A Perfect Pair: Steelcase and Swank!

Though we absolutely adore all the furnishings ever made by the office furniture manufacturing company Steelcase, you have to be careful when purchasing a vintage piece for your home. Because many of their pieces are made of metal and with an industrial feel, if you don’t place them with the right pieces, you can have a room in your house that looks like an office! We think the pair of Swank Lighting lamps we chose to go with a Steelcase piece looks just right…

This Modern Steel Credenza from Steelcase is somewhat atypical for a Steelcase piece, in that it features light colors. Made in the US in the 1960s, it has textured opaque sliding doors and a smooth off-white Formica top. Though it was probably created with the intended use of being in an office to hold supplies or files, it would make for a great storage space in a home office, a media unit for a living room or a buffet in a dining room. The textured glass doors give the unit instant cool, whereas the shiny steel almost gives this straight-edged piece some glam.

We chose a pair of Tall Green Vintage Murano Lamps by Seguso from Swank Lighting to go with this Steelcase credenza. Made in Italy at the same time as the credenza, these lamps absolutely exude grace with their tall, thin necks, simple shape and curved edges. Green is apparently a pretty rare color in Murano glass, and these are an exuberantly rich emerald green. Though the color is bold, their graceful and almost diminutive shape means that they won’t over power anything else in a room.

Placed on top of this industrial steel credenza, Swank Lighting’s lamps almost float above the steel, giving the whole combination a “how’d they do that” appearance. The bold green pops against the neutral colors of the credenza, but Steelcase’s shiny steel more than holds its own in a battle of shine. The textures of the doors contrast nicely with the smooth richness of the Murano glass, and the lamps’ tall neck mimics the slender steel legs of the credenza. We could totally see this combination in a dining room, living room or more!

The Industrial and Mid-Century Style of Steelcase!

The name Steelcase isn’t exactly synonymous with high design. The company is more famous for its innovations in the field of office furniture. So why would we be interested in talking about an office furniture manufacturer on the Swank Lighting blog? Two reasons. They don’t just do office furniture, and the office furniture they created in the height of the Mid-Century is drop-dead gorgeous and sought out for interiors today.

In a lot of ways, Steelcase helped pioneer a sort of industrial Mid-Century Modern look. Their catalog of furniture is full of amazing variety: task chairs and cubicle office furnishings, desks of all shapes and sizes, filing cabinets, credenzas, side chairs, bookshelves, room dividers, storage and more. They experimented with many materials over the years, from plastics to upholstery to lots and lots of metals of all colors. Because they are a large company, they’ve had many people design their furniture over the years, so it’s hard to pin down an exact “look” or style, but rest assured if you find a good-looking Mid-Century Modern industrial-looking filing cabinet with style to spare, there’s a good chance it’s a Steelcase.

Founded in 1912 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Steelcase was originally known as “The Metal Office Furniture Company.” Specializing first in filing cabinets and safes, it slowly moved on to other furniture pieces, changing its name to Steelcase in 1954. In recent decades, Steelcase has taken a strong stance as not only an office furniture leader, but as a technology and sustainability leader. Steelcase frequently invests in eco-friendly ventures, like in 2008 when it committed to financially supporting a US wind farm by purchasing green power from it. Many of Steelcase’s manufacturing processes also receive certifications and awards, like the MBDC Cradle to Cradle and LEED. As far as technology goes, Steelcase is inspired by innovation, and majority-owns the design consultancy company IDEO—known for their innovative ideas in a number of different fields.

Though the look of their furniture pieces has changed pretty rapidly over the years, they were one of the largest manufacturers of sleek professional furnishings for quite some time, and continue to be a powerhouse. And their gorgeous Mid-Century Modern furnishings look darn good as industrial accents in homes and offices today!