Cerused Chest of Drawers by Johnson Furniture Co.
View Similar Items
Cerused Chest of Drawers by Johnson Furniture Co.
About the Item
- Creator:Johnson Furniture Co. (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30.5 in (77.47 cm)Width: 72 in (182.88 cm)Depth: 21 in (53.34 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Newly refinished.
- Seller Location:Pasadena, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU82583888072
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.
- Contemporary Reform Black and Gold Chest of Drawers by Jonathan AdlerBy Jonathan AdlerLocated in Pasadena, CAThis Contemporary Reform Black and Gold Chest of Drawers by Jonathan Adler pictorials the designer's commitment to creating distincti...Category
1990s American Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsWood
- Large Midcentury American of Martinsville DresserBy American of MartinsvilleLocated in Pasadena, CAAn elegant blonde walnut dresser by American of Martinsville catches the eye with its twin blocks of drawers resting on a slightly darker base. T...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsBrass
- Modern Large White Lacquer Dresser with Long Black HandlesBy Roger RougierLocated in Pasadena, CAThis white lacquered dresser from the 1980s, reminiscent of the Roger Rougier style, boasts a unique feature: contrasting black handle accents adorning six stairs-stepped drawers . ...Category
Late 20th Century American Modern Dressers
MaterialsWood
- Set of Six Cerused Oak Chairs in the Manner of Jacques AdnetBy Jacques AdnetLocated in Pasadena, CASet of six elegant dining chairs in the style of French designer Jacques Adnet. Made of cerused oak, these chairs feature an open cross back design and a seat upholstered in creamy w...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Oak
$5,200 Sale Price / set62% Off - Wesley Johnson Unusual Oil PaintingBy Wesley JohnsonLocated in Pasadena, CATruly one of a kind, Wesley Johnson created this detailed artwork on a thick carved piece of wood. You can see how Johnson uses the movement of the wood to help section this piece. T...Category
1990s American Paintings
MaterialsWood, Paint
$1,600 Sale Price27% Off - 1960s Black Stained Walnut Four-Drawers Nightstand by Edward Wormley for DrexelBy DrexelLocated in Pasadena, CAThis mid-century nightstand of black stained walnut features steel drawer pulls and drawers in graduating sizes. The largest drawer, at the bottom, measures 7.50 inches high and the ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsSteel
$950 Sale Price20% Off
- Paul Frankl Petite Mahogany Chest of Drawers for Johnson Furniture Co.By Johnson Furniture Co., Paul FranklLocated in Miami, FLPetite mahogany chest of drawers or dresser with inset handles, fully incased with a stepped edge detail.Category
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsMahogany
- Vintage Danish Rosewood Chest of Drawers by Hg Furniture, 1960sBy Rud Thygesen and Johnny Sorensen, Hansen & Guldborg MøblerLocated in Asaa, DKVintage Danish rosewood chest of drawers by Johnny Sørensen and Rud Thygesen for Hansen & Guldborg Møbelfabrik, Denmark 1960s. Scandinavian Modern dresser with eight drawers. Drawer...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsRosewood
- Dixie Furniture Provincial Style Walnut Chest of DrawersBy DixieLocated in Germantown, MDDixie Provincial Style Walnut Fruitwood chest of drawers. Very solid construction with original French drawer pulls and featuring 5 drawers, all with ...Category
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsWalnut
$1,296 Sale Price35% Off - 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
- Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chest of Drawers by Stanley Furniture, circa 1970sBy StanleyLocated in Miami, FLVintage Mid-Century Modern chest of drawers by Stanley Furniture. circa 1970s. Features a brutalist inspired design, nine drawers with concealed handles, and beautiful blond walnut ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut
- Mid-Century Modern "Oceanic" Tall Walnut Chest of Drawers by Pulaski FurnitureBy Paul Evans, Pulaski Furniture CorporationLocated in Sacramento, CAMid-Century Modern “Oceanic” tall walnut chest of drawers by Pulaski Furniture. The chest has four drawers in the top section and three in the bottom...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsWalnut