Phillip Lloyd Powell Custom-Made Chest of Drawers in Solid Walnut

Phillip Lloyd Powell, custom-made cabinet, solid walnut, New Hope, United States, circa 1960

Crafted in Phillip Lloyd Powell’s New Hope studio, this very rare cabinet pairs understated modernism with unmistakably hand-wrought detail. Commissioned circa 1960, the case presents a clean, rectilinear silhouette. Three large drawers and one smaller drawer feature recessed, sculpted pulls that read as subtle finger scoops and follow the wood’s flowing grain. The cabinet is raised on slender, tapered legs that lend the piece a light, architectural stance. Exposed dovetail joinery at the case edges underscores Powell’s exacting craftsmanship, while the deep, warm tone and expressive figuring of the wood give the whole an earthy, inviting presence. Every element – structure, proportion, and touchpoint –reflects Powell’s insistence on making as both method and signature.

Phillip Lloyd Powell (1919-2008) is one of the essential members of the American Studio Craft Movement. Born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1919, he discovered his love for furniture design at a young age. He already began crafting his own furniture and custom furniture for family and friends in his adolescent years. He studied engineering at Drexel university but was drafted to serve in the Army Air Corps during the Second World War. After his return from the army, he settled in New Hope, Pennsylvania, a place that was crowded with craftspeople such as Paul Evans. It was during this period that he met Evans and throughout the 1950s and 1960s the two men shared a studio. Therefore, they often collaborated, creating some of the most important furniture of the Midcentury Studio Furniture Movement. Together, they shared a love for materials and a passion for handcrafted pieces. Therefore, all his pieces are handmade from high quality, grained woods that often recall their natural shape and form. Another natural material that he often used was slate, the deep grey material was often utilized for table or credenza tops. Over the span of slightly more than half a century, Powell's production yielded just around 1000 pieces. The designer stands in stark contrast to the prolific output of contemporaries such as the renowned furniture designer George Nakashima, who is estimated to have created well over 10,000 objects. It was in fact Nakashima who urged Powell to begin designing for himself in the first place. Today, Powell’s well-known carved wooden cabinets, consoles, chairs and dining tables are one of the most sought-after pieces from that era.