Art Deco Chest of Drawers by Gilbert Rohde
View Similar Items
Art Deco Chest of Drawers by Gilbert Rohde
About the Item
- Creator:Herman Miller (Manufacturer),Gilbert Rohde (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 36 in (91.44 cm)Width: 43 in (109.22 cm)Depth: 18 in (45.72 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1940s
- Condition:Newly refinished.
- Seller Location:North Hollywood, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1270211844933
Gilbert Rohde
Pioneering self-taught industrial designer, writer and teacher Gilbert Rohde helped define the earliest phase of modernism in the United States. He is one of the most influential figures of 20th-century design and is credited with helping legendary mid-century modern furniture manufacturer Herman Miller avert financial disaster during the Great Depression.
Born in New York City, Rohde studied painting at the Art Students League after high school. He found lucrative employment, first as a political cartoonist and then as a catalog illustrator for American department stores. He was particularly enthralled with drawing furnished interiors.
Rohde began to design furniture in his spare time. He traveled to the Bauhaus school in Germany and the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris, and drew on the Art Deco movement and the work of designers such as Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann in his early pieces. Rohde opened his own studio in 1929 and secured private and commercial commissions. His clients would come to include formidable furniture makers Heywood-Wakefield and Troy Sunshade, and his innovative bentwood furnishings for them were practical and intended for the modern consumer.
In 1930, Rohde met Herman Miller founder D.J. De Pree in the company’s Michigan showroom during a business trip. By then, Rohde had a long list of prominent clients and his furniture had been exhibited in museums and galleries. Herman Miller was weathering a devastating slowdown in business, and the American furniture industry had generally been hit hard by the Great Depression.
Rohde boldly informed De Pree that the brand’s furniture had become outdated, which was part of the reason the company was in financial jeopardy. Homes had become smaller and could no longer accommodate the large Gothic– and Victorian–style furnishings and traditional reproductions of period bedroom suites that Herman Miller was offering at the time, Rohde explained.
Rohde secured a contract to design for the Michigan manufacturer. He championed the use of exotic woods and tubular steel, and created streamlined, unadorned bedroom furniture for Herman Miller — collections that included convenient vanities, which were unconventional pieces for De Pree’s company back then.
In 1933, Rohde oversaw the design of two bedrooms featuring sleek Herman Miller furniture — including innovative storage pieces he designed — as part of an International–style exhibit at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. The installation garnered acclaim for De Pree’s brand all over the world and afforded Rohde the opportunity to execute on his visionary ideas in front of a global audience. Rohde later designed lighting, seating and more for Herman Miller and was extensively involved in the company's marketing strategy and other areas of the business.
In 1942, Herman Miller, anticipating a postwar economic boom, began to produce office furniture for the first time, but its legacy is in the home. Working with legendary designers such as Ray and Charles Eames, Isamu Noguchi and Alexander Girard, the manufacturer fostered some of the boldest expressions of what we now call mid-century modern style.
Find vintage Gilbert Rohde coffee tables, lounge chairs, table lamps and other items on 1stDibs.
Herman Miller
No other business of its kind did more than the Herman Miller Furniture Company to introduce modern design into American homes. Working with legendary designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and Alexander Girard, the Zeeland, Michigan-based firm fostered some of the boldest expressions of what we now call mid-century modern style. In doing so, Herman Miller produced some of the most beautiful, iconic and, one can even say, noblest furniture ever.
Founded in 1923, Herman Miller was originally known for grand historicist bedroom suites: heavily ornamented wood furniture that appealed to a high-minded, wealthier clientele. The company — named for its chief financial backer — began to suffer in the early 1930s as the Great Depression hit, and D.J. De Pree, the company’s CEO, feared bankruptcy. In 1932, aid came in the form of Gilbert Rohde, a self-taught furniture designer who had traveled widely in Europe, absorbing details of the Art Deco movement and other modernist influences. After persuading De Pree that the growing middle-class required smaller, lighter household furnishings, Rohde set a new course for Herman Miller, creating sleek chairs, tables and cabinetry that were the essence of the Streamline Moderne style.
Rohde died suddenly in 1944. The following year, De Pree turned to George Nelson, an architect who had written widely about modern furniture design. Under Nelson’s leadership, Herman Miller would embrace new technologies and materials and audacious biomorphic forms. Some of the pieces the company produced are now emblems of 20th century American design, including the Eames lounge chair and ottoman and Nelson’s Marshmallow sofa and Coconut chair. As you can see on 1stDibs, such instantly recognizable furnishings have become timeless — staples of a modernist décor; striking, offbeat notes in traditional environments.
- Vintage Walnut Dresser by LaneBy Lane FurnitureLocated in North Hollywood, CABeautiful vintage walnut dresser designed and manufactured by Lane Furniture Company in United States, circa 1960s. This dresser has a minimalis...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut
- Vintage Hollywood Regency Lacquered and Brass CredenzaLocated in North Hollywood, CAAmazing vintage Hollywood Regency lacquered and brass credenza designed and manufactured in the United States, circa 1950s. This credenza has been professionally restored and features a polished white lacquer which greatly signifies the elegance that embodied Hollywood Regency style and lucidity. On the left side, three dovetailed drawers have their original polished brass pulls, which have been structurally detailed and appear to be in the shape of bison horns...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
MaterialsBrass
- Exceptional Vintage Sculptural Lacquered and Brass DresserLocated in North Hollywood, CAAn absolutely jaw-dropping vintage sculptural lacquered and brass dresser / credenza manufactured in the United States, circa 1980s. This exceptional crafted piece features strips of...Category
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsBrass
- Vintage Oak and Brass Chest of Drawers by Paul Frankl for Brown SaltmanBy Paul Frankl, Brown SaltmanLocated in North Hollywood, CAStunning vintage oak and brass chest of drawers / tall dresser designed by Paul Frankl for Brown Saltman, circa 1950s. This beautiful chest of drawer’s features a Minimalist but highly functional design that highlights the elegance of the oak wood used for its construction. The contrast offered between the different shades of oak and mahogany wood makes the dresser's structure stand out even more and captivates the viewer's eye. Features four large pull-out dovetailed drawers, all integrated with original brass X-pulls. Its spacious drawers make it the ideal home addition for storing bedroom essentials...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsBrass
- Vintage Cerused and Brass Chest of Drawers by Paul Frankl for Brown SaltmanBy Paul Frankl, Brown SaltmanLocated in North Hollywood, CAVintage chest of drawers / tall dresser designed by Paul Frankl for Brown Saltman, circa 1950s. This beautiful chest of drawers features four large pull-out dovetailed drawers, all i...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsBrass
- Glenn of California Walnut Sideboard by Stanley YoungBy Stanley Young, Glenn of CaliforniaLocated in North Hollywood, CABeautiful vintage sideboard designed by Stanley Young for Glenn of California in the United States, circa 1950s. This stunning sideboard crafted from walnut showcase a beautiful grai...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
MaterialsMetal
- Pair of Chest of Drawers by Gilbert Rohde for Herman MillerBy Gilbert Rohde, Herman MillerLocated in Palm Springs, CAA pair of three drawer chests, designed by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller in the the 1930's. Bleached mahogany cabinets with original padded naugahyde drawer fronts. Great detailing...Category
20th Century American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsMahogany, Naugahyde
- 1930s Art Deco Brazilian Rosewood Chest Designed by Gilbert RohdeBy Gilbert Rohde, Herman MillerLocated in Buffalo, NY1930s Art Deco Brazilian rosewood chest designed by Gilbert Rohde. Amazing quality and design, slightly bowed front design, five drawers behin...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsNickel
- Pr Art Deco Art Moderne Dressers by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller c 1930'sBy Gilbert Rohde, Herman MillerLocated in New York, NYChic pair of streamline Art Moderne dressers designed by Gilbert Rohde, for Herman Miller c 1936. The dressers feature opposing right and left c...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Dressers
MaterialsBirdseye Maple, Walnut
- Gilbert Rohde 4140 Tall Chest for Herman MillerBy Gilbert Rohde, Herman MillerLocated in Hanover, MABeautifully refinished mahogany tall boy chest of four drawers by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller's 4140 collection with original off-white "leather cloth" (Fabrikoid) padded drawers. Top drawer is fitted with vide poche sliding and removable tray. See pages from original 1941 Herman Miller catalog...Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsFaux Leather, Mahogany
- Gilbert Rohde Streamline Art Deco Cabinet Credenza ServerBy Gilbert RohdeLocated in Rockaway, NJMid-Century Modern compact art deco two door credenza server cabinet by Gilbert Rhode. Burl wood front doors mahogany case.Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsMahogany, Burl
- 1930s Art Deco Brazilian Rosewood Six-Drawer Dresser by Gilbert RohdeBy Gilbert RohdeLocated in Buffalo, NY1930s Art Deco Brazilian rosewood six-drawer dresser designed by Gilbert Rohde,, Amazing quality and design, slightly bowed front design. Features six generous size drawers with simp...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Dressers
MaterialsNickel
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
A Guide to Herman Miller’s Most Iconic Furniture
The prolific manufacturer has partnered with many of the world’s top designers since opening its doors in 1923. Here are some of the company’s greatest hits, which helped transform the American home and office.