Lawrence Peabody Seating

American, 1924-2002

American designer Lawrence Peabody imbued his mid-century modern furniture with flair and style. His vintage lounge chairs, side tables and credenzas feature sleek silhouettes and chic curves. At the same time, every piece has an easy and comfortable appeal reflective of a designer known to be humble and pragmatic.

Peabody was born in 1924 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. As a young man, the story goes, he joined the Navy partly because he found the uniforms aesthetically appealing. After World War II, Peabody used the benefits offered by the G.I. Bill to attend the Rhode Island School of Design. There, he studied under Austrian designer Ernst Lichtblau, who introduced Peabody to the Bauhaus style.

After completing his studies in America, Peabody moved to Denmark and attended the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Here, he met his wife, Bette, who he married in 1952. By 1955, Peabody had moved back to America and settled in Boston, where he created Danish-inspired seating for the Selig furniture company and opened a design firm called Lawrence Peabody & Associates.

One of the firm's earliest designs was a walnut and rattan cradle chair for Richardson Nemschoff, which earned the 1962 International Design Award. Peabody became known for using walnut in his work and drew on Scandinavian modernist influences in his designs.

For the next three decades, Lawrence Peabody & Associates developed an extensive client list that included names like Kohler, Richardson Brothers, Chapman Lamps and Boyd Lighting.

Throughout his life and career, Peabody also developed a love of Haiti and Haitian art. On one trip to Port-Au-Prince, he met and befriended a man named Dewitt Peters, founder of Le Centre d'art, a haven for local artists. Peabody and Dewitt collaborated to promote handcrafted Haitian art and furniture at overseas museums. Peabody even became one of the organization's directors. He eventually purchased a home in Port-Au-Prince and spent much time there later in life.

Today, Craft Associates Furniture holds the license to produce Peabody designs.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Lawrence Peabody seating, tables, storage cabinets and other furniture.

Lawrence Peabody seating for sale on 1stDibs.

Lawrence Peabody seating 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 Lawrence Peabody seating, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 39 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 27 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original seating by Lawrence Peabody were created in the mid-century modern style in north america during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider seating by Bernhardt, Mel Smilow, and Plycraft. Prices for Lawrence Peabody seating can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,250 and can go as high as $16,500, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $4,595.