Kittinger Desks
Before it became a legendary American manufacturer of traditional furniture, Kittinger Furniture was a paper company called Thompson, Colie Company (later to become Colie Son), after its founders, Oliver and George Colie. The father-son entrepreneurs started a small business in 1866 manufacturing paper products and, subsequently, upholstered furniture in Buffalo, New York. Business for the latter was so successful that in order to keep up with demand, the Colies opened a second factory in 1885 that focused on handcrafted furniture designed in 18th-century styles.
Later, George Colie decided to sell his beloved company to his son-in-law, Irvine J. Kittinger Sr., and his brother, Ralph. They changed the name to the Kittinger Furniture Company in 1913. In 1929, the company’s sales exceeded $1 million, which allowed the brothers to expand far beyond Buffalo, opening showrooms in Chicago, Dallas and other cities across the United States, where they could present their expert reproductions of popular historic furniture styles for the home and office.
In 1937, Kittinger was granted an exclusive license to reproduce antique custom furniture for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The company manufactured Hepplewhite-style chests of drawers, mahogany Chippendale dressers, Asian-influenced mid-century modern marble-top coffee tables of ebonized wood and a variety of other pieces. The brand’s revered Mandarin line, a Hollywood Regency–style collection that debuted in the 1940s, included bedroom furnishings such as lacquered wood vanities, nightstands and more, each featuring prominent Greek key drawer pulls and decorative black trim.
Between the mid-1970s and 1990s, Kittinger Furniture changed hands frequently and even went out of business. In 1996, Raymond Bialkowski, a former master cabinetmaker for the company, and his wife, Karen, purchased the company and, along with some other former Kittinger craftsmen, began creating furniture under its name once again in north Buffalo. Over the years, Kittinger has produced furniture for the White House, including a handcrafted conference table and chairs for the Cabinet Room during President Nixon’s administration and chairs for the Roosevelt Room in 2016.
Today, the award-winning Kittinger Furniture continues to make historical and new custom handcrafted pieces of high quality.
Find a range of Kittinger Furniture on 1stDibs.
Early 20th Century American William and Mary Kittinger Desks
Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kittinger Desks
Leather, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Kittinger Desks
Chrome
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kittinger Desks
Metal
1970s Singaporean Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kittinger Desks
Teak
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kittinger Desks
Walnut
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kittinger Desks
Walnut
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kittinger Desks
Cane, Walnut
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kittinger Desks
Cane, Walnut
1920s British Queen Anne Vintage Kittinger Desks
Walnut
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kittinger Desks
Chrome
1920s British Queen Anne Vintage Kittinger Desks
Walnut
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kittinger Desks
Chrome
1950s American Regency Vintage Kittinger Desks
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Georgian Kittinger Desks
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Kittinger Desks
Bronze
1970s American American Classical Vintage Kittinger Desks
Brass
1940s American Neoclassical Vintage Kittinger Desks
Brass
1950s American Vintage Kittinger Desks
Wood
20th Century American Kittinger Desks
Brass
Kittinger desks for sale on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertJanuary 10, 2025Kittinger furniture is made in the USA. Specifically, the company produces its pieces in a factory located in Buffalo, New York. Most Kittinger pieces are custom-crafted to order. On 1stDibs, explore a range of Kittinger furniture.