Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
American, 1907-1995
As the longtime director of design for the Dunbar furniture company, Edward Wormley was, along with such peers as George Nelson at Herman Miller Inc., and Florence Knoll of Knoll Inc., one of the leading forces in bringing modern design into American homes in the mid-20th century. Not an axiomatic modernist, Wormley deeply appreciated traditional design, and consequently his vintage seating, storage cabinets, bar carts and other work has an understated warmth and a timeless quality that sets it apart from other furnishings of the era.
Wormley was born in rural Illinois and as a teenager took correspondence courses from the New York School of Interior Design. He later attended the Art Institute of Chicago but ran out of money for tuition before he could graduate. Marshall Field hired Wormley in 1930 to design a line of reproduction 18th-century English furniture; the following year he was hired by the Indiana-based Dunbar, where he quickly distinguished himself. It was a good match.
Dunbar was an unusual firm: it did not use automated production systems; its pieces were mostly hand-constructed. For his part, Wormley did not use metal as a major component of furniture; he liked craft elements such as caned seatbacks, tambour drawers, or the woven-wood cabinet fronts seen on his Model 5666 sideboard of 1956. He designed two lines for Dunbar each year — one traditional, one modern — until 1944, by which time the contemporary pieces had become the clear best sellers.
Many of Wormley’s signature pieces — chairs, sofas, tables and more — are modern interpretations of traditional forms. His 1946 Riemerschmid Chair — an example is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art — recapitulates a late 19th-century German design. The long, slender finials of his Model 5580 dining chairs are based on those of Louis XVI chairs; his Listen-to-Me Chaise (1948) has a gentle Rococo curve; the “Precedent” line that Wormley designed for Drexel Furniture in 1947 is a simplified, pared-down take on muscular Georgian furniture. But he could invent new forms, as his Magazine table of 1953, with its bent wood pockets, and his tiered Magazine Tree (1947), both show. And Wormley kept his eye on design currents, creating a series of tables with tops that incorporate tiles and roundels by the great modern ceramicists Otto and Gertrud Natzler.
As the vintage items on 1stDibs demonstrate, Edward Wormley conceived of a subdued sort of modernism, designing furniture that fits into any decorating scheme and does not shout for attention.
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Creator: Edward Wormley
Pair of Edward Wormley for Dunbar Chest of Drawers, Nightstands
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Dallas, TX
Beautifully crafted chest of drawers by Edward Wormley for Dunbar. These are mahogany and feature 5 drawers, 2 smaller than the other three. Make great n...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Mahogany
Pair of Night Stands by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A pair of ebonized 'French polish' mahogany nightstands with adjustable inner shelf and opposing hinges.
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Brass
$10,500 / set
Edward Wormley, Cabinet, Mahogany, Brass, USA, 1950s
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in High Point, NC
A mahogany and brass cabinet designed by Edward Wormley and produced by Dunbar, Berne, Indiana, USA, c. 1950s.
Category
1950s American Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Mahogany
Janus Cabinet by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, 1960s
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An rectilinear light walnut two-door cabinet having Chinese-influenced hardware and open and adjustable shelves, the form sitting on a plinth base.
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Brass
$11,500 / item
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Tambour Door Chest
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Dallas, TX
Not often seen, a fully restored tambour door chest by Edward Wormley for Dunbar. The cabinet features two tambour doors with brass pulls and loads of interior storage. There are fou...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Brass
Edward Wormley for Dunbar MCM Model 452 Rosewood Tambour Door Executive Desk
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Edward Wormley for Dunbar mid century Model 452 Rosewood Tambour door executive desk
This desk measures: 74.5 wide x 28 deep x 35 high, with a chair clearance of 24 inches
All ...
Category
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Brass
Rosewood Roll Top Desk by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
By Edward Wormley
Located in Dallas, TX
A rosewood tambour roll top desk with brass feet and leather trim. Designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar.
Category
1950s Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Furniture Co. Walnut Low Chest of Drawers
By Edward Wormley
Located in Queens, NY
American mid-century walnut low chest of drawers with three sets of four drawers, one set wider and central, flanked on either side by two narrower sets of drawers. (EDWARD WORMLEY F...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Cabinet with Brass Hardware
By Edward Wormley
Located in Dallas, TX
A beautifully restored walnut and mahogany cabinet with brass hardware and pull out trey. Designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar.
Category
1950s Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Mahogany, Walnut
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Display Shelf/ Room Divider Super-Structure Model 5223
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Versatile Room Divider/ Display Shelf, Super-Structure Model number 5223 Designed to be used on top of a cabinet, or on the floor. This simple elegant Pie...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Mahogany, Glass
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Mid Century Sideboard
By Edward Wormley
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Exqusite 1950s credenza or sideboard by Dunbar.
Designed by Edward Wormley. This is model 5668A.
Features 4 sliding doors and 13 dovetailed drawers and height adjustable shelving ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Walnut
$8,400 Sale Price
30% Off
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Furniture Co. Rosewood and Mahogany Roll Top Desk
By Edward Wormley
Located in Queens, NY
American Mid-Century rosewood and mahogany desk with two tambour roll top outer sections with brass hardware that open to reveal workspace and compartments, with an open central work...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Wood
Pair of Seven-Drawer Dressers by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, United States
By Edward Wormley
Located in New York City, NY
A prominent American furniture designer for over four decades, Edward J Wormley struck a balance between modern trends and historical influences. Speaking to this idea, he is quoted:...
Category
1950s American Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Mahogany
Edward Wormley Dunbar Woven Front Cabinet, Mahogany, Brushed Nickel, Signed
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in New York, NY
Edward Wormely for Dunbar woven front chest, mahogany and brushed nickel, signed. Medium scale commode, No. 4465, with two woven front sliding doors,...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Nickel
$12,600 Sale Price
30% Off
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Bar Cart
By Edward Wormley
Located in Dallas, TX
A walnut bar cart with laminated sliding drop top. Designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar.
27.5 closed
53.25 open
Category
1950s Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Walnut
Tambour Drum Table With Storage by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, 1944
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A remarkable end table discreet bar with butterfly hinged top drawers and a tambour cabinet with adjustable shelf.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Mahogany
Pair of Edward Wormley for Dunbar Matching Dresser Set in Mahogany Wood
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Chicago, IL
Pair of Edward Wormley for Dunbar matching dresser set in mahogany wood, model 5272 triple dresser 12-drawer storage with matching smaller companion four dr...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Mahogany
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Louvered Six Drawer Dresser
By Edward Wormley
Located in Dallas, TX
A louvered front six drawer dresser designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar. Matching nightstand available separately.
Category
1950s Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Mahogany
84" Vintage Edward Wormley for Dunbar Executive Credenza
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Pasadena, TX
7' vintage Edward Wormley for Dunbar executive desk and credenza
In 1931 Leander Dunbar realized the need to create furniture...
Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Bronze
$6,320 Sale Price
20% Off
Tall Tambour Cabinet with Drawers by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A simple and refined ebonized mahogany wardrobe having tambour doors with integrated handles a top two (2) drawers with cut out handles.
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Mahogany
Floating Cabinets by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, C. 1950s
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Westport, CT
Elevate your interior with these exquisite mid-century floating cabinets, masterfully designed by the iconic Edward Wormley for Dunbar in the 1950s and meticulously restored to their...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Rosewood, Walnut
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Credenza
By Edward Wormley
Located in Pasadena, TX
Elegantly crafted credenza made of walnut. Credenza features distinctive half moon drawer and door pulls.
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Walnut
$4,560 Sale Price
22% Off
Chest of Drawers on Hairpin Legs by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Ferndale, MI
Chest of drawers on hairpin legs by Edward Wormley for Dunbar. Scarce Wormley Design. Measures: 45" wide also available.
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Birch, Walnut
$5,000 Sale Price
26% Off
Edward Wormley, Dunbar, Mid-Century Modern, Rosewood, Chinese Cabinet, 1960s
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Manhasset, NY
Edward Wormley, Dunbar, Mid-Century Modern, Rosewood, Chinese Cabinet, 1960s
A tall cabinet designed by Edward Wormley (American, 1907-1995) for Dunbar showcasing antique Chinese pr...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Rosewood, Walnut
Pair of Leather and Walnut Chests Designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
By Edward Wormley
Located in Stamford, CT
A pair of chests in walnut with leather wrapped baseboards and blond handles. Designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, circa 1955.
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Walnut
Pair of Edward Wormley Mid-Century Walnut and Leather 7-Drawer Chests
By Edward Wormley
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of American Mid-Century 7-drawer chests with walnut veneer, and drawers in graduating size with thin plywood drawer pulls on the sides of each drawer front, resting on a brown l...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Edward Wormley for Dunbar American Mid-Century New World 5 Drawer Wooden Chest
By Edward Wormley
Located in Queens, NY
American mid-century wooden chest of drawers with 5 drawers with oval cutout drawer pulls, resting on a pedestal base. (EDWARD WORMLEY FOR DUNBAR FURNITURE COMPANY NEW WORLD COLLECTION)
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Wood
Edward Wormley for Dunbar American Mid-Century Slate and Wood Dry Bar Table
By Edward Wormley
Located in Queens, NY
"American Mid-Century dry bar cabinet with a walnut case featuring a left-hand closed cabinet next to an open shelf compartment topped with a gray slate serving area, all resting on ...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Metal, Brass
Edward J Wormley for Dunbar Furniture Co. Two Section Walnut Chest
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Queens, NY
American Mid-Century walnut cabinet comprised of two adjacent sections with two roll doors, the left with 4 larger pull out drawers, and the right with 8 dra...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Bentwood
Edward Wormley Precedent Dresser for Drexel, stunning custom hardware / finish
By Drexel, Edward Wormley
Located in Buffalo, NY
Stunning chest of drawers from Drexel’s notable Precedent line, one of the few collections Edward Wormley produced outside of his work with Dunbar. The stately collection comprised over 100 pieces for each room of the home, featuring proprietary curled bar...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Brass
Edward Wormley for Dunbar 4-Piece Black Lacquer Asian Modern Modular Credenza
By Renzo Rutili, John Stuart Inc., Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Chattanooga, TN
This modular credenza by Dunbar is a sight to behold. The fusion of British Colonial, Far East, Regency and Modern create a distinctive harmony, rarely found in such tasteful proport...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Brass
$9,560 Sale Price
20% Off
Edward Wormley for Dunbar Ebonized Mahogany Wardrobe Cabinet, c. 1950
s
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Norwalk, CT
A beautiful functional wardrobe cabinet designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, c. mid-1950's. This piece in ebonized mahogany features bi-fold cabinet ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Glass, Mirror, Mahogany, Oak
Dunbar Rosewood High Chest with Brass Ring Drop Pulls
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-Century Modern five drawer Dunbar chest by Ed Wormley. Rosewood mahogany two-tone combination. Brass ring drop pulls.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Brass
Edward Wormley Book Case Designed for Dunbar, circa 1953
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Camden, ME
Tapering three-shelved walnut bookcase / plate stand designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar.
Green Dunbar Berne Indiana metal tag is on the reverse.
The bookcase is in excellent con...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Walnut
Dunbar Room Divider by Edward Wormley
By Edward Wormley
Located in Dallas, TX
A two piece mahogany room divider with Japanese wood block printers plates. Designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar.
Category
1950s Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Mahogany
Restored Nighstand Chests by Edward Wormley, 1940
s
By Edward Wormley, Drexel
Located in Dallas, TX
Wonderful bachelor's chest by Edward Wormley for his "Precendent" Collection designed for Drexel in 1947. One of the few collections Wormley produced outside of his work with Dunbar. The stately collection comprised over 100 pieces for each room of the home, featuring proprietary curled bar...
Category
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Brass
Drop Tambour Front Cabinet by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An innovative and uncommon drop tambour front cabinet of bleached walnut having recessed finger pulls, the cabinet with drawers, shelves and vert...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Walnut
Wardrobe Cabinet by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, 1950s
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An asymmetrical dresser in solid walnut with exposed finger jointed joinery, having a shelved compartment accessed by bi-fold doors flanked by a b...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Brass
Vintage Edward Wormley for Dunbar Chest of Drawers
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Iconic Mid-Century Modern chest of drawers by Edward Wormley for Dunbar. Crafted with timeless elegance, this piece boasts clean lines, rich wood grain, and sleek brass accents. Perf...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Wood
Telephone Cabinet by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An ebonized and polished dark mahogany telephone cabinet or vanity table having a storage drawer and an innovative fold-out bench.
Category
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Mahogany
Chest of Drawers by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An elegantly austere and finely crafted chest of drawers in bleached walnut having a two-over-three configuration channelled recessed pulls and dowel-form legs crafted of anodized al...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Aluminum
Flatware Cabinet by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, 1950s
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An elegant rectilinear light walnut two-door cabinet having Chinese-influenced hardware and a rare configuration of twelve cushioned flat drawers.
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Brass
Cinnabar Laquered Cabinet w/ antique Japanese print by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A two-level cabinet having fantastic storage and scale, with a rich custom cinnabar lacquer. The lower level has bi-folding doors concealing a bank of drawers; the upper section features doors with inset antique Chinese printing blocks.
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Walnut
Edward Wormley case pieces and storage cabinets for sale on 1stDibs.
Edward Wormley case pieces and storage cabinets are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Edward Wormley case pieces and storage cabinets, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original case pieces and storage cabinets by Edward Wormley were created in the mid-century modern style in north america during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider case pieces and storage cabinets by Dunbar, George Nelson, and Widdicomb Furniture Co.. Prices for Edward Wormley case pieces and storage cabinets can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,499 and can go as high as $30,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $8,000.
Creators Similar to Edward Wormley
Questions About Edward Wormley Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
- 1stDibs ExpertAugust 8, 2024Edward Wormley used a variety of materials over the course of his career. Among them were laminated wood, brass, marble and silk. Not an axiomatic modernist, Wormley deeply appreciated traditional design, and consequently, his vintage seating, storage cabinets, bar carts and other work have an understated warmth and a timeless quality that sets them apart from other furnishings of the era. On 1stDibs, explore a diverse assortment of Edward Wormley furniture.
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