Paul Laszlo Furniture
The suave architect and interior designer Paul Laszlo made his reputation in Hollywood, where his clients included Barbara Stanwyck, Cary Grant and Elizabeth Taylor. He was aligned to no artistic or design movements, relying on his own carefully honed instincts to create his celebrated lounge chairs, tables, dressers and other furnishings. From the late 1930s to the 1960s, Laszlo’s name was a byword for sumptuous modernity among members of the smart set.
Born in Hungary in 1900, Laszlo learned about quality from his father, a prosperous furniture manufacturer. He studied design in Vienna and had his technical training in Stuttgart, Germany, where, at age 27, he established an upscale design business that gained an international reputation. Nine years later, with the Nazis in power, Laszlo, a Jew, left Germany for the United States and made his way to Los Angeles. There, he established an interior design office in Beverly Hills and was pleased to find that his Stuttgart credentials carried weight.
While he took many commercial assignments for American department stores, custom residential work was Laszlo’s stock in trade. He turned his hand to every element in a room, “down to the last ashtray,” Time magazine once wrote. Like his clients, Laszlo appreciated luxury — not the luxury of rare and precious materials, but the luxury of rich colors and textures, and deep comforts. He had a contemporary élan, exemplified by spaces that were bright, airy, uncluttered and up-to-date.
The classic earmarks of Laszlo’s furnishings are generous proportions and, in the case of his Paddle and Plank armchairs, namesake armrests that are flat and wide, the perfect spot to rest a cocktail. His case goods, tables and dining chairs have clean, elegant lines; they are simply formed yet warm, with interesting details such as woven veneer door fronts.
In recent years, Laszlo’s designs have found a new audience among fans of his easygoing modernism. Prices are in the neighborhood of $5,000 for his vintage cabinets, and from $8,000 to upwards of $20,000 for seating pieces, which are generally found in pairs or groups of six or more.
There was a reason that Laszlo’s work was so admired in the mid-20th century: every design contributes to an environment that is comfortable and elegant — at once robust and relaxed.
Find vintage Paul Laszlo furniture on 1stDibs.
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Mahogany
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Metal, Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Oak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Walnut
1950s American Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Upholstery, Oak
1950s Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Rattan
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Oak
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Rattan
1940s American Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wood
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Oak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Oak
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Cane, Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Upholstery, Oak
20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wood, Mahogany
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Fabric, Wood, Upholstery
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
1950s American Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Rattan
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Rattan
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Oak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Fabric, Oak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Leather, Bouclé, Mahogany, Walnut
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Mahogany, Cork, Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wood, Resin
1950s Italian Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wood
1940s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Bouclé, Upholstery
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wood
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1970s Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Brass
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wire
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Oak
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Oak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wood, Leather
1980s American Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Chrome
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Paul Laszlo Furniture
Wrought Iron
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Mahogany, Lacquer
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Mahogany
1970s American Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Chrome
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Lucite
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Laszlo Furniture
Oak