Paul Frankl

Also known as the designer who put the “bam” in bamboo, Paul Frankl ranks among design insiders’ best kept secrets. Although he rose to fame among modernists like Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe or Le Cobusier, Paul Frankl’s refusal to be creatively boxed led to an eclectic body of work that dwarfs most contemporaries'. After moving to New York from Austria in 1914, Paul introduced his landmark “skyscraper” series which included desks and cabinets modeled after Manhattan skyscrapers. Following a move to L.A. in the mid 20th Century, Paul developed his signature look: stacked bamboo pieces with cushy, only-in-California-style proportions. Paul Frankl bamboo was inspired by the laidback L.A. lifestyle, and Hollywood wasn’t slow to take note. Among the clientele who flocked to Paul Frankl coffee tables and Paul Frankl Pretzel Chairs? Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and Alfred Hitchcock. Now, that's what we call dancing with the stars!