Michael van Beuren was born in New York and studied architecture at the Bauhaus under Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Josef Albers until its closure in 1933. He moved to Acapulco at the end of 1936, where he oversaw the design of the interiors of the bungalows at the renowned Flamingo Hotel in 1937, and quickly became a formative member of the Mexican Modernism movement.
By 1938, van Beuren began focusing on furniture design, working with a fellow Bauhaus colleague, Klaus Grabe, to create modern and affordable pieces. Inspired by the local culture and craftsmanship, the duo applied Bauhaus design principles to popular Mexican mainstays, such as woven reclining chaises and wooden dining chairs.
The approach was a success — Grabe, Morley Webb and van Beuren were named among the winners of a 1941 competition organized by the Museum of Modern Art that focused on designer teams from the United States and Latin America called “Organic Design in Home Furnishings.” This award catapulted them to wide renown.
In the following years, van Beuren founded his furniture label Domus, which became synonymous with well-crafted, modernist design that garnered fans both in Mexico and America. Along with his own designs, Domus also produced work by Clara Porset, a friend and contemporary of van Beuren’s. However, by 1951, the company’s move toward more mass manufacturing meant that van Beuren’s earlier designs were no longer being produced.
Find vintage Michael van Beuren furniture on 1stDibs.
(Biography provided by 7710 Gallery)
$7,000 / set
Original Bar by Michael van Beuren "Domus Line"
By Michael van Beuren
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
We offer this rare and Original Bar designed by Michael Van Beuren for the "Domus" line, circa 1950, recently restored professionally.
Pine
Modernist Bar Copper Wine Cooler by Tom Dixon London
By Tom Dixon
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Modernist bar copper wine cooler or ice bucket by Tom Dixon London. Great modernist design wine cooler will add style in any bar display. Use it with your favorite wine or champagn...
Stainless Steel, Copper
Italian Goatskin Book Shaped Dry Bar Cabinet by Aldo Tura
By Aldo Tura
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A glamorous 1950s Italian goatskin book shaped dry bar cabinet designed by Aldo Tura. The bar is constructed of wood covered with lacquered goatskin with a hand painted Renaissance S...
Brass
$1,302
H 30.32 in W 27.56 in D 16.93 in
Original Art Deco Chrome Modernist Hostess Trolley Bar Cart, c1930
Located in Devon, England
Now this really is a fabulous hostess bar cart. Original 1930s Art Deco chrome two-tier trolley. A tubular chromed frame makes up the skeletal body of the cart with thick acrylic ins...
Chrome
English Art Deco Cocktail Shaker by Van Buren
Located in Austin, TX
A vintage English cylindrical martini or cocktail shaker of fine plate silver featuring a stylish Art Deco design, with removable cap and strainer. Impr...
Metal, Silver Plate, Copper
1950's Vintage Libbey Bar Glasses, Curio Line Designed by Freda Diamond
By Libbey Glass Co.
Located in Downingtown, PA
Horsepower of History: Libbey’s 'Curio' Barware by Freda Diamond (1950s) This charming, twenty-three-piece Vintage Libbey Bar Glass Set is part of the i...
Glass
$350
H 11.5 in Dm 4 in
Art Deco Philco Radio Bar Type Cocktail Shaker W/ Red and Black Line Decoration
By Radiobar Corp. and Philco
Located in Nantucket, MA
Large Art Deco cobbler type cocktail shaker of clear glass of stepped tapering form with aluminum lid and cap. The clear glass painted with red lines above black lines and with the line widths narrowing toward the center. This shaker is in the style of the glassware used...
Aluminum
Bamboo Portable Bar, France, 1960s
By Vivai del Sud, Adrien Audoux and Frida Minnet
Located in SOTTEVILLE-LÈS-ROUEN, FR
A refined portable bar crafted in bamboo, produced in France in the 1960s. Both sculptural and functional, this piece reflects the period’s enduring fascination with organic materi...
Bamboo
Bar Accessories Set by Nino Basso
By Nino Basso, Design Center 1991
Located in Milan, IT
Part of a collection of entertaining accessories inspired by Art Deco, this set of bar accessories by Nino Basso features handles in durable briar root, accented with small strips of ebony. The set includes a corkscrew, beer bottle opener...
Wood
Mid Century Holmegaard Glass Decanter By Michael Bang, Denmark, 1960's
By Jacob Bang, Holmgaard
Located in North Miami, FL
This vintage smokey gray gradient blown glass cinched decanter bottle was designed by Michael Bang for Holmegaard. It is called the Kluk Kluk. He was a major designer for the company. This is from the 1960s. What is most unusual about this is the rare crown stopper that was only made for the Danish markets. This was brought back from Denmark by a collector. For the upper class homes, this was used at the time for liquors and serving special schnapps. Great barware. The small gray gradient bowl seen in the photos must be purchased separately and was only used in this instance for a mini photo still life...
Blown Glass
Mid-Century Modern Lacquered Goatskin and Brass Bar by Aldo Tura
By Aldo Tura
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful and dramatic bar was realized by the esteemed midcentury designer Aldo Tura, in Italy, circa 1970. Nautically inspired, the piece offers a frame consisting of two angu...
Brass
Post-Modern Stainless Steel Bar Set by Michael Graves
By Michael Graves (b.1934)
Located in San Diego, CA
A nice post-modern stainless steel bar tool set by Michael Graves, circa the 1980s. The set is in good vintage condition and measures 6.5"W x 8.25"D x 1"H. The set includes cocktail ...
Stainless Steel
$490
H 1.25 in W 4.5 in D 6.5 in
Mid-Century Bar Party Set 1517 in Original Box by Amboss, Austria, 1950s
By Amboss Austria
Located in Vienna, AT
A gorgeous bar set nestled in its original wooden box from the 1950s. It comprises a bottle opener, a corkscrew, and a can opener. Model #1517, crafted by Amboss Austria, this set is...
Steel, Chrome