo Rutili Partners Desk for Johnson
Fine Renzo Rutili Partners Desk for Johnson

Fine Renzo Rutili Partners Desk for Johnson

H 29.5 in W 56 in D 26 in
Paul Frankl Writing Desk or Vanity with Cork Top by Johnson Furniture
By Johnson Furniture Co., Paul Frankl
Located in Highland, IN
This design by Paul Frankl is has great scale and versatility. It is useful as a writing desk, vanity, or console table. It features his signature X-shaped brass drawer pulls, two de...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Johnson Furniture Co. Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Paul Frankl Writing Desk or Vanity with Cork Top by Johnson Furniture
Paul Frankl Writing Desk or Vanity with Cork Top by Johnson Furniture

Paul Frankl Writing Desk or Vanity with Cork Top by Johnson Furniture

H 28 in W 40 in D 21 in
Paul Frankl Writing Desk/ Vanity by Johnson Furniture
By Johnson Furniture Co., Paul Frankl
Located in Highland, IN
This elegant writing desk or vanity by Paul Frankl is very refined in its proportions and details. It features his signature X shaped drawer pulls...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Johnson Furniture Co. Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Paul Frankl Writing Desk/ Vanity by Johnson Furniture
Paul Frankl Writing Desk/ Vanity by Johnson Furniture

Paul Frankl Writing Desk/ Vanity by Johnson Furniture

H 28 in W 40 in D 21 in

Johnson Furniture Co. desks and writing tables for sale on 1stDibs.

Johnson Furniture Co. desks and writing tables 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. desks and writing tables, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original desks and writing tables by Johnson Furniture Co. were created in the mid-century modern style in united states during the mid-20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider desks and writing tables by Paul Frankl, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Karl Springer. Prices for Johnson Furniture Co. desks and writing tables can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $7,500 and can go as high as $23,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $15,250.

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