Meredew - Nightstand - Wood

H: 55.5cm W: 42.5cm D: 31cm
A midcentury bedside table dating from the 1960s, each featuring a single drawer with sculptural chromed metal handle The veneered drawer boxes sits on top of a open-frame bases with tapering legs and stretcher supports. The warm-toned wood contrasts neatly with the dark base , while the compact proportions and raised design lend a light visual presence. Typical of British cabinetmaking of the period, these practical pieces work well as bedsides or occasional side tables.
*please not comes with scratches on the top




*Meredew Ltd a little known British furniture maker were a medium sized manufacturer in the 1960s and 70s . They were based in Letchworth Garden City in Hertfordshire . Having started out in London Frederick Hard who was the owner brought some 50 families with him in 1914 to the new town of Letchworth . By 1938 they were employing 177 people , and Frederick’s son John was in charge of engineering , so it was a priority at the time to keep costs under control .

Some time in the 1950s ( probably around 1955/57 ) they took on their first staff designer a German émigré called Alphons Loebenstein ( aged 57 at the time , but year unknown )who persuaded the company to go down a route similar to G Plan . His name is given on some websites as designer of pieces in the Italian style , but Meredew themselves claimed that they had a known Italian designer doing some of their designs !

Between 1950 and 1965 turnover increased approximately 40 times , but some of this would be down to inflation . Their workforce increased from 150 to about 1500 over the same period . This was the peak of the British contemporary furniture manufacturing , with small local firms closing whilst larger progressive firms expanded .

They were smaller than G Plan , who were the main British makers of contemporary furniture at the time . By the catalogues that we’ve got in our collection we’d guess that they were of similar size to McIntosh , and a bit larger than White + Newton . However we don’t see as much Meredew furniture as we do McIntosh who actually employed a lot fewer people , so perhaps they made a lot of unbranded products for large retailers .Unlike McIntosh who mainly made dining furniture , Meredew specialised in bedroom pieces . G Plan of course made both equally , as well as a large range of upholstered sofas and chairs .

Meredew prices in the 1960s and 70s were similar to those of G Plan and McIntosh , so they were definitely aiming at the same customer base for their products . In the 1961 catalogue we have in our collection you’ll mainly find bedroom pieces in light oak and tola , as you would in a G Plan catalogue of similar date . They also made some high gloss pieces in satinwood and the darker walnut in a late 50s Italian style .

One of their Tola ranges introduced in 1961 was described as being designed by ” a leading Italian Designer ” . It would be great to find out which one ! Alphons Lobenstein was German and not Italian . However Tola in 1961 was on its way out as a wood .

The 1961 catalogue shows 1 dining set only , which was available in teak or light oak . The use of teak in 1961 was early for a British maker , as McIntosh didn’t use it until the following year , with G Plan following in their Danish Range c 1963 , and then more widely from 1964 .