Designer Channeled Southern California Spirit Into Furniture Designs
Original Frankl Furniture From Harvey’s Private Collection Now Available at 1stDibs
Inspired by LA’s tropical climate, Paul T. Frankl (right) designed iconic rattan furniture in the 1930s.
When Paul T. Frankl (1886-1958)—an innovative designer who helped define the American modern tradition—moved to Los Angeles in 1934, he was inspired by the tropical climate and started experimenting with rattan. Eschewing the cold of Europe and New York City, Frankl traded a rigid angular aesthetic for a gently organic one.
The largest collection of original Frankl rattan furniture from the 1930s is now available through Harvey’s Private Collection, with select offerings at 1stDibs.
Frankl’s most daring and enduring legacy was bringing rattan—previously relegated to outdoor use—into the realm of high-end interior decor. By bending and shaping the pliable vine into sleek, unadorned forms, he created rattan furniture that was sculptural, in a pre-minimalist vein. The designer blurred the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living spaces in quintessentially modern style. “Paul T. Frankl transformed a rather dated type of furniture into something modern and urbane,” wrote Christopher Long in Paul T. Frankl and Modern American Design (Yale University Press, 2007).
Harvey G. Schwartz—the world’s foremost collector, restorer, and dealer of rattan furniture—has amassed a historic assembly of the rarest and most exquisite examples designed by Frankl. Only 25 offerings of this museum-quality furniture are on sale to the public for the first time in decades. For discerning collectors and tastemakers, Harvey’s Private Collection offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own the most iconic and important rattan works available.
In the 1930s and 1940s Frankl’s designs became a staple among Hollywood’s elite, gracing the homes of many stars of the day—Fred Astaire, Katharine Hepburn, and Charlie Chaplin. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright, FAIA, was a frequent customer, as was noted interior decorator Elsie de Wolfe, who used pieces in her own home.
The sofas, lounge chairs, dining chairs, tables, and casegoods from Harvey’s Private Collection have been meticulously restored to ensure structural integrity and longevity. These original museum-quality Frankl pieces have been sourced from homes designed by Frankl himself.
About Paul T. Frankl
Paul T. Frankl (1886-1958) was a pioneering designer who brought rattan into the realm of high-end interior décor. His innovative designs in the 1930s and 1940s redefined modern American furniture, blending organic materials with sleek, minimalist forms. His original pieces are in the collections of more than 15 significant international museums, including Cooper-Hewitt/Smithsonian Design Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (purchased from Harvey’s Private Collection), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Vitra Design Museum. They remain highly coveted by collectors and continue to influence contemporary design.
About Harvey G. Schwartz
Harvey G. Schwartz is the leading expert in vintage rattan furniture and the author of Rattan Furniture: Tropical Comfort Throughout the House (Schiffer, 1999). His extensive collection of Paul T. Frankl’s rattan works is the largest in the world, earning him recognition as “The Rattan Man.” Harvey’s dedication to preserving and promoting Frankl’s designs has made him a revered figure in the world of modernist furniture.
