Mid-Century California Unit Furniture Group

Unit furniture of Philippine mahogany with white Masonite panels consisting of a module with sliding Masonite doors and a double wide module with an open front. Designed by Harvard-educated, Boston-area architect, designer, and urban planner Carl Koch as a corollary to his prefabricated Techbuilt houses and produced in 1955. Koch was a pioneering champion of prefabrication in housing in mid-century America, first with his much-publicized but ill-fated all-steel Lustron houses in the late 1930’s, then with his more successful wooden Tech-Built houses, introduced in 1953. In At Home with Tomorrow, his 1958 paean to prefabrication, he lays out his opposition to the traditional hammer-and-handsaw construction methods that remained dominant even with conceptually modernist structures. His designs generally hewed to a regional brand of modernism rather than orthodox international style, taking into account local topography and climate—his iconic form is an A-frame with a pitched roof, more sensible in New England winters than a flat roof (though there are such Techbuilt designs). The basic Techbuilt formula suggested that modular, industrial production methods of the components combined with knock-down shipping and on-site assembly equalled lower cost and less waste. Variety and individuality could be achieved in how the elements were combined. This underlying philosophy involving modularity, flexibility, and industrial production methods applied to Spacemaking furniture as well, although interestingly enough, the furniture design preceded the architectural application, as Koch (et al) had submitted a version to the 1947 MoMA Low-Cost Furniture Competition (and so these units also preceded the famous 1951 Eames Storage Unit, a conceptually similar idea executed with metal framing). The furniture line began with requests for freestanding wardrobe...

Nest of three tables with birch tops and blackened tubular steel legs. Designed by David Wurster and produced for Richards-Morgentau (Raymor) circa 1952. Wurster's lighting was a reg...

Tectonic sculptural maquette of vacuum- molded styrene, painted steel rods and metal created in 1959 by Austrian/American sculptor and designer Erwin Hauer (1926-1917). Hauer’s light...

"Segment Étagère” a sculptural work in torch-cut and polychromed steel with fused bronze, solvent dyes, and glass enamel, with four glass shelves. By American artist James Bearden. The rectangular étagère, with its dramatic yet delicate composition and juxtaposition of shapes and colors drawn from Bearden’s evolving vocabulary, is perched atop four slender legs. Bearden's work was featured in a 2020 solo exhibition at the NY Design Center titled "James Bearden: Technical and Aesthetic Revelations," in an article in the January 2017 Interior Design Magazine; in an introspective feature on 1stdibs; and in a feature article in DSM Magazine. The étagère is part of a group of case pieces being offered individually--see the photo of three cabinets below. Custom sizes and colors are available upon request. In an introduction to the 2020 exhibition, curator Kartrina Weinberg wrote: "In the two years after the artist’s last solo exhibition — where the material reality of steel was evident in both its title and monochromatic appearance — Mr. Bearden sought to break free from pre-conceived judgment of his medium, as well as the persistent misnomers applied to his art. While subtle color play has always existed in his previous works, the development in his coloring technique — from painted polychrome to dyed glass enamel — allowed for dramatic saturation and stunning complexity in his new palette, bringing heightened immediacy to his biomorphic and anthropomorphic imagery. The artist had always challenged the gravitational reality of steel, but he has found new expressions towards verticality and delicacy, transcending material and elevating function. The open compositions, ranging from ornamental tracery to dynamic use of negative space, allow for the interplay of light and air, animating the environment with ever-changing viewing possibilities. This exhibition took inspiration from the naturalist traditions and fantastical imagery of Early Netherlandish paintings...

Made in Belgium in the 1960s, this mid-century cabinet combine clean lines, organic shapes and functional beauty. The teak wood is a durable and natural material, which has a warm an...

This vintage cabinet offers plenty of storage in a compact design made complete by a handsome walnut exterior. The cabinet's top also opens to reveal a stone surface. Please confirm ...

- Good original condition with minor signs of use

Made in Belgium in the 1960s, these mid-century cabinets combine clean lines, organic shapes and functional beauty. The teak wood is a durable and natural material, which has a warm ...