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Heywood Wakefield "Contessa" Breakfront Buffet

Name: Heywood Wakefield "Contessa" Breakfront Buffet
Brand: Heywood-Wakefield Co.
Rating: 5 (8 reviews)

$1,400List Price

About the Item

Transform your living space with this iconic 1950s "Contessa" Hutch from Heywood Wakefield. This exceptional vintage piece showcases the hallmark features of mid-century design, including a distinctive honeycomb door front pattern, tapered metal legs, and clean modern lines. Crafted under the guidance of the legendary designer Carl Otto, this hutch exemplifies the unparalleled craftsmanship and attention to detail that Heywood Wakefield is renowned for. Each element is thoughtfully designed to blend seamlessly into your space while adding a touch of retro elegance. What sets the Contessa Line apart is its rarity and historical significance within the realm of mid-century furniture. As one of Heywood Wakefield's lesser-known collections, finding pieces from the Contessa Line is a rare treasure, making this hutch a truly unique find for collectors and enthusiasts alike. With its sleek lines, timeless design, and functional features (adjustable shelves, removable topper), this Mid-Century Two-Piece Contessa Hutch by Heywood-Wakefield is more than just a piece of furniture – it's a statement of style and sophistication that will elevate your dining room to new heights. Indulge the allure of mid-century modernism with this exquisite addition to your home. Dimensions: 50w 18d 72h (bottom 50w 18d 32h top: 44w 13d 40h) Condition: age appropriate wear, vintage finish worn, scuffs/scratches, edge wear, discoloration, interior marks, finish loss, veneer chips, see photos.

Creator:
Heywood-Wakefield Co. (Manufacturer)
Attributed to:
Otto Wagner (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 72 in (182.88 cm)Width: 50 in (127 cm)Depth: 18 in (45.72 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Metal,Wood,Other
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
Mid-20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1950s
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor fading. age appropriate wear, vintage finish worn, scuffs/scratches, edge wear, discoloration, interior marks, finish loss, dings, blemishes, veneer chips, previous repair to wood loss- some restoration may be recommended, see photos.
Seller Location:
Trenton, NJ
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU7426242940722

Shop All Heywood-Wakefield Co.

Heywood-Wakefield Co.

Created by the 19th-century merger of two venerable Massachusetts furniture makers, Heywood-Wakefield was one of the largest and most successful companies of its kind in the United States. In its early decades, the firm thrived by crafting affordable and hugely popular wicker pieces in traditional and historical styles. In the midst of the Great Depression, however, Heywood-Wakefield reinvented itself, creating instead the first modernist furniture — chairs, tables, dressers and more — to be widely embraced in American households.

The Heywoods were five brothers from Gardner, Massachusetts, who in 1826 started a business making wooden chairs and tables in their family shed. As their company grew, they moved into the manufacture of furniture with steam-bent wood frames and cane or wicker seats, backs and sides.

In 1897, the Heywoods joined forces with a local rival, the Wakefield Rattan Company, whose founder, Cyrus Wakefield, got his start on the Boston docks buying up lots of discarded rattan, which was used as cushioning material in the holds of cargo ships, and transforming it into furnishings. The conglomerate initially did well with both early American style and woven pieces, but taste began to change at the turn of the 20th century and wicker furniture fell out of fashion.

In 1930, Heywood-Wakefield brought in designer Gilbert Rohde, a champion of the Art Deco style. Before departing in 1932 to lead Herman Miller — the prolific Michigan manufacturer that helped transform the American home and office — Rohde created well-received sleek, bentwood chairs for Heywood-Wakefield and gave its colonial pieces a touch of Art Deco flair.

Committed to the new style, Heywood-Wakefield commissioned work from an assortment of like-minded designers, including Alfons Bach, W. Joseph Carr, Leo Jiranek and Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky, a Russian nobleman who had made his name in Europe creating elegant automotive body designs.

In 1936, the company introduced its “Streamline Modern” group of furnishings, presenting a look that would define the company’s wares for another 30 years. The buoyantly bright, blond wood — maple initially, later birch — came in finishes such as amber “wheat” and pink-tinted “champagne.” The forms of the pieces, at once light and substantial, with softly contoured edges and little adornment beyond artful drawer pulls and knobs, were featured in lines with names such as “Sculptura,” “Crescendo” and “Coronet.” It was forward-looking, optimistic and built to last — a draw for middle-class buyers in the Baby Boom years.

By the 1960s, Heywood-Wakefield began to be seen as “your parents’ furniture.” The last of the Modern line came out in 1966; the company went bankrupt in 1981. The truly sturdy pieces have weathered the intervening years well, having found a new audience for their blithe and happy sophistication.

Find vintage Heywood-Wakefield desks, vanities, tables and other furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

MCM 2-Piece China Hutch Cabinet Buffet by Heywood Wakefield Contessa Collection

$3,995

H 76 in W 60 in D 18 in

MCM 2-Piece China Hutch Cabinet Buffet by Heywood Wakefield Contessa Collection

By Heywood-Wakefield Co.

Located in Topeka, KS

Mid-Century Modern 2-piece china hutch, cabinet, or buffet by Heywood Wakefield for the Contessa Collection. Comprised of 2-pieces a top hutch & a bottom buffet in a dark cherrywood, woven wicker basket weave or caned door fronts, brass toned pulls, & slim steel legs. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that these are vintage and not new so will have signs of use and wear. There are nicks on the left side of the buffet edge toward the front. Stiffener has been added underneath buffet as the cabinet had sagged in the middle making doors uneven. Stiffener corrected that issue. Please see photos and zoom in for details. We attempt to portray any imperfections. Circa, 1960’s. In 1959, the Heywood Wakefield “Contessa” slogan was "Wood for warmth and grace ... steel for strength and rigidity." "Furniture of Slender Elegance." And does this China cabinet ever fit that description. The Contessa line features a darker cherrywood, gold or brass toned accents, and slim steel legs. This cabinet has 2 pieces. A bottom buffet that features brass toned pulls that open two sets of double doors. There are three drawers on the right side with a silverware tray in the top drawer. The left side is open storage. The top hutch features two rolling side doors with woven wicker basket weave, or caned, door fronts and three shelves in the center. The whole cabinet stands on slim steel legs and exudes mid-century modern magnificence! This awesome, versatile china cabinet or buffet will look amazing whether you place it in the dining room, living room, study, or the kitchen. It is adaptable enough to blend right in whether your design style leans to Mid-Century Modern, Scandinavian Modern, industrial, southwestern, or modern country. In 1897, two prominent furniture companies, Heywood Brothers and Wakefield Company merged and created Heywood Brothers & Wakefield Company; the name would be shortened to Heywood-Wakefield in 1921. The new company rose to popularity in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s with its solid wood, Art Deco-inspired, mid-century modern furniture. In 1992, South Beach Furniture Company acquired the rights to the Heywood-Wakefield name. After realizing how in demand vintage Heywood Wakefield pieces were, production began on new pieces that remained true to the style, quality, and values of the original company. Today's Heywood-Wakefield is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the name and its famous pieces while incorporating new and contemporary technology which allows new generations to appreciate the classic looks from a classic company. This is a fabulous piece by Heywood Wakefield’s Contessa...

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