Widdicomb Furniture Co. On Sale
20th Century American French Provincial Wardrobes and Armoires
Wood
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
Walnut
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Oak, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Brass
Early 20th Century American Victorian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany
Early 20th Century American Victorian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
Wood
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Mahogany
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Burl, Rosewood
Vintage 1940s American Hollywood Regency Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Foam, Wood
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Secretaires
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Bronze
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Elm, Walnut
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Maple
Mid-20th Century North American Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Brass
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Marble, Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Wood
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21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Minimalist Side Tables
Marble, Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and...
Onyx, Brass
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
Limestone
Late 20th Century Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Cane, Teak
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Vintage 1950s American American Craftsman Chairs
Hickory, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
Walnut
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Wardrobes and Armoires
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Brass
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Benches
Teak
Vintage 1960s American Stools
Walnut
2010s Belgian Modern Club Chairs
Linen
Recent Sales
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Wood
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Walnut
Vintage 1960s American Sofas
Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1950s American Hollywood Regency Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Wood
20th Century American Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Brass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Nickel
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Hickory, Walnut
Vintage 1960s American Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Velvet, Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
Velvet
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
Walnut
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Brass
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Buffets
Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Steel
Vintage 1950s American Streamlined Moderne Dressers
Nickel
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Oak, Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Sofa Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American American Craftsman Dining Room Chairs
Ash, Walnut
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail T...
Mahogany
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
Glass, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Louis XVI Desks
Mahogany
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
Mahogany
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Mahogany
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Wood
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak, Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Walnut, Fabric
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Nesting Tables and Stacking Ta...
Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Nesting Tables and Stacking Ta...
Wood
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Walnut
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Walnut
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Bedroom Sets
Metal
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Walnut, Fabric
Vintage 1940s American Machine Age Dressers
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Gold
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
Glass, Walnut
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Wood, Lacquer
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Walnut
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
20th Century American French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Wood, Cane
Vintage 1950s American Modern Dining Room Sets
Walnut
Widdicomb Furniture Co. On Sale For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Widdicomb Furniture Co. On Sale?
Widdicomb Furniture Co. for sale on 1stDibs
Admirers of vintage mid-century modern furnishings likely recognize the Widdicomb Furniture Company name for the fruitful partnerships it forged with iconic designers such as Frank Lloyd Wright, T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings and Mario Buatta. But there is more to the Widdicomb story than the albeit quite covetable sofas and bedroom furniture it produced during the middle of the 20th century.
A wealth of pine and oak forests rendered Grand Rapids, Michigan, a logging center during the 1800s, and it eventually gained recognition for its furniture industry. The American city became a destination for furniture makers who hailed from across the United States and beyond. Furniture maker George Widdicomb emigrated from England to the United States in 1845, eventually setting up a cabinet shop in Syracuse, New York, before moving west to Grand Rapids. There, he opened a shop with his four sons, including John Widdicomb, whose name would help carry the family legacy into the 20th century.
The Widdicomb shop in Grand Rapids prospered, as the patriarch’s formal English training allowed him to produce pieces with superior craftsmanship compared to those of his competitors. Although the Civil War halted business and took the life of one of the Widdicomb brothers, the family’s survivors would start anew as Widdicomb Brothers and Richards, soon renamed the Widdicomb Furniture Company.
John Widdicomb, however, split from the family business in 1897 to create the John Widdicomb Company, where he would go on to focus on Louis XV- and French Provincial-style furnishings. Chairs made in these styles have distinct characteristics, such as floral motifs carved in the frames and gently angled backrests. John's company also remained a family affair: The founder’s son, Harry, assumed control of the company when his father died in 1910, while John's nephew Ralph Widdicombe — who retained the English spelling of his last name and joined the John Widdicomb Company at its start — designed every single piece of the offerings at his uncle's manufacturing outfit until he retired in 1951. Ralph was an internationally distinguished furniture designer whose modern mahogany bedroom suite won first prize at the Paris Exposition in 1900.
The original iteration of Widdicomb, which was helmed by John's older brother William while John ran his own brand, had shifted from making period revival styles of furniture, such as Georgian and Chippendale, to manufacturing modern pieces in the late 1920s. Today vintage Widdicomb seating, tables and other pieces produced during the postwar years are particularly sought after by collectors of mid-20th-century furniture.
In 1959, master woodworker George Nakashima created his Origins collection for Widdicomb when the firm merged with Mueller Furniture Corporation and was known, for around 10 years, as Widdicomb-Mueller. Origins, a revered Shaker-influenced group of nightstands, upholstered lounge chairs, dining-room tables and more, saw Nakashima working with woods like Carpathian elm and laurel in his Pennsylvania studio.
Eventually, the two Widdicomb companies would combine in 1970, operating under the name John Widdicomb Co.
In 2002, the business closed after more than a century of operations, and its assets were acquired by Stickley Furniture. Interestingly, it was not the first time Widdicomb and Stickley overlapped: In the final years of the 19th century, the companies opened a shared storehouse in London, while John Widdicomb and Albert Stickley would travel Europe together for the purposes of research.
Find vintage Widdicomb coffee tables, case pieces, dining chairs and more on 1stDibs.
A Close Look at Mid-Century Modern Furniture
Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.
ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Emerged during the mid-20th century
- Informed by European modernism, Bauhaus, International style, Scandinavian modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture
- A heyday of innovation in postwar America
- Experimentation with new ideas, new materials and new forms flourished in Scandinavia, Italy, the former Czechoslovakia and elsewhere in Europe
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Simplicity, organic forms, clean lines
- A blend of neutral and bold Pop art colors
- Use of natural and man-made materials — alluring woods such as teak, rosewood and oak; steel, fiberglass and molded plywood
- Light-filled spaces with colorful upholstery
- Glass walls and an emphasis on the outdoors
- Promotion of functionality
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
- Charles and Ray Eames
- Eero Saarinen
- Milo Baughman
- Florence Knoll
- Harry Bertoia
- Isamu Noguchi
- George Nelson
- Danish modernists Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, whose emphasis on natural materials and craftsmanship influenced American designers and vice versa
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
- Eames lounge chair
- Nelson daybed
- Florence Knoll sofa
- Egg chair
- Womb chair
- Noguchi coffee table
- Barcelona chair
VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.
Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.
Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer.
Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by legendary manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.
Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.