UPDATE: Michael McDougall – Urban Planner, Architect, & Furniture Designer

The Finished Product! April 16, 2010
The chairs were restored according to their original finishes and upholstery. Aren't they gorgeous!

Restored Frames – March 27, 2010

Pre-Restoration Photos

Here at Danish Teak Classics, we have the opportunity to work with beautiful designer furniture daily, but once in awhile, we cross paths with a truly unique piece.  The latest pieces came to us via Leslie McDougall, daughter of the prodigious Michael McDougall.  The late Mr. McDougall had a childhood fit for the silver screen. 

The McDougall surname was derived from his great-grandfather who was a red-headed Scotsman, who traveled to the Portuguese colony of Macau in the mid-late 1800's.  Michael's father, Edward McDougall, moved to Swatow, China in 1926.  There he met and married Beatrice Olivia Ozorio.  McDougall spent his childhood in lively and elegant private residential communities built for foreigners, until after the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, when his family was repatriated along with all other foreigners.  His family was moved to Bombay until after the Japanese surrendered in 1945.

After the war, MIchael moved with his family to Hong Kong, where he entered the University of Hong Kong's first class in the new School of Architecture.  In 1951, he was awarded the Sir Alfred Bossom Medal for Best Architectural Design from the University of Hong Kong on the Occasion of the Exhibition of Drawings from Schools of Architecture in the Commonwealth, held at University College, London.  He graduated with First Class Honors, and was then awarded two successive graduated study scholarships at the Architectural Association in London, then at Cornell University in NY for a Masters degree in Regional Planning.  McDougall was a significant figure in the evolving field of Urban Design during the 1960's as lead designer for Foster City, CA and then later through his private practice and professorships at various universities along the west coast. 

I'd have to say, you know a guy has good taste when his first car is a 1960 black Alfa Romeo.  That aside, he didn't limit his design expertise to urban planning, but also designed this set of lounge chairs, a sofa, and a bar for this parents on their 25th wedding anniversary while he was in college.  Leslie McDougall now has these two lounge chairs in her possession and brought them to Danish Teak for restoration.  Michael McDougall's also designed his own house in the International Modern style, showing little of the local character or natural environment, but his furniture is much more revealing.  McDougall's furniture is a physical representation of his multicultural background, deriving influence from ancient Chinese furniture which he manipulated to a thoroughly modern aesthetic.  I can't wait to see this wonderful set restored to their former glory!  Check back to see the progress and final result photos.

Caroline Engel for Danish Teak Classics