Quietly radical and unmistakably Mid-Century, this Hugh Acton executive desk pairs luminous rosewood with crisp chrome architecture. A long, slim top appears to float over a sculptural trestle base, and three full-width drawers keep the profile clean and uninterrupted. The effect is all line, proportion, and restraint, resulting in an architect’s desk that reads as functional sculpture with a rare mix of presence and lightness.
Hugh Acton occupies a fascinating tier of American Mid-Century designers who worked between contract and residential furniture, bringing sculptural training and metalworking expertise to pieces known for rigor, durability, and refined simplicity. His production volumes were modest, which makes authentic examples difficult to find, especially in rosewood and in this configuration with a chrome trestle base and slim concealed drawers. The linear stretcher, T-feet, and negative space create a floating stance that balances the richness of the rosewood with clean geometry, while the minimal hardware and disciplined construction embody the purity of Mid-Century design and the quiet sophistication that makes Acton’s work so compelling to collectors.
Design highlights
-
Exceedingly rare configuration: rosewood top, chrome trestle base, and three slim, concealed drawers that preserve the thin-edge profile.
-
Floating lightness: the linear stretcher and T-feet base create negative space, balancing the richness of the rosewood with a crisp, weightless stance.
-
Mid-Century purity: minimal hardware, disciplined geometry, and contract-grade construction meant to live beautifully at home or in a studio/office.
Use & styling
At over six feet of uninterrupted surface, this desk anchors a room without feeling heavy—perfect with a lean chrome task chair, a warm reading lamp, and a single object with presence (a favorite vessel, a bronze, a stack of monographs).
