An American woodworker known for a wide range of furniture that is sensuous, sculptural and imbued with character, Phillip Lloyd Powell is an iconic figure in design. His organic style transcended the conventions of popular mid-century modern furniture and is best reflected in the vintage cabinets and tables for which he is renowned.
“I am an artist working with furniture,” Powell once said. But the self-taught furniture maker wore a number of different hats throughout his lifetime. He crafted handmade furniture as a teenager at his boyhood home and went on to study engineering at what is now Drexel University. Powell served in the Army Air Corps during World War II, and, on his return, he established his first showroom in New Hope, in his home state of Pennsylvania, stocking furniture from Knoll, Herman Miller and Isamu Noguchi.
In New Hope, Powell encountered fellow furniture designers Paul Evans and George Nakashima. The latter, a master woodworker who preferred a personal approach to design over industrial methods and materials, encouraged Powell to concentrate on making his own furniture. When Powell did so, he’d experiment with Nakashima’s unused stock of wood, drawing on natural world forms for seating and shapely coffee tables.
Evans, who moved to New Hope in 1955, was invited to share Powell’s studio space. Powell’s furniture design practice really took off and a collaboration with Evans put into motion the 1960s American Studio Craft Movement, which came to include furniture designers Wharton Esherick and Sam Maloof. The decade-long partnership between Evans and Powell yielded stone-topped tables, walnut chests with sculptured metal exteriors and more.
Powell was inspired by Evans’s artistry as a jewelry designer — he was a skilled welder whose Cityscape pieces are milestones of brutalism. Powell, in turn, encouraged him to turn his sculptures into furniture. Like Evans, Powell incorporated a range of materials into his work, rendering the interiors of his hand-carved cabinets alluring and distinctive with applications of silver leaf and fabrics.
The sinewy arms of Powell’s famous New Hope lounge chair are representative of his broad expertise with wood and his ability to make graceful yet functional furniture. He worked slowly, and the influence of the natural world remained a driving force in his designs. Powell produced approximately 1,000 pieces while he lived and worked in New Hope until his death in 2008.
Find vintage Phillip Lloyd Powell furniture on 1stDibs.
Phillip Lloyd Powell Wall-Mounted Console Shelf in Walnut
By Phillip Lloyd Powell
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Phillip Lloyd Powell, sizable wall-mounted console, walnut, Unites States, 1970s With regard to its essential form, material use, and woodwork, this wall-mounted shelf or console is...
Walnut
Gorgeous Wall HangingDisplay Shelf by Phillip Lloyd Powell
By Phillip Lloyd Powell
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Amazing wall mounted shelf hand crafted in black walnut by Phillip Powell. Signature dovetailed edges and choice walnut stand in contrast with the grass cloth backing. Sculptural she...
Walnut
Teteia Contemporary Wall Shelf
By Cultivado em Casa
Located in Floresta, MG
Graceful and delicate, the Teteia wall shelf is a suspended shelf that behaves well in any Habitat, allowing several possibilities of use. Its colors a...
Steel
$5,850 / item
H 9.375 in W 12 in D 30 in
Deep 2G Wall-Mounted Shelf Console in Waxed Aluminum Plate by Jonathan Nesci
By Jonathan Nesci
Located in Columbus, IN
Quarter-inch aluminum plate, digitally cut and hand-finished. Two bays at console depth — deeper than the standard G shelf to accommodate larger objects, books at multiple orientatio...
Aluminum
Wall-Mounted Cabinet by Phillip Lloyd Powell
By Phillip Lloyd Powell
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A rare and unusual wall-mounted cabinet by Phillip Lloyd Powell in walnut. Drawers on one side with piano hinge bi-fold doors on the other side, with adjustable shelves inside. Great...
Teak Wall Hung Shelf
By Kai Kristiansen
Located in Puslinch, ON
Refinished teak wall hung shelf.
Teak
Italian Tassel Wall Shelf
Located in New York, NY
Italian tassel wall shelf with three shelves. Painted finish on shelves, iron frame.
Iron
$3,900 / set
H 40 in W 48 in D 12 in
Mid Century Paul Evans Wall Mirror & Console Table Shelf in Brass & Chrome
By Paul Evans, Directional
Located in Philadelphia, PA
An incredible design combination, a cityscape wall shelf and mirror designed by Paul Evans in the 1970's. The set features fine heavy construction with brass & chrome clad patchwork ...
Brass, Chrome
1960s wall shelf, Poul Cadovius
By Cado, Poul Cadovius
Located in Neuss, NW
Classic shelving system from the 1960s. The high-quality containers and shelves are veneered in teak. The system consists of nine shelves, a record container, and three wooden ladder...
Wood, Teak
Spanish Colonial Carved Wood Wall Mounted Shelf / Pantry Shelf
Located in Barcelona, ES
Spanish Colonial Three-Tier Wall Shelf in Pine Wood, 1940s Three Levels. The upper lever is smaller than the other two ones. This wall hanging shelf has scalloped and carved details...
Wood, Pine
$18,500
H 92 in W 25 in D 26 in
Paul Evans and Phillip Lloyd Powell Gold Leaf and Walnut Studio Cabinet, 1963
By Phillip Lloyd Powell, Paul Evans
Located in Dallas, TX
This early studio craft 23 Karat gold leafed cabinet was made as a collaboration between Paul Evans and Phillip Lloyd Powell in the mid 1960s. The upper storage compartment unlatches to reveal two adjustable felt-lined shelves. The center compartment conceals a vanity complete with three mirrors embellished with torch-cut brazed discs flanked by two vertical rows of lightbulbs. Behind the mirror is a secret hidden storage compartment. Below this feature is a drop-front laminated tray and an open storage compartment. The bottom of the cabinet boasts a bank of five hand-carved solid walnut drawers and the left side has a cut-out with a hidden outlet and a slate surface which would provide a convenient smartphone charging station...
Slate, Brass, Gold Leaf
$22,450 / item
H 11.5 in W 9.5 in D 143.5 in
8G Wall-Mounted Shelf in Waxed Aluminum Plate by Jonathan Nesci
By Jonathan Nesci
Located in Columbus, IN
The Minimalist wall-mounted, 12 foot long, 8G shelf is sculpted out of 1/4 inch thick, wax-polished aluminum. Each shelf has an inset welded U-channel that spans the length of the sh...
Aluminum
$11,250 / item
H 11.5 in W 9.5 in D 73 in
4G Wall-Mounted Shelf in Waxed Aluminum Plate by Jonathan Nesci
By Jonathan Nesci
Located in Columbus, IN
The Minimalist wall-mounted 4G shelf is sculpted out of 1/4 inch thick, wax-polished aluminum. Each shelf has an inset welded U-channel that spans the length of the shelf and easily ...
Aluminum
1960s Wall Shelf, Musterring
By Musterring International
Located in Neuss, NW
Classic wall shelf in teak veneer from the 1960s, consisting of five black metal ladders, two cabinets with four doors, three shelves and one drawer cabinet. Quality Features: very ...
Metal
Paul Evans and Phillip Lloyd Powell, Studio Bar Cabinet and Server, USA
By Phillip Lloyd Powell, Paul Evans
Located in New York, NY
A custom commissioned bar cabinet and serving-shelf unit designed and handmade collaboratively by Phil Powell and Paul Evans, circa 1964. This is a fantastic and rare piece that repr...
Gold, Gold Leaf, Steel