Raymond Loewy (1893-1986) was one of the best known and prolific industrial designers of the twentieth century. His work included the prosaic and iconic, from American shopping centers to the interior of Skylab.
Loewy formed Compagnie de L’Esthetique Industrielle (CEI), in Paris, in 1952. CEI, a separate operation from the New York office, was established to bring American-style industrial design to Europe. The office produced designs such as the Elna sewing machine, Le Creuset cookware, the Concorde for Air France, and various projects for Shell (such as corporate identity, gas attendant uniforms, and gas stations).
One of CEI’s popular designs was the DF 2000 modern furniture line manufactured by Doubinsky Frères and sold in the United States beginning in 1968. Although only manufactured until the early 1970s, today the DF 2000 furniture commands high prices at auction and in the mid-century modern market.
The DF 2000 line included bedroom furniture such as headboards, bureaus, cabinets, and nightstands as well as desks, credenzas, and other storage items. Constructed of molded plastic, lacquered wood, and steel, the furniture colors included a sedate black, gray, and white, or pop art colored shades of red and orange with white accents.
Loewy applied his knowledge of the automobile industry and used modular parts that could be used interchangeably in various pieces to cut production costs and to design a furniture line that would appeal to young people. He hoped that in the future doors and drawers in other colors would eventually be made for an instant change of color.[1] Loewy praised the manufacturer saying that “the doors and drawers have such a marvelous, muffled sound.”
The line proved popular and inspired similar furniture lines manufactured in the United States by Broyhill’s Premier Division as part of their Chapter One line of furniture in the early 1970s.[2]
The DF 2000 Bachelor’s Cabinet is part of the Hagley collections and was purchased for the exhibit, “Raymond Loewy: Designs for a Consumer Culture,” which opened at Hagley in 2002 and subsequently traveled to museums throughout the United States through 2009.
Hagley’s collections also include press clippings featuring the furniture line and a brochure for the DF 2000 line:
For additional information about the Raymond Loewy collection, contact askhagley@hagley.org.
[1] “The Drawer Opens From the Front and Back,” by Rita Reif, The New York Times, March 14, 1968.
[2] “Broyhill Premier Chapter One furniture — 1970s dream design — 20 photos,” https://retrorenovation.com/2012/11/12/broyhill-premier-chapter-one-furniture-1970s-style-dream-design-14-photos/. Accessed 10 April 2018.
[3] DF 2000 brochure, Accession 2251, Raymond Loewy collection, Box 2, folder D miscellaneous.
Lynn Catanese is Chief Curator of Library Collections at Hagley Museum and Library.