The Old-School Furniture Brand At The Thrift Store That Feels Incredibly Modern

If you're on a mission to revamp your interior design, look to thrift stores and vintage shops for an array of quality furniture fit for a modern home. If you're willing to spend time hunting around, you can track down incredible vintage wood furniture and artfully made, craftsman pieces for a steal. If you're lucky, you might even stumble across iconic old-school furniture designed by a legend — Milo Baughman.

Milo Ray Baughman was a renowned name in the mid century modern movement, forever shaping what we now associate with 1950s and 60s interior design. His designs were the blueprint for the "California Modern" style. Baughman's work merges functionality with artistic form. A lot of his pieces feature chrome detailing, leather, high gloss lacquer, glass, and other home finishes that are making a major comeback today. Milo Baughman lounge sofas, coffee tables, and credenzas are particularly desirable finds.

Baughman partnered with a variety of well-known furniture companies in the 1940s and 50s but the magic really happened when he teamed up with Thayer Coggin, Inc. in 1953. This partnership helped shape an entire generation of style. Baughman contributed his unique designs to Thayer Coggins, Inc until his death in 2003. To this day, you can still find his designs in their catalogs and in stores like Crate & Barrel. But you can also track down authentic, vintage Milo Baughman pieces at your local thrift shop.

Get to know Milo Baughman's iconic work by perusing Thayer Coggin's gallery, which is dedicated to their collaborative pieces. You'll see his trademark structured seating featuring plush upholstery and distinctive flat metal bar frames. His work isn't overtly colorful in nature, but it does feature intentional statement pieces to add a bold flourish to your home. Baughman's philosophy was that his work should be attractive at every angle, so even the back of a piece would feature a finish. Never one for fleeting trends, Baughman endeavored to craft pieces that would maintain their relevance for years to come.

When you're on the hunt for any specific thrift store antique brand, knowing your history is pivotal. Milo Baughman had a storied career right up until the end, designing for a variety of companies. While he's best known for his work with Thayer Coggins, he also contributed his designs to plenty of other renowned companies. You can find Milo Baughman furniture sprinkles throughout the catalogs of companies like Arch Gordon, Mode Furniture, Glenn of California, Henredon, The Inco Company, Pacific Iron, Murray Furniture of Winchendon, Design Institute America, George Kovacs, Directional Furniture, and Drexel.

If you find a piece that looks similar to Baughman's style but wasn't manufactured by one of the companies he partnered with, it's likely just based on his work. If all else fails, consult a professional appraiser to be sure you found an authentic Milo Baughman piece.