Incollect Magazine - Issue 12

94 www.incollect.com Architectural Digest. The story was on the home and design collection of actor and comedian Will Ferrell. “All of a sudden, we got a lot of calls from designers about this chair,” she says. Interior designers and dealers reiterate that one of the most appealing qualities of Baughman’s designs is that they easily integrate into any interior. “Baughman’s pieces are sleek and modern and are very well made,” says Florida design dealer and designer Victoria Rojas, who has sold several Baughman credenzas to clients. “There is nothing ostentatious about them, so they can be mixed with interior styles as diverse as ultra contemporary design or post-war French or Brutalist design, even clients with bold artwork,” she says. Born on October 15, 1923, in Goodland, Kansas, and raised in Long Beach, California, Baughman served in the Navy in World War II before returning to California, where he studied art and design at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles. In 1947, at the age of 24, he launched Milo Baughman Design, Inc. and early on received commissions from corporate clients in Los Angeles, such as Glenn of California, where he worked with designer Greta Magnusson Grossman, and Pacific Iron. Baughman’s designs were new and innovative in many ways. He favored modern materials such as chrome, stainless steel, glass, and leather, while looking to create furniture that was both stylish and comfortable. His furniture designs appear today to be more minimal rather than strictly ‘modern,’ they are unfussy and clean-lined, with a focus on high-quality materials, finish, and craftsmanship for comfort and durability. He was designing furniture for a new era in American life. Embodying qualities of ease, comfort, relaxation, and utility are the Z lounge chairs (produced with and without arm rests), released in the 1970s, in which an inclined, tufted seat and back are cantilevered on top of Z-shaped frames of bronze or polished chrome. They have a fine feeling of weightlessness. He made similar dining chairs for the Design Institute of America. During the 1980s, Baughman evolved his design style to reflect the changing tastes. He produced more consciously sculptural furniture, such as a G-shaped console table and various chairs incorporating ergonomic design principles. The Feelin’ Groovy swivel chair is an updated take on the wingback chair, combining a plush seat cushion with a tall, sculptural seat back. “Milo Baughman’s designs embody an elegance and versatility that to us make them as captivating today as when they were introduced in the mid-20th century,” say Nicole and Ryan Hobbs. “At Hobbs Modern, we’re proud to feature a carefully selected group of his pieces that capture the essence of that era’s innovation and craftsmanship.” Hobbs Modern currently has several multi-wood end tables by Baughman for Directional that showcase his flair for pairing materials with precision and warmth. They also have a classic Recliner 74 for Thayer Coggin, which, they say, “delivers both comfort and sophistication in equal measure.” They also have a Good Egg swivel chair, a curvy egg-shaped chair designed in 1967. “It’s a true modern classic,” Nicole and Ryan Hobbs say, “capturing that unmistakable, show-stopping silhouette that ultimately defined American modern design.” 3-position walnut frame Recliner 74 by Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin, circa 1960s. The tall back and contoured armrests make this a very comfortable chair. New Maharam upholstery. Available from Hobbs Modern on Incollect.com