Landstrom Furniture Company

I remember the first time I came across a piece of Landstrom Furniture.  It was at an estate sale in a suburb south of Chicago. In an upstairs bedroom of a small and modest home, I found two dressers made of ribbon mahogany with stunning hardware that had something that resembled a Greek key motif.  The hardware had the most amazing patina.

After I had them home I tried to do a bit of research about the Landstrom Furniture Company.  I soon learned that it was one of several large manufacturers of furniture located in Rockford, IL.  In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s Rockford was the second largest city in Illinois in part because it was home to several furniture manufacturers.  Rockford’s dense forests provided manufacturers with a steady supply of raw goods. Swedish immigrants brought the necessary talents and skills sets for furniture building.  By 1925, 30 factories were building furniture in Rockford.

Most of the furniture was made of native woods; black walnut (abundant in the Rockford area) maple, ash, and cherry.  Occasionally exotic woods from Honduras (mahogany) and the Philippines (teak) were used. Most of the furniture made in Rockford in the early 1900’s was very well made. The craftsmanship was excellent.

The Landstrom Furniture Company came into existence after Oscar Landstrom bought the Superior Furniture Company (originally established in 1905) in 1941.  They made fine furniture in Rockford until 1958.

Several of the Landstrom pieces we have in our inventory were made of ribbon mahogany (one of the exotic woods they sometimes used).  A few of the dressers are in beautiful original condition (they have a bleached mahogany finish). Other pieces have been completely refinished in a deep espresso stain or lacquered.  All of the pieces have wonderful hardware that has a lovely patina.

Feel free to schedule a time to stop by our studio and see our selection of beautiful Landstrom pieces.  You won’t be disappointed.