Drexel Mid Century Dining Chairs
About the Item
- Creator:Drexel (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 40 in (101.6 cm)Width: 20.5 in (52.07 cm)Depth: 21 in (53.34 cm)Seat Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 4
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1970s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Countryside, IL
- Reference Number:
Drexel
While vintage Drexel Furniture dining tables, dressers and other pieces remain highly desirable for enthusiasts of mid-century modern design, the manufacturer's story actually begins decades before its celebrated postwar-era Declaration line took shape.
In 1903, in the small town of Drexel in the foothills of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, six partners came together to found a company that would become one of the country’s leading furniture producers. The first offerings from Drexel Furniture were simple: a bed, washstand and bureau all crafted from native oakwood, sold as a bedroom suite for $14.50.
One of Drexel’s early innovations was to employ staff designers, something the company initiated in the 1930s. This focus on design, which few other furniture companies were committing to at the time, allowed Drexel to respond to a variety of new and traditional tastes. This included making pieces inspired by historic European furniture, like the popular French Provincial–style Touraine bedroom and dining group that borrowed its curves from Louis XV-era furniture. Others replicated the ornate details of 18th-century chinoiserie or the embellishments of Queen Anne furniture. Always ready to adapt to new customer demands, during World War II, Drexel built a sturdy desk designed especially for General Douglas MacArthur.
In the postwar era, Drexel embraced the clean lines of mid-century modernism with the Declaration collection designed by Stewart MacDougall and Kipp Stewart that featured elegant credenzas and more made in walnut, and the Profile and Projection collections designed with sculptural shapes by John Van Koert. In the 1970s, Drexel introduced high-end furniture in a Mediterranean style.
Drexel changed hands and visions throughout the years. It was managed by one of the original partners — Samuel Huffman — until 1935, at which time his son Robert O. Huffman took over as president. It was then that the company began to expand, with several acquisitions of competitors in the 1950s, including Table Rock Furniture, the Heritage Furniture Co. and more.
With the manufacturer’s success — spurred by its embrace of advertising in home and garden magazines — it opened more factories in both North and South Carolina. By 1957, the company that had started with a factory of 50 workers had 2,300 employees and was selling its furniture nationwide.
Drexel underwent a series of name changes in its long history. Its acquisition of Southern Desk Company in 1960 bolstered its production of institutional furniture for dormitories, classrooms, churches and laboratories.
In the following decades, contracts with government agencies, hotels, schools and hospitals brought its high-quality furniture to a global audience. U.S. Plywood-Champion Papers bought Drexel Enterprises in 1968, and it became Drexel Heritage Furnishings.
In 2014, the last Drexel Heritage plant, in Morganton, North Carolina, reportedly closed its doors. The company rebranded as Drexel in 2017.
The vintage Drexel furniture for sale on 1stDibs includes end tables designed by Edward Wormley, walnut side tables designed by Kipp Stewart and lots more.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Countryside, IL
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Drexel New Todays Living Mid Century Dining Chairs, Set of 6By DrexelLocated in Countryside, ILDrexel New Todays living mid century dining chairs - set of 6 Each chair measures: 21.25 wide x 21 deep x 33 high, with a seat height of 18 inches and arm h...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Kipp Stewart for Drexel Centennial Mid Century Walnut Dining Chairs, Set of 6By Drexel, Kipp StewartLocated in Countryside, ILKipp Stewart for Drexel Centennial mid century walnut dining chairs - set of 6 Each side chair measures: 18 wide x 20.25 deep x 37 high, with a se...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsWalnut
- John Van Koert for Drexel Mid Century Walnut Dining Chairs - Set of 6By Drexel, John Van KoertLocated in Countryside, ILJohn Van Koert for Drexel Mid Century Walnut Dining Chairs - Set of 6 Each armless chair measures: 20 wide x 21.5 deep x 34.5 high, with a seat height of 19 inches Each captains cha...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsWalnut
- Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Mid Century Walnut Dining Chairs - Set of 8By Drexel, Kipp StewartLocated in Countryside, ILKipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Mid Century Walnut Dining Chairs - Set of 8 Each armless chair measures: 19.75 wide x 18.5 deep x 32 high, with a seat height of 17.75 inches Eac...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Walnut
- Mid Century Walnut Dining ChairLocated in Countryside, ILMid Century Walnut Dining Chair This chair measures: 24 wide x 20 deep x 34 inches high, with a seat height of 18.5 and arm h...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Walnut
- Drexel Dateline Mid Century Walnut Dining TableBy DrexelLocated in Countryside, ILDrexel Dateline mid century walnut dining table The table measures: 24 wide x 24 deep x 29.5 high, with a chair clearance of 23.5 inches All piec...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Set of 4 Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs by DrexelBy DrexelLocated in Freehold, NJThis set of four dining chairs by Drexel feature hardwood construction, original walnut finish, beautiful cane backing, and vintage upholstery.??Complimentary drop leaf dining table ...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsCane, Walnut
- Set of 6 Mid-Century Modern Oak Dining Chairs by DrexelBy DrexelLocated in Los Angeles, CAOriginal Vintage Condition Materials: Oak, Original UpholsteryCategory
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Oak
- Set of Six Mid Century Dining Chairs Drexel Precedent by WormleyBy Edward Wormley, DrexelLocated in New York, NYChic set of six dining chairs designed by Edward Wormley as part of the classic Precedent Line, for Drexel. The set includes two arm chairs, and four side chairs, they are in very go...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Drexel Mid-Century Italian Provincial Carved Walnut High Back Dining ChairsBy DrexelLocated in South Bend, INA gorgeous set of eight mid-century Italian Provincial or Mediterranean style high back dining chairs By Drexel USA, Circa 1960s Carved walnut, with upholstered seats. Measures: ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Walnut
- Mid Century Modern Drexel Declaration Dining ChairsBy Kipp StewartLocated in Tulsa, OKMid Century Modern Drexel Declaration Dining Chairs Above average vintage condition and structurally sound. Have some expected sligh...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsWalnut, Upholstery
- 4 Dining Chairs Precedent for Drexel 239-4By Edward Wormley, DrexelLocated in Jupiter, FLBeautiful chairs, I feel like they have a crossover look from a Neo Classical design to Midcentury Modern. They are in wonderful condition stamped and marked as you can see in the p...Category
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood