G Plan is a British furniture brand that was established by Donald Gomme in 1953. He was continuing the business of his grandfather Ebenezer Gomme who had been handcrafting and selling individual pieces of furniture since 1898.
One of the innovations of the G Plan brand in the 1950s was that they sold individual pieces rather than entire living room suites in one go, which other companies tended to do. This meant that more families were able to gradually introduce it into their homes. They also used new materials and manufacturing processes to make pieces more affordable, for example using veneers rather than solid wood.
Is G Plan still made furniture today?
G Plan furniture is still manufactured today and currently has its own range in John Lewis. Vintage G Plan is very popular and bought and sold often. You can find out current G Plan pieces under Mid Century Furniture on our website.
Why is G Plan so popular?
In the 1960s Scandavian design saw a surge in popularity in Britain, and G Plan took inspiration from this, creating its own range of Scandinavian inspired pieces. They hired Danish designer Ib Kofod-Larsen to design a ‘G Plan Danish’ range which was released in 1962.
His designs, and G-Plan’s other ranges from around the time remain the most popular today because they have a Scandinavian feel yet are less expensive to get hold of in the UK.
Which G Plan pieces are the most valuable?
Pieces from the ‘G Plan Danish’ range tend to fetch the most money. They can be identified by the label which looks like the one below.
How do you identify G Plan Furniture?
G Plan Furniture can be identified by the (usually red) label featuring the G Plan logo - which you should be able to find either inside or underneath a piece of furniture. You can also spot a piece of G Plan by recognising the ranges and their design. The Fresco range from the 60s for example, is very recognisable because of the signature handles on the cabinets and drawers - as pictured below.
How can you identify the age of a piece of G Plan Furniture?
If a G Plan piece still has its label, its approximate age can be identified quite easily. The website Retrowow has put together a very handy guide with photo to help you identify a piece by its label which you can find here.
What is the most iconic piece of G Plan furniture?
The Sixty-Two Swivel chair could be called the most iconic piece of G Plan furniture as it was featured as Blofeld’s chair in the Bond movie You Only Live Twice (1967).
