Paul Evans Furniture

“Paul  Evans (20 May 1931 – 7 March 1987) was an American born furniture designer, sculptor, and artist, who is famous for his contributions to American furniture design and the American craft Movement of the 1970s, and with his work with the influential American manufacturer Directional Furniture. Paul Evans’ creation of metal sculpted furniture set him apart. He studied at the Cranbrook Academy of Art and later settled in New Hope, Pennsylvania, and shared a showroom with woodworker Phillip Lloyd Powell.” – From Todd Merrill Studio

We are working on a remodel up in Aspen, and the client LOVES Paul Evans.  We have been researching pieces for her, specifically trying to source a floating media console for the Great Room to serve as a fabulous “wow factor” in the room.  In the process, we have been so stricken with the scale, craftsmanship, and artistry of Paul Evans’ work that we simply had to share some of our favorite findings with you.

“His work is stunningly beautiful, stunningly ugly, stunningly tacky, stunningly sophisticated,” says avid Evans collector Lenny Kravitz, in a documentary that aired at the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, PA, on March 1st.  Learn more about Paul Evans in this New York Times article, “The Furniture and Life of Paul Evans”.

Below are a few of the pieces now on display at the Michener exhibit:

We also LOVE this Paul Evans piece from Todd Merrill Studio that is displayed at the exhibit and still available for purchase.  This piece was an Evans collaboration with Phillip Lloyd Powell.  Here is the description from the Todd Merrill website:

“A rare and exuberantly carved American Walnut console by the Powell Evans Studio designed and created by Phil Powell and Paul Evans in 1963 for a private client. One of the best examples of Powell’s work, this cabinet has three sections and features a beautifully carved front panel highlighting the natural formation of the wood with chip carving and gold-leaf detailing. The first section features a steel and gold-leafed fishscale grill top (created by Evans) that lifts-up for storage or display. The center compartment has a solid wood top with the same lift-up access and the third section has a drop down gold-leaf panel that could be used for serving. The whole cabinet wall mounts on a cleat. The condition is excellent throughout. Acquired directly from the original client’s family. This is a excellent example of Paul Evans and Phil Powell’s early collaborative work and is the best of the Powell Evans studio pieces.”

The wood carving detail is simply stunning!  Powell was known for exploiting wood’s natural imperfections and incorporating them into his designs.  The wood carving on this piece almost mimics the wood’s knots and grooves, but in a decidedly modern, almost surrealist way.  And of course the metal-work is equally as exquisite.  The grill on top is my favorite detail!Here some more non-cabinet Evans pieces that seemed especially unique.

Another Evans-Pwell collaboration: Rare Studio Silver Fish Scale Screen available through Todd Merrill Studio.

Unique Welded Steel Tulip Chandelier – commissioned for a client, now available through Todd Merrill Studio.

Argente Custom King Bed available through Todd Merrill Studio

We hope you have been impressed and inspired!  Happy Friday