I’ve inherited an Edward Wormley sofa that my parents purchased new. I have seen it listed for sale as the “ladder back” sofa. Is there a model number for this sofa, or is “ladder back” the official Dunbar designation? Does anyone know the years this design was produced? Is there a digital or print copy of a Dunbar catalog that shows this sofa? Finally, an online search turned up half a dozen Wormley ladder back sofas. Most are described as “restored.” I see slight variations between my sofa and the others in the button placement on the sofa back and cushions. (My sofa is missing some seat cushion buttons, but that’s not what I mean.) Could this be because Dunbar made slight button placement changes throughout the production run, or is the difference likely due to a less than faithful restoration of the other sofas? I’ve got photos from 1966 that show the current button placement on my sofa is original/correct (although the sofa was reupholstered decades ago).
I appreciate any thoughts you have to offer. My goal is to have the sofa reupholstered so that it appears completely original.
Always check if the original manufacturer is still around. It looks like it is not in the current offering but check again.
http://www.collectdunbar.com/Catalog/Lounge?previous_url_id=1
You can also get a copy of the reprinted book back in 2000 by Schiffer Books. They range from expensive new to reasonable used.
Thanks for the information you provided. My ladder-back sofa does appear quite similar to the 5125 in profile, yet the button count and placement are different. That's why I wondered if Dunbar might have made slight changes at different points in the production run. I've attached a current photo of the rear of the sofa, showing the "ladder back," as well as a photo taken of the same sofa in 1966.
I'm not sure where the "ladder back" description came from. Dunbar used that wood leg base for other sofa models where the back was meant to be visible and for sofas meant to float in a room instead of pushed against the wall.
Dunbar catered to the upscale (conservative modern) clientele and all their furniture are custom ordered even with the current Dunbar, there is no such thing as in stock furniture. You have to be working with an architect or interior designer to order their furniture.
Your parent's sofa was probably custom ordered with the available options at the time. The last 2 columns of that Dunbar list for the 5125 model 3-seater sofa (85" long), it requires 10+ yards of upholstery fabric and 150 square feet of leather whichever the client chooses.
The photo is just one of the Dunbar sofas with similar leg base configuration similar to yours.
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