This rare daybed by German architect and furniture designer Helmut Magg (1927-2013) breathes the aesthetics of 1950s design. With a clear occupation with geometry, Magg’s architectural prowess is evident in the lines of this daybed.

The keywords regarding this model are quality, design and understated elegance. A daybed is the perfect cross between a chaise longue, a couch, and a bed, and could serve all these purposes. The slender, slightly conical legs are made from cherry wood with a beautiful dark shade that attracts the eye. The legs balance out the body well, creating a light, airy look. The elegant shape is formed by the slightly raised back and the round, soft edges. The geometrical pillows are a unique addition that add visual interest and break the flat and straight lines of the body and legs. This daybed is an exceptional piece of post-war German design, and this original model remains very limited in numbers.

This daybed and pillows have been reupholstered in premium alpaca-wool blend fabric, which guarantees outstanding comfort and softness. The manufacturer, Deutsche Werkstätten, in the Hellerau district of the German city of Dresden, is a still existing German company with a long history dating back to the 19th century. The company archives are deemed a valuable cultural asset and were even provided with legal protection.

SOLD

Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. The chair and pillows have been reupholstered recently in premium alpaca and wool blend fabric.

Dimensions:

77.16 in W x 35.03 in D x 19.68 in H

196 cm W x 89 cm D x 50 cm H

About the Manufacturer:

The workshops of Deutsche Werkstätten Hellerau were founded October 1, 1898 by Karl Schmidt-Hellerau (1873-1948) under the name Dresdner Werkstätten für Handwerkskunst Schmidt und Engelbrecht, or Schmidt and Engelbrecht Dresdner workshops for craftsmanship. They started created plywood furniture and continued developing the technique of using plywood. In 1941, they received a patent for thermally tempered wood.

In 1907, Karl Schmidt-Hellerau established an industrial technical school and training workshops. Its first head was Joseph August Lux. During his years in England, Karl Schmidt-Hellerau became familiar with the idea of the garden city. In reaction to the conditions of worker's housing in Dresden, he decided together with other people, among them Friedrich Naumann, to build Germany's first garden city. This was accomplished in 1909. The cornerstone of a new factory was laid in 1909 in what is today Dresden-Hellerau. Following the commissioning of the new production hall, the company moved there in 1910. At the time the firm occupied 450 employees.

Despite the severe global economic crisis in 1929, the years of National Socialism and the devastation of the Second World War and the socialist planned economy in the GDR, the company has endured. In 1967 the workshops began mass production of the Möbelprogramm Deutsche Werkstätten (MDW), a modular system developed by Rudolf Horn which remained in production for 24 years. Starting in 1970 Hellerau was the main plant of the Volkseigener Betrieb Möbelkombinat Hellerau, an industrial grouping of furniture producers of East Germany.

Following reunification in 1991, the company was transformed into a GmbH in 1992 and privatized by the Treuhand. It then employed 80 people, with a focus on fulfilling public sector procurement. The company has received three bronze medals at the Paris World Fair in 1900 and awards at the Universal Exhibitions of 1904 in St. Louis and 1937 in Paris for their craftsmanship and innovative designs. ~H.