Get to know Adrian Pearsall, furniture designer

Adrian Pearsall

[1]

Adrian Mount Pearsall (1925–2011) was a renowned Mid-Century designer, architect, and philanthropist. Born in New York, he was raised and settled in Pennsylvania.

Pearsall was an active part of the great sense of opportunity that swept through The United States after World War II. Many American factories were achieving record-breaking levels of productivity.[2] Designers of this period were excited by the host of new materials available to them and the possibilities that mass production offered.

After serving in the U.S. Navy and attending the University of Illinois for architectural engineering (graduated 1950), Pearsall founded Craft Associates and began working with wrought iron designs before switching to walnut designs in the late ‘50s. Craft Associates was hugely successful and helped establish the mid-century “Atomic Age” style, and was later sold to Lane Furniture.

During this period, the fantasy of the chic, gadget-laden 'bachelor's lair' was a recurring icon of hedonistic, masculine consumption in men's magazines such as Playboy, Escapade and Rogue. Cosmopolitan and brimming with á la mode luxuries, the 'bachelor pad' was a leitmotif in these magazines' wider celebration of masculine consumer pleasure and desire.[3]

Pearsall designed his own home in 1962. His home was for sale in 2011, listing for 1.5 million dollars.[4]  This beautiful ranch-style home is the definition of swanky living:

http://adrianpearsall.com/adrianpearsallhomeslideshow.htm

http://retrorenovation.com/2011/05/01/breaking-news-adrian-pearsalls-1964-house-for-sale/

Pearsall went on to co-found Comfort Designs and continued to work hard and flourish in the 1970s. Check out his full catalog:

http://www.adrianpearsall.com/catalogs.htm

“Known for his daring designs which brought high style to the masses, he is credited with the creation of long and low gondola sofas, free-form walnut and glass tables, and the popularization of the venerable bean bag chair.”[5]

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[1] all photos from http://www.ny30.org/adrianmountpearsall.htm

[2] Judith Miller, Miller’s 20^th Century Design, London: Octopus Publishing Group, 2012.

[3] Bill Osgerby, “The Bachelor Pad as Cultural Icon,” Journal of Design History, Vol. 18 No. 1, Spring 2005, pg. 99­–113.

[4] Mary Therese Biebel,“The house the late Adrian Mount Pearsall designed” The Times Leader, (Wilkes-Barre, PA), Jan 28, 2012.

[5] http://www.adrianpearsall.com/obit.html