Other than being extremely interesting for the design buff, researching furniture patents on the web can be a great way to help you establish the authenticity of a piece or even identify it if you have nothing but a patent mark to go by.
Furniture patents show everything from the overall design to the manufacturing process, to the joints and assembly. These details are very helpful in figuring out if you have the “Real Thing” or if you have a knock-off.
Patents can be searched by Inventor (designer) or Assignee (manufacturer) or directly by Patent number. It can be a little confusing to begin with, but with some digging you can find out a lot about your furniture.
I’ve downloaded a few patent drawings of iconic pieces and linked them here for easy reference, but there are many, many more to be found at freepatentsonline. If you find some good ones, let us know and we’ll add the link here.
Folke Ohlsson Armchair
Florence Knoll Desk
George Nelson Swag Leg Chair
George Nelson Shelving Unit
George Nelson Sofa
Eero Saarinen Tulip Table
Eero Saarinen Womb Chair
George Nelson Coconut Chair
Ray Komai Side Chair
Marcel Breuer Short Chair
REK Jakobsen Chair
Harry Bertoia Diamond Chair
Eames DKR Wire Chair
Eames Leg Splint
Eames Folding Sofa
Eames DCW Chair
Eames Stacking Chair
Frederick Mueller Chair
Lofgren Chair
By Melanie Carlson
