Solid Imbuia Coffee Table, Attributed to E.E. Meyer for Binnehuis, South Africa, c. 1960s–70s
A Low Tray in Solid Imbuia, Its Long Edges Gently Turned Up
A long coffee table in solid imbuia, attributed to E.E. Meyer for Binnehuis. It is unmarked, as much Binnehuis work is, but its form, wood and construction sit squarely within the house’s mid-century output.
The long edges define it. Each rises into a softly scrolled lip, so the top reads as a shallow tray with open, rounded ends. Everything beneath is kept quietly spare: four round, tapered legs set into turned collars, joined at each end by a slender turned stretcher. The imbuia carries the piece, its dark, burr-like figure running across the top and along the edge profile.
At 42 cm high and 47 cm deep, it sits low and slim, suited to a long sofa in a narrower room or to a window bench, where the raised lips keep books and objects in place.
Restored and refinished in our workshop.
A rare heirloom piece that will last a lifetime. Beautifully designed and made, and real collector’s items.
E.E. Meyer has become one of the most collected names in South African mid-century furniture.
Maker Profile — EE Meyer for Binnehuis
A true treasure that encapsulates the essence of South Africa's most sought-after mid-century furniture manufacturer. With a legacy rooted in timeless craftsmanship and iconic design, EE Meyer creations have become highly sought after. Owning an EE Meyer piece means not only acquiring a beautiful work of art but also preserving a valuable piece of South African design history.
EE Meyer was directed by Gerhardt Meyer from 1966, Meyer was the South African master of understated mid-century elegance, and his designs became synonymous with a distinctly South African interpretation of modernist furniture: sober, clean, and generous in their use of solid imbuia.
Imbuia — is a hardwood native to the forests of southern Brazil and historically used extensively in South African cabinetmaking. Deeply figured, warm in tone, and extraordinarily durable, it is the material that defines the EE Meyer aesthetic.
The Binnehuis furniture stores were located in Cape Town, Stellenbosch Somerset-West, Newlands, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg and were owned by a Dutch businessman and his wife, Mr and Mrs van Ewijck, who moved between South Africa and the Netherlands. It seems they were most prolific during the 1960s.
EE Meyer for Binnehuis pieces are among the most collectible examples of South African mid-century design.
Imbuia is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Vintage pieces from before 1992 are legally permitted for sale.
All Vintage Club pieces are carefully considered for authenticity, provenance and condition before acquisition. Restoration is undertaken in-house to the highest standard.
