John Keal Modular Seating Group

I've explained in previous posts my hesitation to work with upholstered pieces.  Chairs are my favorite piece because of all different forms they take on.  A well designed chair is really a functional piece of sculpture to me.  However, I don't do upholstery, so I have to be quite a bit more choosy when I take on a piece that requires upholstery work.  There has be be enough headroom in the value that I can justify paying someone to do the work.  This is one of those sets.

I've blogged about John Keal in the past.  He doesn't have the notoriety of a Milo Baughman or Adrian Pearsall but he is becoming more recognized as a significant designer of American mid century furniture.  His designs aren't quite as avant-garde as Pearsall's but always show great attention to detail and incorporate unique design features.  His designs combined with the excellent craftmanship of Brown Saltman guarantees that Keal's pieces will continue to ascend in collectability and value.

This is one of Keal's more rare sets.  There are a lot of design queues that remind me of Pearsall's designs.  The sculpted, solid walnut bases that each of these sits on looks much like the glass topped coffee and side tables that Pearsall designed.  The seats and table tops on these seem to float above the walnut bases.  Keal's clever addition to the set was to link them together so they could be configured in multiple ways and still function as a single piece of furniture.  More pieces could be added on as needed, they can be set up in linear fashion or angled inward.  Their low and compact stature make them perfect for a modern loft or condo (or the often small mid-century home).  They can also be configured as separate pieces and are beautiful from any angle.

The other difficulty with upholstered pieces is trying to find a fabric that works well with the style and that will find agreement with a larger audience.  I opted to go with a nubby wool fabric that is well suited to mid century furniture.  The color reads as a warm medium gray from a distance.  Close inspection reveals that it is woven on an orange background, providing a subtle pop of color.  The cushions have been reupholstered with the foam and webbing in the seat deck all replaced.  The work was impeccably executed by a craftsman of 4 decades experience.  I can't imagine that these chairs looked any better the day they left the Brown Saltman factory.

The walnut frames are in nearly perfect original condition.  I could not have improved them by refinishing them.  The table top was refinished and now glows like the rest of the walnut.  This rare set is now being presented in nearly new condition.

Dimensions:
          Chairs 26.5"W x 25"D x 29"H
          Table  26.5"W x 25"D x 13"H

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Pair of Dillingham Walnut Nightstands

This pair of walnut nightstands/end tables are from the same line as the credenza I posted last month.  The line these come from is often attributed to Milo Baughman.  The more I research the background of these, the more skeptical I become of this attribution.  I can't find any reference to the name of the line or evidence that Baughman designed these (1st Dibs attributions don't count as evidence).  They have similarities to the Esprit line by Dillingham, which is often attributed to Baughman as well.  I have also seen Esprit attributed to Marty Borenstein.  Frankly, I'm not sure that either is correct.

Regardless of the designer, these are very nicely made pieces with classic straight modernist lines.  The veneers are beautifully colored and figured and the doors are bookmatched.  The outsides have just been refinished to show off the quality of the walnut used.  Inside there is open storage with one fixed shelf.  The design of these lends itself to many uses beyond the intended bedside nightstand.  They could be used as living room end tables or even pushed together to make a small low credenza or tv stand.

Dimensions: 27" W x 23"H x 15.5"D
sold