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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Profile perfection

I have a John Van Koert Drexel Profile dining set and china cabinet in my home, so I know I have a bias...but I think the new Profile desk and chair in our store are breathtaking.

Since I've admitted my bias, I might as well elaborate. I have a personal preference for the Drexel Profile desk we have now over the Broyhill  Brasilia desk we sold recently. Don't get me wrong; Brasilia is beautiful, and I know many of you are diehard fans, but I'm beginning to find it a little overdone, although I admit that might be because I see so much of it at our store. For the past few years, owning a piece of Brasilia has almost become de rigueur in mid-century homes, and while that doesn't detract from the good looks of the line, for me it diminishes the appeal. I'd rather not have something that everyone else has.

I find the lines of Profile pieces fluid and graceful and the sculptural silver plated pulls subtle and elegant. Overall, the Profile desk looks and feels like a finer piece of furniture to me than its Brasilia counterpart. Tapered legs curve gently into the back of the chair, whose delicately spindled back belies its sturdy durability. Best of all, you won't find Profile pieces in every antique mall.


Drexel catalog

Pulls on my Profile K50 china cabinet

Profile catalog

Profile desk and side chair
mid2mod.com

Close-up of silver plated Profile pull
1stdibs.com

Profile catalog

Profile dining set
1stdibs.com

Profile catalog

Profile catalog

Profile catalog

15 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. It's all I can do to resist selling my current desk and bringing that one home from the store...but then I think about the hidden compartment under my desktop, and I stop myself.

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  2. Wonderful furniture images! Just stopping by for a blog visit but sure to return and see what's next.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Ann. I'd love to have you as a regular follower. My son-in-law gets the credit for the beautiful images of furniture in his store.

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  3. I too am a lover of Brasilia and can definetely see what you see in the Drexel pieces. Understated elegance with killer lines. Drexel was a top shelf manufacturer during this period. If I had to decide between the two, I would have to go with the Profile as well!

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    1. Brasilia is beautiful; there's no doubt about that. But I've been convinced for a long time that John van Koert was underrated and that Profile deserves a much more serious look. The silver-plated pulls by a man who had designed jewelry for Harry Winston and silverware for Towle are reason enough!

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  4. Oh that is striking! I agree, I too would rather have something diffrent from what everyone else has and I love a good tapered leg, be it on furniture or elsewhere ;)

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    1. I don't have many iconic pieces in my house, for the very reason they're considered iconic...the fact that you see them so often. Once everyone gets on a bandwagon, I tend to jump off. :)

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  5. While I think Brasilia is pretty, imam a huge fan of Drexel. We have the Drexel Declaration dining set and we love it. I would so love that desk, I think you need it:)

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    1. Declaration is a lovely line too. We've sold several pieces of it in the store.

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  6. I am a total sucker for nice lines!

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    1. Me too...and Profile definitely has them! That curved piece on the side is so nice.

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  7. Completely agree, I find those lines fetching.

    I'm glad I'm no longer banned from mid2mod ( :

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    1. I really goofed up my settings for a while, didn't I? I'm going to slap my own hand the next time I even think about changing them. :)

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