Ficks Reed Rattan Sofa

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About the Item

A 1960s natural finish three seat rattan Ficks Reed sofa from a beautiful North Shore of Long Island estate. In excellent original condition. We have two matching Ficks Reed swivel rattan saucer chairs listed that were part of the original set. The six cushions are included, if you want them.Creator: Ficks Reed (Manufacturer)Dimensions: Height: 28.5 in (72.39 cm)Width: 80 in (203.2 cm)Depth: 35.5 in (90.17 cm)Seat Height: 15.5 in (39.37 cm)Sold As: Set of 7Style: Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)Materials and Techniques: Fabric,RattanPlace of Origin: United StatesPeriod: 1960-1969Date of Manufacture: 1960sCondition: GoodSeller Location: Stamford, CTReference Number: Seller: 43771stDibs: LU792629008992Shop All Ficks Reed

Ficks Reed

Somewhat of an overlooked icon of American design, Ficks Reed was founded by Louis Ficks in 1885 as the National Carriage and Reed Company, a New York purveyor of wicker baby carriages. By the turn of the century, however, the company had moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, and, under the auspices of Ficks Reed, began manufacturing furniture with wicker, rattan and bamboo.

Over the coming decades, Ficks Reed would benefit from an increased interest in Asian imports, as evidenced in everything from the growing popularity of chinoiserie wallpaper and Chinese porcelain to the Japanese influence in Frank Lloyd Wrights modern architecture.

The brand was also bolstered by partnerships with several prominent architects and designers throughout the 20th century, including Paul Lszl, Pipsan Saarinen Swanson creator of the company’s Sol-Air Group and elder sister of Eero Saarinen John B. Wisner, Paul T. Frankl and Dorothy Draper.

Each Ficks Reed partner brought their unique sensibility to the designs Swansons had skeletal frames while Draper, a largely forgotten decorator and pioneer of the Hollywood Regency style, favored more ornate detailing; Lszl created low-slung seats but all were rendered in the companys signature wicker and bamboo.

Thanks in large part to the Draper relationship, Ficks Reed furniture has long been a fixture at The Greenbrier and Colony hotels, as well as other luxury properties including the Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton resorts and The Breakers in Palm Beach. In 2006, Draper protg Carleton Varney continued his mentors legacy by debuting a new 20-piece collection for Ficks Reed based on her original designs.

A recent resurgence in the popularity of wicker and rattan has given way to newfound demand for Ficks Reed rattan chairs and other furniture in the secondary market, where original vintage pieces are often refinished, repainted or lacquered to further underscore the textural detail of their bamboo and rattan frames.

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