Jentique Furniture: What to Know

Not every great mid-century British furniture name became a household one. Jentique never reached the fame of G Plan, but the teak sideboards, bureaus, and cabinets it produced through the 1950s, 60s and 70s were built to a genuinely high standard — and they turn up often enough in the secondhand and vintage market to be worth knowing.

The Story Behind Jentique

Jentique Furniture was founded in the 1930s in Dereham, Norfolk, by Geoffrey Bowman Jenkins, a former toymaker, together with his wife Edith. Jenkins had already tried his hand at a hydraulic toothbrush design before finding commercial success with a well-made gramophone — and it was that success that led him into furniture-making under the Jentique name. Jenkins lost control of the company in 1936 to his business partner, Bernard Smart, who also owned the clockmaker Metamec. Under this ownership, Jentique grew through the following decades into a genuinely nationwide British furniture brand, known by the late 1950s and into the 60s for modern, contemporary furniture with a distinctly Scandinavian-influenced style.

Design Style and What to Look For

Jentique furniture from this period is typically teak, with Danish-influenced styling that made it a more accessible alternative to genuine Scandinavian imports. Signature details include elongated, carved wood handles, height-adjustable metal feet, dovetailed drawer construction, and good-quality teak veneers over solid frames. Sideboards and storage pieces are the items most collectors associate with the brand today, alongside bureaus and writing desks designed for compact postwar homes.

A maker's mark or "Jentique" stamp is often found on the back of a piece, or inside a lined drawer — worth checking before you commit to a purchase, alongside the general condition tips in our guide to identifying and dating vintage furniture.

A Real Jentique Find at Plots & Pickles

We've had genuine Jentique pieces pass through our own doors here in Auckland, including a 1960s teak bureau by Jentique Furniture (UK) — a lovely example of the compact, well-made writing desks the brand was known for. It's exactly the kind of piece that makes sourcing vintage furniture rewarding: solid, honestly made, and with real history behind it, even if that history isn't as widely documented as some of its more famous contemporaries. Browse our current vintage desks for similar finds.

Why Jentique Deserves a Second Look

Because Jentique never achieved the same recognition as G Plan, genuine pieces can be more affordable — and arguably more interesting, since they haven't been picked over by collectors chasing a famous name. For anyone getting started with furniture restoration, a solid teak Jentique sideboard or bureau is a rewarding first project: good bones, honest materials, and a finish that responds well to a simple clean and oil. Our complete guide to vintage furniture restoration is a good next stop if you're ready to bring one back to life.

Browse our vintage furniture collection →

Related Reading

• G Plan Furniture: What to Know
• Mid Century Furniture: The Enduring Appeal of 1950s-60s Design
• How to Identify & Date Vintage and Antique Furniture