United Furniture Diamond Front and Tiki: The Collector's Guide

If you have spent any time looking at vintage dressers, you have probably seen a United Furniture highboy with those sculpted diamond drawers and stopped scrolling. United is one of those American makers that most people have never heard of until they see the furniture. Then they want to know everything.

This guide covers where United came from, how to tell the Diamond Front and Tiki looks apart, what the pieces sell for today, and what to check before you buy one.

A short history of United Furniture

United was a North Carolina company, based in the furniture town of Lexington. North Carolina State University's textile history archive credits the Philpott family with founding the United Furniture Company. Dealer references on 1stDibs and InCollect give 1905 as the founding date.

Local history adds more detail. According to a Lexington historian quoted by DavidsonLocal, the company's Elk Street plant began as the Elk Furniture Plant in 1902. Elk later merged with Dixie to form Elk-Dixie, and in 1936 the Philpott family bought the Elk portion and renamed it United.

United made medium-priced bedroom and dining room furniture, sold through department stores and furniture retailers across the country. Its peak was the 1950s and 1960s, which is exactly when the pieces collectors chase today were made.

In the late 1960s United was sold to Burlington Industries and became part of its Burlington House Furniture division. The plants in Lexington later closed.

One note to avoid confusion: today there is a different, modern company called United Furniture Industries. It is not the same business as the mid century Lexington maker, so information you find online about recent acquisitions or current brands does not apply to vintage United pieces.

What makes United furniture stand out

Plenty of mid century makers built clean walnut dressers. United took those simple Danish-inspired shapes and dressed them up with bold surface detail. Chairish describes the brand as applying Brutalism, Atomic design and Regency touches to functional modern forms.

The highboy is the piece United is best known for. Many have a double-door cabinet on top that opens to a bank of drawers, sitting over wide drawers below. It works almost like a low armoire.

United also made long lowboy dressers, nightstands, headboards, dining tables, chairs and buffets in matching designs, so you can often build a full bedroom or dining room around one look.

The Diamond Front look

Diamond Front is the name collectors and dealers use for United pieces with faceted, diamond-shaped drawer faces. Each drawer front is sculpted so the diamonds rise out of the surface and catch the light differently as you walk past.

On most Diamond Front pieces, the pulls are worked right into the drawer fronts, so there is no hardware breaking up the pattern. The cases are walnut with tapered legs, and the overall look is geometric but still warm.

Common Diamond Front forms include:

• Highboys with six smaller drawers above two wide drawers, often built as two stacked sections.
• Nine drawer lowboys, long and low, with the diamond pattern running the full width.
• Pairs of nightstands and headboards, including bookcase headboards.

You can see a range of these in our United Diamond Front collection. A good example is this Diamond Front nine drawer lowboy, which shows how the pattern reads across a long dresser.

The Tiki look

Tiki is the collector name for United's more sculptural, Brutalist-leaning walnut pieces. Where Diamond Front is crisp and geometric, Tiki is heavier and more carved, with deep relief designs across the doors and drawers.

Dealers have listed Tiki pieces in nearly every form: highboys, gentleman's chests, nine drawer lowboys, nightstands, headboards, credenzas, room dividers, dining tables, chairs, mirrors and even bar carts. Most are dated by dealers to the 1960s, with some listings placing them in the 1970s.

If you love the carved Brutalist side of mid century modern, Tiki sits in the same family as Lane Staccato and Broyhill Brasilia. Our Lane Staccato collector's guide is a good next read if that is your style.

Diamond Front vs. Tiki at a glance

• Diamond Front: faceted diamond drawer faces, cleaner and more geometric, built-in pulls.
• Tiki: deeper carved relief, heavier and more sculptural, a stronger Brutalist feel.
• Both: walnut cases, tapered or stepped bases, and matching bedroom and dining pieces.

What United furniture is worth

United pieces are not cheap, but they are still more approachable than the big name designer lines. Here is what we found in recent market data:

• 1stDibs reports an average sold price of about $2,300 for United Furniture pieces over the past twelve months, with most sales between about $1,200 and $4,000.
• For pieces described as United Tiki, 1stDibs shows an average selling price of roughly $1,500 to $1,650, with a wide spread from a few hundred dollars for small pieces up to several thousand for large or rare ones.
• A United Diamond walnut highboy was recently listed on eBay at about $2,350.

What moves the price most is the form and condition. Highboys, long lowboys and matched pairs of nightstands bring the most. Matching sets bring more than single pieces. A refinished piece with smooth drawers will sell for more than one with water rings and a tired finish.

If you are trying to put a number on something you own, our guide on how to value vintage mid century modern furniture walks through it step by step.

What to check before you buy

• Look for a maker's mark. Check inside the top drawers and on the back of the case for a label or stamp. Our guide to identifying makers' marks and labels can help.
• Inspect the carved and sculpted fronts. The raised diamonds and carved edges are the first places to chip. Small chips can be repaired, but check closely.
• Pull every drawer. Drawers should run smoothly and sit evenly in the case.
• Check two-piece highboys. Many United highboys are two stacked sections. Make sure both pieces are present and line up.
• Measure first. Long lowboys can run well past six feet wide, so measure your wall and doorways.

As-pictured or restored

Every piece at Mod City Madness is sold as pictured, and you can add our restoration at checkout by choosing the Restored option. Restored pieces are refinished in our New Jersey workshop before they ship. That includes full removal of the old finish, chip and scratch repair, staining and sealing, hand-applied satin lacquer, and drawer and door adjustment. Restoration usually takes four to eight weeks. You can read the details on our restoration page.

Shop this look

These United pieces are available right now:

• United Furniture Diamond Front Nine Drawer Lowboy Dresser, c. 1960s: $2,475 as pictured, $2,975 restored
• United Furniture Diamond Front Highboy Dresser, c. 1960s: $1,975 as pictured, $2,575 restored
• United Furniture Diamond Front Highboy Dresser with eight drawers, c. 1960s: $1,975 as pictured, $2,575 restored
• United Furniture Curved Highboy Dresser, c. 1960s: $1,475 as pictured, $1,975 restored
• United Furniture Nine Drawer Keyhole Pull Lowboy Dresser, c. 1960s: $1,875 as pictured, $2,475 restored

Browse the full United Diamond Front collection to see sold examples too.

Own one? We buy and consign mid century furniture

If you have United Diamond Front or Tiki pieces you are ready to part with, we would love to see them. Send us photos through our consignment form and we will get back to you.

Looking for something specific? We'll find it. Tell us what you are after on our sourcing request page.

Common questions

Who made United Diamond Front furniture?

United Furniture, a maker based in Lexington, North Carolina, best known for mid century bedroom and dining room furniture. "Diamond Front" is the collector name for its pieces with faceted diamond drawer faces.

What is the difference between United Diamond Front and Tiki?

Diamond Front has crisp, faceted diamond drawer faces with built-in pulls. Tiki is heavier and more sculptural, with deep carved relief and a stronger Brutalist look.

How much is a United Diamond Front dresser worth?

Recent sold prices for United pieces on 1stDibs mostly fall between about $1,200 and $4,000, depending on the form, condition and whether it is part of a set.

Is United Furniture the same company as United Furniture Industries today?

No. The vintage pieces collectors want were made by the mid century Lexington, North Carolina company, which was sold to Burlington Industries in the late 1960s. The modern United Furniture Industries is a separate business.