Restored Mid-Century Modern Desk by John Van Koert for Drexel
View Similar Items
Restored Mid-Century Modern Desk by John Van Koert for Drexel
About the Item
- Creator:John Van Koert (Designer),Drexel (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 34 in (86.36 cm)Width: 56 in (142.24 cm)Depth: 32 in (81.28 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960
- Condition:Recently restored with no damage.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:Seller: C-89471stDibs: LU978517159072
John Van Koert
John Van Koert was integral to the rise in popularity of Scandinavian modern furniture during the mid-20th century all over the United States. The Canadian-born designer’s spare walnut coffee tables and elegant armchairs, for example — particularly those that he created for North Carolina’s Drexel Furniture — reflected the influence of the era’s alluring Danish design and were prominently featured in the modern interiors of postwar American homes.
Originally from Manitoba, Van Koert moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to attend the University of Wisconsin. There he studied sculpture and trained in metalwork. Van Koert later taught design in the school’s art department. After World War II, Van Koert settled in New York City. He created jewelry for Harry Winston before shifting his focus to flatware and furniture design.
Van Koert found quick success with his flatware designs for Towle Silversmiths. His Contour set was part of the “Knife, Fork and Spoon” exhibition organized by the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis in the early 1950s. In 1954, he served as design director for the “Design in Scandinavia” exhibition, which toured Canada as well as the United States and featured hundreds of designs created in Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden by the likes of Kaj Franck, Ilmari Tapiovaara, Finn Juhl and others.
Van Koert kept busy over the years. Drexel embraced the clean lines of mid-century modernism during the postwar era with the Declaration collection designed by Stewart MacDougall and Kipp Stewart that featured elegant credenzas and more made in walnut, and the Profile, Casa Del Sol and Projection collections designed with sculptural shapes by Van Koert.
In the early 1960s, Van Koert created a contemporary line for Richardson-Nemschoff, a furniture manufacturer based in the designer’s former stomping grounds of Wisconsin. During the early 1970s, he partnered with Sarreid Ltd., a brand that got its start sourcing materials from Spain and Italy and bringing the exceptional talents of European wood carvers, sculptors and painters to the forefront of American home decor.
On 1stDibs, find vintage John Van Koert seating, tables and storage pieces.
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 vintage Drexel furniture for sale on 1stDibs includes end tables designed by Edward Wormley, walnut side tables designed by Kipp Stewart and lots more.
- Restored 1960s Mid-Century Modern Oak and Brass Executive DeskLocated in Los Angeles, CAStep into the world of mid-century modern design with our beautifully restored 1960s executive desk. This exquisite piece, hand-crafted from a blend of oak wood and brass, is a testa...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
$4,706 Sale Price25% Off - 1960s Mid-Century Modern Walnut Executive Desk with Chrome AccentsLocated in Los Angeles, CAExperience the timeless elegance of our 1960s Mid-Century Modern Executive Desk, masterfully constructed from select walnut wood. This vintage writing table, restored to impeccable c...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsBrass
$3,956 Sale Price25% Off - 1970s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Mahogany Desk: Timeless Elegance & QualityLocated in Los Angeles, CADiscover the timeless elegance of our 1970s Mid-Century Modern Desk, a vintage gem meticulously restored to its original glory by our dedicated team. Crafted from quality mahogany wo...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsBrass
$2,006 Sale Price25% Off - Harvey Probber Executive Desk: Mid-Century Elegance Meets Modern FunctionalityBy Harvey ProbberLocated in Los Angeles, CAExperience the sophistication of the 1960s with our beautifully restored Harvey Probber Mid-Century Modern Executive Desk. Crafted from the finest mahogany, this desk exemplifies the...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsMarble, Metal, Steel
$4,856 Sale Price25% Off - Restored Louis XV-Style Mahogany Desk with Leather Writing SurfaceLocated in Los Angeles, CAExperience the fusion of classic elegance and modern craftsmanship with our Louis XV-style mahogany Desk, a piece that radiates vintage charm and refined style. This desk has been ex...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
$2,223 Sale Price29% Off - Restored 1970 Empire Desk: Light Walnut & Ebonized Finish with Green Leather TopLocated in Los Angeles, CADiscover the elegance of this vintage Empire desk, meticulously hand-crafted from wood and professionally restored by our in-house team. In great condition, the desk boasts a rectang...Category
Vintage 1970s European Neoclassical Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Modernist Desk by John Van Koert for DrexelBy Drexel, John Van KoertLocated in Sagaponack, NYA boldly angled modernist single pedestal desk having a distinctive raised gallery with sliding doors and a warm dark grey leather surface.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
- A John Von Koert for Drexel mid century modern walnut tambour Profile DeskBy John Van Koert, DrexelLocated in Philadelphia, PAA John Von Koert for Drexel mid century modern walnut tambour Profile Desk and matching chair.Category
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- John Van Koert Walnut Leather Top Desk for Drexel, c.1965By Drexel, John Van KoertLocated in Costa Mesa, CAJohn Van Koert Walnut Leather Top Desk for Drexel, c.1965. This piece has been professionally restored.Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsSteel
- Mid-Century Modern Ash Side Table by John Van Koert for DrexelBy Drexel, John Van KoertLocated in Brooklyn, NYVersatile, Mid-Century Modern, ash side table by John Van Koert for Drexel Counterpoint features a protruding lower level at 15.75 inches ht.Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsAsh
- Mid Century Profile Coffee Table by John Van Koert for Drexel c. 1960’sBy Drexel, John Van KoertLocated in New York, NYChic, stylish, architectural mid century modern coffee table designed by John Van Koert for Drexel Furniture as part of the classic Profile series, circa 1960’s. The table features ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood
- John Van Koert for Drexel Mid-Century Modern Black Lacquered Dining Table, 1956By John Van Koert, DrexelLocated in South Bend, INA sleek and stylish Mid-Century Modern black lacquered extension dining table By John Van Koert for Drexel, "Counterpoint" Collection USA, 1956 Measures: 54"W x 36"D x 29.75...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWalnut, Lacquer