Mahogany and Brass Sideboard, Paul Frankl, Brown Saltman, 1940's

This credenza epitomizes Paul Frankl's California cool. Frankl, who's know for his enormously collectable design worked with Richard Neutra, R.M. Schindler, Gregory Ain, J.R. Davidson in their heydays. This piece was designed by Frankl during his collaboration with Brown Saltman, this early production piece (we’re dating it around 1941) is a unicorn in the wild; complete with the elusive rare “Modern Mode” Brown Saltman sticker inside the top drawer and additionally labeled with the Brown Saltman Southgate, CA stamp on the back.

The body, crafted in bleached mahogany, has that softly curved, “bowed-in” silhouette, almost like it’s pulling you in for a closer look. Down the center, a vertical stack of 3 drawers feature Frankl's signature X-shaped brass pulls, while the outer cabinets open via O-ring brass pulls to reveal ample storage. The legs feature brass caps for that perfect continuity in design. The credenza’s profile nods to Michel Dufet’s 1937 design documented in Ensembles Mobiliers, but filtered through Frankl’s uniquely American lens—think Parisian chic meets California modernism.


Paul Frankl (1886–1958) was the Vienna born designer who taught America how to love modern design. After emigrating to the U.S., Frankl became a pioneer of Art Deco and West Coast Modernism. His designs often blend architectural rigor with playful, unexpected details.

Owning this credenza is like holding a time capsule from the dawn of California modern design. It’s not just furniture, it's a rare survivor of Brown Saltman’s Modern Mode line, and an elegant nod to the international conversation between European and American modernism. Pieces with this level of documentation and rarity don’t come around often, especially ones that can still make you swoon from across the room.