Paul Frankl Tables
Born in Vienna, Paul Frankl came to the United States in 1914 as part of a wave of Central European design luminaries — among them Kem Weber, Rudolph Schindler, and Richard Neutra — who were drawn by the energy and optimism of the American scene. Prolific and protean, Frankl would go on to design furnishings that are emblematic of nearly every key stylistic chord in American modernism, from the streamlined Art Deco to free-form organic shapes.
Frankl's Skyscraper cabinets, bookcases and more — introduced in 1924 — are his earliest and best-known designs (and the work by which he is most often represented in institutions, such as New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art). Tall and narrow, the pieces have staggered shelves meant to mimic the setbacks of Manhattan office towers. A later visually expressive line — the Speed chairs and sofas, which have a raked profile suggesting motion — links Frankl to Donald Deskey, Raymond Loewy and other creators of Streamline Moderne design.
Frankl moved to Los Angeles in 1934 and luxuriated in the climate and lifestyle. His designs became lighter and simpler and found an audience among the Hollywood élite. (Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Fred Astaire were clients.) Fascinated by Asian arts, Frankl produced numerous pieces — tabletops with edges that curve upward; sofas, chairs and other seating with rattan frames — inspired by Chinese and Japanese forms and materials. In the 1940s, Frankl became one of the first designers to incorporate free-form, biomorphic shapes in his work, as well as novel upholstery fabrics such as denim and nubby wool.
Frankl biographer Christopher Long argues that the designer’s easy, elegant aesthetic had an enormous influence on movie set design. As the furniture below attests, Paul Frankl’s work is ready for its close-up.
Find vintage Paul Frankl tables, dining chairs, case pieces and storage cabinets on 1stDibs.
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Paul Frankl Tables
Glass, Wood, Cork
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Paul Frankl Tables
Wood
1980s American Art Deco Vintage Paul Frankl Tables
Leather, Maple, Walnut
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Paul Frankl Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Art Deco Paul Frankl Tables
Mahogany
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Paul Frankl Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary British Regency Paul Frankl Tables
Mahogany, Satinwood
2010s American American Classical Paul Frankl Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Art Deco Paul Frankl Tables
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary English Regency Paul Frankl Tables
Mahogany, Satinwood
21st Century and Contemporary British Regency Paul Frankl Tables
Oak, Burl
Mid-20th Century English Art Deco Paul Frankl Tables
Bronze
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Paul Frankl Tables
Wood
2010s American Modern Paul Frankl Tables
Glass, Mirror
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Paul Frankl Tables
Rattan, Hardwood
1930s American Vintage Paul Frankl Tables
Rattan
1930s Vintage Paul Frankl Tables
Rattan
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Paul Frankl Tables
Oak
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Paul Frankl Tables
Rattan
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Paul Frankl Tables
Wicker, Rattan, Mahogany
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Paul Frankl Tables
Mahogany
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Paul Frankl Tables
Wood
1930s Art Deco Vintage Paul Frankl Tables
Wood
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Paul Frankl Tables
Mahogany
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Paul Frankl Tables
Mahogany
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Paul Frankl Tables
Rattan, Mahogany, Wicker