If it weren’t for his honeymoon, American furniture designer Don S. Shoemaker might not have played any role in Mexican modernism of the mid-20th century.
Born in Nebraska in 1919, Shoemaker studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago during the 1930s. In the 1940s he got married, and he and his wife, Barbara, ventured to Mexico for their honeymoon. Enamored with the country, Shoemaker decided that Mexico should become the newlyweds' permanent home. They settled in a town called Santa Maria de Guido in Michoacán, where Shoemaker spent his days painting and growing rare plants.
Through horticulture, Shoemaker became inspired by Mexico’s tropical woods, such as cocobolo, a Mexican rosewood, and he decided to delve into furniture design. In the late 1950s, he started a small factory, producing hand-carved desks, armchairs, dining room tables, decorative boxes and bowls, and serveware. The popularity of Shoemaker’s furnishings grew throughout Mexico, and his small factory became the Señal S.A. company, employing more than 100 skilled artisans and carpenters.
Shoemaker’s handcrafted designs were essentially a mid-century modern interpretation of traditional Mexican household furnishings, and like Clara Porset — an unsung Cuban-born activist, writer and designer who drew on Mexican craft traditions in her concepts for furniture — he found inspiration in his adopted country. These influences can be seen in iconic Shoemaker originals like the Sling collection of seating, the Suspension stool and several of his table designs.
Shoemaker's furniture was exhibited in showrooms in several major Mexican cities and across the U.S., including Houston, Chicago, and Los Angeles. (And mid-century modernist ideas that traveled between Mexico and California didn’t make one-way trips — they bounced back and forth.)
After Shoemaker died in 1990, his son George took over Señal S.A. The company closed after George’s death in the early 2000s.
Shoemaker’s Mexican modern furnishings continue to be coveted by avid furniture collectors around the world. From 2016 to 2017, the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City dedicated a retrospective exhibition to honoring his work.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Don S. Shoemaker desks, seating, decorative objects and serveware.
Rare Solid Mexican Cocobolo Wood Desk Don Shoemaker
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Atlanta, GA
A bespoken and rare desk by celebrated Mexican designer and woodworker Don Shoemaker, model no F46. Designed in 1970s and executed in 1981, the desk is constructed with patchwork of ...
Cocobolo
FRONT – Minimalist Work Desk in Solid Ash Wood 140x70
By Pedro Sottomayor
Located in Lisboa, Lisboa
A statement piece for refined workspaces – handcrafted in solid ash, this minimalist executive desk blends functionality and sculptural presence. Elevate your workspace with this lu...
Ash
$9,660 / item
H 31 in W 71 in D 38 in
Desk, Black Lacquered Wood, Post-Modern Design, Panorammma, Mexico
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
A sleek, black-polished, sculptural piece conjuring the presence of a grand piano. Piano Desk evokes an intricate fusion of the grace in artistic expression and the discipline of w...
Wood
$20,212Sale Price|25% Off
H 30.25 in W 53.5 in D 96 in
Cocobolo Dining Table by Don S. Shoemaker, 1960s Modern Design
By Don S. Shoemaker, Senal
Located in Chattanooga, TN
An architectural marvel in living form, this Cocobolo rosewood dining table by Don S. Shoemaker for Señal, Mexico, commands attention as both functional object and sculptural stateme...
Cocobolo
$1,764Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 29.53 in W 94.89 in D 16.54 in
Mid-Century Modular Desk and Storage Unit by Mojmír Požár, UP Závody, 1960s
By M. Požár
Located in Praha, CZ
Mid-Century Modern multifunctional modular furniture set designed by Mojmír Požár and manufactured by UP Závody in Czechoslovakia in the 1960s. This versatile composition includes a ...
Glass, Wood
FRONT – Minimalist Work Desk in Solid Oak Wood 140x70
By Pedro Sottomayor
Located in Lisboa, Lisboa
A statement piece for refined workspaces – handcrafted in solid OAK, this minimalist executive desk blends functionality and sculptural presence. Elevate your workspace with this lu...
Wood, Plywood, Oak
$2,290 / item
H 29.5 in W 41.75 in D 19.5 in
Contemporary Levita Desk in Solid Matilisguate Wood by Labrica
By Labrica, Ricardo Velasquez
Located in Oakland Park, FL
The concept that inspired the levita chest and desk was to make it appear that they were levitating. The drawers are delicately supported by a structure inspired by the geometric traditional patterns found in indigenous Guatemalan textiles...
Wood
Octavia Solid Wood Desk by Crump and Kwash
By Crump and Kwash
Located in Baltimore City, MD
Octavia Desk by Crump and Kwash Features a solid wood frame and drawer faces / oiled or acrylic finish / premium, full extension, soft close drawer slides / solid maple, dovetailed...
Brass
FRONT – Minimalist Work Desk in Solid Oak Wood 120x60
By Pedro Sottomayor
Located in Lisboa, Lisboa
A statement piece for refined workspaces – handcrafted in solid OAK, this minimalist executive desk blends functionality and sculptural presence. Elevate your workspace with this lu...
Wood, Walnut, Plywood
Iconoclast Solid Wood Pedestal Desk by Izm Design
By Izm Design
Located in Edmonton, Alberta
Make a statement with this power desk. The pedestal base allows your chair to be positioned wherever you need with ample leg room. This piece in the main photo is ready to ship, smo...
Wood
Mid-Century Modern Chest/Desk, John Stuart, Paul Frankl Design
By John Stuart, Johnson Furniture Company, Paul Frankl
Located in Stamford, CT
Mid Century Modern Chest/Desk, John Stuart, Paul Frankl Design A recently white lacquered seven graduating drawer dresser or chest having an interior desk that folds down to reveal a 13 1/2 inch deep by 37 1/2 inch wide writing surface desk...
Chrome
French Art Deco curved desk in solid wood
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
French Art Deco desk from the 1930s in solid wood and veneer. It features a large curved top, a column of three drawers on the left, and a hinged door opening onto a compartment on t...
Wood
French Directoire style minister's desk in solid wood
Located in Landivy, FR
This minister's desk with 5-drawers is a craft-handed reproduction of the world-renowned French Directoire style, which dates back to the end of the 18th century. This range is char...
Brass
Don Shoemaker Dining Table for Señal
By Senal, Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Los Angeles, CA
From designer Don Shoemaker for his company Señal, c.1960s, Mexico, this Rosewood table makes an intriguing statement from any angle. The tabletop is supported by two sculpted foldin...
Rosewood