Bid Smart: Philip and Kelvin LaVerne: father-son furniture artists

A circa-1970s four-door Chan cabinet by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne tripled its high estimate to achieve $90,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2021. Image courtesy of Freeman’s and LiveAuctioneers.

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A circa-1970s four-door Chan cabinet by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne tripled its high estimate to achieve $90,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2021. Image courtesy of Freeman’s and LiveAuctioneers.
A circa-1970s four-door Chan cabinet by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne tripled its high estimate to achieve $90,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2021. Image courtesy of Freeman’s and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — Taking inspiration from classical art, Philip and Kelvin LaVerne (1907-1987 and b. 1937-) set the bar high in the 1960s, elevating modern furniture while never losing sight of a piece’s function. From their New York City studio on Wooster Street and a later showroom on East 57th Street, the father-son designers worked in pewter, silver and bronze to make signed, limited-edition furniture and decorative art. The pair worked together from the mid-1950s until Philip’s death in 1987, after which Kelvin pursued his passion for sculpture.

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