Cor is Latin for heart, and COR furniture exemplifies the qualities at the heart of exceptional design: practicality, comfort and style. The company's sofas, lounge chairs and coffee tables capture the essence of the best of mid-century modernism. Simple silhouettes, quality materials and function-first designs ensure that vintage COR furniture is still in high demand with collectors all over the world.
COR was founded in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany, in 1954 by Leo Lübke — in the name of his son, Helmut — and the Prince of Bentheim-Tecklenburg, a northern German county. Nearly a couple of decades prior, in 1937, a manufacturer of bedroom furniture called Interlübke was established by Leo and his brother Hans. The latter’s son Horst, who was managing partner from 1972, retired during the 1990s and his son Helmut Lübke joined Interlübke and shifted the brand’s focus toward modular furniture systems. During the 1980s, the Prince of Bentheim-Tecklenburg left COR and the Lübke family became its sole owner. In 2006, COR-Interlübke retail locations opened their doors.
COR made its mark in 1959 with a sleek modular seating system consisting of five parts called Quinta, which was created by designer Michael Bayer. The upholstered line boasted clean, angular contours and appealed to the day's ever-broadening flexible interior design sensibilities. It remained in production until 1978. The success of the Quinta was followed by the 1964 Conseta system, which featured a sofa and other pieces of seating designed by Friedrich Wilhelm Möller.
The following decades saw more successful collaborations with designers like Peter Maly and Luigi Colani. The latter, a German industrial designer born Lutz Colani, created a range of gorgeous organically shaped Space Age seating for BASF and Fritz Hansen, serveware for Rosenthal and worked on automobile designs for Fiat. Colani designed the popular Orbis line for COR during the 1970s.
In 2000, the Arthe sofa by Wulf Schneider was awarded the prestigious Red Dot Award from the North Rhine-Westphalia Design Centre.
COR is still owned and operated by the Lübke family’s parent company Gebrüder Lübke GmbH & Co. KG and continues to produce furniture at the Rheda-Wiedenbrück factory, sourcing leather from southern Germany and upholstery from Italy. The company partnered with Jehs+Laub, a renowned Stuttgart-based studio, in 2010.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage COR seating, tables and more.
De Sede Style Swiss Black Leather Modular Sofa
By De Sede
Located in Hudson, NY
A Swiss black leather modular sofa in the style of De Sede. Two end sections, a corner and three side sections (two with head rests) form an L-shape. Lots of character and great pati...
Leather
$10,752Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 29.93 in W 137.8 in D 102.37 in
De Sede Modular 7-Piece Mid-Century Leather Sofa in Black – Swiss Icon
By De Sede
Located in Oirlo, LI
This exceptional modular sofa by De Sede embodies the timeless elegance and craftsmanship for which the Swiss brand is renowned. Designed in the spirit of true mid-century aestheti...
Leather
Black leather couch and 2 armchairs Germany 1960s
Located in Wien, AT
Black leather couch and 2 armchairs, Germany 1960s. This set of seats made of genuine leather is in a good condition with traces of use according to its age. Dimensions: Armchair -...
Leather
$48,037 / set
H 33.47 in W 177.17 in D 129.93 in
Poltrona Frau Ouverture 7-Seat Sofa & Marble Table Suite In Black "Soul" Leather
Located in Barrowford, GB
On offer on this occasion is an ultra-rare 7-Seat “Ouverture” suite of seating, consisting of a two-seat sofa with 2-arms (which, in reality, seats 3 in comfort), a two-seat sofa wi...
Leather
Black Leather Sofa by COR, Germany
By COR
Located in Miami, FL
Black Leather Sofa by COR, made in Germany. Great quality.
Aluminum
Sleek Four-Seat Danish Sofa in Black Leatherette
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Sofa, leatherette, metal, Denmark, 1960s. This four-seat sofa is simplistic, yet stylish in its design. Due to the overall black color of the leatherette, the sofa radiates smoothne...
Metal
$18,650 / item
H 31.89 in W 105.91 in D 44.89 in
DeSede Ds-747/04 Multifunctional Sofa in Black Leather Seat and Back Upholstery
By De Sede
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Once upon a time, there was a master saddler with his mind set on taking bulky, thick leather and using his perfect craftsmanship to make it comfortable and cozy. For genera-tions, the legacy of what Ernst Lüthy created when he established de Sede in the 1960s has been reflected in DS-747: form follows function. Be it sitting, sleeping, dining or relaxing – thanks to its essence of excellence, this all-rounder offers optimum functionality: with a few easy flicks of the wrist, the armrests can be tilted independently of each other and the soft seating surfaces enlarged. The exposed back lends DS-747 its lightness as a small sculpture with a high function – a sofa created to sit not on but in. A marvel in three dimensions, DS-747 is perfectly suited for small spaces or city apartments. If visitors spontaneously decide to stay longer, this elegant yet compact sofa offers an outstand-ing place to sleep – the armrests can be folded down with a few very easy flicks of the wrist. A sophisticated mechanism can be used to enlarge the seating surface, while the deliberately exposed back offers a glimpse into the functions of DS-747. The multifunctional sofa...
Upholstery
$17,776 / item
H 31.89 in W 98.04 in D 44.89 in
De Sede DS-747/03 Multifunctional Sofa in Black Leather Seat and Back Upholstery
By De Sede
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Once upon a time, there was a master saddler with his mind set on taking bulky, thick leather and using his perfect craftsmanship to make it comfortable and cozy. For genera-tions, t...
Upholstery
$29,650 / set
H 25.2 in W 80.32 in D 42.92 in
Pair of B&B Italia "Tufty Time" Sofas - In Black Leather
Located in Barrowford, GB
On offer on this occasion is superb, immaculately-presented example of an icon of contemporary seating-design, it being a superb identical pair of "Tufty Time" sectional-sofas (each ...
Leather
$38,600
H 30.32 in W 144.1 in D 110.63 in
Italian modern black leather sofa Bogo Carlo Bartoli Rossi for Albizzate, 1970s
By Rossi di Albizzate, Carlo Bartoli
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern black leather sofa Bogo Carlo Bartoli Rossi for Albizzate, 1970s Modular sofa mod. Bogo entirely padded and covered in black leather. The sofa includes 6 modules: 2 mo...
Leather, Plastic
