Design hero Paul McCobb’s understated designs are having the revival they deserve
His furniture dominated US homes in the 1950s, and now McCobb’s understated designs are having the revival they deserve
Unlike many of his mid-century US contemporaries, American designer Paul McCobb (1917-1969) has languished in obscurity for decades, overlooked because of his restrained rather than attention-grabbing work.
Yet, ironically, most stateside homeowners would have been more familiar with this short-lived designer’s most famous creation, the affordable ‘Planner’ furniture system – launched in 1950 and a bestseller throughout the decade – than with the more flamboyant statement pieces of Charles and Ray Eames or George Nelson. Sold nationwide by US department stores, it was the first modular furniture line available to American consumers. ‘Planner’, which referred to how the pieces made it easy to plan the design of a room, comprised pared-down wooden cabinets and drawers that users could configure in myriad ways to create storage units or room dividers, adding elements such as desks when required.
McCobb’s simple work – encompassing interiors, textiles, lighting, ceramics, glassware, radios and hi-fi systems – was strongly influenced by his New England roots and the unadorned style of Shaker furniture. Born in Massachusetts, he initially aspired to be an artist. After a short time in the army, the self-taught McCobb set up his design studio in New York in 1945. Three years later, while working as an interior decorator at the Modernage Furniture Company, he met his business partner BG Mesberg, with whom he dreamed up the ‘Planner’ and ‘Directional’ furniture ranges.
Prolific and versatile, McCobb also created the ‘Irwin’, ‘Predictor’, ‘Calvin’ and ‘Linear’ collections, some of which included desks, sideboards, upholstered armchairs and coffee tables. And in the 1950s he won the Museum of Modern Art’s Good Design Award five times.
Now, his work is enjoying a revival, initiated largely by Danish-American company Form Portfolios. Having published Shapes of Paul McCobb, the firm also holds the rights to his designs and is licensing manufacturers to produce his work. In Denmark, Fritz Hansen has relaunched McCobb’s ‘Planner’ shelving unit, coffee tables, magazine rack, mirror and ‘PM-02’ table lamp (left); Copenhagen-based Karakter has revived his ‘Desk Series’ console, and Made a Mano has reissued three terracotta or lava stone tile designs with graphic patterns – ‘PM1’, ‘PM2’ and ‘PM3’. Meanwhile, Italian brand De Padova has recreated his 1956 ‘Wingback’ chair and footstool and, in the US, Schwinn Originals is producing his drawer handles and Ralph Pucci the ‘Symmetric’ sofa.
It looks as though, second time around, McCobb could become as well-loved as his more illustrious peers.
PROLIFIC AND VERSATILE, MCCOBB WON THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART’S
GOOD DESIGN AWARD FIVE TIMES