Like so many artists and designers, husband and wife John McGuire (1920–2013) and Elinor Stevenson (1914–2005) became masters in their trade by accident. For the founders of McGuire Furniture Company, well, furniture wasn’t actually in the plans.
The couple met just before the start of World War II (during which John was in the U.S. Navy and Elinor was a navigation instructor) and got married after it ended. They settled down in San Francisco where John held a couple of jobs — among them selling newspaper ads for the San Francisco Examiner while Elinor worked for Boeing Aircraft. Soon, an old Navy buddy of John’s asked him to help sell a bunch of rattan furniture and, needing the money, John agreed. His side business became so successful that John decided to quit his ad-sales job and work full-time in design.
In 1948, McGuire Furniture Company was born. Alongside the mid-century modern furniture designs then gaining popularity in the United States, John introduced an unconventional idea: traditional armchairs, stools and tables made of natural materials such as bamboo, which was strong yet could be rendered pliable when steamed, that were intended for the indoors rather than the front porch.
The brand’s first success was the now famous Director’s X-Chair by Leonard Linden. The military-campaign-style solid oak folding chair launched in 1956 and saw rattan binded with rawhide strips and a high-grade leather slug seat and back that eliminated the need for a plush cushion. Elinor, too, designed some of the brand’s popular pieces, such as 1968’s Cracked Ice chair. With its rattan oval back a dazzling celebration of geometric forms that give it its charming moniker, the Cracked Ice chair was an instant classic and is one of the brand’s most recognizable designs.
Today, McGuire and another American furniture manufacturer, Baker Furniture Company, comprise Baker Interiors Group. McGuire remains true to the founders’ ideals and commitment to crafting the kind of organic modern furnishings that are synonymous with the warm and relaxed feel of California design. The company has collaborated with interior designers Steven Volpe, Orlando Diaz-Azcuy and Nicole Hollis, and, as of 2019, its luxury furnishings share a 16,500-square-foot showroom with Baker’s in San Francisco. Some of the earliest McGuire Furniture Company designs are part of the permanent collection at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City.
Find a range of McGuire Furniture on 1stDibs.
Vintage McGuire Rattan Sheaf of Wheat Form Dining Table, Original White Lacquer
By McGuire, John and Elinor McGuire
Located in St. Louis, MO
Vintage Hollywood Regency McGuire rattan sheaf of wheat form glass top dining table or breakfast table designed in the 1960s. Beveled edge glass top has few minor scratches. Glass i...
Rattan
$2,000 / set
Pair of McGuire Midcentury Oak Demilune Stools
By McGuire
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Rare pair of McGuire oak stools or side tables crafted from solid oak. Very well-made solid construction stools featuring a curved frame. When arranged side by side the stools form a...
Oak
Pair of McGuire Rattan Leona Loop Back Dining Armchairs
By McGuire
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Elegant set of three McGuire rattan loop back dining armchairs made in the California coastal organic modern style. One of McGuire's most iconic and beautiful chair styles designed b...
Leather, Fabric, Rattan
Mc Guire Wood Extendable Round Table, Diameter 113 cm
By McGuire
Located in IT
Table in walnut wood by Mc Guire, 113 cm in size, extendable by 45 cm. The extended table has an oval shape, reaching 158cm when open. The table can be combined with the Mc Guire ...
Wood
Classic McGuire Bamboo Armchair with Upholstered Seat
By McGuire
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Never goes out of style McGuire bamboo armchair having neutral upholstered seat. Arm height 26"
Upholstery, Bamboo
McGuire Mid Century Bamboo & Burled Laminate Side End Table
By McGuire
Located in Franklin Park, IL
McGuire mid century bamboo & burled laminate side end table Side table measures: 27 wide x 27 deep x 17.75 high All pieces of furnit...
Bamboo, Laminate
Small McGuire Bamboo Leather & Glass Side End Table
By McGuire
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Classic versatile McGuire side or end table having an organic modern bamboo and leather base measuring 15 x 15 with a 1.5" thick larger glass top.
Bamboo, Glass
Davis Allen Square Chair and Ottoman by McGuire
By Davis Allen, McGuire
Located in Highland, IN
This strikingly handsome Davis Allen design for McGuire of San Fransisco is the model RW-12A "Square Chair" and RW-51P ottoman. It is a cube chair executed in rattan and cane wicker ...
Upholstery, Cane, Rattan
McGuire Set of Four Armchairs
By John and Elinor McGuire, McGuire
Located in Highland, IN
Another elegant design by Elinor and John McGuire, these armchairs are not only beautiful, but incredibly well built with McGuire's patented method using rawhide binding at the joint...
Leather, Cane, Rattan
McGuire 104 B Corner/ End Table
By McGuire, John and Elinor McGuire
Located in Highland, IN
A great example of John and Elinor McGuire's sensibility– combining organic modern materials with a restrained modernist form, this rattan table supports a glass top and a mahogany l...
Rattan, Glass
Davis Allen Coffee Table by McGuire
By McGuire, Davis Allen
Located in Highland, IN
This handsome design by Davis Allen design for McGuire of San Fransisco was created to accompany the "Square" sofa and lounge chairs. It is executed in rattan and cane wicker with a ...
Cane, Rattan, Glass
McGuire Wheat Sheaf Coffee Table, White Rattan & Glass, Mid-Century
By McGuire
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Radiating sculptural elegance and laid-back glamour, this white-painted McGuire “Wheat Sheaf” coffee table reinterprets a classic mid-century silhouette with light-reflective, coasta...
Rattan, Glass, Bamboo
Pair of Barbara Barry for McGuire Rattan Chairs W/ Floral Upholstery
By McGuire
Located in Locust Valley, NY
A pair of Barbara Barry for McGuire rattan arm chairs with cheery, floral upholstered seats. The chairs are stained a dark hue with an open c...
Rattan
American mid-century modern rattan and white wood coffee table by Mcguire, 1960s
By McGuire
Located in MIlano, IT
American mid-century modern rattan and white wood coffee table by Mcguire, 1960s Rectangular rattan coffee table. The top is made of white pai...
Rattan, Wood
Vintage Coastal McGuire Bundled Bamboo Center Hall Table With Specimen Stone Top
By McGuire
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A breathtaking fusion of organic elegance and natural artistry, this vintage McGuire center hall table features their iconic bundled bamboo base paired with a truly stunning specimen...
Marble