Baker Writing Desk with Leather Top
View Similar Items
Baker Writing Desk with Leather Top
About the Item
- Creator:Baker Furniture Company (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30 in (76.2 cm)Width: 44 in (111.76 cm)Depth: 24 in (60.96 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:Ostrich Leather,Walnut
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970s
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Hudson, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU830710061451
Baker Furniture Company
Owing to the company’s collaborations with many leading designers and artists over time, vintage Baker furniture is consistently sought after today. The heritage brand’s chairs, dining tables, desks and other pieces are widely known to collectors and design enthusiasts for their fine craftsmanship and durability.
Within a few decades of its launch, Baker Furniture Company evolved into one of the largest and most important furniture manufacturers in the United States, and became known for its high-quality production standards. Siebe Baker and business partner Henry Cook founded the original iteration of Baker Furniture Company in 1890 in Allegan, Michigan, after immigrating to the United States from the Netherlands. Allegan is a small town west of Grand Rapids, which, at that time was home to Widdicomb Furniture Co. and more and was known as America’s furniture capital. The company manufactured doors and interior moldings, and introduced a combination desk and bookcase in 1893. In the early 1900s, Siebe became sole owner of the business.
Among others, stage designer Joseph Urban and modernist designer Kem Weber contributed designs to Baker in the 1920s. In 1932, under the leadership of Siebe’s son, Hollis, who started at the company as a salesman but took the reins when his father passed in 1925, Baker Furniture introduced bedroom pieces and debuted its Manor House collection, which made reproductions of European furnishings available to the American market. (Hollis was an avid traveler and procured antiques overseas for the company to reproduce in the United States.) Soon, Baker Furniture Company moved to Holland, Michigan, and eventually opened showrooms in Grand Rapids and elsewhere.
Pioneering Scandinavian designer Finn Juhl created a Danish modern line for Baker in 1951, and the company produced his award-winning Chieftain chair for a short time. In the late 1950s, Baker introduced the Milling Road label to reach a younger audience with stylish but less costly furnishings like console tables, walnut dining chairs and more, and in 1961, British furniture designer T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings introduced a modern neoclassical line at Baker.
The 1960s and ’70s saw the introduction of historic reproduction furniture lines such as Woburn Abbey and the Historic Charleston collection, which remain very popular to this day. In 1990, Baker was licensed to produce a furniture line from Colonial Williamsburg. That same year, the Smithsonian Museum introduced Baker’s Chippendale chair into its permanent collection and the Grand Rapids Art Museum dedicated an exhibition to Baker’s 100-year anniversary, a showcase that included 150 pieces of furniture Siebe Baker had collected as part of a larger assortment that had served as inspiration for his designs.
Today, vintage Baker furniture, such as its elegant mahogany nightstands and teak credenzas — particularly those crafted by Finn Juhl — sees high demand online and elsewhere. The company continues to produce contemporary collections with well-known designers such as Bill Sofield, Barbara Barry and Kara Mann and remains on par with some of the highest quality furniture in the industry.
Browse vintage Baker armchairs, sofas, coffee tables and more on 1stDibs.
- Baker Furniture English Regency Mahogany Leather Top Writing DeskBy Baker Furniture CompanyLocated in South Bend, INAn exceptional English Regency style writing desk or console table By Baker Furniture USA, Circa 1940s Carved mahogany, with embossed leather top, and original brass hardware and ...Category
Vintage 1940s American Regency Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Baker Furniture Georgian Carved Mahogany Writing DeskBy Baker Furniture CompanyLocated in South Bend, INA gorgeous Georgian or Chippendale style writing desk By Baker Furniture USA, circa 1980s Carved mahogany, with original brass hardware. Measures: 45.5"W x 21.25"D x 29.6...Category
Vintage 1980s American Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Leather Top Writing DeskLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis vintage writing desk includes a protective cover for part of the top surface, multiple drawers for storage, and brass accents. Please confirm item location with seller (NY/NJ).Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
$1,120 Sale Price30% Off - Leather Top Writing DeskLocated in Pomona, CAA leather top writing desk with brass accent on the edge and three drawersCategory
Vintage 1970s American Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
$1,800 - Baker Furniture Georgian Walnut Leather Top Executive Desk, 1950sBy Baker Furniture CompanyLocated in South Bend, INA stately Georgian or Chippendale style executive desk By Baker Furniture USA, 1950s Gorgeous burled walnut, with original brass pulls and inlaid embossed leather top. M...Category
Vintage 1950s American Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Vintage Baker Furniture Regency Style Burled Writing DeskBy Baker Furniture CompanyLocated in Clarksboro, NJThis listing is for a vintage Baker Furniture Regency style burled writing desk. Featuring a beautiful rectangular burled wood top, Regency sty...Category
Vintage 1970s American Regency Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass