Early Gilbert Rohde Console
About the Item
- Creator:Herman Miller (Maker),Gilbert Rohde (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 30 in (76.2 cm)Width: 32 in (81.28 cm)Depth: 16 in (40.64 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:Cork
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1932
- Condition:Apparently restored.
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU80023095952
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Rohde boldly informed De Pree that the brand’s furniture had become outdated, which was part of the reason the company was in financial jeopardy.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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Brooklyn, NY
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Gilbert Rohde 'Paldao Group' Modular Bookcase SystemBy Gilbert Rohde, Herman MillerLocated in Brooklyn, NYRare 3-piece storage system, one of the earliest modular furniture designs, veneered in exotic Paldao burl door-fronts and figured Paldao sides. The dark stain finish is original and beautiful, with a rich rosewood color. The drop-down secretary door is set with an elegantly cast brass knob, and opens to a hidden desk...Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Bookcases
MaterialsBrass
- Rare Pair Gilbert Rohde #3770 Six-Drawer DressersBy Gilbert Rohde, Herman MillerLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis rare design for Herman Miller features a curved case in opulent tropical wood veneer with sold hardwood handles, in a masculine streamlined design, with the surprising addition ...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Gilbert Rohde Paldao Secretary Display Case for Herman MillerBy Gilbert Rohde, Herman MillerLocated in Brooklyn, NYBookcase with drop-front secretary desk and storage drawers in paldao wood. Glass dividers separate storage compartments, and cork-lined back. Retains Herman Miller tag. Great origin...Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Bookcases
MaterialsPaldao
- Jay Spectre Console TableBy Jay SpectreLocated in Brooklyn, NYDeco inspired console with black lacquered base and 24-karat gold leafed top. For Century Furniture.Category
Late 20th Century American Console Tables
MaterialsGold Leaf
- Petite Console, La Permanente CantuBy Ico Parisi, Carlo De CarliLocated in Brooklyn, NYChic small console in black piano lacquer, with single inset drawer, raised on sculpted legs and stretchers. The side brass supports add an elegant material contrast. Unmarked and designer unknown, this table was retailed by La Permanente Cantu...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Tommi Parzinger Style Chrome and Glass ConsoleBy Tommi ParzingerLocated in Brooklyn, NYElegant streamlined console table with polished chrome square tube metal frame and thick green plate glass top. High quality construction with polished welds, and tapering legs joined by stretcher set with diamond shaped connectors. Attributed to Tommi Parzinger. From the estate of Alan Moss.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
MaterialsSteel, Chrome
- French Neoclassical Style Wrought Iron Console Table After Gilbert PoilleratBy Jean Royère, Raymond Subes, Paul Kiss, Edgar Brandt, Gilbert PoilleratLocated in Houston, TXFrench neoclassical style wrought iron console table after Gilbert Poillerat. This large outstanding large French neoclassical style wrought iron console table inspired by Gilbert Poillerat, 1940s. This stunning large French console...Category
Vintage 1940s French Neoclassical Console Tables
MaterialsMarble, Iron
- French Gilbert Poillerat Style Large Marble & Wrought Iron Curved Console TableBy Gilbert PoilleratLocated in Stamford, CT1930s French Gilbert Poillerat style large console table. Curved Demi lune style table with wrought iron base and black marble top. This table is well made and extremely heavy. Per...Category
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Console Tables
MaterialsMarble, Wrought Iron
- Early 20th Century Adam Style Demilune Console TableLocated in Elkhart, INA beautiful painted Adam-style demilune console table with urn & swag details Circa early 20th century Measures: 36" W x 18" D x 32" H. Very good original vintage condition.Category
Early 20th Century Adam Style Console Tables
MaterialsWood, Paint
- Antique early 19th Century inlaid mahogany demi-lune console tableLocated in Wisbech, CambridgeshireAntique early 19th Century inlaid mahogany demi-lune console table. This table is a delightful piece, exuding age, charm, and character—a very rare decorative find. Featuring a cen...Category
Antique Early 19th Century Georgian Console Tables
MaterialsMahogany
- French Early 19th Century First Empire Mahogany, and Giltwood Demilune ConsolesLocated in West Palm Beach, FLA handsome and unique scaled pair of French early 19th century First Empire mouchette and flamed mahogany, polychrome and giltwood demilune consoles. Each freestanding console is rai...Category
Antique 19th Century French Demi-lune Tables
MaterialsMahogany, Giltwood
- Exceptional Early 20th Century Cast Wrought Marble-Top Art Deco ConsoleBy Edgar BrandtLocated in New York, NYAn exceptional early 20th century wrought iron marble-top Art Deco console The demilune shaped black marble top above foliage designed iron legs, standing on a circular base. I...Category
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Console Tables
MaterialsBelgian Black Marble, Iron
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.