't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Dutch furniture company ‘t Spectrum — later Spectrum — was established in 1941 with a run of pieces that were spare and outwardly industrial in appearance. Its early armchairs and dining chairs were often framed in tubular metal, and boast clearly defined lines and minimal curves. The vintage ‘t Spectrum seating in the decades that followed, which was designed by the likes of Gerrit Rietveld and Wim van Gelderen, is characterized by the angular forms and Pop art-hued colors that we associate with the best of mid-century modernism.
‘t Spectrum emerged in 1941 as an offshoot of the Dutch fabric manufacturer De Ploeg. When a shortage of textiles and other materials took shape owing to the demands of the Second World War, De Ploeg director Piet Blijenburg changed gears, and sought to broaden the manufacturer’s offerings as well as prevent the company's employees from being forced into work for occupying military forces.
‘t Spectrum was a brand devoted to furniture and interiors — as well as goods and decor for the home such as coat racks, napkin rings and beds. Legendary modernist furniture designer Gerrit Rietveld — an integral part of the Dutch art and design movement of the early 20th century called De Stijl — was brought on in a supervisory role in its early days, and designer Martin Visser was installed to oversee the production of furniture.
The end of the war brought a greater availability of metals and other materials to ‘t Spectrum, which became more focused on creating affordable furniture for the era’s new homeowners. A new factory designed by Rietveld was built in Bergeijk in 1957. During the late 1960s, ‘t Spectrum offered a richer range of furnishings, incorporating alluring hardwoods and leathers as part of sophisticated lines of seating and other pieces designed in the mid-century modern style. Visser recruited the likes of Friso Kramer, Benno Premsela, Constant Nieuwenhuys and others to design for ‘t Spectrum over the years.
With competition for cheaper furniture on the rise in the 1970s, ‘t Spectrum liquidated in 1974. A group of employees acquired the designs and continued the company under the name of Arspect. The firm produced ‘t Spectrum designs and works from other designers.
Arspect closed its doors in 1986. A former employee bought the company and renewed it with the name Spectrum. Today, Spectrum operates in Eindhoven in the Netherlands, creating contemporary designs alongside pieces dating back to the look and feel of the products offered by the original manufacturer. The company is also reproducing original designs created by Visser and Rietveld.
On 1stDibs, browse a selection of vintage ‘t Spectrum Bergijk seating, tables, storage pieces and more.
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Steel
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Steel
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Rush, Pine
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Steel
1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Chrome
1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Chrome, Metal
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Metal
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Stainless Steel
1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Steel
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Metal
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Metal
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Steel
1990s Dutch Modern 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Metal
1990s Dutch Mid-Century Modern 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Metal
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Velvet, Wood
Late 20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Wood, Paint
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Chrome
18th Century Swedish Antique 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Wood
Late 20th Century Minimalist 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Rush, Pine
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Wood, Rush
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Fabric, Upholstery
20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Rush, Wenge
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Rush, Wood
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Rush, Pine
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Chrome
Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Fabric
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Chrome
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Metal
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Fabric, Oak
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Steel
1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Wicker, Wenge
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Rush, Wenge
Mid-20th Century Dutch Bauhaus 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Chrome
20th Century Dutch Modern 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Aluminum
1980s Dutch Post-Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Ash, Oak
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Stainless Steel
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Metal
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Steel
1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Wicker, Wenge
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Steel
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage 't Spectrum Bergeijk Seating
Metal, Chrome