Rosewood Credenza with Exposed Hinges  

Tuning pegs? Those pulls and beveled-edge door and drawer fronts are pretty distinctive. Not sure about the base. Looks like it could be walnut. Magnetic door catches suggest American.

Posted by: tktoo2

Tuning pegs? Those pulls and beveled-edge door and drawer fronts are pretty distinctive. Not sure about the base. Looks like it could be walnut. Magnetic door catches suggest American.

Here's a closeup of the side panel, I thought for sure it was rosewood. The thinness and contrast of the grain makes me think it's rosewood but you could be right about it being walnut. You are right about the tuning pegs, I didn't even think about that. I wonder if these are actual tuning pegs or pulls designed to look like tuning pegs. 

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I'd want to look at some details like how the drawers are constructed and hung, the underside to check for evidence of originality, markings on hardware such as hinges/catches.

It's certainly got that Thin Edge aesthetic. The bi-fold doors and exposed piano hinges speak American to me. Rosewood veneer was high stye here back around that time, too, so possible.

Something feels a bit odd about the base and pulls, though. Neither really works with the cabinet for me.

I'm very confident in saying that's very beautiful walnut veneer, rather than rosewood.

I've seen plenty of Norwegian design with hinges like that and magnetic strips... But absolutely nothing about it reads Scandinavian. Do the handles not look familiar to anyone? Not just for being tuning pegs, they look very familiar to me, I just don't store as much about American design in my head. If it weren't for the hinges and magnetic strips, I'd almost be inclined to say it's contemporary.

Posted by: Kyle Barrett

I'm very confident in saying that's very beautiful walnut veneer, rather than rosewood.

I've seen plenty of Norwegian design with hinges like that and magnetic strips... But absolutely nothing about it reads Scandinavian. Do the handles not look familiar to anyone? Not just for being tuning pegs, they look very familiar to me, I just don't store as much about American design in my head. If it weren't for the hinges and magnetic strips, I'd almost be inclined to say it's contemporary.

I got it recently from an estate sale and I was told it had been in the family since the 1960s. 

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Posted by: tktoo2

I'd want to look at some details like how the drawers are constructed and hung, the underside to check for evidence of originality, markings on hardware such as hinges/catches.

It's certainly got that Thin Edge aesthetic. The bi-fold doors and exposed piano hinges speak American to me. Rosewood veneer was high stye here back around that time, too, so possible.

Something feels a bit odd about the base and pulls, though. Neither really works with the cabinet for me.

I don't have a pic of the joints on the drawers at the moment to show but its dovetail. 

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This one (on 1stDibs) was listed as by Directional but didn't show a tag or mark.  Has same base, pulls and drawer construction.  I also came across a few pieces attributed to Roger Rougier with the same pulls, door and drawer design, and exposed hinges, but with chrome bases.  

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I also came across this, which appears to be a newspaper ad or article about the Gallery V collection by Kipp Stewart for Directional c. 1970.  I noticed the small file cabinet shown looks to have the same style chrome pull.  It mentions the wood being Canaletta, a Venezuelan rosewood.   

Posted by: mark737

I also came across this, which appears to be a newspaper ad or article about the Gallery V collection by Kipp Stewart for Directional c. 1970.  I noticed the small file cabinet shown looks to have the same style chrome pull.  It mentions the wood being Canaletta, a Venezuelan rosewood.   

Wow that's a good find Mark! You are right that's the same pull right? Also the stretcher on the chair looks like the same design as the base of my credenza. I will google more of this Kip Stewart for Directional line as I think you might be on to something here. Thanks so much Mark! Tuan

Posted by: mark737

I also came across this, which appears to be a newspaper ad or article about the Gallery V collection by Kipp Stewart for Directional c. 1970.  I noticed the small file cabinet shown looks to have the same style chrome pull.  It mentions the wood being Canaletta, a Venezuelan rosewood.   

I'm a bit confused after I did some googling on Kip Stewart, Directional and Roger Rougier but sellers on 1stdibs are notorious for spreading a lot of misinformation on designer attribution so I think I'm probably more inclined to trust the newspaper clipping you showed me Mark. I see the same pulls and stretcher base in the clipping as I do on my credenza so those are two very legit elements there. I'm not familiar with Roger Rougier but one 1sdibs listings says it's designed by Milo Baughman for Roger  Rougier while the rest just say it's Rougier but doesn't mention Directional. 

I wasn't familiar with Roger Rougier but apparently they were a furniture and lighting manufacturer based in Montreal.  Here's an example of one attributed to them with similar design elements.  This one is for sale by Leftcoast Modern in Cincinnati.  As you can see, apart from the base, it appears to be identical to the one attributed to Directional.  Maybe the companies had some kind of relationship.   

Posted by: mark737

I wasn't familiar with Roger Rougier but apparently they were a furniture and lighting manufacturer based in Montreal.  Here's an example of one of their cabinets with similar design elements.  This one is for sale by Leftcoast Modern in Cincinnati.  As you can see, apart from the base, it appears to be identical to the one attributed to Directional.  Maybe the companies had some kind of relationship.   

I guess the two companies did have some kind of relationship because those pulls are clearly the same design. I can't thank you enough Mark for tracking this info and these photos down! I was completely in the dark until I saw your reply with the Directional clipping!

I recently sold a not dissimilar one that had those same pulls (which I replaced as I didn't care for them). My buffet was walnut and also unmarked and I was pretty sure it was American.

Posted by: Raijin

I recently sold a not dissimilar one that had those same pulls (which I replaced as I didn't care for them). My buffet was walnut and also unmarked and I was pretty sure it was American.

 

Nice! It looks like it's the same design as mine, which we now know it's by Kip Stewart for Directional. Thanks!