Stunning Rosewood Bedroom Set by Robert Baron

Although Robert Baron may not be a well known as a designer, he had a significant impact on modernist furniture design as co-owner of Glenn of California.  Robert, along with father Issac founded Glenn of California in the late 1940's and commissioned designers such as Milo Baughman and Greta Magnusson-Grossman to design pieces that would put them at the forefront of the California Modern design movement.  Glenn of California would also later employ designers John Kapel, Paul Laszlo, Kipp Stuart and Stuart MacDougall (both of whom designed the Drexel Declaration line) among others.  Baron also designed under the pseudonym Craig Nealee which was derived from the middle names of his 3 sons.  Son Jeff later was an executive in the company and is still active in the furniture industry.

Circa 1970; this set, comprised of a 6 drawer low dresser, 2 nightstands and a king size headboard and frame uses a beautiful combination of Brazilian Rosewood and ebonized Oak.  Brazilian Rosewood is renowned for its incredible color variation and intricate figuring.  The black coloring in the wood grain is enhanced further by the use of the black, ebonized Oak sides.  The figuring on the dresser is particularly exquisite and is bookmatched not just on the drawer fronts but on the top as well.  At 7' long the dresser is of epic scale and its low stature (28") exaggerates its long proportions.  It also serves as a very functional piece with 6 large drawers that slide on metal side mounted roller slides.
The nightstands are of similar construction and each has 2 good sized drawers to add to the set's overall capacity.  The drawers use polished chrome inset pulls and a fine aluminum trim lines the perimeter of the rosewood.  The king headboard features a black wood frame with 4 panels of rosewood with aluminum trim.  It also comes with a metal bed frame.

The combination of beautiful materials, detailed design execution and high quality construction gives this set timeless appeal.  It has just been restored and is in nearly showroom condition.

Dimensions:
                    Dresser:      84"W x 28"H x 20"D
                    Nightstands (x2): 27"W x 20"H x 18"D
                    King Headboard: 82"W x 37"H

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Fantastic Pair of 4 Drawer Chests by Raymond Loewy

Although he may not be the first designer that comes to mind for furniture enthusiasts, Raymond Loewy is arguably one of the most significant and influential designers of the modern movement.  His industrial and graphic designs helped form the landscape of post-war America.  His long list of designs are familiar to all of us and include: logos for Shell, BP, Exxon, TWA, Lucky Strike cigarettes, the livery for Air Force One, the Studabaker Avanti and countless others.  He also designed a number of furniture lines.

These chests were designed by Loewy for Mengel Furniture in 1947.  This is a period where Art Deco was still a big influence in modern design and the Bauhaus trained designers had only just started importing their style into American furniture.  The cases and drawer fronts are made of solid oak with the drawers having a subtle bevel on the top and bottom edges.  The solid brushed aluminum pulls mimic the drawer profiles.  These 2 chests had different finishes on them when I acquired them.  One was a traditional medium brown tone.  The other had a gray/green finish that looked very dated and worn.  With their tie to deco design and oak construction with fairly simple lines, I decided they would be candidates for a cerused finish.  I opted to use a dark, chocolate brown base and filled the grain with white.  The result is a stunning transformation that not only makes a huge visual impact but is correct to the period as this technique was often used in deco furniture design.

This pair of chests would make a great dresser or credenza when placed side by side.  They could also be used as a large set of nightstands or end tables.  The finish creates a versatile style that would look great with modern, deco, industrial, gothic, farmhouse or traditional decors.

Dimensions for each: 34"W x 32"H x 19.5"D
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Restored Walnut Executive Desk by Jens Risom

Jens Risom is often credited as being one of the first to bring contemporary Scandinavian design to America.  The wood and webbing chair he designed for Knoll in 1941 is his most well known design and considered a classic.  His importance and influence in contemporary home and office furniture design guarantees they will all become classics.  Risom is one of the few founders of the modern movement that is still alive.  He will be 100 years old next year and continues to design furniture.

This walnut executive desk from the 1960's has just been completely restored.  Stunning from every angle, it defines the modern design ethos of combining simple, well proportioned design with beautiful materials to create timeless pieces that defy trends or styles.  All the materials in this desk are of the highest quality.  The legs, drawer pulls and case edges are created from solid walnut.  The walnut veneers used in the case panels are well figured with great color variation.  The drawer boxes are made of mahogany and are all supported on 100 lb capacity roller bearing drawer slides.  The file drawer can hold either legal or letter sized files and they are supported on sturdy aluminum rails.  Fine craftsmanship is evident throughout the piece, it was built to be as functional and durable as it is beautiful.

The desk in configured with 2 floating pedestals, the left pedestal having a small upper drawer and a lower file drawer.  The right pedestal has a small upper and 2 medium drawers.  There is a thin drawer above the knee well.  Inside the kneewell is a foot rest shelf.

This desk also comes with a 1/4" thick piece of heavy glass to keep the top protected.  I did not photograph with the glass in place as the reflections obscure the view of the wood top and it is too heavy for me to put in place alone.

Dimensions:  68"W x 34"D x 28 1/2"H

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