Today, the brand-which now simply goes by the name Drexel-offers an outstanding range of furniture for the living room, bedroom, dining room, and beyond. Here, the brand gained traction with designs ranging from Chinoiserie to Spanish-inspired. furniture manufacturers-the brand branched out into a range of styles that went beyond current trends. As their popularity grew-in 1966 Business Week ranked Drexel Furniture third among the top U.S. They established themselves as a leader in multi-piece bedroom and dining sets. In the 1940s, the brand was among the first brands to begin marketing in magazines and built a close working relationship with keystone interior brands like House Beautiful.īy the 1950s, Drexel Furniture had established itself as a booming retail brand, offered by more than 2,5000 retailers across the country. In addition to setting up shop right next to a major railroad junction, the Huffmans purchased competing furniture makers during the Great Depression years to bolster their portfolio and manufacturing capabilities. Superior quality quickly distinguished Drexel Furniture from competitors, as did masterful business moves. They named the town in which their new company was founded, Drexel, the same as their new furniture company. Equipped with a crowd-sourced investment of $20,000 the Huffmans broke virgin ground for their new venture in North Carolina. The Huffman family believed that by focusing on mass-produced furniture, they could lower prices and make chic, affordable furniture available to all. Time-consuming to produce, these makers were forced to pass on hefty price tags to their consumers. At the time, producers were focused on custom furniture. In 1903, not long after the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, the Huffman family of Philadelphia identified a gap in the furniture market. Considering a Drexel piece, but want to know more about the brand? We break down everything you need to know about the iconic brand, below. Featuring top-of-the-line craftsmanship, Drexel Furniture is on par with centennial makers like Baker Furniture, Dunbar, and Henredon. If you’re craving a certain style of furniture, chances are Drexel has one in the archives. What a beautiful faux painting finish.From bombe chests to Mid-Century dining sets to burl wood Parsons tables, Drexel Furniture is known for its super chic approach to a wide variety of furniture styles. This beautiful chest is a Touraine! I haven’t seen one more lovely! Obviously it is refinished, and antiqued to look like a antique french chest. Vintage 1965 Drexel Bedroom Set from Echo Antiques DREXEL Touraine French Provincial Carved Shell Bed French Carved Demi Lune Drexel Touraine Bachelors Chest From Z Brothers Furniture N Collectiblesįrench Carved Demi Lune Drexel Touraine Bachelors Chest From Z Brothers Furniture N Collectibles Touraine French Nightstand With Blue Detailing French Provincial Chest From Park House Antiques Prices can vary greatly for individual pieces in the Touraine collection, and complete sets often go for $1500- $2800 depending on the condition.Ĭhic Drexel 1950’s French Louis XV Shabby Painted Touraine Collection 9 Drawer Chest Seller Alternative Furnishings Drexel Bedroom Set The nightstands in the Touraine series do a great job of drawing inspiration from genuine Louis XV nightstands which feature a slender style often not seen in other french provincial collections. This unique design offers a substantial amount of storage space. The larger 9 drawer Touraine chests feature 6 side drawers and 3 smaller middle drawers. A genuine antique french serpentine chest can be quite rare and pricey for any collector. Serpentine chests and Bombe furniture is quite difficult to create and quite hard to find. The Touraine collection is one of the only french provincial collections to feature a serpentine shape other than Bassett’s Versailles collection. This unique style is expressed in the delicate curves of Touraine dressers which extend down from the drawers to the legs of the furniture. The unbroken curves are one of the key features of classic Louis XV furniture. Louis XV furniture often has a very feminine look which can seem very sensuous and romantic. The Touraine bedroom dresser sets featured very soft lines which were accented with gold and cream. The furniture was inspired by the curvy lines classically found in Louis XV furniture which became popular during the period of 1730 to 1775. Drexel produced a stunning french provincial furniture set from the mid 1950s through the mid 1960s called Touraine which is still quite popular today.ĭrexel designed both a bedroom set and a dining set in this series.