Adrian Pearsall
Nov 25, 2013 | by Becky Oeltjenbruns
Adrian Pearsall coffee table, courtesy of LootModern
One of the reasons we love vintage is the treasure hunt – learning more about designers that are no longer familiar, identifying rare pieces, and discovering the history behind beloved style principles. Adrian Pearsall is one such designer who may remain unknown to most collectors. We are happy to provide a brief introduction. Accompanying our feature, Doug with Loot Modern has supplied us with some lovely images from his Pearsall inventory. Please join us as we learn more…
Doug with Loot Modern in Des Moines, IA is passionate about all things vintage and has a carefully curated inventory that we encourage you to discover. You may look through his collection on his Facebook page.
Historical Highlights
Designer Adrian Pearsall lived from 1925-2011. While he trained as an architect, he quickly left that world for furniture design, founding Craft Associates in the early 1950s with his brother Richard.
Known for its mass-produced pieces (at a medium-range price point), the firm also created custom work. Because of this breadth of offerings, a detailed catalog is under construction. If you want to know if you have an original Pearsall, please refer to this guide or direct questions to jpearsall1482@comcast.net.
Craft Associates broke into the market with daring designs and the firm is credited with creating the low, long form of gondola sofas and free form tables. By 1957 arrangements evolved, becoming more sophisticated, slender, and graceful. The “Craft Look” originated with a bow-front day bed. By using scultpural walnut for furniture pieces, the design ethos for the company was established. Adding to that ethos is the tendency to employ stunning colors. Pearsall noted that upholstery selections were heavily influenced by women’s fashion.
Craft Associates continued to operate out of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania but was later sold to Lane in the late 1960’s. Following this transition, Pearsall went on to launch the company Comfort Designs in the 1970s. In 2008 he was nominated for the American Furniture Hall of Fame.
While he may not be well known yet, he has a loyal and enthusiastic following. Please visit this website for further developments and join us in our appreciation of this prolific designer.
Adrian Pearsall, Model 1800 courtesy of LootModern
How to identify Adrian Pearsall & Craft Associates designs
Typically characterized as mod or atomic age, the look is often described as similar to Kagan in style.
While known for larger furniture pieces (sofas, dining sets, beds, etc.), they also produced different items such as pictures and small nesting tables. These compositions often played with organic and geometric forms.
The frame and base will be solid walnut, along with colorful upholstery. The furniture will be sculptural and bold with distinct, unexpected color combinations. Above all, a Pearsall piece will be well-crafted.
If you are lucky enough to locate a label on your treasure, you may verify its authenticity. Samples of these can be found at the top of this page.
Cause A Frockus would like to thank our tremendous resources: http://adrianpearsall.com/, Doug from Loot Modern, and Wikipedia.
For our readers: do you collect Pearsall? If so, tell us about your piece(s)! We’re always on the look out for new designers to research – have a designer you want to more know about? Let us know in the comments and we’ll get Betty Jo on the case!
doug- hope you’re still there.it’s nice to find someone selling this period furniture that actually seems to care about it. i have restored an 889 pearsall and will be at an auction this sat.that has an 1800 in it. problem is it’s missing it’s cabinet door and all the trim on that end. if i end up with it could i get some pics from you?
Hey Kevin! I’m still here and finding some great stuff!
I’d be happy to share any pics or information I can with you about your sofa. I think I came across it as well in my browsing. The cabinet and trim on this piece is not terribly complicated so I’m sure a skilled woodworker could recreate what you need. Best of luck!!
Hello Doug,
I was given what seems to have the look of a Pearsall “gandola” sofa. I could not find any visible tags, but i did find a stamped date inside of July, 25, 1969. How do I know if this gem is th ereal deal? Please help…and thank you
Hi Jose,
If you could send a picture of the sofa and the stamp to editor@causeafrockus.com we’ll dig in1
Cheers!
I have owned for at least 35 years a teardrop shaped glass top & walnut base coffee table with the name Adrian Persall and a number on the underside of the top. How can I tell if it’s authentic?
Hi Karen,
Would you be able to send along a picture of the labels and markings to editor@causeafrockus.com? Thanks!
I have what appears to be an Adrien Pearsall End table or coffee table base. Is there anyway to know if its authentic or a rip off without the labels? Im pretty sure the top I had was a replacement as it was round and I dont see his stuff havinging that. Im wondering if the base alone is worth anything as well?
Hi Savannah,
Thanks for reaching out. It’s tough to authenticate, but a local vintage shop owner can point you in the direction of a reputable appraisal firm who can do so. They can also advise on the base’s exact value. I think there would be value there, but the demographic may be more limited (furniture restoration artists for example).
Best of luck!
I have been collecting pieces for my first home and came across two lounge chairs that are just gorgeous and trying to get any opinions on whether or not they are indeed Adrian Pearsall. I wasn’t lucky enough to have the tags on them. They look very much like the 1806-C chair from the catalog. I can email pictures.
Thank you.
Hi Amanda,
Yes – if you could email pics that would be fab: editor@causeafrockus.com.
Cheers!
Becky
I’m having difficulty in finding out about some matching sofa pieces that my in-laws purchased in the early ’70s, and would now like to sell. The manufacturing tags, which say Comfort Designs, Inc. in Kingston, PA are still attached to some of the pillows. While there’s no exposed wood, the pieces are heavy, and definitely have bold color combination upholstery, which leads me to believe Adrian Pearsall had some role in their design.
It sounds like the Pearsall family will do a certification search for $50 to see if particular pieces were in catalogs when Adrian Pearsall was with Craft Associates, but do you know of anyone or anywhere I might go to find out if Adrian Pearsall designed the pieces we have from Comfort Designs, Inc.? Thank you for any help you can give.
Hello,
Thanks so much for reaching out. If you could send along some pics to editor@causeafrockus.com, we can dig in!
Cheers!
I have an Adriane Pearsall couch and wave chair to sell. Enclosed are pics of the couch. It needs new fabric. Can someone tell me how much I should ask for it? Thank you !!
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Hi David,
As we’re not appraisers we can’t speak to the value. I would reach out to a local vintage shop owners to get their assistance in authenitcation and a value assessment. Thanks!
Just an FYI the coffee table pictured is Kroehler not Pearsall.
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Hello my father has a couch that I believe may be by Pearsall. Where should I look for the tag?.
Hi Shelly,
I would recommend looking under the cushions on the seat.
We have a sofa my husbands parents gave us and we love it. I’ve been trying to find out what kind of sofa it is by googling 60s L shaped sofas till i found an image! i think its an Adrian Pearsall sofa. How do verify or at least find out what kind?
Hi Aileen!
Thanks for reaching out – Pearsall’s are tricky to verify/assess. I have heard from other readers that his son is qualifying pieces for a small fee. If you google for his son’s site you should be able to find out more. Otherwise, local vintage shop owners are another great first point of contact! Best of luck – Becky
I am trying to identify if a coffee table top on a Parisol Base is origional.
It has square corners..not buffer and rounded as I see in many photos. I understand that glass is typicall 7/16 th thick . Please advise.
rette_b2000@yahoo.com
Hi Rette, Thanks for reaching out – as you know Pearsall pieces are difficult to authenticate. Unfortunately we can’t offer this service, however we’ve had other readers reach out to Adrian’s family directly. Apparently there is a website where you can reach out and for a small fee, they will confirm the designs. Best of luck!
I have what I believe is one of the Adrian Pearsall chairs. I can not find any tags but would like to know for sure. How can I tell? I’m just interested in knowing so o proceed properly with reupholstering. I dont want to mess up a classic.
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for reaching out – great question! Authenticating Pearsall is a tricky business as some pieces aren’t marked. Some readers have reached out to the Pearsall family directly (via their website) – for a small fee they will authenticate it against their design database. Best of luck and enjoy!