Wikipedia

Draft:Eurodesign Ltd

Eurodesign, Ltd was a custom modular cabinetry company that served the San Francisco Bay Area from 1974 to 2005. The family-owned company focused on creating high-end furniture wall systems that provided highly customizable and efficient designs. Its motto was "Eurodesign makes every room special."[1]

History

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Eurodesign, Ltd was founded by husband and wife team, Ed and Paula Wildanger, after they were inspired by the modular furniture they saw while living in Europe.[2] When they moved back to Los Altos, California in 1973, they realized that the San Francisco Bay Area was the perfect place for European style storage systems. Thanks to the expensive real estate market found outside of San Francisco, home owners were interested in getting the most use out from square footage they had available.

The Wildangers bought a shop front in Mountain View, California with a Quonset hut for manufacturing.[2] Over the years, they had show rooms located in Los Altos, Saratoga, Cupertino and Danville.[3] Each store had designers to help customers through the many options to fit their needs. From 1980 t0 1990, Eurodesign offered kitchens and bathrooms systems. But eventually they focused on "other room cabinetry" with wall systems that included Murphy Beds[4], fold-down tables and ironing boards, and a variety of pull-out and swivel options for Entertainment and Work Stations. [2][5]

Some of Ed and Paula's children were some of the first company employees.[2] Their oldest son, Ward Wildanger, joined the company in 1984, and eventually bought the company from his parents.[6]

Over the years, Eurodesign sold to a wide variety of well-known people, including Milton Friedman, Tom Lehrer, Jim Plunkett, and Wallace Stegner.

In 1993, Eurodesign sold $2 million worth of cabinets[2] and $4.2 million in 1999.

In 2005, Eurodesign was bought by Valet Custom Cabinets & Closets.[6]

Features

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Eurodesign specialized in furniture systems that could transform an empty wall or room into a space that could serve a multitude of activities that could all be discretely hidden behind cabinets when not in use.

Working with a designer in the store, clients could mix and match from a wide variety of options for cabinets. Eurodesign cabinets were manufactured in three widths (16, 24, and 32 inches), and up to five depths (10, 12, 16, 18, and 22 inches). Custom sizes were available if needed.[2][5]

Besides standard drawers, cabinets, open shelving, and lighting, each unit could feature a custom mix of “functional components."

In a EuroWall Component catalog from 1990, additional options include:[1]

  • Angled display shelving
  • Pull out TV shelves with a swivel
  • A drop front desk
  • Sewing machine pull-out
  • Ironing board
  • Keyboard swivel platform Shelf
  • Typewriter Lfit-Up shelf (spring-assisted)
  • Typewriter Pull-Out shelf
  • Fixed, Double-Fold or Pull-Out Tables
  • A Television Lift-Up cabinet

They also offered Eurowall Beds (also known as a Murphy Bed) in Single, Single (Extra Long), Double, and Queen.[7]

Cabinetry was laminated, and the units came in both solid colors and a variety of woodgrains. Wood cabinet doors became available in 1997.

Manufacturing and Materials

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Eurodesign manufacturing initially took place in a Quonset hut behind the Mountain View showroom. Eventually, it outgrew that location and moved to 7,000 sq ft location in East Palo Alto.[2] In 1995, manufacturing and company offices moved to Santa Clara.[3]

Eurodesign systems were built from laminated MDF that was sourced from Weyerhauser.[2]

Hafele's hardware provided the unique hinges and glides that made many of the "functional components" possible.

To manufacture European style cabinetry, Eurodesign often used European equipment including:

  • Altendorf Table Saw
  • Weeke CNC Machine
  • Selco WN200 CNC Panel Saw
  • Olimpic Edgebander
  • Weeke Point-to-Point Boring Machine[2]

Recognition

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Eurodesign appeared in multiple Sunset Magazine publications, including Wall Systems and Shelving[8], Ideas for Bedroom & Bath Storage[9], Ideas for Great Wall Systems[10] and Ideas for Great Kids' Rooms.[11]

In 1993, Eurodesign Ltd was awarded Cabinetmaker of the Year by CabinetMaker (now FDMC) magazine.[2][12]

References

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  1. 1 2 EuroWall Component Catalog. Eurodesign. August 1990. pp. 1–12.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Donlin, Gina. "Flexible System Turns up the Volume". CabinetMaker: 12–16.
  3. 1 2 Crier, Clyde Noel-Special to the Town (1999-06-23). "Eurodesign Ltd. celebrates 25 Years in Los Altos". Los Altos Town Crier. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
  4. ↑ Crier, Carolyn Barnes-Special to the Town (1999-02-24). "'Grandma's Motel'". Los Altos Town Crier. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
  5. 1 2 Baldwin, Mary Burt (September 30, 1983). "Custom Furniture Designed to Meet Modern Needs". The Penninsula Times Tribune. p. 6.
  6. 1 2 Davis, Tracey Lee. "Ward Wildanger: Designing Home Organization Solutions for Over 30 Years". www.valetcustom.com. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
  7. ↑ Eurowall Beds. Eurodesign. 1988. p. 1.
  8. ↑ Fitzgerrell, Scott, ed. (October 1981). Wall Systems and Shelving (1st ed.). Menlo Park, CA: Lane Publishing Co. pp. Cover, 23. ISBN 0376017112.
  9. ↑ Clark, David E., ed. (June 1983). Ideas for Bedroom & Bath Storage (1sr ed.). Menlo Park, CA: Lane Publishing Co. pp. 10, 19. ISBN 0376011211.
  10. ↑ Hogan, Elizabeth L., ed. (October 1992). Ideas for Great Wall Systems (1st ed.). Menlo Park, CA: Sunset Publishing Corporation. pp. 5, 8, 13, 16, 43, 85, 87. ISBN 0376090464.
  11. ↑ Ideas for Great Kids' Rooms (1st ed.). Menlo Park, CA: Sunset Publishing Co. February 1998. pp. 15, 76. ISBN 0376017546.
  12. ↑ "What's in a name?". Woodworking Network. 2014-12-11. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
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