Brand Spotlight: Baker Furniture

The Maker At A Glance

Established in 1890, Baker Furniture remains one of the highest quality furniture production companies in the industry with affiliated designers including Barbara Barry, Finn Juhl, T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, and Michael Taylor.

The Story Behind The Design

Siebe Baker was a Dutch immigrant who settled in Michigan in 1890. There, Baker founded a woodworking and door company, which would go on to become a three-generation family business. 

One of Baker’s earliest claims to fame was the Art Deco “Twentieth Century Shop” collection in 1925. This early exploration of Modernism laid the foundation for decades of collaborations with designers including Donald Deskey, Finn Juhl and T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, among others.

Key to Baker’s success was an appreciation of Old World furniture, and a knack for reproducing those works. Siebe Baker’s son Hollis S. Baker, Sr. was a frequent world traveler who collected furniture and books on European and Asian design as a source of inspiration for his company’s craft. 

In 1932 Baker Furniture launched their Manor House line, one of the first major programs to reproduce English antiques in the United States. Throughout the years Baker would go on to reproduce antique pieces from Colonial and Federal America, Italy, France and the Netherlands.

Outside of the company’s European and American sensibilities, Baker also had an admiration for Asian design. Baker introduced America to Chinese Modern furniture at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, and later introduced the Far East Collection in 1949. 

With their plethora of cultural influences, Baker Furniture truly injected the world’s best into the burgeoning Modern style. While Baker pieces from different decades may not share a common cultural inspiration, they all share a dedication to enduring quality that lasted three generations of the Baker family.

Notable Works: Stately Homes Collection

Baker Furniture’s affinity for reproducing historical European pieces continued well into the ‘80s. Some of the most sought-after pieces today are from the Stately Home Collection, a series of designs recreated from the castles and palaces of England, Ireland, Scotland and Russia.

Originally commissioned by royalty and aristocracy as far back as the 1600s, these pieces were hand-selected by Sir Humphry Wakefield, the leading authority on English antiques. Wakefield personally selected pieces from various noble homes for recreation by the craftsmen at Baker.

The scale and size of each piece were carefully adapted to 20th century sensibilities, so this esteemed collection looks right at home in the modern household. You’ll find several Stately Homes pieces in stock at all times at Liberty & 33rd.

Liberty & 33rd & Baker Furniture

When you bring a Baker piece into your space, you bring an appreciation for a diverse array of techniques, aesthetics and cultures. Our Baker Furniture collection is one of the largest you’ll find anywhere — we’re confident that you’ll find the perfect Baker piece for your home at Liberty & 33rd.