2026 marks our 80th anniversary. 

Martin Brattrud has been manufacturing upholstered seating and tables in the South Bay of Los Angeles since 1946.

But who is Martin Brattrud?

Today we take a look at Martin Brattrud in the 1970s.

Our products were often featured in Architectural Digest, such as this clipping from 1970 featuring the interior design of the Western White House in San Clemente, California.

Advertisements from our retailers of the time often featured hand-drawn illustrations of our most popular styles. 

Upholstering to the floor, bold stripes, and barrel chairs that rotated on metallic plinth bases were some of the flavors of the day.

In the 1970s we began working with Steve Chase, an Arthur Elrod associate who would blaze a new trail with his own exuberant brand of desert modernism. Soft, exaggerated forms, sometimes with integrated underlighting, would become a signature throughout the 70s and into the 80s.

The 1980s will bring new partnerships, a new factory, and growth in the contract market.

Join us next time when we take a look at the 1980s.

Visit our History Timeline to learn more.