Dunbar Furniture
Revered for its handcrafted and highly collectible mid-century modern sofas, coffee tables and other furnishings, Dunbar Furniture was founded in 1910 in Berne, Indiana, but it didn’t gain widespread recognition until the ’30s, following the introduction of its president to a designer who would leave an indelible mark on the company’s legacy: Edward Wormley.
After a stint at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Oswego, Illinois-born Wormley worked as an interior designer for Marshall Field’s before joining Dunbar in 1931. Initially focused on developing the company’s cheapest furniture line, which could be bought with soap coupons, he was soon leading Dunbar Furniture into a new era of residential furniture for modern American homes. He would serve as the company’s design director for over three decades, designing about 150 pieces each year.
During that time, he oversaw the production of designs in a wide range of materials, with influences ranging from Scandinavian modernism to Art Deco. There were modern upholstery pieces, like swiveling lounge chairs and low-slung sofas, and experiments with textural wood on bar carts and cabinets as well as minimal, sculptural tables and functional office furniture. A passionate collector of Tiffany Studios lamps, Wormley used their glass tiles in Dunbar tables in 1956. He also worked on the reproduction of pieces by designers such as Jean-Michel Frank and Richard Riemerschmid.
One standout Dunbar Furniture collection was Janus, introduced in the 1960s, with Austrian-born ceramicists Otto and Gertrud Natzler. These pieces see the Natzlers’ uniquely artful ceramic tiles set into several styles of wooden tables. They remain some of the most sought-after mid-century modern Dunbar pieces on the vintage market today. During the peak of his design career and, indeed, the height of Dunbar Furniture’s history, Wormley amassed a whopping 30 Good Design awards between 1950 and 1955 through the “Good Design” exhibition, hosted by the Chicago Merchandise Mart and the Museum of Modern Art. Dunbar today produces a limited selection of archival Wormley designs, but many sales of original Dunbar pieces are through the resale market.
Find a collection of authentic vintage Dunbar Furniture today on 1stDibs.
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Mohair, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Walnut, Upholstery
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Slate, Brass
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Mahogany, Fabric
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Leather, Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Upholstery
Mid-20th Century North American Modern Dunbar Furniture
Mahogany
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Travertine
Mid-20th Century North American Modern Dunbar Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Rosewood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Walnut
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Mahogany
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Linen, Upholstery, Wood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Mahogany
1970s American Organic Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Steel
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Metal
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Brass
Dunbar Furniture
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Rosewood, Zebra Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Mahogany, Lacquer
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Wood
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Bouclé, Walnut
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Brass
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Rattan, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Hollywood Regency Dunbar Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Velvet, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Leather, Bentwood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Wood
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Bronze
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Walnut, Pine
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Cane
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Formica, Ash
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Brass
1950s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Marble, Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Brass
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Travertine, Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dunbar Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dunbar Furniture
Mahogany
Dunbar furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Creators Similar to Dunbar
- Where is Dunbar Furniture made?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Dunbar furniture is made in High Point, North Carolina. The original location of the company was Berne, Indiana. Its relocation occurred after Currey & Co. bought Dunbar from founder James Wormley in 1970. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of Dunbar furniture.