Dunbar 'Harlow Lounge' Sofa by Edward Wormley

A Dunbar upholstered sofa having a suede upholstered back, arms and seat, raised on brass casters. Dunbar printed decking. Paper label from W & J Sloane.

The 7150 Harlow Lounge Sofa was designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar in 1964 and launched together with tufted chesterfield Party Lounge sofa.

The 1965 Dunbar catalog shows the List Price for this Harlow sofa was $4310 +COM!

On casters.

Image 8 shows a page from the July 1965 Interiors magazine: "Dunbar reintroduced the thirties look with voluminous overstuffed sectional sofa."

Presented in original suede upholstery which is in good vintage condition.

If required we can reupholster the sofa in 17 yards of your own material.

See detail photos of another Harlow Lounge sofa we previously sold which we had recovered in silver velvet.

This sofa represents a transition from Wormley's earlier seating designs which were characterized by sleek modern styling and sharper lines. The Harlow illustrates what can be read as a shift in the zeitgeist, an announcement by Wormley of the dawn of a new era.

Excerpts from a conversation with an original Dunbar showroom employee:

In 1963, Edward introduced sofas that started a new trend towards voluptuous grandeur in upholstered furniture, namely the Harlow and the Party Lounge sofas. Until then, It was all sharp edges, clean-lined and not a hint of softness in what was being offered. Within a few short months, other furniture designers followed suit, and a return to soft, down-filled cushions and curving lines in furniture appeared.

The press was caught off guard by this dramatic turnaround in the Dunbar New York showroom. Fortunately, the public was ready for a return to luxuriousness. Less was no longer more. More was more.