Tomlinson Furniture
Pay a visit to the town of High Point, North Carolina — long the capital of American-made furniture — and, from nearly any location in the city, you’ll see a tall smokestack bearing the name Tomlinson. It’s a name with deep roots there: In 1901, Sidney Halstead Tomlinson, Sr., and his brother founded the Tomlinson Chair Manufacturing Co., producing adaptations of 19th-century European antiques for an enthusiastic American audience. Later the Tomlinson Furniture Company grew rapidly over the ensuing decades, becoming a significant contributor to High Point’s thriving manufacturing economy.
Although Tomlinson began with a focus on antique-style furniture, by the middle of the century the company had adopted aesthetics from the modern style that was rapidly growing in popularity around the world.
Throughout the 1950s and 60s, Tomlinson Furniture produced coffee tables, storage cabinets and seating in the low-slung, sleek silhouettes that were typically characteristic of what we now know as mid-century modern designs.
Working with designers like John Lubberts and Lambert Mulder, the company experimented with materials like woven cane and unique styles such as neoclassical lounge chairs in cherrywood that were seen as thoughtful modern interpretations of Biedermeier furniture.
During the mid-1950s, Tomlinson Furniture introduced its dramatic and decorative Sophisticate line, a collection of case pieces, seating, tables and more, available in a variety of woods. Today, designs that originated in the collection, such as its pecan-framed chairs with seats and backs of woven leather straps, are increasingly sought after by collectors.
Find vintage Tomlinson furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Mid-20th Century American Queen Anne Tomlinson Furniture
Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Wood
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Furniture
Wicker, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Furniture
Wood, Oak, Burl
1950s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tomlinson Furniture
Brass
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Wood, Upholstery
1960s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Upholstery
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Fabric, Beech
1950s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Furniture
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Wood, Upholstery
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Brass
1950s American Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Brass, Iron
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century American Tomlinson Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century American American Classical Tomlinson Furniture
Other
1960s American Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Fabric, Cane, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Furniture
Burl
Mid-20th Century American Georgian Tomlinson Furniture
Burl, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Furniture
Fruitwood, Cane
1950s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Fruitwood, Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Fruitwood, Burl
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Brass
1950s American Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Fabric, Cane, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Furniture
Maple
1970s American Neoclassical Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Leather
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Furniture
Walnut
1980s American Post-Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Burl
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Fruitwood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Fruitwood, Leather
1930s American Federal Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Brass
20th Century Georgian Tomlinson Furniture
Cotton, Polyester
Late 20th Century American Chippendale Tomlinson Furniture
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Leather, Walnut
1970s American Post-Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Brass
1970s American Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Burl
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Wood
1990s American Baroque Tomlinson Furniture
Textile, Wood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Walnut
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Walnut, Burl
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Walnut, Burl
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tomlinson Furniture
Walnut, Burl
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Furniture
Wood, Burl
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Furniture
Upholstery, Rattan, Cane, Burl