Known to collectors for his strict adherence to quality with respect to the furniture he manufactured or imported for sale, designer and entrepreneur Maurice Villency brought the highest standards of excellence into his stores. He created and built his own furniture in a loft studio in Manhattan and eventually opened a handful of retail outlets in the New York metro area that offered sleek and stylish furnishings from all over the world.
Villency is among the small business owners that helped introduce the Scandinavian modern style to the United States during the postwar era, when tastemakers really sold Americans on the earthier, homier aspects of Scandinavian design.
Villency also imported pieces from French, Italian and Belgian designers and proudly promoted their fine wares in the showrooms of his four stores. Additional Villency family-owned stores were eventually established and traded under the name Preferred Seating.
Villency was born in Glasgow, Scotland. His father was a cabinetmaker, and when he was 15, his family moved to the U.S. and settled in New York State. At 19, Villency moved to New York City and began working for the Pullman Couch Company.
Villency showed great skill in his work, quickly becoming the plant manager — and later head designer – for the furniture company. In the early 1930s, Pullman moved their entire operations to Chicago, and Villency chose to stay behind. Determined to follow his own path, Villency opened a workshop on 8th Street in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village neighborhood and found increasing success.
Like the Danish cabinetmakers he so admired, Villency designed chairs and other pieces and worked with fine woods such as teak, a sought-after material among mid-century modern designers. Early on, he made an impression with a sectional sofa he designed, and he would later tout the versatile appeal of sectional sofas and other modular furniture in full-page print ads for his retail locations. On a good day, a prospective buyer could stroll into Maurice Villency and find designs by French brand Roche Bobois, Danish manufacturer Farsø Stolefabrik, American modernist Milo Baughman and more.
Maurice’s company eventually came to be called Villency Design Group and today, his grandson Eric Villency — who works in product design, interiors and more — is CEO.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Maurice Villency tables, storage pieces and seating.
Maurice Villency Monolithic Travertine Rectangular Dining Table
By Maurice Villency
Located in Miami, FL
A monolithic travertine dining table. Minimalist rectangular design. Beautiful subtle graining. Very simple design. The top rest on the rectangular base. Honed finish. Signed on base.
Travertine
$1,800 / set
Maurice Villency Extending Teak Desk
By Maurice Villency
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mid-century modern teak desk by Maurice Villency. Features movable drawers and a 19" extension leaf. Comes with Danish desk chair. Please confirm location NY or NJ
Teak
Vintage Maurice Villency Mid-Century Teak Desk
By Maurice Villency
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Terrific Maurice Villency mid-century teak desk. Large work surface and 5 drawers for ample storage and organization. Sculpted drawer pulls and legs ad...
Teak
Rare Drop Down Secretary Desk in Walnut by Maurice Villency, Denmark, c. 1960s
By Maurice Villency
Located in Deland, FL
Introducing a freshly restored secretary desk designed in the 1960s by the influential Maurice Villency. Constructed from a mix of solid and veneered walnut, a rare choice amongst Da...
Walnut
Mid-Century Teak Desk by Maurice Villency
By Maurice Villency
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mid-century modern Danish style teak desk with finished back. Featuring five drawers with sculpted teak handles, long tapered legs, and rich teak grain throughout. Please confirm loc...
Teak
Vintage Walnut + Chrome Square Coffee Table by Maurice Villency
By Milo Baughman, Maurice Villency
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bring home genuine Mid-Century Modern American design with this fantastic walnut and chrome coffee table by Maurice Villency of New York! This sturdy coffee table features a thick, s...
Chrome
Maurice Villency Post-Modern Trio 3 Faux Coral Stone Round Nesting Tables 1970s
By Maurice Villency
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A very cool set of three Post-Modern, Faux Coral or Fossil Stone, composition made, round nesting tables. Made and retailed by Maurice Villency in the late 1970s or early 80s, this s...
Composition
$4,000Sale Price|20% Off
H 29 in W 36 in D 72 in
Sculptural Travertine Dining Table - Light Travertine Stone Table
Located in İnegöl, TR
TRAVERTINE MARBLE DINING TABLE Type of Marble: Travertine Dimensions: 72" x 36" Leg Model: Travertine Customizable: Available! Production Time: 3-4 Weeks Shipping Cost: Free! Packa...
Travertine, Marble
Chrome Ring Coffee Table
By Milo Baughman
Located in Atlanta, GA
Chrome ring coffee table, in the manner of Milo Baughman, circa 1960s.
Chrome
Vintage Travertine Dining Table
By Mario Bellini
Located in AIGNAN, FR
Travertine dining table from the 80s. Round top, three column legs in travertine. Light and bright travertine shade that gives the table a lot of elegance and character. Trendy...
Travertine
$11,979 / item
H 29.53 in W 118.12 in D 47.25 in
Customizable Monolithic Dining Table in Sea Blue Lacquer Finish
By Antonio Facco
Located in New York, NY
This elegant and authentic dining table is distinguished by its unique design, where the legs resemble smoothed monoliths. It is available in two stunning versions: lacquered or wood...
Wood, Lacquer
Rustic Square Coffee Table, Walnut Finish
Located in Westwood, NJ
A rustic square coffee table with a rustic walnut stained, hand-rubbed and distressed finish, tapered and turned legs, an Ogee edge on the t...
Wood
Freestanding Desk Made In Teak, Danish Design From 1960s
Located in Lejre, DK
Freestanding desk in teak wood with 3 drawers on each side, as well as a drawer in the middle of Danish design from around the 1960s. Key included. Dimensions in cm: H:72 W:130 D:70...
Teak
Mid-Century Danish Teak Large Executive Desk
Located in Baltimore, MD
Beautiful remarkable statement in design and craftsmanship. This large mid-century teak Danish executive size desk, is precisely crafted in exceptional teak grain wood, with a fully ...
Teak
$39,636
H 28.35 in W 48.04 in D 32.68 in
French Mid Century Wooden "Pigeon Hole" Teak Leather Desk by Pierre Jeanneret
By Pierre Jeanneret
Located in Stockholm, SE
A very rare and iconic French mid century wooden "Pigeon hole" working desk in dark stained teak and leather by Pierre Jeanneret produced for the administrative building in Chandigar...
Leather, Teak
Bodil Kjaer Desk in Rosewood and Chrome, Denmark, 1960s
By Bodil Kjaer, E. Pedersen & Søn
Located in Hellouw, NL
Bodil Kjær approached furniture with the mind of an architect. Her designs from the late 1950s and 1960s were conceived as working tools for modern interiors, balancing strict geomet...
Chrome
$2,798
H 28.55 in W 58.27 in D 30.12 in
Danish Mid-Century Modern Teak Desk by Valdemar Mortensen, 1960s.
By Vald Mortensen
Located in Asaa, DK
Danish Mid-Century Modern Teak desk by Valdemar Mortensen, 1960s. High-end freestanding executive teak writing table by Danish master carpenter Vald...
Teak
Signed Cartier Rare Bronze Desk w/ Lateral Extending Shelves
By Cartier
Located in North Miami, FL
This extraordinary and RARE curved desk made of heavy bronze and leather by Cartier Paris is located in our Miami, FL showroom and will ship from Gustavo Olivieri Antiques gallery. ...
Bronze
Sven Langkilde 1960s Danish Mahogany Desk
By Langkilde Møbler, Svend Langkilde
Located in London, England
Sven Langkilde - Rare Mahogany Desk This delightful and sophisticated desk was made in highly limited quantities by Danish designer Sven Langkilde and produced by his own company La...
Mahogany
Desk Made In Beechwood Danish Design From 1960s
Located in Lejre, DK
This desk is a great example of Danish design from the 1960s. Made from beech wood, it exudes a timeless elegance and simplicity that is characteristic of Scandinavian design. With i...
Beech
Scandinavian Danish desk in teak
By Arne Vodder
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Danish desk from the 60s in the taste of Arne Vodder's work. Structure in solid wood and veneer. This Scandinavian desk features two columns of drawers suspended from the front and b...
Wood
Detail Nordic teak writing desk, 1960s
Located in Bastia Umbra, IT
Detail Nordic teak writing desk, 1960s. Extraordinary Original 1960s Nordic design desk in right-sized teak wood. Its peculiarity is the positioning of the rear legs, which are not ...
Teak
Maurice Villency Teak End Tables, Pair
By Maurice Villency
Located in Astoria, NY
Pair of Maurice Villency Teak End Tables, with single frieze drawer and open shelf above four tapered legs, wood burned "Maurice Villency / Made in Denmark / Exclusive Designs" to th...
Teak
Maurice Villency Italian Travertine Coffee Table
By Maurice Villency
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A post modern travertine coffee table by Maurice Villency. Rectangular travertine slab with double beveled edge supported by a hollow travertine plinth base. A substantial and heavy ...
Travertine
Maurice Villency 50" Round Rosso Levanto Dining Table Octagon Base Italy 1970s
By Angelo Mangiarotti, Maurice Villency
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Superb large Rosso Levanto marble dining table, 50" diameter. From Italy, retailed by Maurice Villency, circa 1970s. Has a wonderfully smooth finish with lots of clairty into the gra...
Travertine, Marble
Maurice Villency Round Travertine Dining Table Octagon Base Italy 1970s MCM
By Angelo Mangiarotti, Maurice Villency
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Superb sad color polised large travertine marble dining table, 48 in. diameter. From italy, retainled by Maurice Villency, circa 1970s. Has a wonderfully smooth finish with lots of c...
Travertine, Marble
Farsø Stolefabrik Desk for Maurice Villency
By Maurice Villency, Farso Stolefabrik
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Stunning rosewood desk made by Farsø Stolefabrik For Maurice Villency. Deep wood grain throughout with accenting metal pulls, and finished back. Ple...
Rosewood
Sold
H 30 in W 74.5 in D 39.5 in
Postmodern Pierre Cardin Black Lacquer Extension Table W Beveled Glass Detail
By Maurice Villency, Pierre Cardin
Located in Hudson, NY
Stunning black lacquered and beveled black glass extension dining table. This is an excellent post-modern table said to have been designed by Pierre Cardin. This table was sold by Ma...
Glass, Wood
Angelo Mangiarotti Attributed Round Travertine Pedestal Dining Table
By Maurice Villency, Angelo Mangiarotti
Located in Philadelphia, PA
An incredibly stunning 47.25" diameter round Italian travertine pedestal dining table, Italy, circa 1970s. Solid travertine conical pedestal with 1.25" thick solid travertine top. Ro...
Travertine
Postmodern Custom Maurice Villency Lacquer Laminate Console Table
By Maurice Villency
Located in Doylestown, PA
Elegant custom crafted, laminated console table by Maurice Villency, 1980's. This sleek waterfall style console in iconic 80's dusty nude pink is 3" thi...
Laminate, Wood
Maurice Villency Mid Century Rosewood Desk
By Maurice Villency
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Maurice Villency mid century rosewood desk This desk measures: 59 wide x 32.5 deep x 29 high, with a chair clearance of 26 inches ...
Chrome
Sold
H 39.5 in W 10 in D 10 in
Post-Modern Italian Travertine Marble Illuminated Pedestal by Maurice Villency
By Maurice Villency
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Simple, sleek, elegant and well-made - an illuminated travertine-marble pedestal. This pedestal was made in Italy in the mid to late 1970s and retailed in the US by the famous retail...
Travertine, Marble
Maurice Villency Mid-Century Floating Teak Executive Desk
By Maurice Villency
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Maurice Villency mid-century floating teak executive desk The desk measures: 51 wide x 26.5 deep x 29 high, with a chair clearance of 27.75 inches All pieces of furniture can ...
Teak
Maurice Villency Mid Century Chrome and Rosewood Desk
By Maurice Villency
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Maurice Villency mid century chrome and rosewood desk This desk measures: 55 wide x 26.25 deep x 28.25 inches high All pieces of furniture can be had in what we call restored v...
Chrome
Sold
H 33.5 in W 29 in D 64 in
Vintage Signed Flip-Top Desk by Peter Løvig-Nielsen for Løvig, Dansk, 1973
By Løvig Design, Peter Løvig Nielsen, Maurice Villency
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A supremely functional and aesthetically sophisticated desk in tropical hardwood by Peter Løvig-Nielsen for Løvig, Dansk, 1973. This piece contains the manufacturer's stamp [Løvig, D...
Hardwood
Sold
H 28.5 in Dm 48.5 in
Pedestal Table of Marinace 'Mosaic' Granite Stone w. Black, Emerald & Ruby Tones
By Maurice Villency
Located in Hudson, NY
Amazing polished Marinace River granite round table. Overall feeling of black with amazing ruby, emerald and cream tones and veining throughout. Truly unique piece. Absolutely stunni...
Granite
Sold
H 28.63 in W 44 in D 44 in
Maurice Villency Square Travertine Dining, Game, or Center Table with Detail
By Maurice Villency
Located in Hudson, NY
Really great square travertine pedestal table that is versatile for smaller dining or center table. Sold through modern furniture retailer Maurice Villencey in the 1970s.
Travertine