The vintage Lane Acclaim line of furniture seems to have been very popular in mid century America. We speculate that — much like the popular Drexel Declaration line — the design of Lane Acclaim appealed to Mrs. America because it was a good compromise between traditional and modern. It was a little bit Early American, a little bit mid mod.
Remember: The mass of Mrs. Americas were not nuts about mid century modern. But maybe she could tiptoe in. Interestingly — also like Drexel Declaration, there’s a Shaker feel to the Lane Acclaim design — you can see how the wood is connected. Reader Dave is a big fan of the line. He recently acquired what seems to be a very hard-to-find catalog of available pieces from the Lane Acclaim Line — and graciously shares it with all of us today.
Dave writes:
After much hunting, I finally tracked down a complete Lane Acclaim catalog on Ebay and have scanned it. This is a small booklet, 3″ x 4″, that was hung on showroom pieces with a string. As someone who owns six lane pieces (all tables) I was surprised to learn how extensive the line actually was! Especially since you mostly see only the tables trading, with possibly an occasional hutch or desk. I think it would be of value for MCM fans to have access to this great historical record of a classic furniture line. It’s a valuable reference for buyers and sellers.
This story is particularly fun for me, because I have a Lane Acclaim table — it is the cocktail table 900-01 (shown in the lead photo.) My mother in law gave it to me. It was her parent’s coffee table.
But, I’ve never seen most of the furniture that is in this catalog. Look at those nesting tables above — it looks to me like the top one has the dovetailed edge and the inner one doesn’t. Very interesting.
And what is that I see — a TV snack cart on wheels? Amazing!
The Boomerang table above is one I’ve seen before — but the picture window table with the big drawer — that’s new to me.
From the Lane Acclaim catalog:
Although contemporary in classification, Acclaim furniture has a distinct hand-crafted quality that gives it unusual warmth and mellowness. Edges are softly rounded and suggest patient hand-working, rubbing, more hand-working and rubbing to achieve the soft, sculptured contours. Only the top 35% grade of walnut on the market is considered for this furniture. Then, out of 100 feet purchased, only 40 feet will meet Lane’s exacting requirements for grain and color. This fine wood is then finished with a mellow gunstock patina, enriched in character with dovetail inlays. Let your finger-tips brush across the satin-sooth dovetailing — you won’t be able to tell where the joinings are. Drawers operate easily and smoothly on steel ball bearing drawer guides.
The hutches and buffets are especially interesting. The drawer edges seem to have the same dovetail detail that the popular coffee tables have. I’d love to see one of these in the wild.
Above: Lane Acclaim chairs — who would have guessed?
Where there are chairs there is bound to be a few dining table options — again sporting the signature dovetail edges. Fantastic!
The dressers and chests in this line are also quite amazing.Being Lane — the company most notably known for their cedar chests — of course the Acclaim line had to have one. The Lane Acclaim Cedar Chest above appears to have “matchmaker changeable front panels” giving it maximum decorative versatility.
Again — I was surprised to see that there are headboards in this line — sporting the well known dovetailed motif.
The catalog also has cleaning and care instructions for Lane Acclaim furniture:
Directions: To polish, first clean the surface lightly with a moistened cloth. Then apply a good furniture polish smoothly with the grain. After it dries, gently polish the surface with a soft cloth. With brand-new furniture, do this once a week for the first month. After that time, polish occasionally to keep the beautiful finish. Dust regularly, but do it lightly because dust is abrasive.
Caution: Don’t place rubber-based lamps, telephones, radios or other objects on lacquer finishes unless the surfaces are protected by pads. Rubber can cause a chemical reaction, turning the finish yellow. It is also advisable to avoid placing furniture where it is constantly exposed to direct sunlight.
Mega thanks to reader Dave for sharing his treasured Lane Acclaim catalog with the Retro Renovation clan. To view the catalog, see our slideshow below:
Tips to view slide show: Click on first image… it will enlarge and you can also read my captions… move forward or back via arrows below the photo… you can start or stop at any image:?
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MainST.Modern says
Has anyone ever seen the nesting tables. I have owned every piece I think except the nest tables never seen them
Brittany says
I own the nesting tables. I’d be happy to send you a photo! (Likewise, I’d like to see some of your photos of some of the rarer pieces.)
Brian says
One of my biggest midcentury regrets involves Lane Acclaim furniture given to my by my mother when I first left home. I had 2 pristine step tables and a coffee table that had belonged to my parents for many years — their first furniture purchase and cared for like things used to be so they would last a lifetime.
I had just graduated from grad school and was moving to NYC and had nowhere to store my tables so I gave them to a friend to store for me. She had lots of big dogs that lived indoors. The dogs used the tables as nap stations and launch pads. Their claws scratched the tops beyond repair. When I went back to retrieve the tables they were such a ruinous state that I told her to keep them.
I still feel pangs of regret over that poor decision. I would love to have those tables right now. Someday I might be able to afford replacements. At least I hope so!
Kate says
Get out! I have wanted one of three coffee tables for a long time. I have a very long couch and one of these would be perfect. Unfortunately I’ve never seen one at a decent price. Well yesterday I was at my favorite thrift store and they had a commode table out front for $9.99. I snatched it up. It needs a little work but I don’t mind. I’m so happy to have it. Pam and Kate, are you secretly watching me? Yesterday was the post about the Viper toilets and now this! 😉
Jeanne says
Thanks for posting! I see this line a lot – but mainly coffee and end tables. I didn’t know there was dining room and bedroom furniture. I inherited the square coffee table and the step table. The step table has a nasty black cigarette burn (like a cigarette fell out of an ashtray and burned down while laying on the table) and some drink circle marks on the square coffee table. I’ll have to check out Nate’s posted link to refinish (I just cleaned them up with Restor-A-Finish). Someday. I have so many projects “in the works”. LOL.
Nate says
Jeanne, here’s another article that I keep on hand. Take a look. You might be able to fix the burn mark without having to refinish the whole thing.
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,432209,00.html
Sara of WA says
My mom (age 89) still has the round coffee table and two end tables with the shelf. She bought it new and has kept it in perfect condition. The round table was used with a sectional growing up. Always had a floral arrangement in the middle and a covered candy dish on it. Anybody have an opinion on whether I could use it with my western decor?
Robin, NV says
Sara, I think it would work perfectly fine with western decor. Like Kate, said, “it’s a little bit Early American, a little bit mid mod.”
Ann says
This pattern looks very familiar to me. I think it is the pattern of my Mom’s hope chest (not to be confused with the Cedar Chest shown in the catalog, which is very different). She was married in 1960, still has the chest, and I think it still contains her wedding gown among other things.
Max says
This line has to be the most prevalent of all the mid century furniture lines on the used market right now. They are all over craigslist, flea markets, etc. The Lane stuff is always priced on the low side so it’s a good value. I can’t believe what some people want for Drexel Declaration stuff!
Lynne says
I have a Lane dining set, 5 end tables, and the coffee table all matching. They are from the same era as the Acclaim, but I have no idea of the name of the line. They all have the same numbers stamped on the bottom. Has any one ever contacted Lane for inquiries?
Lynne says
Okay, I Googled it. Its Rhythm.
Nate says
As most are saying, thanks for posting this!!! I too have a small collection going. I’ve seen the ‘picture window table’ a few times (usually referred to as a console table) but not at a price I’d like to spend. Other than that, just the occasional end table or coffee table.
Just a word on refinishing: the walnut veneer is PAPER THIN! If you are going to sand on it, do so with great care. I purchased a snack table for a couple dollars from someone that was just going to trash it. It had gotten wet years ago and was delaminating. I might try to repair it but I mainly got it as an ‘anatomical aid’ to see what they were made of so I wouldn’t mess up when I refinish other pieces. The veneer can easily be sanded through.
Here’s a good article I found about refinishing Acclaim. http://modernwoodworking.blogspot.com/2012/10/refinishing-classic-lane-acclaim-coffee.html
Jamie D. says
Oooh, good tip on the perfect stain color. Thanks!
I did already know about the paper-thin veneer…I’m hoping I can get all these ink/oil/whatever stains out without having to sand too much.
Brittany says
Sorry Dave- I was the one who was bidding against you on the flyer. I was trying very hard to win it. I’m glad I still got to see what was inside!
I have a pretty significant amount of lane acclaim pieces, even the nesting tables! The larger table does have the dovetailing, the smaller, nesting table does not. I have photos of a number of the pictures. Its fun to see what they were called.
Lane A. says
I’ve collected about 30 different pieces of Acclaim: bedroom, dining, and living room. You can see many of mine, and lots of photos of others on the Facebook fan-site called “Lane Acclaim”. Feel free to post photos of your pieces there, too. The site is an informal collection of all kinds of information about Acclaim.