Paul McCobb Wingback Chair and Ottoman
View Similar Items
Paul McCobb Wingback Chair and Ottoman
About the Item
- Creator:Directional (Manufacturer),Paul McCobb (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 41.5 in (105.41 cm)Width: 30.25 in (76.84 cm)Depth: 36 in (91.44 cm)Seat Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Excellent restored condition.
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU102365010823
Paul McCobb
You could call Paul McCobb a man of parts. As a furniture designer, his work combined the attributes of many of his now better-known peers. Like Bauhaus designers such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer, McCobb's furniture had purity of form and line. Like the designs of Florence Knoll and George Nelson and his associates, McCobb’s work was efficient and purposeful. And even like George Nakashima, he was adept at interpreting traditional forms, in particular those of chairs, for the 20th century.
More than any other designer beside Russel Wright, with his ubiquitous ceramic tableware, McCobb was arguably responsible for the introduction of modern design into middle-class American households — if for no other reason than that he designed the 1952 set for the original Today show. McCobb also designed cohesive lines of furnishings, such as his best-known Planner Group, that gave homes an instant “look.” McCobb designed for several companies, most notably Directional, the New York firm that also produced designs by other legends, such as Paul Evans and Vladimir Kagan.
The signal aesthetic attribute of McCobb designs is that he completely forsook ornament — his pieces have no flourishes. And yet, because they are honest — the chairs, desks and tables are made of solid wood, usually maple or birch, often paired with frames and legs of wrought iron; the cabinets are traditionally scaled; the seating pieces have historic antecedents such as the Windsor chair — McCobb’s mid-century modern work has warmth and presence.
As you can see from the offerings on 1stDibs, vintage Paul McCobb designs are the pin-striped suit, or the little black dress, of a décor: an essential.
Directional
A brand known to vintage mid-century modern furniture collectors everywhere, Directional Furniture opened its doors after American furniture designer Paul McCobb created the high-end Directional Modern line of sofas distributed by the New York–based Modernage Company.
In his pivotal introduction of postwar modernism to the mass market, the revered Massachusetts-born McCobb had established several lines, from the affordable and refined Planner Group for Winchendon to the swooping and unexpected arms of the Symmetric Group for Widdicomb, a Shaker-inspired collection that included a sofa and a lounge chair. Like all of McCobb’s designs, the Directional pieces for Modernage are defined by a sleek aesthetic in which the focus is on elegant functionality, frequently using fine materials such as brass and walnut. In 1949, in partnership with New York furniture salesman B.G. Mesberg, McCobb set up the Directional Furniture Company.
The pair’s first pieces were upholstered chairs, intended to harmonize with the modular Multiplex pieces designed by Martin Feinman. McCobb then designed an array of furniture including storage, dining, seating, desks and other pieces with details such as leather tops, wood finishes and Roman Travertine surfaces. While Directional stopped production of McCobb’s work in the early 1960s, it still released numerous pieces by leading designers manufactured by a variety of companies.
Designer Paul Evans led the factory for a time after joining in 1964. His provocative work for the company often reflected his understanding of materials from his early training as a silversmith, such as the popular Cityscape series — a milestone in brutalist design — with its blocky forms accented with brass and chrome. At his shop in Lambertville, New Jersey, he collaborated with a design team to clad furniture pieces in metallic surfaces, like the Argente line that began production in 1968 and involved an acetylene torch to give its aluminum material a textural quality. He also worked on the Sculpted Bronze series with hand-formed resin shaped over plywood or steel that was then coated with atomized bronze.
Other Directional designers included Vladimir Kagan, who contributed biomorphic sofas and swivel chairs; Milo Baughman, who created tables and dressers inspired by Scandinavian modernism; and Jack Lenor Larsen, who covered sofas in dynamically patterned fabric.
Find authentic Directional Furniture seating, tables, case pieces and storage cabinets from top sellers around the world on 1stDibs.
- Paul McCobb Highback Wingback Chair and Ottoman Model 3015By Winchendon, Paul McCobbLocated in Philadelphia, PAPaul McCobb Highback Wing Lounge Chair and Ottoman. Hard to find model! Extremely comfortable! Wings slightly wrap around the sitter, newly upholstered in a blue Velvet and legs r...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Maple
- Paul McCobb Directional Nº 314 Wingback Lounge Chair Ottoman Mid-Century RetroBy Paul McCobbLocated in Hyattsville, MDRe-Upholstery required. Not usable as-is. Please ship directly to your Upholsterer, reupholstery is necessary. No woodworking necessary, the framing on chair and ottoman are tight, ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBirch
- Paul McCobb for Directional Midcentury Slipper ChairBy Directional, Paul McCobbLocated in Countryside, ILPaul McCobb for directional midcentury slipper chair. This chair measures: 25 wide x 25.75 deep x 31.5 high, with a seat height of 17 and arm height/chair clearance 24.5 inches ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Rare Slipper Chairs by Paul McCobb for DirectionalBy Directional, Paul McCobbLocated in Los Angeles, CAExceptional and rare pair of Paul McCobb slipper chairs, model 1320, for Directional. Newly restored and upholstered. Price is for the pair.Category
Vintage 1950s American Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Walnut
$12,500 / set - Vladimir Kagan Wingback Swivel Chair and OttomanBy Directional, Vladimir KaganLocated in Las Vegas, NVIconic Vladimir Kagan for Directional wingback tilt and swivel lounge chair with matching ottoman. Both the chair and ottoman are newly reupholstered in gray bouclé fabric. The chair...Category
Late 20th Century Post-Modern Swivel Chairs
MaterialsBouclé
$12,500 / set - Paul McCobb for Directional Midcentury Occasional Lounge Chairs, PairBy Directional, Paul McCobbLocated in Countryside, ILPaul McCobb for Directional midcentury occasional lounge chairs - pair. Each chair measures: 24.75 wide x 21 deep x 29.5 inches high, with a seat height of 17 and arm height/chair...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood