Designer Who's Who: Edward Wormley

Decor Arts Now

Edward Wormley was grouped with modernism’s greats in this 1961 iconic photo from Playboy that also included Harry Bertoia, Eero Saarinen and Charles Eames each sitting in a chair of their own design–that’s Wormley second from the left perched in the cane back chair similar to the one shown above. He enjoyed great success for four decades and then fell into relative obscurity for three.

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Playboy cover from 1961 featuring modernism’s great designers, including Edward Wormley, second from the left.
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This catalog of a 1997 exhibition of Edward Wormley’s designs is a bible for collectors. It’s a scan of my copy and someday I will own a piece by Wormley!
It was not until a landmark exhibition of his work was mounted by the Lin-Weinberg Gallery in 1997 that his pieces became once again highly sought after. The catalog for the exhibition is an essential read for those interested in collecting his furniture. Now he is a decorator’s darling and his designs command high prices at auction and in galleries.
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A pair of 1948 Edward Wormley sofas for Dunbar upholstered in a Scalamandré linen, vintage armchairs, and a 1956 Richard Neutra cocktail table in the living room; the von Nessen floor lamp was purchased at auction, and the 1920s Persian rug is from ABC Carpet & Home
What is the most important thing you should know about Edward Wormley?
His work is distinguished from the other designers in the 1961 photo because he had a reverence for historical forms and often massaged them to make something unique. This nod to the past set him apart from the more avant-garde designs of his colleagues from the period. House Beautiful said it best: “Wormley’s outstanding characteristic is his ability to design modern furniture that fits into period homes and period furniture with a modern cast to it."
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A charming ad by Dunbar Furniture Company featuring chairs designed by Edward Wormley.
The majority of Edward Wormley’s furniture was designed for the company Dunbar, who continues to offer some of his most iconic pieces today. Even the Dunbar ads for Wormley’s furniture are collectible, and one of the most charming campaigns from that Mad Men period. It is enchanting and highly original how Dunbar often placed the furniture in an outdoor setting. (Wormley did one collection, called Precedent, for the Drexel Furniture Company, but Dunbar quickly asked him to stop, deeming the Drexel relationship a conflict of interest.)
Click here to read more about Edward Wormley.

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Designer Who's Who: Edward Wormley

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