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Edward Wormley "New York" Sofa Version 5316 for DUX, Sweden 1950s

Name: Edward Wormley "New York" Sofa Version 5316 for DUX, Sweden 1950s
Brand: Edward Wormley
Price: 15000 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

Edward Wormley took the best elements from classical, historical Scandinavian and other European furniture design and translated them into a Modern vernacular. The result was furniture like this exceptional “New York” sofa: sophisticated, stylish, understated and exceptionally well-made. Officially known as model “5316”, this sofa was originally designed for the American furniture company, Dunbar in the 1950s. This sofa version of 5316, was made on licence in Sweden by Ljungs Industrier/ DUX. Wormley's USA-based company, Dunbar, collaborated with the Swedish furniture manufacturer DUX, who presented a series of what they called "Bra Bohag", where this version was marketed as "New York" in the most expensive price category. The design stands as a timeless example of the enduring appeal of modernist aesthetics in the world of furniture design. This iconic model epitomizes the clean lines, functionality, and understated elegance that define the modernist movement. The solid teak frame holds the upholstered body effortlessly with an airy arrangement that lets the individual parts all stand out. This is mostly the result of the straight lines with rounded edges, a harmonious blend of form and function. While the design is shorn of decorative elements, the screws, the upholstery and the tufted buttons all serve as ornamentations as well. It is specifically this ability that Wormley's genius lies in: to seamlessly marry the practical with the aesthetically pleasing. The frame's precise angles and proportions give the sofa a sense of balance and proportion that is both pleasing to the eye and comfortable to the body. The sofa's clean, straight lines and unadorned surfaces exemplify the modernist principle of minimalism, stripping away unnecessary ornamentation in favour of pure, functional design. This “New York” sofa is truly a masterpiece of modernist design, a real statement piece. Condition: In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. The sofa has been reupholstered recently in a premium linen fabric. Each of our items can be re-upholstered by our in-house atelier in a fabric of choice. Please reach out for more information. Dimensions: 90.15 in W x 31.49 in D x 30.51 in H; Seat height 18.05 in; Arm height 25.19 in 229 cm W x 80 cm D x 77.5 cm H; Seat height 47 cm; Arm height 64 cm Literature: Henschen & Blomberg (ed), "Svenskt Möbellexikon", Förlagshuset Nordens Malmö 1961, II, p 747. Berglund & Engdahl, "Möbelråd", Uppsala, 1961, p 71 (wrongly attributed to Alf Svensson) About the designer: Edward J Wormley (December 31, 1907 – November 3, 1995) was an American designer of modern furniture. In 1926, he briefly studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. Due to financial restrictions, he began work as an interior designer for Marshall Fields & Company department store. During the Depression, Wormley was introduced to the president of Dunbar Furniture Company of Berne, Indiana, who hired him to upgrade their product line. Dunbar made a good choice, as he met immediate success with Wormley's work. In 1944 the company decided to focus strictly on Modern lines, and Edward Wormley rose to the task, incorporating European and Scandinavian innovations. His eye for quality and the exacting craftsmanship at Dunbar made for furniture that was elegant, understated and exceptionally well-made. Wormley was never really at the forefront of Modern design. Instead, he took the best elements from classical, historical design and translated them into Modern vernacular. The result was furniture that was sophisticated, yet mainstream and very successful. Wormley's inclusion in the Good Design Exhibitions staged by the Museum of Modern Art and the Merchandise Mart between 1950 and 1955 elevated him to a respected place alongside more cutting edge designers like Bertoia, Nelson and Eames. In 1938 MoMA launched an exhibit they called Useful Objects, in which they showcased “design intended for present-day life, in regard to usefulness, to production methods and materials and to the progressive taste of the day.” In the wake of America’s postwar prosperity, the exhibit was later renamed Good Design and largely focused on modern furnishings. The exhibit reopened in 1950 under the name Good Design with three of Edward Wormley’s works on display: an adjustable upholstered wood armchair, a “Short John” coffee table with laminated wood legs, and a “Repartee” gray carpet. Wormley’s inclusion in the exhibit proved that traditional forms still had a place in the modern design movement. During the exhibit’s run thirty Wormley pieces were awarded Good Design designation, cementing him as a peer among other high-profile designers of the era. Wormley understood the essential elements of Modernism but never limited himself to one ideology. His furniture represented a convergence of historical design and 20th century innovation that greatly appeals to today's collectors.

Creator:

Edward Wormley (Designer)

Dimensions:

Height: 30.52 in (77.5 cm)Width: 90.16 in (229 cm)Depth: 31.5 in (80 cm)Seat Height: 18.51 in (47 cm)

Style:

Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Linen,Wood

Place of Origin:

Sweden

Period:

1950-1959

Date of Manufacture:

1950s

Condition:

Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use. The sofa has been reupholstered recently in a premium linen fabric. Each of our items can be re-upholstered by our in-house atelier in a fabric of choice. Please reach out for more information.

Seller Location:

Utrecht, NL

Reference Number:

Seller: 202422051stDibs: LU2947338923022

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Shop All Edward Wormley

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.