One of the hottest areas of antique collecting is 20th century industrial design. The worn tools and equipment of America's industrial past resonate powerfully while furnishings pulled from America's industrial past exhibit the practical design needed for everyday use.
Aluminum chairs like this Good Form side chair were originally designed for use on submarines where items had to be tough yet lightweight and, most important, fire-proof. 
Pieces of machinery like this can be dramatic display pieces when used as a bookend or hung on the wall.
Lighting like these hung over work rooms or illuminated barn or factory doorways. The green enameled pair below were removed from a 1950s Billboard in South Carolina.
Not all industrial design was made of metal. These oak drafting tables display great functionality softened by mellow grained Oak wood.
Neither was all industrial design originally made for heavy duty, industrial use. The blue chair below was probably used in an office while the yellow chairs were probably from a 1950s barber shop or doctor's office.
Industrial shop stools are perhaps most identified with the industrial look. Beaten and distressed through use, they look at home and ready for more use in a kitchen, studio or workshop.
3 comments:
If only I had a bigger house.
You should have your own History Channel show like "American Pickers"!
Brohammas,
A bigger house won't matter if you are a collector like myself because you fill up all available space, no matter how much space you have. I, like Nature, abhor a vacuum. I also abhor vacuuming, but that's another topic.
Eduardo,
"American Pickers" is a great show but I could never dig through some random barn out in the middle of nowhere. A perfect example is when Mike and Frank visited that weird 'Mole Man' guy in PA and delved into his lair looking for stuff. I thought that they were crazy for going into that place.
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