Design Addict

Cart

A neat table for pl...
 

A neat table for planters and lamps  

  RSS

TinyArmada
(@tinyarmada)
Famed Member
Joined: 13 years ago
Posts: 361
18/09/2016 12:31 am  

Hi,
Picked up this neat table with 3 circle tops in black laminate, and 2 tops in rosewood laminate. The entire frame is welded and I think is either chrome over steel or aluminum.
It is about 60" long and about 17" tall.
I don't know whether to call it a coffee table, reception table or planter stand. We picked it up with a pair of Harvey Probber club chairs that are also in chrome.
Just wondering if anyone recognizes it, for us it rings a bell but can't seem to get anywhere IDing it.

<img class="wpforo-default-image


Quote
TinyArmada
(@tinyarmada)
Famed Member
Joined: 13 years ago
Posts: 361
18/09/2016 5:38 am  

You would think it was a table made for George Nelson's marshmellow sofa, but we've come up with bupkis. Only a few modern designers who have ripped off the general idea of the design and done low quality imitations.


ReplyQuote
niceguy
(@112952msn-com)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 1155
18/09/2016 6:12 am  

TinyArmada
It could be an "extremely well executed" commercial unit for use in a "high end" department store for POS (point of sale) items.
I can visualize many things displayed on this piece both retail and residential. Small groups of well vetted design accessories. Congratulations...
I am unable to judge the dimensions from the images. Wonderful job on finishing the welds.


ReplyQuote
TinyArmada
(@tinyarmada)
Famed Member
Joined: 13 years ago
Posts: 361
18/09/2016 6:37 am  

Hi, Niceguy, Thanks for the input. The dimensions are 28 deep 59 wide 17.5 tall. two circles are 18 inch diameter and 3 circles are 12 inch diameter.
If we had found it anywhere but in the original owner's residence I might be inclined to agree about it possibly being commercial, because as you point out it's obvious utility for displaying items. It was in a home with a lot of high end mid century modern designer furniture and art (they had amazing taste). They were an elderly couple and everything in their home was bought during the era. They also traveled extensively and had many items from Italy and Denmark, but my hunch is this American made.
They used this as a coffee table with a nice pair of Harvey Prober curved chrome chairs, with a 12 foot rosewood entertainment cabinet and storage unit on the back wall. Due to it being paired with Prober chairs we thought maybe the table was Prober, but we've found nothing to indicate that so far.
We have literally spent ten plus hours so far trying to find an attribution. Hugh Acton, Milo Baughman, Prober, Nelson, Knoll, Laverne, ad naseum... with no luck. No luck, but that feeling you always have that "YOU HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE" but alas can find no proof of your memory once you try.
I don't like to bother people here with IDs unless I"ve exhausted every avenue and think it's a real quality piece worth the trouble. I'm keeping this piece just because I do love it and hope it will finally be the perfect display piece for my plants, but it will drive me slightly mad every day to look at in and not know who the hell made it.


ReplyQuote
_
 _
(@deleted)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 968
18/09/2016 2:43 pm  

It does have a Harvey Probber vibe into it though but like you said you had looked into that too. Harvey Probber also made custom pieces for clients and like many larger sized American furniture manufacturers from that era switched over to the more lucrative contract market later. Also many always confuses his pieces with metal frames to Milo Baughman.
It is a very nice unusual piece even if it is anonymous at the moment that is not seen everywhere.
The direction of the wood grain of the tops, looks randomly placed, have you tried arranging in the same direction, maybe? Sorry, my flight is delayed again.


ReplyQuote
leif ericson - Zephyr Renner
(@leif-ericson)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 5660
18/09/2016 4:36 pm  

I also have seen this somewhere. Thinking....


ReplyQuote
leif ericson - Zephyr Renner
(@leif-ericson)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 5660
18/09/2016 4:38 pm  

Oh, and it is Irving Harper's Marshmallow Sofa. The man deserves the credit he never got for it.


ReplyQuote
TinyArmada
(@tinyarmada)
Famed Member
Joined: 13 years ago
Posts: 361
18/09/2016 5:10 pm  

I sincerely appreciate everyone's help!
Mimosa, I will take a better photo and see about the wood grain direction, I just quickly snapped the OP photos last night in my living room out when my frustration level finally got me to post it here. (Not that I then didn't spend two more hours looking after that... sigh)
Leif you are right, I'll try to edit the Marshmellow sofa comment to reflect Irving. I get annoyed when people attribute the clocks to Nelson, so I should do the same for the sofa. The estate this came from also had a interesting paper sculpture that for one second I hoped might be my Irving, but alas. I'm mad for his paper sculptures. The man has shocking amounts of talent.


ReplyQuote
TinyArmada
(@tinyarmada)
Famed Member
Joined: 13 years ago
Posts: 361
19/09/2016 3:55 am  

I was just told by someone with a vast knowledge of Harvery Probber that the table is NOT by Mr. Probber, so it at least rules out one designer - the one I had considered the most likely due to the Probber chairs and credenza in the room with it.
We also just got a firm attribution that a stunning large chandelier that was in the room with this table is by Tapio Wirkkala and was made in Finland. This came as a surprise since I had assumed the chandelier would be from an American company like Lightolier. This made me reconsider my thinking that this table is "definitely" American production, since I assumed the same about the chandelier and was dead wrong.
So the table could be from anywhere, now that it's been confirmed that it's not by Probber I'm quite lost in a sea of too many options and no real information.


ReplyQuote
leif ericson - Zephyr Renner
(@leif-ericson)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 5660
19/09/2016 6:02 am  

Knowing me it was probably in the context of Scandinavian furniture that I've seen this thing somewhere. I just can't figure out where, yet.


ReplyQuote
TinyArmada
(@tinyarmada)
Famed Member
Joined: 13 years ago
Posts: 361
19/09/2016 6:55 am  

Thanks Leif, I know the feeling of "seeing it somewhere" x 1000 on this. It's incredibly frustrating, but far from the first time it's happened to me. It just pisses me off to know I've seen it somewhere, yet not be able to find a shred of evidence.
If you come up with any ideas or suggestion for research, with or without proof, I'd be very grateful because I'm running on empty at this point.


ReplyQuote
TinyArmada
(@tinyarmada)
Famed Member
Joined: 13 years ago
Posts: 361
19/09/2016 5:00 pm  

Here are 2 pictures.
One shows the plates at the top of the stems and how they mount to the 5 tops. Sort of like the legs on Herman Miller desks - same idea.
The other picture shows the feet which are rubber and they simply slide into the pipe, there is no other hardware for the feet other than the rubber piece, it has no metal catches etc. I've seen this style of foot used on some tubular sofas out of somewhere, but can't place it.



ReplyQuote
TinyArmada
(@tinyarmada)
Famed Member
Joined: 13 years ago
Posts: 361
24/09/2016 1:48 am  

Shameless desperation bump. Sigh.


ReplyQuote
jesgord
(@jesgord)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 1879
24/09/2016 6:50 am  

George Nelson for Arbuck?


ReplyQuote
TinyArmada
(@tinyarmada)
Famed Member
Joined: 13 years ago
Posts: 361
24/09/2016 10:23 am  

Haha, no the welds aren't nearly sloppy enough for that.


ReplyQuote
Share:

If you need any help, please contact us at – info@designaddict.com

  
Working

Please Login or Register