Cees Braakman Desks and Writing Tables
Dutch, 1917-1995
Revered Dutch mid-century modernist designer Cees Braakman had been creating furniture since his teenage years when he was promoted to head of design at UMS Pastoe in 1948. Today’s vintage furniture enthusiasts know that Braakman found inspiration in works by Scandinavian artisans such as Alvar Aalto and Herman Miller luminaries Charles and Ray Eames — Braakman’s clean-lined dining chairs, sleek sideboards and other case pieces are demonstrative of those influences.
UMS Pastoe was established in 1913 by German-Jewish entrepreneur Frits Loeb and became rapidly successful largely owing to its reputation for well-made tables and chairs. However, the Dutch brand is best known by collectors for the modular sideboards, storage cabinets and other spare, streamlined case pieces that it produced during the postwar years.
The Utrecht-born Braakman took over for his father, Dirk, who had by then been managing the company for more than 20 years and had designed a variety of furnishings for the manufacturer by himself. A year before he assumed his new role at Pastoe, Cees visited the United States where he became enamored with the designs of Charles and Ray Eames and the other creative minds associated with legendary American furniture manufacturer Herman Miller.
While many Dutch designers who are now celebrated by vintage furniture collectors — names like Gerrit Rietveld and Friso Kramer are in this list — found inspiration in Piet Mondrian and the country’s De Stijl art movement, they also looked to Scandinavian modernists such as Alvar Aalto and Americans such as the Eameses. Cees Braakman was no different.
Braakman’s 1940s-era tour to the States included a visit to the Herman Miller factory in Zeeland, Michigan. At the time, architect-designer-journalist George Nelson was director of design at the firm and had enlisted a range of designers to collaborate with Herman Miller and create what are now icons of mid-century modernism. Braakman took notice of industrial manufacturing techniques at HM and in particular, the company’s innovations in furniture design owing to experimentation with molded plywood and fiberglass-reinforced plastic.
The Dutch designer introduced the first line of modern furniture at UMS Pastoe thereafter — a table, a chair, a bed and more created in molded plywood and featuring oak veneers, specifically tailored for smaller living spaces. Braakman was convinced that Pastoe should move on from the restrictions that a collection or set of furniture presented to consumers.
Furniture for a bedroom, for example, should be practical and built as individual pieces that could be adapted as more space became available. New production methods and creative marketing came into focus under Braakman’s leadership, and his own lines of oak and birch furniture — which were created around cupboards that could be reconfigured as needed, or armchairs that could be combined to form a sofa — earned acclaim and were commercially very successful.
UMS Pastoe was recognized for its innovative furniture at the Milan Triennial in 1957 and Le Signe d’Or in Belgium, and Cees Braakman’s work can today be found at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.
Find vintage Cees Braakman furniture on 1stDibs.
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Creator: Cees Braakman
Cees Braakman for Pastoe Desk in Teak and Metal
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Cees Braakman for Pastoe, desk, teak, brushed metal, The Netherlands, 1950s.
Modest designed desk by Dutch designer Cees Braakman for Pastoe. The table top and drawer compartment are executed in teak. Curved plywood is used to furnish the inner part of the three different drawers, each with a metal handle. A modern exterior...
Category
1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cees Braakman Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
“Japanese Series” Desk by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, Netherlands 1960
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A beautiful Dutch design desk from the highly wanted Japanese Series designed by Cees Braakman, manufactured by Pastoe in the Netherlands, circa 1960.
This stunning desk is made of ...
Category
1960s Dutch Vintage Cees Braakman Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
Mid Century Cees Braakman EB04 Birch Pastoe Desk
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Appeltern, Gelderland
Beautiful writing desk designed by Cees Braakman for Pastoe in the early 50s. This EB04 desk is part of the ‘Birch Series’. It has 3 drawers on the left and on the right a door with ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Cees Braakman Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Birch
Desk by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, 1960s
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Lasne, BE
Wood and black metal desk with 6 drawers, 2 of which have a lock. No key. Wear due to time and age of the desk. Stamped Pastoe.
Category
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cees Braakman Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
Pastoe "Made to Measure" Series Executive Desk
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mid-Century, lightly refinished, Cees Braakman for Pastoe designed executive "Made to Measure" desk. the desk features a black enameled metal riser, br...
Category
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cees Braakman Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel
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See image 18.
Between the rectangular laminate top and the chrome base is a heavy blackened steel plate. Underneath the bent chrome pigeon toe feet are bars of a thick phenolic material which act as floor protector.
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Cees Braakman Japanese Series Dining Table for Pastoe w/ Teak Top and Metal Legs
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1960's Cees Braakman Japanese Series Dining Table for Pastoe. Lightly refinished teak top with black enameled metal legs. In original condition with visible wear. This version does n...
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Mid century PT10 serving cart by Cees Brakeman for Pastoe, Netherlands 1950s
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Mid century serving cart. Model PT10 designed by Cees Brakeman for Pastoe in the 1950s. It has two trays made of shaped plywood. The frame is also made of plywood. Well designed piece with very nice details. It stands on the original castors. The cart can be disassembled. It was sold originally as flat packed furniture. For shipping it will be disassembled for safer and easier transport. Easy to put back together again with the original brass bolts.
The wood gained a beautiful dark patina through the years.
UMS Pastoe b.v. is a Dutch furniture manufacturer from Utrecht, which designs and produces furniture under the Pastoe brand name. This company was founded on April 13, 1913 in Utrecht as UMS, which stood for Utrechtse Machinale Stoel- en Meubelfabriek. The name Pastoe comes from "passe partout" and was added to the name after the Second World War
Well-known designs are the wire steel chair SM05 by Cees Braakman and Adriaan Dekker, the cabinets by Aldo van den Nieuwelaar and Vision by Karel Boonzaaijer and Pierre Mazairac. Pastoe has worked with graphic designers such as Dick Bruna and Benno Premsela, photographers such as Ed van der Elsken and Cas Oorthuys and designers such as Shiro Kuramata, Shigeru Uchida, Maarten Van Severen and Vincent van Duysen.
Frits Loeb founded the factory in 1913 under the name Utrechtse Machinale Stoel- en Meubelfabriek (UMS). This was located at Oosterkade 30 in Utrecht. The furniture that was produced was initially intended for his store at the Ganzenmarkt in Utrecht, but soon it was sold at various points of sale in the Netherlands.
When the space on the Oosterkade had become too small, the factory moved around 1918 to the building of the former Tegelfabriek 'Holland' on the Rotsoord. Since 2016, the factory has been on the Tugboat in Houten.
UMS focused on the general public with its furniture. Business manager and designer Dirk Lubertus Braakman varied on the designs of the Amsterdam school. Although the business design style did not suit the taste of the general public, UMS continued to engage in innovative design, with influences from Scandinavia and art deco.
After World War II
After the Second World War, Loeb found an empty factory. He decided to rebuild UMS, with his cousin Frits Ullman assisting him. In the first years after the war, UMS mainly worked on behalf of third parties and did not yet have a permanent collection. Around 1947, the factory set a different course, with contemporary design central. In 1948, the new brand name Pastoe was introduced, which was added to the abbreviation UMS.
Business manager and designer Cees Braakman, after a study trip through the United States, introduced a new technique of curved plywood and persuaded Loeb and Ullman to use this production method. Due to the use of this new technique, no more reference was made to the craft. New materials such as plywood finished with oak and birch veneer characterized the designs. The new production technique provided the subdued and sober design that later became the company's trademark. UMS Pastoe joined the Good Living Foundation.
The focus of the UMS Pastoe collection was mountain furniture, where the consumer could put together a cabinet himself. This new concept of flexible cabinet systems was developed in 1955 in the cabinet system Meubelen-naar-maat. In this series, the cabinet could not only be assembled by the consumer himself, but also expanded later. This series was a great success at home and abroad. This became clear when the teak version was awarded a silver medal in 1957 at the 11th Triennale in Milan and Le Signe d'Or in Belgium.
In 1968, the company received the BKI Award for the innovation of PVC-coated chipboard that is milled transversely; the plates could then be folded into a cube. This technique was applied in the 1967 Pastoe Cube...
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H 23.63 in W 25.6 in D 19.69 in
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Japanese Series # EU02 Desk by Cees Braakman for Pastoe
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Mid-Century Japanese Series #EU02 teak desk designed by renowned Dutch Post-War design great Cees Braakman for equally acclaimed manufacturer Pastoe. It can be said that Braakman was...
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Japanese Series EU01 Teak Desk by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, 1958
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Petite and rare small Mid-Century Modern Japanese Series EU-01 desk.
Design by Cees Braakman for Pastoe.
Striking Dutch design from the 1950s.
Black lacquered metal frame with origin...
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Pastoe Desk Cees Braakman 1950s Holland
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Very nice Desk . Design by Cees Braakman for Pastoe in the 1950s .Holland
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Cees Braakman EU01 Japanese Series desk Pastoe The Netherlands 1958
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Etten-Leur, NL
Beautiful shaped writing desk model EU01 of the Japanese Series designed by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, The Netherlands 1958. This minimalistic desk is made of teak wood and has a blac...
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1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cees Braakman Desks and Writing Tables
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Cees Braakman Hairpin Desk Pastoe Holland 1950/60
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Den Haag, NL
Dutch glory! This rare & beautiful vintage Dutch design desk from Pastoe is a real must-have for design enthusiasts. A design by Cees Braakman. Period: 1950s/60s. Known for its speci...
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1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cees Braakman Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
Midcentury Pastoe "EE02" Writing Desk, Cees Braakman, 1940s
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Brussels , BE
Midcentury Pastoe "EE02" writing desk, Cees BRAAKMAN - 1940s.
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1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cees Braakman Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Cees Braakman Desk for Pastoe with Hairpin Legs, 1950 Dutch Design
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in The Hague, NL
Mid-Century Modern period minimalistic desk design by famous Dutch furniture designer Cees Braakman and manufactured by Pastoe, 1950's Netherlands.
In original condition with visi...
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1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cees Braakman Desks and Writing Tables
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Chrome
Modernist Teak Writing Desk by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, 1950s
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Antwerpen, VAN
Executive desk designed by Cees Braakman for Pastoe during the 1960s. This model is part of the Made to Measure series recognized by the use of teak wood combined with rosewood joint...
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Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Cees Braakman Desks and Writing Tables
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Metal
Freestanding 'EU02' Writing Desk by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, 1960s
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Antwerpen, VAN
Great desk designed by Cees Braakman for Pastoe during the 1960s. This is the larger model ‘EU02’ which is part of the famous Japanese series recognized by the use of teak wood with ...
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Teak Mid-Century Modern Executive Desk by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, 1960s
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
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Stunning and elegant Mid-Century Modern executive desk.
Design by Cees Braakman for Pastoe.
Striking Dutch design from the 1960s.
Two chrome-plated metal legs with the original te...
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H 28.55 in W 63 in D 31.5 in
Mid-Century Modern EU01 Japanese Series desk by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, 1958
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Amazing and attractive small Mid-Century Modern Japanese Series EU-01 desk.
Design by Cees Braakman for Pastoe.
Striking Dutch design from the 1950s.
Black lacquered metal frame w...
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1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cees Braakman Desks and Writing Tables
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H 28.55 in W 47.25 in D 23.23 in
20th Century Cees Braakman Pastoe Teak Desk
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Bunnik, NL
This is rare & beautiful vintage Dutch design desk from Pastoe. It was designed by Cees Braakman in the period of 1950/1960. This concerns an early e...
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Metal
Cees Braakman desks and writing tables for sale on 1stDibs.
Cees Braakman desks and writing tables are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Cees Braakman desks and writing tables, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original desks and writing tables by Cees Braakman were created in the mid-century modern style in netherlands during the mid-20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider desks and writing tables by UMS Pastoe, Friso Kramer, and Ahrend de Cirkel. Prices for Cees Braakman desks and writing tables can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,705 and can go as high as $3,431, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $2,250.
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