Renzo Rutili Mahogany and White Micarta Chest-on-Chest
About the Item
- Creator:Renzo Rutili (Designer),Johnson Furniture Co. (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 51.5 in (130.81 cm)Width: 40.5 in (102.87 cm)Depth: 21.75 in (55.25 cm)
- 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. Restored condition.
- Seller Location:Chicago, IL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU8419735455
Johnson Furniture Co.
Take a medal from the King of Sweden, a splash of the roaring twenties, and a series of talented designers and you get Johnson Furniture Co.’s elegant Art Deco and period-revival furnishings as well as a taste for why the Johnson name prevailed for over a century in American furniture manufacturing.
A wealth of forests rendered Grand Rapids, Michigan, a logging center during the 1800s. It eventually gained recognition for its furniture industry. The city became a destination for woodworkers who hailed from all over the United States as well as Europe, and Johnson Furniture Co. cofounder Carl Johnson, who had been recognized for cabinetmaking by the head of the royal family in his native Sweden, brought his royally acknowledged talents to America with his two brothers, Hjalmar and Axel in 1887. Together, they established Cabinetmakers Co. in Grand Rapids. In 1908, the brothers sold their start-up and founded Johnson Furniture Co.
Tom Handley, of the well-respected English furniture company Waring and Gillow, became an in-house designer with Johnson Furniture Co. in its early days. Handley would stay on as part of both the Johnson label and of Johnson-Handley-Johnson — a companion company that spun off from Johnson in 1922 — until his death in 1926. At the time, archaeological discoveries were all the rage. The greatest influence on Art Deco jewelry, for example, was the excavation of the tomb of King Tut in 1922, and some vintage Tom Handley designs were adaptations of Egyptian furniture. The brand specialized in a range of styles that included Art Deco, Chippendale, Queen Anne and more.
Acclaimed designer David Robertson Smith, who had made furniture in the Arts and Crafts style for the likes of Gustav Stickley, carried the Johnson Furniture Co. creative team into the early 1930s. Grand Rapids had by then become a thriving hub with respect to the mass production of furniture, and Smith’s sophisticated Dynamique line — a collection of coffee tables, cabinets and more in alluring woods such as walnut and mahogany and based on French furniture — was among the first mass-produced modern furniture made in America.
Johnson hired Lorenzo Rutili, a Carnegie Institute graduate who studied design in Europe, to lead the brand’s design division. Rutili oversaw 30 years of successful Johnson Furniture Co. collaborations with other notable designers including Paul Frankl, Eliel Saarinen, Bert England, J. Robert F. Swanson and Pipsam Saarinen Swanson. After wrapping up his tenure at Johnson, Rutili moved on to design furniture at Tomlinson in North Carolina.
During the 1960s, Kipp Stewart and Milo Baughman designed residential furnishings for Directional — a favorite of mid-century modern furniture enthusiasts — and Johnson produced these pieces, becoming the sole manufacturer for the North Carolina brand.
After a merger with Timberline Inc., Johnson Furniture Co. secured contracts for hotels, motels and university dormitories. In 1983, Johnson and Rose Manufacturing became RoseJohnson Inc. It was later purchased by La-Z-Boy.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Johnson Furniture Co. case pieces and storage cabinets, tables and other furniture.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Chicago, IL
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Renzo Rutili Bleached Mahogany and White Micarta Long CabinetBy Johnson Furniture Co.Located in Chicago, ILAttributed to Renzo Rutili for Johnson Furniture, long cabinet finished in bleached mahogany with white Micarta top and white resin sabots. Circular recessed brass pulls with center ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
MaterialsBrass
- Four Renzo Rutili Walnut and Upholstered Dining ChairsBy Johnson Furniture Co., Renzo RutiliLocated in Chicago, ILClean lines and figured walnut wood are the focal points of this set of 4 dining chairs by Renzo Rutili for Johnson Furniture. The three sides chairs and single armchair have three curved and rounded edged cross bars and the front legs have klismos style tops. The upholstery is a soft pink pin...Category
Vintage 1950s American Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Walnut
- Grosfeld House Figured and Carved Mahogany Tall ChestBy Grosfeld HouseLocated in Chicago, ILStriking Art Deco/moderne design tall chest with ziggurat top and canted front corners. The fluted base and acanthus leaf ornamentation are accented by large X-form bronze drawer pul...Category
Vintage 1930s American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsMahogany
- Renzo Rutili Walnut Double-Sided Cabinet for Johnson FurnitureBy Renzo Rutili, Johnson Furniture Co.Located in Chicago, ILModern cabinet or sideboard in figural walnut by Renzo Rutili for Johnson furniture. The top section features double sliding glass doors and a split opening with closed cabinet and one open. To the back there is a small open cabinet...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsBrass
- Renzo Rutili Walnut & Leather End Table For Johnson FurnitureBy Renzo Rutili, Johnson Furniture Co.Located in Chicago, ILRenzo Rutili for Johnson Furniture empire style end table in walnut and black leather. Brass rosettes to each corner and brass casters to each leg. Inlaid black leather parquetry top...Category
20th Century American End Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Walnut and White Micarta Six-Drawer DresserLocated in Chicago, ILSix-drawer walnut dresser with recessed white lacquer drawer pull openings. Tapered solid walnut legs with white lacquered incision. White Micarta top. Could also function as a small...Category
Vintage 1960s American Dressers
MaterialsLacquer, Laminate, Walnut
- Exquisite Mahogany and Bookmatch Bird's-Eye Maple Chest by Renzo RutiliBy Johnson Furniture Co., Renzo RutiliLocated in Atlanta, GAIf a piece feels like Tommi Parzinger, but is marked Johnson Furniture, there can be only one answer as to its Designer: Renzo Rutili. Mr. Rutili was a seminal furniture designer of ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsBrass
- Renzo Rutili For John Stuart Four Drawer Bachelors ChestBy Renzo RutiliLocated in New York, NYRenzo Rutili design for John Stuart Furniture. This example has a rich dark mahogany case, with light brown burl drawer fronts, and concentric squared form metal pulls. The dresser i...Category
Vintage 1940s American Hollywood Regency Dressers
MaterialsBurl, Mahogany
- Magnificent Restored Eight Drawer Chest by Renzo Rutili, circa 1965By Johnson Furniture Co.Located in Atlanta, GAIf a piece feels like Tommi Parzinger, but is marked Johnson Furniture, there can be only one answer as to its Designer: Renzo Rutili. Mr. Rutili was a seminal furniture designer of ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsBrass, Bronze
- Pair of Renzo Rutili for John Stuart Five-Drawer ChestsBy Renzo RutiliLocated in New York, NYWe are offering a matched pair of five-drawer chests designed by Renzo Rutili, for John Stuart. It is unusual and difficult to find a pair of High Boy form chests, however we are willing to separate and sell individually if you only need one. Dark mahogany case, burl drawer fronts. Nice deep drawers, deepest one 10". (bottom drawer). These chests show cosmetic wear, normal and consistent with age, but are structurally sound. Usable as is, or could be refinished to perfection if you prefer. Hollywood Regency, Asia Modern, Art Deco style design, high quality construction, good vintage condition. We are also offering the matching bachelors chest...Category
Vintage 1940s American Hollywood Regency Dressers
MaterialsBurl, Mahogany
- Breathtaking Pair of Chests by Renzo Rutili in Cerused Oak and Bird's-Eye MapleBy Johnson Furniture Co., Renzo RutiliLocated in Atlanta, GAThis magnificent pair of commodes is shipped as professionally photographed and described in the listing narrative: Meticulously professionally restored and completely installation r...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsBrass
- Renzo Rutili, Chest of Drawers, Mahogany, Maple, Brass, USA, 1950sBy Renzo Rutili, Johnson Furniture CompanyLocated in High Point, NCA mahogany, brass and maple chest of drawers produced by Johnson Furniture Company USA, c. 1950s. Design attributed to Renzo Rutili.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsBrass