Fun Furniture Fact #15: Kem Weber

Karl Emanuel Martin Weber, a key player in the introduction of American Modernism on the West Coast, laid the groundwork for the casual California modernism of the 1950s and 1960s.

Weber, originally from Germany, traveled to San Francisco in 1914 for a building project and was stranded in the United States at the onset of WWI. After struggling to find work, he went on to work as a designer for Barker Brothers. However, his main success came as he began designing tubular steel seating for Lloyd Manufacturing Company in the mid 1930s.

These pieces, Weber told a reporter, were intended not only to be comfortable to sit in and use: “It is a matter, as well, of harmonizing lines and low, restful tones, and a sensation of unlimited space even in a small room.” He explained further, “I have studied how people behave, how they live when they are at home. I am interested in structural principles, not in the application of ornament.”

The sleek curving metal structure is both visually appealing and comfortable. His designs are modern and lasting, and personally, we love them!