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McGuire Furniture Company Like so many artists and designers, husband and wife John McGuire (1920–2013) and Elinor Stevenson (1914–2005) became masters of their craft by accident. The couple met shortly before the start of World War II (during which John was in the US Navy and Elinor was a navigation instructor) and married after it ended. Read the full biography

McGuire Furniture Company Like so many artists and designers, husband and wife John McGuire (1920–2013) and Elinor Stevenson (1914–2005) became masters of their craft by accident. The couple met shortly before the start of World War II (during which John was in the US Navy and Elinor was a navigation instructor) and married after it ended. They settled in San Francisco, where John worked a couple of jobs. Soon, an old Navy friend of John's asked him to help him sell a bunch of rattan furniture, and, needing money, John agreed. His side business was so successful that John decided to quit his job selling ads and work in design full time. In 1948 the McGuire Furniture Company was born. Alongside the mid-century modern furniture designs that were gaining popularity in the United States, John introduced an unconventional idea: traditional armchairs, stools and tables made from natural materials such as bamboo, which was durable but could be made flexible when fired steam engines, which were intended for the interior rather than the front porch. The brand's first success was the now famous Director's X-Chair by Leonard Linden. The solid oak folding chair launched in 1956 saw rattan bound with rawhide strips and a high-quality leather seat and back that eliminated the need for a soft cushion. Elinor also designed some of the brand's popular pieces, such as the 1968 Cracked Ice chair. With its oval rattan back, a dazzling celebration of geometric shapes that give it its charming nickname, the Cracked Ice chair was a classic instant and is one of the brand's most recognizable designs. Today, McGuire and another American furniture manufacturer, Baker Furniture Company, make up the Baker Interiors Group. McGuire remains true to the founders' ideals and commitment to creating the kind of organic modern furniture that is synonymous with the warm, relaxed atmosphere of California design. Some of McGuire Furniture Company's early designs are part of the permanent collection at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City.