MENU Launches a Warm, Soulful Collection by Famed Midcentury Designer Arthur Umanoff

"They tell a story in your home," says his daughter, Wendy Umanoff, who helped the Danish brand bring these obsession-worthy pieces back to life.

Oct 1, 2020 - 06:17

"They tell a story in your home," says his daughter, Wendy Umanoff, who helped the Danish brand bring these obsession-worthy pieces back to life.

American-born industrial designer Arthur Umanoff worked prolifically during the midcentury period, wielding cutting-edge materials with a forward-thinking attitude that helped forge the sleek, simple aesthetic of the era. Nearly 70 years later, Arthur’s approachable designs have proven timeless: On sites like 1stDibs and Incollect, his pieces are highly prized by midcentury-modern collectors.

"He definitely accomplished a lot in his life," Wendy Umanoff says of her father, the prolific industrial designer Arthur Umanoff (1923-1985) whose work embodied the "less is more" approach. Now, his designs live on through a new collection by Danish brand MENU.

Courtesy of MENU

Arthur launched his career in the 1950s at The Elton Co., designing pieces such as walnut-veneer, modular storage cabinets and the Swing Chair, which had a shifting seat made possible with ball-bearing swivels. For Shaver-Howard Furniture in the 1960s and ’70s, he left his mark with furnishings constructed with jet-black wrought iron frames, slatted wood, and natural fibers. And for Contemporary Shells Inc., there’s his reinterpretation of the famous fiberglass tulip chair and table, along with his burl wood-and-chrome tables. The Pratt Institute graduate also designed clocks for Howard Miller.

An advertisement for Shaver-Howard Furniture from the 1960s bills Arthur Umanoff’s furniture designs as "informally styled for the budgeted contemporary interior."

Nicole Franzen

Now, midcentury-modern aficionados won’t have to look too far to own one of Arthur’s streamlined, accessible designs: Copenhagen-based company MENU has licensed five of his most celebrated pieces—a trio of planters, a pendant, a side table, a candle holder, and a wine rack.

The collection, which replicates his work from the 1950s and ’60s for companies like The Elton Co. and Shaver-Howard Furniture, was launched in early September. It’s expected to arrive in European stores in October and November, and will make its way into stores stateside in the next few months.