Billy Baldwin Shelves
Billy Baldwin had the unusual distinction of being the first man to break the glass ceiling of interior decoration, which before WWII was ruled by a coterie of ladies. The look he championed in the mid-century was entirely American: classical in foundation, but modern in spirit, free of ostentation and unconcerned with trends. “Be faithful to your own taste,” he used to tell clients, “because nothing you really like is ever out of style.”
By the 1960s, just about every American taste-making blue blood was his client, including Jackie Onassis, Pamela Harriman, Nan Kempner, Bunny Mellon and Babe Paley. If you ever wondered who was responsible for Diana Vreeland’s unforgettable “garden in hell” crimson drawing room, it was Billy B, as his friends called him.
“I always say I love color better than people,” he once remarked. He also loved cotton, calling it “his life,” detested damask and satin, and claimed to have “made a lady out of wicker.” His quips were legendary.
Shop a wide range of Billy Baldwin furniture at 1stDibs.
Mid-20th Century Regency Billy Baldwin Shelves
Brass
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Billy Baldwin Shelves
Glass, Wood
2010s Brazilian Minimalist Billy Baldwin Shelves
Steel
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Billy Baldwin Shelves
Teak, Glass
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Billy Baldwin Shelves
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Billy Baldwin Shelves
Metal
1880s American Edwardian Antique Billy Baldwin Shelves
Brass
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Billy Baldwin Shelves
Metal
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Billy Baldwin Shelves
Brass, Steel
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Billy Baldwin Shelves
Brass
1970s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Billy Baldwin Shelves
Brass
Late 20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Billy Baldwin Shelves
Iron
19th Century English Chinese Chippendale Antique Billy Baldwin Shelves
Bamboo, Lacquer
1960s Swiss Vintage Billy Baldwin Shelves
Metal