Walnut and Smoked Glass Table Set by John Keal for Brown Saltman

These tables are both excellent examples of beautifully designed pieces by John Keal.  The glass support structure and entire outer case is made of solid walnut which has elegantly curved cutouts and rounded profiling.  The walnut has an oiled finish that I just cleaned and restored and is nearly flawless.  Lane made variations similar to these but used veneered casework with black painted and squared edges.  The Brown Saltman pieces show much finer craftmanship.  Each table has a drawer integrated into the case for storage of remotes, etc.  Below the glass tops are full sized shelves for books, magazines or other items for display.  Each table rests on a matte black, recessed plinth base that disappears in the shadow of the table and gives a "floating" appearance.  Both tables have their original smoked glass tops which have some fine scratching but are in otherwise good condition.

These are beautifully made pieces that are hard to find individually and even more rare as a set.

Dimensions:
                   Coffee Table: 60"W x 24"D x 16"H
                    End Table:    30"W x 30"D x 18"H
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Beautiful Walnut Bedroom Set by Mt. Airy for John Stuart

I often see pieces that are attributed to John Stuart  as the manufacturer.  In fact, John Stuart did not make or design furnture.  John Stuart was a high-end retailer in Michigan and New York that contracted various designers and manufacturers to make furniture for their retail stores.  They often used high end manufacturers from the area around Grand Rapids, but not exclusively so.  There are also a number of John Stuart labeled pieces that originated from Denmark.  Although it isn't easy to identify their origin, all the pieces with the John Stuart label were high quality, well designed pieces and are worth seeking out.

This restored bedroom set was made by Mt. Airy Furniture of Mt. Airy North Carolina.  The set includes a 9 drawer dresser, a 3 drawer chest, a 1 drawer nightstand and large mirror.  All of the pieces exhibit beautifully detailed construction and use of solid walnut.  The tapered, slightly angled legs are milled as part of the front case edge.  In fact the whole face is constructed of milled and elegantly curved solid walnut.  The case sides and tops are all framed with solid walnut, so there is no veneer edgebanding anywhere on these pieces.  The backs of the chest and nightstand are also finished so they could be "floated" in a room.  The mirror frame construction imitates the case pieces, having been milled of solid walnut.  Cases all use mitered joinery and solid or furniture grade ply substrate.  These are all details that are not commonly found on pieces from the larger manufacturers such as Broyhill or Lane which are more familiar names for mid-century enthusiasts.  High quality goes beyond dovetailed drawers.

Dimensions:

          9 drawer dresser: 72"W x 32"H x 19D
          3 drawer chest/nightstand: 26"W x 26 1/2"H x 17"D
          1 drawer nightstand: 22"W x 26 1/2"H x 15"D
          Mirror: 55" x 33"

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