Why Nathan furniture is as popular as ever and is a versatile and sustainable focal point for the modern home...
Over the last few years, there has been an incredible resurgence in the popularity of mid-century furniture. And with very good reason. With its clean lines, aesthetically pleasing designs and versatility, upcycled mid-century furniture is the perfect choice if you are looking to incorporate a bespoke, sensitively restored, vintage piece into your home. A piece that is ethically sourced, eco-friendly, and sustainable, a piece that will become, and remain, a lovely focal point for your interior design.
Nathan Furniture - Mid-century Design and Modern Versatility
Mid-century furniture manufacturers brought together the incredible skills and craftsmanship of the cabinet makers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The world was finally emerging from the shadow of war and economic depression. People were looking to the future, house building was in full swing and that, in turn, created a demand for beautifully designed, versatile furniture for an ever-increasing, and discerning market.
Most famous amongst these manufacturers were Stag, Ercol, Morris of Glasgow, and the fabulous, and truly iconic, Nathan Furniture Maker brands. All of these furniture brands continued production well into the 21st century, with Stag Furniture , another iconic mid-century brand also coming under the famous Nathan Furniture umbrella in later years.
Nathan Furniture Makers was the brainchild of Barnett Nathan, who immigrated to London from Russia. Production began in 1916 in London, and originally focused on sideboards, but as their popularity grew, so did their range. By the 1960’s it included several complete ranges of dining room furniture. By now, strongly influenced by the clean and uncomplicated lines of “Scandi design”, these were made from Teak and African Mahogany, with added touches of Rosewood to increase their charm.
Throughout the 100 year life of the company, Quality has remained at the heart of Nathan Furniture Makers, whether that was quality of materials, design or craftsmanship.
But over and above that, Nathan furniture also had, and still has, a more subtle and clever appeal, it has the ability to blend in with any setting, whilst standing out as a focal point. Its versatility is one of the many reasons Nathan Furniture is still so popular today.
New Trend - 1970s Furniture Revival
Seventies style is making a comeback throughout the interiors world. The relaxed style and happy vibe of the seventies takes us back to a more simple time and Nathan Furniture, particularly the Nathan Squares range is becoming increasingly popular, especially when paired with bright wallpapers.
This particular Nathan Bookcase with its Midnight Green exterior and Bauhaus inspired wallpaper, offers 3 in 1 storage solutions.
The Nathan Furniture Range
The concept of wall to wall units and teak materials were a modern introduction in the 1970s and remained popular with buyers throughout the 70s. These large units are widely available at low prices today but tend to be overlooked in favour of smaller Nathan pieces. It such as shame as these tall cabinets are multi-functional and come in many styles.
This particular cabinet offers plenty of storage, combined with a bureau for ad hoc school work, catching up on paperwork and working from home.
Also very popular for combining a workspace into your living room scheme are Nathan bureaus and bookcases. Sideboards and corner units also offer a good deal of flexible storage and can be commissioned to sit beautifully within your interior design scheme.
Customising your Nathan Furniture
Sympathetically upcycling, and customising, a piece of Nathan furniture gives you the best of all worlds. Not only are you choosing an Iconic brand, with an instantly recognisable style, but you are also choosing a sustainable product, and creating something unique that will suit you, your personality and your home decor.
Whatever your requirements, whether you’re looking for stylish storage solutions, or something for display purposes, or even a fun, vintage drinks cabinet, there will be a piece of Nathan furniture that will fit the bill perfectly. Working together on the design and commission, we’ll choose a piece that’s perfect for your needs, then we’ll move on to talk about the restyle.
You can choose to pare the wood back to its natural state to highlight the beautiful grain. Add a finish of oil and you’ll have a stunningly understated piece that will add warmth and texture to your home.
We could paint it in any single colour, or combination of colours, to complement your scheme. We might choose to add interest in the form of a geometric pattern, or textures with a variety of finishes. Or we could do a wonderful blend of all 4: wood grain, colour, texture and pattern.
Finally, we will add legs, handles, trims and all the finishing touches to complete the piece and bring it all together.
Rustic Contemporary
The options and variations are endless, we are limited only by our imaginations. The end result could be be something akin to “Rustic contemporary”, the perfect balance of natural materials, clean lines and contemporary finishes for your home. Whether you choose to use it in the office, dining room or living space, you are guaranteed something completely unique, that’s “green”, sustainable, multifunctional and endlessly stylish.
So, much like buying a “period” home and retaining the original features, but replacing the old carpet and wallpaper, by upcycling a piece of Nathan Furniture you are left with something that is stunningly relevant for modern living whilst remaining true to the origins of its design.
Looking to sell your original Nathan furniture?
If you have some of the smaller items of Nathan furniture to sell and you’d love to see it professionally transformed, before making its way to another loving home, then I’m always open to having chat about buying it from you.
You can get in touch with a description of the furniture you have and your location. Photos are always appreciated too.
Hope you’ve enjoyed reading this!
Liz x