Edward Wormley Slipper Chairs for Dunbar

About the Item
- Creator:Edward Wormley (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 32 in (81.28 cm)Width: 24 in (60.96 cm)Depth: 30 in (76.2 cm)Seat Height: 17 in (43.18 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. There os original Jack Lenor Larsen fabric that shows a little age and yet still worth it!
- Seller Location:San Francisco, CA
- Reference Number:
Edward Wormley
As the longtime director of design for the Dunbar furniture company, Edward Wormley was, along with such peers as George Nelson at Herman Miller Inc., and Florence Knoll of Knoll Inc., one of the leading forces in bringing modern design into American homes in the mid-20th century. Not an axiomatic modernist, Wormley deeply appreciated traditional design, and consequently his work has an understated warmth and a timeless quality that sets it apart from other furnishings of the era.
Wormley was born in rural Illinois and as a teenager took correspondence courses from the New York School of Interior Design. He later attended the Art Institute of Chicago but ran out of money for tuition before he could graduate. Marshall Field hired Wormley in 1930 to design a line of reproduction 18th-century English furniture; the following year he was hired by the Indiana-based Dunbar, where he quickly distinguished himself. It was a good match.
Dunbar was an unusual firm: it did not use automated production systems; its pieces were mostly hand-constructed. For his part, Wormley did not use metal as a major component of furniture; he liked craft elements such as caned seatbacks, tambour drawers, or the woven-wood cabinet fronts seen on his Model 5666 sideboard of 1956. He designed two lines for Dunbar each year — one traditional, one modern — until 1944, by which time the contemporary pieces had become the clear best sellers.
Many of Wormley’s signature pieces — chairs, sofas, tables and more — are modern interpretations of traditional forms. His 1946 Riemerschmid Chair — an example is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art — recapitulates a late 19th-century German design. The long, slender finials of his Model 5580 dining chairs are based on those of Louis XVI chairs; his Listen-to-Me Chaise (1948) has a gentle Rococo curve; the “Precedent” line that Wormley designed for Drexel Furniture in 1947 is a simplified, pared-down take on muscular Georgian furniture. But he could invent new forms, as his Magazine table of 1953, with its bent wood pockets, and his tiered Magazine Tree (1947), both show. And Wormley kept his eye on design currents, creating a series of tables with tops that incorporate tiles and roundels by the great modern ceramicists Otto and Gertrud Natzler.
As the vintage items on 1stDibs demonstrate, Edward Wormley conceived of a subdued sort of modernism, designing furniture that fits into any decorating scheme and does not shout for attention.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: San Francisco, CA
- Return Policy
A return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Pair of Edward Wormley Slipper Chairs with Original Jack Lenor Larson FabricBy Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley, Jack Lenor LarsenLocated in San Francisco, CAA pair of slipper chairs by Edward Wormley for Dunbar with mahogany feet and covered in the original Jack Lenor Larsen fabric.Category
Vintage 1950s American Modern Slipper Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Mahogany
- Edward Wormley Channel Back Chairs, Model No. 4827By Edward WormleyLocated in San Francisco, CAA pair of No. 4827 lounge chairs by Edward Wormley with a channel back detail. Newly restored in red Moore & Giles leather with a black leather contrast trim and antique brass legs.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Grosfeld House Slipper ChairBy Grosfeld HouseLocated in San Francisco, CAGrosfeld House slipper chair Expertly restored slipper chair from the 1940s made by Grosfeld House. Reupholstered in a deep lavender cashmere fabric from Holland and Sherry.Category
Vintage 1940s American Hollywood Regency Slipper Chairs
MaterialsMaple
- Low Walnut Chair by Josh DuthieBy Josh DuthieLocated in San Francisco, CAOne of a kind Josh Duthie low lounge chair in solid walnut with live edge.Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Chairs
MaterialsWalnut
- Pair of Jens Risom Scoop Chairs for Hans KnollBy Jens RisomLocated in San Francisco, CAPair of Jens Risom scoop chairs for Hans Knoll A pair of very early Knoll post war design scoop chairs by Jens Risom. Each has been completely restored in a luxurious Sandra Jordan ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs
MaterialsAlpaca
- Pair of "Janus" Wing Chairs by Edward WormleyBy Edward WormleyLocated in San Francisco, CAPair of "Janus" wing chairs by Edward Wormley A pair of wing chairs by Edward Wormley restored in a luxurious Rogers & Goffigan Belgian linen fabric. The mahogany base has been blea...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
MaterialsMahogany, Linen
- Slipper Chair by Edward Wormley for DunbarBy Edward Wormley, Dunbar FurnitureLocated in New York, NYSlipper chair by Edward Wormley for Dunbar. USA, circa 1950. Signed with brass tag. Features tufted back with piping. Original f...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Mahogany
- Edward Wormley for Dunbar Mid Century Slipper ChairsBy Edward Wormley, Dunbar FurnitureLocated in Countryside, ILEdward Wormley for Dunbar Mid Century slipper chairs This chair measures: 23.75 wide x 33.5 deep x 31.75 inches high, with a seat height of 15.5 inches All pieces of furniture...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Rare Edward Wormley for Dunbar Janus Slipper ChairBy Edward Wormley, Dunbar FurnitureLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis amazing Edward Wormley Style Slipper chair is a show stopper. Solid mahogany frame and legs with original floral and elephant pattern fabric. This chair is in good vintage condi...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Mahogany
- Slipper Chairs by Edward Wormley for Dunbar Janus CollectionBy Edward WormleyLocated in St.Petersburg, FLStylish and elegant slipper chairs by Edward Wormley for Dunbar ca' 1950's. Upholstered in Fret custom Italian silk velvet, luxurious to the touch, (samples available). Chocolate bra...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs
MaterialsMahogany
- Edward Wormley for Dunbar Slipper ChairsBy Edward Wormley, Dunbar FurnitureLocated in Chicago, ILEarly Edward Wormley for Dunbar slipper chairs. Lacquered mahogany legs with newly reupholstered button tufted seat and back. ...Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMahogany
- Edward Wormley Slipper Chairs for DunbarBy Edward Wormley, Dunbar FurnitureLocated in Dallas, TXEdward Wormley slipper chairs for Dunbar with dark mahogany bases and original black velvet upholstery. The upholstery has faded to an interesting shade of aubergine. Includes downfi...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Mahogany
Recently Viewed
View AllThe 1stDibs Promise
Learn MoreExpertly Vetted Sellers
Confidence at Checkout
Price-Match Guarantee
Exceptional Support
Buyer Protection
Trusted Global Delivery