Pair of Signed Drexel Walnut Frame Floating Lounge Chairs
About the Item
- Creator:Drexel (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.25 in (74.3 cm)Width: 25.5 in (64.77 cm)Depth: 28.5 in (72.39 cm)Seat Height: 16.5 in (41.91 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading. Chairs are in great original vintage condition and are usable.
- Seller Location:Middlesex, NJ
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1080435086632
Drexel
While vintage Drexel Furniture dining tables, dressers and other pieces remain highly desirable for enthusiasts of mid-century modern design, the manufacturer's story actually begins decades before its celebrated postwar-era Declaration line took shape.
In 1903, in the small town of Drexel in the foothills of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, six partners came together to found a company that would become one of the country’s leading furniture producers. The first offerings from Drexel Furniture were simple: a bed, washstand and bureau all crafted from native oakwood, sold as a bedroom suite for $14.50.
One of Drexel’s early innovations was to employ staff designers, something the company initiated in the 1930s. This focus on design, which few other furniture companies were committing to at the time, allowed Drexel to respond to a variety of new and traditional tastes. This included making pieces inspired by historic European furniture, like the popular French Provincial–style Touraine bedroom and dining group that borrowed its curves from Louis XV-era furniture. Others replicated the ornate details of 18th-century chinoiserie or the embellishments of Queen Anne furniture. Always ready to adapt to new customer demands, during World War II, Drexel built a sturdy desk designed especially for General Douglas MacArthur.
In the postwar era, Drexel embraced the clean lines of mid-century modernism with the Declaration collection designed by Stewart MacDougall and Kipp Stewart that featured elegant credenzas and more made in walnut, and the Profile and Projection collections designed with sculptural shapes by John Van Koert. In the 1970s, Drexel introduced high-end furniture in a Mediterranean style.
Drexel changed hands and visions throughout the years. It was managed by one of the original partners — Samuel Huffman — until 1935, at which time his son Robert O. Huffman took over as president. It was then that the company began to expand, with several acquisitions of competitors in the 1950s, including Table Rock Furniture, the Heritage Furniture Co. and more. With the manufacturer’s success — spurred by its embrace of advertising in home and garden magazines — it opened more factories in both North and South Carolina. By 1957, the company that had started with a factory of 50 workers had 2,300 employees and was selling its furniture nationwide.
Drexel underwent a series of name changes in its long history. Its acquisition of Southern Desk Company in 1960 bolstered its production of institutional furniture for dormitories, classrooms, churches and laboratories. In the following decades, contracts with government agencies, hotels, schools and hospitals brought its high-quality furniture to a global audience. U.S. Plywood-Champion Papers bought Drexel Enterprises in 1968, and it became Drexel Heritage Furnishings.
In 2014, the last Drexel Heritage plant, in Morganton, North Carolina, reportedly closed its doors. The company rebranded as Drexel in 2017.
The range of vintage Drexel furniture for sale on 1stDibs includes end tables designed by Edward Wormley, walnut side tables designed by Kipp Stewart and lots more.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Middlesex, NJ
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Signed Pair of Paul Tuttle 'Zeta' Lounge Chairs for StrassleBy Paul TuttleLocated in Middlesex, NJPair of Paul Tuttle 'Zeta' lounge chairs.Category
20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Pair of Oversized Adrian Pearsall Lounge ChairsBy Adrian PearsallLocated in Middlesex, NJPair of oversized Adrian Pearsall lounge chairs.Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Club Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Walnut
- Pair of Adrian Pearsall Swivel / Tilt Lounge ChairsBy Adrian Pearsall, Comfort Designs, Inc.Located in Middlesex, NJPair of Adrian Pearsall Swivel / tilt lounge chairs.Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery
- Rare Pair of Carlo de Carli Lounge ChairsBy Carlo De CarliLocated in Middlesex, NJRare pair of Carlo de Carli lounge chairs.Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Pair of Tove and Edvard Kindt-Larsen Lounge ChairsBy Tove & Edvard Kindt-Larsen, France & SønLocated in Middlesex, NJPair of Tove and Edvard Kindt-Larsen lounge chairs.Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
- Pair of Mid-Century Oversized Sculpted Slipper Lounge ChairsLocated in Middlesex, NJPair of Mid-Century Oversized Sculpted Slipper Lounge ChairsCategory
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Walnut
- Parson Style Drexel Lounge ChairBy Drexel, Milo BaughmanLocated in Medina, OHA unique lounge chair by Drexel, what we believe, was attributed by Milo Baughman. What makes this chair so unique is the upholstery throughout the frames along with a barrel back. T...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Upholstery
- Drexel Contemporary Occasional Lounge ChairBy DrexelLocated in Countryside, ILDrexel Contemporary Occasional Lounge Chair This chair measures: 25 wide x 26 deep x 33.25 high, with a seat height of 19 inches About Photo...Category
Early 2000s American Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Drexel Contemporary Classics Lounge ChairBy DrexelLocated in Countryside, ILDrexel Contemporary Classics Lounge Chair This lounge chair measures: 29.5 wide x 33 deep x 29 high, with a seat height of 19.5 and arm height/chair clearance 24.75 inches About P...Category
Early 2000s American Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Vintage Walnut Floating Armrests Lounge ChairsLocated in North Hollywood, CABeautiful vintage walnut floating armrests lounge chairs, designed in the United States, circa 1950’s. These chairs feature an exquisite architectural design that prioritizes user co...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Walnut
- 1980s Postmodern Drexel Scoop Lounge Chair & Foot Stool-A PairBy DrexelLocated in Bensalem, PAVery uniquely shaped pair of Drexel lounge chairs with ottomans dated 1985Category
Vintage 1980s Post-Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery
- Black Leather Parsons Style Drexel Lounge ChairsBy DrexelLocated in Dallas, TXIt’s all about being stylish and bold! Pair of mid-century modern parsons style barrel back armchairs by Drexel, circa 1970's. This comfortable set has a lot of style featuring solid...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWood, Leather