Pair of Paul McCobb Walnut and Marble Nightstands or End Tables, circa 1960
View Similar Items
Pair of Paul McCobb Walnut and Marble Nightstands or End Tables, circa 1960
About the Item
- Creator:Paul McCobb (Designer),Calvin Furniture (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 24 in (60.96 cm)Width: 22 in (55.88 cm)Depth: 20 in (50.8 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960
- Condition:Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use. Marble top is original and has some slight patina (yellowing) to edges as shown. No chips or cracks.
- Seller Location:Costa Mesa, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1384221137922
Paul McCobb
The single aesthetic attribute of vintage Paul McCobb furniture is that the designer completely forsook ornament — his pieces have no flourishes. And yet, because they are honest — McCobb’s chairs, desks and dining tables are made of solid wood, usually maple or birch, often paired with frames and legs of wrought iron; the cabinets are traditionally scaled; the seating pieces have historic antecedents such as the Windsor chair — his mid-century modern work has warmth and presence.
You could call the Massachusetts-born McCobb a man of parts. As a furniture designer, his work combined the attributes of many of his now better-known peers.
Like the work of Bauhaus designers such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer, McCobb's furniture had purity of form and line. Like the designs of Florence Knoll and George Nelson and his associates, McCobb’s work was efficient and purposeful. And even like George Nakashima, he was adept at interpreting traditional forms, in particular those of chairs, for the 20th century.
More than any other designer besides Russel Wright, with his ubiquitous ceramic tableware, McCobb was arguably responsible for the introduction of modern design into middle-class American households — if for no other reason than that he designed the 1952 set for the original Today show.
McCobb, a repeat recipient of the Good Design Award from the Museum of Modern Art, also designed cohesive lines of furnishings, such as his best-known Planner Group, that gave homes an instant “look.” He designed for several companies, most notably Directional, which was home to McCobb’s Origami chair.
In 1949, in partnership with New York furniture salesman B.G. Mesberg, McCobb set up the Directional Furniture Company, a brand known to vintage mid-century modern furniture collectors everywhere. Directional opened its doors after McCobb created the high-end Directional Modern line of sofas distributed by the New York-based Modernage Company. Directional also produced designs by other legends such as Paul Evans and Vladimir Kagan.
As you can see from the offerings on 1stDibs, McCobb designs are the pin-striped suit, or the little black dress, of a decor: an essential.
Find vintage Paul McCobb credenzas, bookcases, nightstands and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Calvin Furniture
The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based company Calvin Furniture opened its doors in 1953 and became a sought-after contract manufacturer for the day’s top furniture designers and brands. Its appealing mid-century modern and Hollywood Regency offerings — nightstands, dressers and more — graced the showrooms of department stores all over North America during the 1950s and 1960s.
Calvin’s relationship with the work of Massachusetts-born designer Paul McCobb is well known to enthusiasts of mid-century modern furniture. McCobb, whose unadorned and efficient storage pieces, seating and desks drew on Shaker simplicity and Bauhaus minimalism, wasn’t exactly a designer for Calvin — in partnership with New York furniture salesman B.G. Mesberg, McCobb set up the Directional Furniture Company in Manhattan in 1949, and Calvin was one of the manufacturers contracted to produce the furniture he designed for Directional (and later, for pieces designed under his own name).
Among McCobb’s most acclaimed lines made by Calvin Furniture were the Calvin Group and the Irwin Collection. The travertine-topped sideboards and mahogany nightstands of those lines as well as the other Calvin-produced dressers, bookcases and chests of drawers designed by McCobb were elegant and spare, free of unnecessary embellishments.
Calvin also manufactured the very popular American Design Foundation line of furniture that Kipp Stewart and Stewart MacDougall designed. The Pennsylvania-born, California-raised MacDougall enjoyed a postwar collaboration with West Coast native Stewart that resulted in great success with manufacturers such as Glenn of California and Drexel Furniture. The duo’s celebrated Declaration line for the latter featured streamlined credenzas, dressers and more made in walnut with comely porcelain hardware. The dining chairs, tables and coffee tables manufactured by Calvin flaunt the pair’s signature clean lines, gentle curves and organic shapes.
In the late 1950s and early ‘60s, Calvin Furniture continued its business relationship with B.G. Mesberg National Sales and Directional Furniture. Calvin finally closed their doors during the early 1970s, but their legacy can be found in enduring pieces of modern furniture that remain popular today.
On 1stDibs, find a selection of vintage Calvin Furniture tables, credenzas, chairs and more.
- Pair of Kipp Stewart and Stewart McDougall Walnut Nighstands, ca. 1960Located in Costa Mesa, CAPair of Kipp Stewart and Stewart McDougall Walnut Nighstands, ca. 1960. Beautiful matched pair of walnut nightstands or side tables by Kipp Stewart and Stewart McDougall for Drexel....Category
Vintage 1960s Night Stands
MaterialsWalnut
$2,396 Sale Price20% Off - Pair of Ico Parisi Italian Walnut and Marble Side Tables, ca. 1960By Ico ParisiLocated in Costa Mesa, CAPair of Ico Parisi Italian Walnut and Marble Side Tables, ca. 1960. Walnut star bases float on top of the tripod star base with sculpted legs and feet. Base has been professionall...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsCarrara Marble
$3,196 Sale Price / set20% Off - Dunbar Open Frame Lounge or Armchair, circa 1960By Dunbar Furniture, Edward WormleyLocated in Costa Mesa, CADunbar open frame lounge or armchair, circa 1960. Newly restored with new upholstery and ebonized mahogany frame. Bears makers label on underside. Measures: H 29.5 in. x W 25.5 in...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Mahogany
- Leather Hippo Pair by Deru Germany, circa 1960By DeruLocated in Costa Mesa, CALeather Hippo Pair by Deru Germany, circa 1960. Wonderful examples with perfect warm patina to the leather. Both marked on feet and in overall good condition. Rivets are on underside. Large hippo...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsLeather
$1,200 Sale Price / set20% Off - Cristalino Salome Marble Columnar Table Lamp with Alabaster Shade, circa 1970By Cini BoeriLocated in Costa Mesa, CACristalino Salome Marble Columnar table lamp with Alabaster Shade, circa 1970. In the style of Cini Boeri, this beautiful marble table lamp comes with the original Alabaster shade in...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsAlabaster, Marble
$1,500 Sale Price40% Off - Pair of Vintage Brass Cathedral Mirrors, ca. 1960Located in Costa Mesa, CAPair of Vintage Brass Cathedral Mirrors, ca. 1960. Beautiful pair of brass framed cathedral mirrors in very good original condition. The beveled glass...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
MaterialsBrass
$2,300 Sale Price / set34% Off
- Paul McCobb Irwin Collection Black Lacquer and Brass End Tables or NightstandsBy Directional, Calvin Furniture, Paul McCobbLocated in South Bend, INA gorgeous pair of Mid-Century Modern end tables, side tables, or nightstands By Paul McCobb for Directional and produced by Calvin Furniture, "Irwin Collection" USA, 1950s ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Paul McCobb for Calvin The Irwin Collection 3-Drawer End Tables or NightstandsBy Paul McCobbLocated in Chicago, ILPaul McCobb for Calvin The Irwin Collection 3-drawer end tables or nightstands. Mahogany wood with solid tapered legs, brass pulls and edge trim. [Label inside drawers: Paul McCobb,...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Pair of Dark Walnut Single Door End Tables or NightstandsBy Paul McCobbLocated in Rockaway, NJPair of Mid-Century Modern end tables or nightstands. Dark chocolate near ebony low gloss finish.Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsWalnut
- Midcentury Paul McCobb #1587 Nightstands Black Lacquer Brass Knobs End TablesBy Planner Group, Paul McCobbLocated in BROOKLYN, NYBeautiful pair of Paul McCobb Planner Group #1587 maple low nightstands lamp end sofa tables single drawer Planner Group Brass knobs in original black lacquer finish. Original finish...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsBrass
$2,996 Sale Price / set25% Off - Paul McCobb for Calvin Furniture Black Lacquered Nightstands, Newly RefinishedBy Calvin Furniture, Paul McCobbLocated in South Bend, INA sleek and stylish pair of Mid-Century Modern two-tier single drawer nightstands or end tables By Paul McCobb for Calvin Furniture, "Li...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsAluminum
- Pair of Paul Frankl Cork Top Nightstands or End Tables in Dark Walnut and IvoryBy Johnson Furniture Company, Paul FranklLocated in Saint Louis, MOA Mid-Century Modern pair of Paul Frankl cork top mahogany nightstands or end tables professionally restored to their original finishes - dark walnut mahogany stain and ivory lacquer...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsBrass