Ward Bennett created everything from interiors and furniture to textiles and flatware. The unsung New York City-born modernist designer drew on the work of Le Corbusier and Auguste Rodin, studied art with the likes of Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann and counted legendary American luxury house Tiffany & Co. among his clients. For decades, Bennett created and filled spaces that were elegant, minimalist and deeply appealed to everyone who laid eyes on them.
Bennett left home and school at the young age of 13. He found work in Manhattan’s Garment District, and within a few years, Bennett traveled to Europe on behalf of a clothing manufacturer to gather ideas for modern garments. He lived abroad as a young man, and when he returned to New York, during the early 1940s, he assisted fashion entrepreneur Hattie Carnegie as a window dresser.
Bennett would also go on to share a sculpture studio with artist Louise Nevelson. He ventured into the world of jewelry design, creating necklaces, bracelets and other pieces with Richard Pousette-Dart. The Whitney Museum of American Art exhibited his sculptures, and it wouldn’t be long before the Museum of Modern Art included Bennett’s personal adornments with accessories by the likes of Alexander Calder, Harry Bertoia and Anni Albers in its 1946 “Modern Handmade Jewelry” show.
Bennett didn’t take the plunge into interior design work until he was 30 years old — his inaugural project was an apartment in Manhattan and his clients were family members. He had no formal training in architecture or decorating — and would ultimately design a mere handful of houses in his life — so for his inviting leather office chairs, marble-topped tables and sleek storage cabinets, Bennett relied only on what he learned in the fashion world. Soon, every time he redecorated his own home — an elaborate apartment comprising former maids’ quarters in New York City’s magnificent Dakota building — it earned splashy coverage in the newspapers.
Bennett’s client list eventually included David Rockefeller and Chase Manhattan Bank, Tiffany & Co., Sasaki, Italian industrialist Gianni Agnelli, and others, and during the 1970s he became in-house designer for Brickel Associates, a role that would endure for more than two decades. His work is on permanent view at the Museum of Modern Art and the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Ward Bennett seating, decorative objects and more.
$400Sale Price / item|88% Off
1 Ward Bennett For Brickel Fabric Upholstered Arm Chair
By Ward Bennett
Located in Pasadena, TX
A more traditional take on Ward Bennett's Banker chairs. Designed by Ward Bennett for Brickel. Cherry frames with rich floral upholstery. 4 available. 24 x 24 x 32
Fabric, Cherry
$16,750 / set
H 32 in W 23.5 in D 24.5 in
Set of 8 Deep Green Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates Armchairs
By Brickel Associates, Ward Bennett
Located in Dallas, TX
Looking for something that can complement everything in the house? Offered is a rare find, Ward Bennett MR11858 armchairs for Brickel Associates, circa 1970s. Simplicity and elegance...
Velvet, Wood
$795Sale Price|27% Off
H 32.25 in W 23 in D 21.5 in
Ward Bennett Steam-Bent Oak and Cane Armchair for Brickel Associates, c. 1970s
By Brickel Associates, Ward Bennett
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A beautifully crafted caned armchair designed by Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates. This iconic piece features a steam-bent oak frame with a sculptural silhouette and tightly woven...
Oak, Cane
$2,400 / set
H 32.5 in W 23 in D 24 in
1983 Pair of Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates Dining Bankers Chairs in Oak
By Brickel Associates, Ward Bennett
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a pair of Bankers Armchairs, initially designed by Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates in 1965. The listed price includes the pair as shown. T...
Steel
$6,000 / set
H 32.5 in W 22.5 in D 25 in
1970s Set of 4, Ward Bennett Brickel Associates Dining Bankers Arm Chairs
By Ward Bennett
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a set of four Bankers Arm Chairs, originally designed by Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates in 1965. These particular examples date back to the 1970s. Their design features ...
Foam, Walnut, Velvet
Ward Bennett Upholstered Desk Chair for Brickel Associates
By Brickel Associates, Ward Bennett
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Ward Bennett upholstered desk chair for Brickel Associates, c.1960s, USA. This chair features a curved frame and all over upholstery. The chair has both a tilt and swivel mechanism a...
Stainless Steel
$1,000 / item
H 32.5 in W 22.5 in D 25 in
1982 Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates Bankers Chair in Lacquered Ash & Mohair
By Brickel Associates, Ward Bennett
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Bankers Armchair, initially designed by Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates in 1965. The listed price includes one chair, and we have severa...
Foam, Ash, Fabric
1984 Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates Dining Chair with Red Fabric
By Ward Bennett
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a bentwood dining chair, originally designed by Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates. This particular example was produced in 1984. The design features a sculptural solid bent...
Foam, Wood, Fabric
$16,500 / set
H 32.5 in W 25 in D 20 in
Caned Desk Chair by Ward Bennett for Brickel, Mid-20th Century
By Brickel Associates, Ward Bennett
Located in Southampton, NY
Caned desk chair by Ward Bennett for Brickel, Mid-20th Century Made of solid ash barrel back frame with caned back and sides, beautif...
Cane, Ash
1960's Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates 'BANKER' Chairs
By Brickel Associates, Ward Bennett
Located in Dallas, TX
An American designer, artist and sculptor Ward Bennett designed 51 chairs for Brickel Associates. This elegant pair of club chairs, model no. 1423 is from the Bankers series. "Even a...
Mohair, Wood
Armchair by Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates, 1970s
By Brickel Associates, Ward Bennett
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An elegant and comfortable armchair having a fluid and bold ash frame seamlessly encasing a seat upholstered in vintage green wool fabric. Upholstery recommended.
Ash
$4,995 / set
H 32.5 in W 23.5 in D 24 in
Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates Landmark Sculpted Ash Upholstered Tub Chairs
By Brickel Associates, Ward Bennett
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous set of four Modern "Landmark" club chairs, tub chairs, or armchairs By Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates USA, Circa 1980s Sculpted ash frame, with upholstered seat an...
Upholstery, Ash
$4,000 / set
H 32 in W 27 in D 26 in
1960s Pair of Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates Bumper Arm Chairs
By Ward Bennett, Brickel Associates
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a pair of Bumper Swivel Lounge Chairs, initially designed by Ward Bennett and produced by Brickel Associates in 1964. These chairs date to the 1960s and are all original. The...
Bronze, Steel
Ward Bennett for Brickel
By Ward Bennett
Located in Danville, CA
Oak framed Lounge or desk chair by Ward Bennett for Brickel. The frame has been freshly refinished in a dark brown lacquer that shows the vib...
Oak, Cane