Mid Century Drexel Sun Coast Dresser by Kipp Stewart
View Similar Items
Mid Century Drexel Sun Coast Dresser by Kipp Stewart
About the Item
- Creator:Kipp Stewart (Designer),Drexel (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30 in (76.2 cm)Width: 56 in (142.24 cm)Depth: 18 in (45.72 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. In good condition with wear such as blemishes, nicks, and scuffs on the case. See photos.
- Seller Location:San Jose, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU158229177301
Kipp Stewart
The ultimate multi-hyphenate, Kipp Stewart (b. 1928) counted painting, photography, architecture and furniture design among his talents. Known to furniture obsessives for the Declaration series he codesigned for North Carolina’s Drexel Furniture, Stewart was actually born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1928 and is most commonly associated with mid-century design movements of his adopted home state of California. There, in 1972, Stewart designed the Ventana Big Sur, a luxury resort near Montecito for which he oversaw architecture, planning, furniture and interior design across 160 acres of land.
By the time Stewart spearheaded the Ventana, he was already well versed in furniture design. After briefly serving in the U.S. Navy as a teenager, Stewart enrolled at the Chouinard Art Institute (present-day CalArts) in Los Angeles. By the time he graduated, he was steeped in the world of modern seating design, experimenting with new chair models that bridged form and function. Charles and Ray Eames were important influences on his early work, which included a chrome-framed lounge chair whose reclined shape bears a striking resemblance to the Eameses’ iconic lounge.
In the late 1950s, Stewart partnered with another West Coast furniture designer, Stewart MacDougall, on a line of modern furniture for Drexel. (The pair were also producing case pieces and more for Glenn of California.) Drexel soon unveiled Stewart and McDougall’s Declaration line, which was constructed entirely of natural walnut and featured the choice of white porcelain or brass drawer pulls and cabinet door handles. Although its stylish credenzas and other pieces reflect the kind of slim-lined, low-slung silhouettes for which mid-century design has become known, there are also elements that nod to earlier American and European furniture design, such as the dining chairs whose flattened spindle backs recall Shaker and Windsor chair design, distinguishing them from the modern designs becoming prolific in Scandinavia at the time. The pieces were so indicative of a particularly American style, in fact, that several items from the collection were selected by the U.S. government to represent the country at the Brussels World’s Fair in 1958.
While Stewart found success as a painter and with his Ventana hotel project — and had also designed chairs, chests and more for Directional — the Drexel Declaration line is his best-known furniture collection and remains highly sought after by collectors today.
Find a wide range of vintage Kipp Stewart furniture on 1stDibs, including dining room chairs, end tables and more.
Drexel
While vintage Drexel Furniture dining tables, dressers and other pieces remain highly desirable for enthusiasts of mid-century modern design, the manufacturer's story actually begins decades before its celebrated postwar-era Declaration line took shape.
In 1903, in the small town of Drexel in the foothills of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, six partners came together to found a company that would become one of the country’s leading furniture producers. The first offerings from Drexel Furniture were simple: a bed, washstand and bureau all crafted from native oakwood, sold as a bedroom suite for $14.50.
One of Drexel’s early innovations was to employ staff designers, something the company initiated in the 1930s. This focus on design, which few other furniture companies were committing to at the time, allowed Drexel to respond to a variety of new and traditional tastes. This included making pieces inspired by historic European furniture, like the popular French Provincial–style Touraine bedroom and dining group that borrowed its curves from Louis XV-era furniture. Others replicated the ornate details of 18th-century chinoiserie or the embellishments of Queen Anne furniture. Always ready to adapt to new customer demands, during World War II, Drexel built a sturdy desk designed especially for General Douglas MacArthur.
In the postwar era, Drexel embraced the clean lines of mid-century modernism with the Declaration collection designed by Stewart MacDougall and Kipp Stewart that featured elegant credenzas and more made in walnut, and the Profile and Projection collections designed with sculptural shapes by John Van Koert. In the 1970s, Drexel introduced high-end furniture in a Mediterranean style.
Drexel changed hands and visions throughout the years. It was managed by one of the original partners — Samuel Huffman — until 1935, at which time his son Robert O. Huffman took over as president. It was then that the company began to expand, with several acquisitions of competitors in the 1950s, including Table Rock Furniture, the Heritage Furniture Co. and more. With the manufacturer’s success — spurred by its embrace of advertising in home and garden magazines — it opened more factories in both North and South Carolina. By 1957, the company that had started with a factory of 50 workers had 2,300 employees and was selling its furniture nationwide.
Drexel underwent a series of name changes in its long history. Its acquisition of Southern Desk Company in 1960 bolstered its production of institutional furniture for dormitories, classrooms, churches and laboratories. In the following decades, contracts with government agencies, hotels, schools and hospitals brought its high-quality furniture to a global audience. U.S. Plywood-Champion Papers bought Drexel Enterprises in 1968, and it became Drexel Heritage Furnishings.
In 2014, the last Drexel Heritage plant, in Morganton, North Carolina, reportedly closed its doors. The company rebranded as Drexel in 2017.
The range of vintage Drexel furniture for sale on 1stDibs includes end tables designed by Edward Wormley, walnut side tables designed by Kipp Stewart and lots more.
- Mid Century Raymond Loewy Dresser ChestBy Raymond Loewy, Mengel Furniture Co.Located in San Jose, CAMid-century dresser chest designed by Raymond Loewy for Mengel Furniture Co. in ebonized solid oak. This piece features four wide drawers with cast aluminum pulls.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsAluminum
$1,920 Sale Price20% Off - Mid-Century Modern Vista of California Mahogany and Steel Dresser by Don KnorrBy Vista of California, Don KnorrLocated in San Jose, CAVintage double dresser in mahogany designed by Don Knorr for Vista of California circa 1950's. This unique piece offers plenty of storage includ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsSteel
- Walnut Kipp Stewart & Stewart McDougall Drexel Declaration Full HeadboardBy Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall, DrexelLocated in San Jose, CAMid-Century Modern full headboard designed by Stewart McDougall & Kipp Stewart for Drexel Furniture Company, circa 1960's. This slatted bed frame is crafted i...Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsWalnut
- Mid Century Modern Low Commode Chest of Drawers by American of MartinsvilleBy American of MartinsvilleLocated in San Jose, CAVintage low chest of drawers manufactured by American of Martinsville, circa 1960's. This unique piece is lacquered in an ebony black fin...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsWood
$960 Sale Price20% Off - Danish Modern Teak Dresser Chest of Drawers by Henning JorgensenBy Henning Jørgensen, FredericiaLocated in San Jose, CAVintage Danish chest of drawers in teak designed by Henning Jørgensen for Fredericia Møbelfabrik, Denmark circa 1960s. This unique low profile chest of drawers is perfect to use as a...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dressers
MaterialsOak, Teak
- Danish Modern Teak Wardrobe Dresser Chest by Arne Vodder for Sibast MøblerBy Arne Vodder, SibastLocated in San Jose, CAMid-Century Modern tall wardrobe dresser chest designed by Arne Vodder for Sibast Møbler, circa 1960s, Denmark. Features a stunning and functional tambour sliding door that reveals p...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dressers
MaterialsTeak
$6,400 Sale Price20% Off
- Drexel "Sun Coast Collection" Six Drawer Dresser by Kipp StewartBy Kipp Stewart, DrexelLocated in Toledo, OHMid-Century Modern 6 Drawer dresser in the "Sun Coast Collection" for Drexel Furniture designed by Kipp Stewart. Circa 1959. Cherry, sits on a ...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsCherry
- Drexel Sun Coast Collection Tall Gentlemen's Dresser by Kipp Stewart, c. 1950'sBy Kipp StewartLocated in Deland, FLThis beautiful American black walnut tall dresser is designed by Kipp Stewart for Drexel’s Sun Coast line. Classic, iconic style with great quality wa...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut
- Kipp Stewart for Drexel Mid Century Walnut Lowboy DresserBy Kipp Stewart, DrexelLocated in Countryside, ILKipp Stewart for Drexel Mid Century Walnut Lowboy Dresser This lowboy measures: 72.25 wide x 20 deep x 31 inches high All pieces of furniture can be had in what we call restored vi...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut
- Mid Century MODERN DRESSER / Credenza by DREXEL Declaration by Kipp StewartBy Kipp Stewart, DrexelLocated in Weehawken, NJMid Century Modern Walnut Dresser by Drexel "Declaration" designed by Kipp Stewart & Stewart McDougall. This simply designed piece offers a wealth of storage in its six deep and spac...Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsPorcelain, Walnut
- SOLD 04/30/24 Kipp Stewart for Drexel Mid Century Walnut 8 Drawer Lowboy DresserBy Kipp Stewart, DrexelLocated in Countryside, ILKipp Stewart for Drexel mid century walnut 8 drawer lowboy dresser This dresser measures: 62 wide x 29 deep x 31.25 inches high All pieces of furniture can be had in what we ca...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsBrass
- Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Mid Century Walnut Lowboy DresserBy Kipp Stewart, DrexelLocated in Countryside, ILKipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Mid Century Walnut Lowboy Dresser This lowboy measures: 62 wide x 20 deep x 31.25 inches high All pieces of furniture can be had in what we call...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut