William Billy Haines Furniture
American, 1900-1973
Plenty of prolific designers started off on slightly different tracks than those on which they ended up, but rarely did they begin their careers in a totally separate industry like William “Billy” Haines did. Before he gained a reputation as a furniture designer and decorator to Hollywood’s biggest and brightest, Haines was himself a star of the silver screen.
After leaving his native Virginia as a young man, Haines earned modeling and acting jobs in New York City and then won a Goldwyn Studios talent contest in the early 1920s. The next frontier was California, where he would go on to appear in more than 50 films. His acting career was halted abruptly in 1933, allegedly because he refused to leave his partner, British footballer Jimmy Shields, at the request of his representation at MGM Studios. Whether it was the fact that Haines was one half of Hollywood’s first openly gay marriage or that there were other factors at play, MGM cofounder Louis B. Mayer canceled his contract.
Luckily for Haines, he had nurtured a side career that kept him on Hollywood’s radar: He was a prominent antiques dealer on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles. Haines dedicated himself full-time to both dealing and designing furniture as soon as his tenure as a leading man came to an end.
Haines collaborated with the era’s biggest names in architecture and created a desert living room for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco that featured walls made of California Joshua wood and a painting by Georgia O’ Keeffe. He paid close attention to lighting design, employed hand-painted wallpaper and favored featuring Chinese ceramics alongside Chippendale chairs and ottomans for entertaining. His most famous clients included Joan Crawford, Carole Lombard, Betsy Bloomingdale and more. Crawford played a significant role in kick-starting his career when she commissioned Haines to decorate her entire home in Brentwood.
Haines was such an esteemed tastemaker that he’s among those credited with having cemented Hollywood Regency as a reputable design style. (Its origins are owed to influential interior decorator Dorothy Draper.) While he gravitated toward the look of chinoiserie and English furniture, his signature was low-level seating and giltwood accents. Haines’s interior design style was so in vogue that Nancy Reagan became one of his biggest fans and eventually enlisted Ted Graber, Haines’s successor following his death in 1973, to decorate several private and public rooms in the White House.
Find a collection of vintage William Haines lounge chairs, lighting fixtures and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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Creator: William Billy Haines
Dealer: Dragonette Ltd
A Pair of Iron and Leather Benches designed by William Haines for Francis Brody
By William Billy Haines
Located in Palm Desert, CA
These benches, created by William Haines for the home of the Brody’s located in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles are a part of a collection executed in iron rod. This ...
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1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage William Billy Haines Furniture
Materials
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A Pair of Cobalt Blue Swiveling Tub Chairs designed by William Haines
By William Billy Haines
Located in Palm Desert, CA
Offered here a pair of swiveling tub chairs, sitting on a stylized Chinoiserie base. The bases are painted black. The chairs have been newly upholstered in Romo/Zinc Ocelot - Midnight Blue Z516/03 . These chairs are seldom seen on the market, with a documented pair being offered in a Christies "Innovators of 20th Century Style Auction May 2001 lot 84 page 40...
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1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage William Billy Haines Furniture
Materials
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A Pair of Neoclassical Style Consoles with Ocher Travertine Tops by Billy Haines
By William Billy Haines
Located in Palm Desert, CA
This collection presents a rare opportunity to own a piece of Los Angeles design history. The house, originally designed by Paul Williams in 1933 was given the Haines touch when his...
Category
1960s American Neoclassical Vintage William Billy Haines Furniture
Materials
Travertine
Custom Neoclassical Table with Original Finish by William Haines for Jack Warner
By William Billy Haines
Located in Palm Desert, CA
This is an original custom made neoclassical table by Billy Haines for the Palm Springs home of Jack L Warner. The round table top's geometric desig...
Category
1950s American Neoclassical Vintage William Billy Haines Furniture
Materials
Concrete, Travertine, Metal
A Pair of Wooden Columns, William Haines
By William Billy Haines
Located in Palm Desert, CA
This collection presents a rare opportunity to own a piece of Los Angeles design history. The house, originally designed by Paul Williams in 1933 was given the Haines touch when his...
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1950s American Greco Roman Vintage William Billy Haines Furniture
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A Two Cushion Sofa on Runner Legs, William Haines
By William Billy Haines
Located in Palm Desert, CA
This collection presents a rare opportunity to own a piece of Los Angeles design history. The house, originally designed by Paul Williams in 1933 was given the Haines touch when his clients a young family of five...
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1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage William Billy Haines Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Walnut
"Gemütlich" Leather Clad Table and 4 Bergundy Brentwood Chairs by William Haines
By William Billy Haines
Located in Palm Desert, CA
This collection presents a rare opportunity to own a piece of Los Angeles design history. The house, originally designed by Paul Williams in 1933 was given the Haines touch when his clients a young family of five purchased and moved in in 1963. Haines made appropriate changes to the structure and being at the top of his game, both the architectural changes and the custom furnishings clearly illustrate this. He discreetly added a projection room to the front of the house so that the cleverly concealed projectors made for a movie going experience in the living room. Other Haines touches abound in this, a wonderful and thoughtful interior perfectly capturing a moment in time when life was glamorous. This set still in tact consists of the "good times" table surrounded by a set of 4 chairs, a variation on the "Brentwood" chair with an all upholstered back with channel quilting and biscuit tufted seating. Because Haines had a keen eye for detail the chairs also have a wonderful "cut" in the front legs accented with black enamel. The biscuit tufting on the seats is classic while the channeling on the backs make these unique. The table top is wrapped in tooled Ocher leather and rests on a hand carved base featuring 3 dolphin...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage William Billy Haines Furniture
Materials
Leather, Fabric, Wood
A Pair of Large Custom Mirrors, designed by William Haines
By William Billy Haines
Located in Palm Desert, CA
This collection, purchased directly from the heirs of the estate presents a rare opportunity to own a piece of Los Angeles design history. The house, originally designed by Paul Williams in 1933 was given the Haines touch when his clients a young family of five...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage William Billy Haines Furniture
Materials
Mirror, Wood
Faux Bamboo and Marble Topped Cocktail Table by William Haines
By William Billy Haines
Located in Palm Desert, CA
This collection, purchased directly from the heirs of the estate presents a rare opportunity to own a piece of Los Angeles design history. The house, originally designed by Paul Wil...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage William Billy Haines Furniture
Materials
Marble
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William Billy Haines furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
William Billy Haines furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of William Billy Haines furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by William Billy Haines were created in the mid-century modern style in united states during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Nancy Corzine, Dan Johnson, and Phyllis Morris. Prices for William Billy Haines furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $3,500 and can go as high as $26,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $9,650.