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.
Heywood Wakefield Mid Century Maple Bookcase Desk
By Heywood-Wakefield Co.
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Heywood Wakefield Mid Century Maple Bookcase Desk This desk measures: 45 wide x 23 deep x 30 high, with a chair clearance of 27.25...
Maple
Heywood Wakefield Mid Century Vanity Desk
By Heywood-Wakefield Co.
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Heywood Wakefield Mid Century Vanity Desk This desk measures: 44 wide x 17.5 deep x 29 high, with a chair clearance of 24 inches Good Vintage Condition - Desk has Minor Stain Wear ...
Wood
$4,250
H 30.25 in W 49.75 in D 24 in
1950s Heywood Wakefield Desk Hardrock Maple Mid Century Modern Stamped 6 Drawers
By Heywood-Wakefield Co.
Located in Monrovia, CA
1950s Six Drawer Heywood Wakefield Desk, Solid Hardrock Maple, Mid Century Modern. Amazing Classic Mid Century Modern Desk Design by Heywood Wak...
Hardwood, Maple
Mid Century 4 Drawer Writing Desk by Stanley Furniture
By Stanley Furniture
Located in Freehold, NJ
This mid century modern writing desk by Stanley Furniture features hardwood construction, walnut veneer with original finish, four dovetailed drawers with signature chrome hardware, ...
Chrome
Mid-century Modern Vanity Desk by Broyhill
By Broyhill
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Elevate your daily routine with this stunning mid-century modern vanity desk with mirror by Broyhill, a celebrated name in American furniture design. With its clean lines, warm wood ...
Wood
1950s Kipp Stewart three drawer writing desk For Glenn of CA, USA
By Glenn of California, Kipp Stewart
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1950s Writing Desk by Kipp Stewart for Glenn of CA, USA. The Kipp Stewart Glenn of California writing desk, designed by Kipp Stewart in the 1950s and 1960s, is a standout piece of ...
Brass
$1,850
H 29.5 in W 54.5 in D 25 in
Tomlinson Sophisticate Desk, Light Walnut, Mid-Century Modern, 1962
By Tomlinson
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Tomlinson Sophisticate Light Walnut Desk with Front Bookcase and brass hardware. Original Condition shows some wear. Solid Brass handles could be cleaned to be bright. Unique curv...
Walnut
$4,250
H 29.25 in W 48 in D 24.25 in
Paul McCobb Mid-Century Modern Blond Maple Student Desk, Model 1560
By Paul McCobb
Located in Queens, NY
American Mid-Century blond maple student desk with a rectangular desktop supported on the left by two drawers with circular knob pulls resting on two short...
Wood, Paint, Maple
Mid Century Executive Desk by John Van Koert for Drexel
By John Van Koert, Drexel
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Spectacular Mid Century executive desk designed by John Van Koert for Drexel. It has the maker’s mark in the drawer, (shown in the picture above). This wonderful desk has four drawer...
Leather, Walnut
Mid-Century Modern Italian Writing Desk, 1960s
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Italian desk from the 1960s, restored and shellac polished. Note the brass handles and feet, the green glass top with original period adhesive paper underneath and the black painted ...
Brass, Iron
