Another great designer has evaded our knowledge for years since we've been in this field, but we're happy to say that we are now well-versed in all things Tommy Parzinger-and you should be, too. This famous interior, textile and furniture designer didn't quite follow the trends of the time, but his pieces are unique and stylish.
The one connecting factor to all of Tommi's work is that there is no connecting factor. Looking at a page full of his furniture designs is like looking at a page of a ton of different furniture designer's pages; every piece of his looked very different, and he designed a ton! And in all sorts of shapes and sizes!
We're partial to his case goods the most. We really like his bookcases, shelves, credenzas and even side and coffee tables a lot. His credenzas and cabinets usually had simple shapes, but oftentimes were heavily embellished with designs, lacquers, hardware and more. Sometimes his pieces had marquetry and others had crazy textures. His bookshelves sometimes came in unusual shapes that helped set them apart.
The son of a sculptor, Tommi had a lot of artistry in his blood, and ended up studying at the Munich School of Arts and Crafts in mediums like ceramic, metal, wood and even glass. He was also a graphic designer early on, even winning competitions. Eventually finding his way to the United States, he started off small, designing small objects and accessories, but eventually working his way up to furniture. He had his own company by 1939. He would go on to design a ton of great pieces under the style "eclectic modernism." Not loved by everyone (especially modern purists), he still had plenty of fans, and his work is still admired today.
Swank Lighting is an amazing resource not just for the best vintage Murano glass lamps on the market today, but also a wonderful resource for interior design inspiration and a great place to get an education about past and present designers. Keep up-to-date with everything we do on our
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