![]() In 2014, the last Drexel Heritage plant, in Morganton, North Carolina, reportedly closed its doors. Plywood-Champion Papers bought Drexel Enterprises in 1968, and it became Drexel Heritage Furnishings. In the following decades, contracts with government agencies, hotels, schools and hospitals brought its high-quality furniture to a global audience. Its acquisition of Southern Desk Company in 1960 bolstered its production of institutional furniture for dormitories, classrooms, churches and laboratories. By 1957, the company that had started with a factory of 50 workers had 2,300 employees and was selling its furniture nationwide.ĭrexel underwent a series of name changes in its long history. 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. 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. It was managed by one of the original partners - Samuel Huffman - until 1935, at which time his son Robert O. In the 1970s, Drexel introduced high-end furniture in a Mediterranean style.ĭrexel changed hands and visions throughout the years. 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. Always ready to adapt to new customer demands, during World War II, Drexel built a sturdy desk designed especially for General Douglas MacArthur. Others replicated the ornate details of 18th-century chinoiserie or the embellishments of Queen Anne furniture. 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. ![]() 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. One of Drexel’s early innovations was to employ staff designers, something the company initiated in the 1930s. 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. 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. Tapered legs curve gracefully into the tops of tables and backs of chairs.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. Soft in texture, it provides for easy care, yet protects against scuffs and scars. ![]() …The finish is a rich-ripe brown that harmonizes with either lighter or darker finishes. Profile is made of walnut and pecan woods. ![]() This extensive group has great poise and although contemporary in spirit, is adaptable and answers the demand for furniture that neither fakes the spirit of a past style nor merely expresses a designer’s whim. “John Van Koert, designer of Drexel’s Profile group, has brought fresh enthusiasm as well as a keen professional eye to the furniture field. Actually it just misses the wall, so as not to leave marks, and the feet of the piece stand flush with the baseboard." "This unusual feature not only allows the piece to fit around a wall molding, but looks as though the top rests against the wall. ![]() One special thing about the Profile case pieces is their ability to "hug the wall." To quote from an original article: This piece has been professionally restored, but like all vintage pieces, does show signs of wear due to prior use. Professionally restored and in great shape. Tapered legs and a curved design for an elegant look. The two doors feature metal accent lines, original metal knobs, and conceal open storage with removable shelving. This piece was designed by John van Koert for Drexel's "Profile" line of furniture. Credenzas, Sideboards, Buffets & Breakfronts ![]()
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