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 oak wood, 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, 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.
Asian Chinoiserie Flip Top Server Drexel Ming Style
By Drexel
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
Drexel Heritage style Asian style flip top server in light oak wood with burl wood faced doors with engraved markings. Features brass hardware and ming...
Brass
$979Sale Price|30% Off
H 32 in W 32 in D 15 in
Drexel Heritage Chinoiserie Commode, Faux Bamboo, Vintage 1960
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Vintage Drexel Heritage chinoiserie style commode faux bamboo . Made from Drexels North Carolina oak with beautiful grain and perfect polish. Chinoiserie wood inlay. Gold bronze wash...
Oak
$3,000
H 31.75 in W 72 in D 18 in
Vintage Tansu Style Chinoiserie Lowboy Credenza Buffet Dresser Sideboard Cabinet
Located in Dayton, OH
Late 20th Century Black Lacquer Chinoiserie Sideboard. Features Korean Tansu inspired styling with applied brass detail. The case is finished in black lacquer with colorful orienta...
Brass
Vintage Chinoiserie Bar or Small Media Cabinet
Located in Locust Valley, NY
A vintage chinoiserie style cabinet that brings warmth, craftsmanship, and subtle glamour to any space. Crafted in richly toned wood, this compact cabinet features hand-applied gilt ...
Wood
19th Century French Transition Chinoiserie Chest of Drawers
Located in Forney, TX
We present a rare and elegantly sophisticated Louis XV - Louis XVI Transition style chinoiserie black and gold lacquered and gilt bronze mounted breakfront chest of drawers. Born in France in the 19th century, the fine quality mahogany inlaid Parisian work inlaid in stunning exotic wood reserves, decorated panels of hand painted polychrome idealized Chinese scene, featuring ancient richly stylized landscape, home, and pair of figures, flanked by exceptional parquetry-work, geometric matched veneers, ebony string banding, center drawer inlaid with precious woods sycamore ground scroll motif reserve, flanked by neoclassical inspired chiseled and gilded bronze ornamentation. The chest retaining the original substantial sized dramatically veined shaped fior di pesco rouge marble slab top with molded edge, over case fitted with five drawers on three rows, the front and sides fully worked to lightly curved design, having three frieze drawers over two large drawers, all with quality dovetail joinery, atop a gently curving shaped apron, rising on outswept transitional cabriole legs, terminating on gilded bronze sabots. Ideal proportions for use as a commode, dining room sideboard server, credenza media stand, office hutch...
Marble, Bronze
Painted Chinoiserie Two Doors Server Cabinet by Drexel
By Drexel
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Double door chinoiserie style small credenza server cabinet by Drexel Heritage.
Mahogany
$1,020Sale Price|20% Off
H 32.25 in W 40 in D 18 in
1970s Vintage Broyhill Ming Dynasty Collection Chinoiserie Bar
By Broyhill
Located in Charleston, SC
Broyhill "Ming Dynasty" Premier Collection buffet server / bar. This beautiful piece features a solid wood frame of dark stained maple with olive ash burlwood insets surrounded by bo...
Cherry, Maple, Burl
$21,000
H 35 in W 78 in D 22 in
A fine 19th century marble top Chinoiserie decorated credenza. Bronze handles
Located in Dallas, TX
A fine and rare 19th century English Chinoiserie credenza. Original marble top with bronze handles.
Marble
$18,600
H 32 in W 51.5 in D 25.75 in
Late 18th / Early 19th Century French Chinoiserie Commode with Marble Top
Located in Atlanta, GA
A late 18th to early 19th century French Chinoiserie commode featuring a shaped serpentine façade and black japanned panels decorated with gilt scenic motifs. The lacquered reserves ...
Marble, Bronze
$4,495
H 33 in W 54 in D 22 in
Antique Chinoiserie Hunt Style Buffet Sideboard Server Hand Painted Cabriole Leg
Located in Topeka, KS
Marvelous Antique Hunt style buffet, sideboard, cabinet, or server comprised of Chinoiserie hand painted details and cabriole legs with ball feet. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that this is vintage and not new so will have signs of use and wear even if they have been restored or refinished. This piece has wonderful age patina including small nick; dings; missing paint in spots; and fading & rings on its top. Please see photos and zoom in for details as they are part of the condition report. We attempt to portray any imperfections. Circa, 1915. As they say… Some things just get better with age. We would definitely agree considering this beauty is over 100 years of age!!! This is an INCREDIBLE Hunt style antique cabinet which could be utilized as a buffet, sideboard, or server comprised of an oak frame with a fabulous, scalloped bottom edge and it is embellished with lovely, delicate hand painted Asian scenes and trim. It has two dovetail drawers featuring beautiful antique brass drop pulls...
Brass
