In all my years in this business I have never seen these Paul McCobb Planner Group pieces for Winchendon in person and they are stunning! This three-piece set is comprised of two 1512 cabinets with grasscloth covered sliding doors adorned by round recessed handles. And the 1544 solid maple splayed leg bench platform base. They are all in the natural maple finish. The Planner Group was made as a modular system which achieved great acclaim by architects, designers, and magazines for its simplicity, scale, refined lines, and versatility. It was so popular it remained in constant production from 1950 to 1964. And it has become a sought after mid-century modern design icon for those same reasons.
This set’s designer, Paul McCobb (1917-1969), is a 20th Century design genius. He wanted to be an artist from childhood and studied drawing and painting for a time but left to enlist in the Army in 1942. Only serving a short time as he was medically discharged in 1943. McCobb was first noticed while working as a design and decorating consultant for Martin Feinman’s Modernage Furniture in New York City in 1948. While there he met B.G. Mesberg who later became his business partner in the Planner and Directional furniture lines. And, although best known for his furniture designs, he also designed radios, televisions, hi-fi consoles and other household items. He won many awards and is represented in museums around the world. His other well-known furniture lines are Predictor, Calvin Group, Directional, Irwin Group, and Connoisseur Collection.
You can use this three-piece set in so many fabulous configurations. Use the cabinets together on the base, place one on the base and one on the floor, stack the cabinets and leave the base as a bench, or let your imagination soar. You just need to make them yours.
