Paul Frankl Style Sofa couch

Designer Paul Farnkl embraced rattan and bamboo, creating sculptural pieces that blurred the lines between indoor and outdoor living, and we find a Paul Frankl “Pretzel” style couch in the beautiful house featured in The Uninvited.

Paul T. Frankl (1886–1958) was a pioneering Austrian-born designer whose work significantly influenced American modernism. After studying architecture in Berlin, he immigrated to New York in 1914, bringing a fresh perspective to the design scene.

Frankl is renowned for his “skyscraper” furniture style in the 1920s, characterized by tall, angular forms that mirrored the architecture of Manhattan. Later, he embraced rattan and bamboo and his designs, such as the iconic “Pretzel” sofas, became synonymous with mid-century modern elegance and were favoured by Hollywood elites like Fred Astaire and Katharine Hepburn. Frankl’s legacy endures through his innovative approach to materials and form, leaving an indelible mark on 20th-century design.