Forward-looking architect Walter Lamb is best known for his revolutionary and widely loved patio furniture — he salvaged metal tubing from sunken ships in Pearl Harbor in the 1940s to create alluring chaise longues and other pieces for the backyard. His vintage furniture designs have been adorning patios worldwide for almost a century.
Trained as an architect at the University of California Berkeley campus, Lamb found himself in Hawaii during the 1940s. This period was a time of growth for furniture designers and manufacturers, as veterans were returning to the United States, getting married and starting families. These folks needed practical furniture for their new homes, and as the movement we now call mid-century modern took shape, imaginative architects and furniture makers would fill that need. Lamb was one such innovator.
Lamb worked the shaped tubing and fittings he’d gathered from battleship wreckage into proper frames and wrapped the structures in marine-grade cotton cording to create comfortable, element-proof outdoor furniture. Today his patio furniture has an esteemed place in the history of design. In fact, furniture enthusiasts are eager to restore and collect his iconic aged furniture rather than purchase reproductions.
Postwar California would become reputable as a manufacturing center for versatile furniture intended for both indoor and outdoor spaces. Seating, tables and other items — often made with rattan — produced by the likes of McGuire and Brown Jordan became a defining feature of organic modern living, a style that still characterizes many California interiors and influences innumerable design firms. Pasadena’s then-new Brown Jordan picked up Lamb’s designs, which eventually included dining tables, side tables and coffee and cocktail tables. And along with these furnishings, Lamb's sculptural vintage seating — his curvaceous lounge chairs and armchairs with cotton cord seats — while perfect for your fire pit, shouldn’t be relegated to outdoors-only settings.
Lamb received much acclaim for his work. The Museum of Modern Art in New York recognized his 1940s-era outdoor furniture for Brown Jordan with a design award.
On 1stDibs, find a noteworthy collection of vintage Walter Lamb furniture.
Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan Bronze Patio Three Seater Sofa
By Brown Jordan, Walter Lamb
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bronze three seater sofa by Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan. The sofa has a beautiful curved construction in tubular bronze with a patinated verdigris finish. The sofa has two rounded s...
Bronze
Walter Lamb Bronze Patio Settee for Brown Jordan, Curved Design, 1950s
By Walter Lamb, Brown Jordan
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bronze two seater settee by Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan. The settee has a beautiful curved construction in tubular bronze with a patinated verdigris finish. The sofa has one rounded support at the middle of the sofa and a stretcher that runs the length of the piece. The armrests carry the same curved detail with double bronze tubing. This piece has been newly reroped. All Walter Lamb patio furniture at DEN has been restored with the utmost attention to the designer’s original specifications. We rope all seating...
Bronze
$3,793
H 28.94 in W 69.69 in D 38.39 in
ViNTAGE HAND DYED BROWN LEATHER ART DECO THREE SEAT SOFA FEATHER FILLED SEAT
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely vintage hand made in England Art Deco style reddish brown leather sofa with overstuffed feather ...
Leather
$2,500 / set
H 34.5 in W 18.5 in D 21 in
Set of Four Brown Jordan Neoclassical Style Garden Dining Chairs
By Brown Jordan
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Neoclassical style set of four patio and garden dining chairs made by Brown Jordan. Heavy and solid cast aluminum construction with a lattice design influenced by Mario Papperzini fo...
Aluminum
$2,581
H 29 in W 49 in D 33 in
Mid-Century Modern Rattan Settee in the Style of John Wisner for Ficks Reed
By Ficks Reed
Located in Aramits, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Vintage settee/loveseat with serpentine arms, in the style of John Wisner for Ficks Reed, 1950s. Very well executed rattan and hardwood construction, with spring support, beautiful ...
Fabric, Rattan
French 1950s Iron Fretwork Patio Set
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
Elegant iron patio set comprising a console, a coffee table, two chairs, a settee and two curule stools. The set presents delicate fretwork and hammered iron, and is painted in its o...
Stone, Wrought Iron
Walter Lamb, Chaise Longue, Bronze, Fabric, USA, 1955
By Walter Lamb, Brown Jordan
Located in High Point, NC
A bronze and fabric cord chaise longue designed by Walter Lamb and produced by Brown Jordan, USA, c. 1955. Seat Height (inches): 12.25" Arm Height (inches): 17.13" All items ship ...
Bronze
$13,794
H 31.89 in W 93.71 in D 22.84 in
Restored Hand Dyed Brown Leather Antique Victorian 3-4 Seat Sofa Feather Seats
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to this stunning three to four seat antique hand dyed Victorian brown leather sofa...
Leather
Italian Mohair Settee Sofa, Brown, 1950s
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful mohair upholstered curved sofa with wooden legs. Perfect shape and size. In excellent condition, 1950s, Italy. Same era as: Ch...
Mohair, Wood
$6,604
H 35.44 in W 84.65 in D 39.38 in
Gigi Radice Mid-Century Modern Italian Velvet Curved Sofa for Minotti, 1950s
By Minotti, Gigi Radice
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Sofa designed by Gigi Radice for Minotti. Made with solid wood structure and ivory velvet upholstery and polished brass legs. The sofa is authentic, only the upholstery has been repl...
Brass
Louis XV Curved Settee
Located in Greenwich, CT
A curved Louis XV settee, upholstered throughout including on the reverse, the back with foliate carving over molded frame, having scroll carved arms, standing on cabriole legs endin...
Beech
American Designer, Settee, Bamboo, Rattan, Iron, USA, 1950s
Located in High Point, NC
A bamboo, rattan and black-lacquered iron settee or bench designed and produced in the US, c. 1950s. Wear consistent with age and use. Overall Dimensions (inches): 28.75"H x 41.25"...
Iron
$6,720Sale Price|20% Off
H 20.5 in W 22 in D 70 in
Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan Bronze 'Waikiki' Rocking Chaise Lounge, circa 1960s
By Brown Jordan, Walter Lamb
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sculptural bronze 'Waikiki' rocking chaise lounge by Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan. These collectible examples of functional art features curvy tubular bronze frames and rewoven with ...
Bronze
Black Aluminum and White Vinyl Ottoman by Brown Jordan
By Brown Jordan
Located in Palm Springs, CA
1950’s black powder coated aluminum with white vinyl straps “Katan” ottoman by Brown Jordan. Newly professionally restored. Measurements: 26” wide 25.5” deep 14.75” high.
Aluminum
Sold
H 36 in W 48.5 in D 42 in
Walter Lamb Rare Settee with Celebrity Provenance, Early Production, circa 1955
By Walter Lamb, Brown Jordan
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This sculptural rare settee by Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan is an early production example which was originally purchased by and continually owned by Shirley Temple Black, which from her estate we acquired and then subsequently restored this incredible rare example of Walter Lamb's earlier works. This collectible example of functional Mid-Century Modern art is from the early years of Lamb's work with Brown Jordan, dating from the mid-1950s. This curvy, sexy Art Deco inspired loveseat sofa is comprised of a tubular copper frame featuring the original naturally occurring and highly attractive Verdigris patinated finish...
Copper
Walter Lamb Bronze Patio Settee by Brown Jordan
By Walter Lamb, Brown Jordan
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A patio settee or loveseat by Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan. An exceptionally rare example, this piece has a deep seat woven from waxed cotton sailcord around an oxidized bronze frame...
Bronze