WOW!!! Check out this RIDICULOUSLY fabulous credenza by Renzo Rutili!!! We have a GORGEOUS vintage credenza or dresser by famed designer Renzo Rutili for Johnson Furniture for your viewing pleasure!! It features four front doors with cinched rectangular white leather center panels with narrow horizontal gold stripes and is framed with gilded wood trim and square brass hardware with drop handles. The back of the doors is faux marbleized lacquer as is the shelf behind the door on the far right and all drawer fronts. The two outside doors are hinged and swing open and the two inside doors slide over the outside doors and reveal four large marbleized drawers with brass circular handles in the center of the cabinet. Hidden behind the far-left door are four additional marbleized drawers; three larger with brass plated square pulls and one smaller drawer above. It has lovely brass trim under the top of the cabinet, around the base, and it stands on beautiful brass cone shaped legs with square bases. The brass is unpolished and has a natural beautifully aged patina with some dings and wear as to be expected with vintage pieces. We chose to leave it alone as we appreciate the beauty and character it adds to the credenza. The leather is also aged in some places, and we have polished a few of the marks and dings but again, we love it the way it is! It is Hollywood Regency and a bit Art Deco in style, and it is going to be marvelous whether striking a pose in your dining room, family room, or study. Place it under a large mirror in the entry or adorn it with artwork, a sculpture, pair of lamps, or use it in your bedroom as a dresser. It is versatile, has tons of adequate storage space, and an impeccable style sure to make a bold statement in your home!
Lorenzo (Renzo) Rutili was born in 1901 in Donora, Pennsylvania. He was a designer for Johnson Furniture for over 30 years and then Tomlinson of High Point, North Carolina for three years following his time with Johnson. He studied at Carnegie Institute, and he also studied design in Europe for several years. He was a salesman, a designer, a lecturer, and past president of Grand Rapids Furniture Designers Association in 1940. Mr. Rutili passed away May 26, 1966.
Johnson Furniture was founded in 1903 by three brothers who emigrated from Sweden in 1887: Carl, Hjalmar, and Axel. Carl had received a medal from the King of Sweden for his cabinetmaking. They hired Tom Handley as the in-house designer in 1908 and also became an officer for them in 1922 and was with the company until his death in 1926. He established Johnson – Handley – Johnson as a companion company and both entities as major producers of high quality, period revival, residential furniture. Johnson produced wood residential furniture for the bedroom, while the Johnson- Handley- Johnson label was used for dining suites, occasional tables, and case pieces. Designer David Robinson led Johnson into the production of Art Deco and Modern lines in 1928. The company claimed that they were the first to produce a complete line of Modern furniture in the United States. Lorenzo (Renzo) Rutili served as head of design from 1933 into the 60’s. He personally designed groups in Modern and Neoclassical repertoires and oversaw contracted design lines by famous designers including D. Robertson Smith, Paul Frankl, Eliel Saarinen, and J. Robert F. and Pipsam Swanson. In 1963 the last family member Earl Johnson retired, and the company merged with Timber-Line Inc, while still retaining the Johnson name. In 1968 until 1975 the company was owned by Holiday Inns, Inc. and in 1983 it sold to Rose Manufacturing.
Call it a credenza, call it a cabinet, or call it a dresser… BUT whatever you call this magnificent piece designed by Renzo Rutili for Johnson Furniture, you simply MUST call it YOURS!!!
