1950s Midcentury
Vintage 1940s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Wood
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Walnut
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Center Tables
Wood
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Textile, Wood
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware
Brass
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vases
Art Glass
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Metal
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Leather, Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
Vintage 1950s North American Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
Wood
Vintage 1950s Czech Dining Room Tables
Teak
Vintage 1950s Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Stone
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Candle Lamps
Crystal
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Center Tables
Wood
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Wood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
Vintage 1950s Italian Magazine Racks and Stands
Nickel
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
Murano Glass
Vintage 1950s European Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Metal
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coat Racks and Stands
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Metal
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Ceramic
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Children's Furniture
Steel
Mid-20th Century American Scandinavian Modern Commodes and Chests of Dra...
Teak
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
Brass
Vintage 1950s Czech Dining Room Chairs
Teak
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
Brass
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1950s Czech Dining Room Chairs
Teak
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Steel
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Art Glass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Wood, Cane
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Club Chairs
Fabric
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Glass
Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Picture Frames
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Nesting Tables and Stacking Ta...
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Metal
Vintage 1950s Italian Table Lamps
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Leather, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Coat Racks and Stands
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Velvet
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware
Brass
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Decorative Boxes
Alabaster, Brass
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Antiquities
Tin
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Furniture
Brass
Vintage 1950s English Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
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1950s Midcentury For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a 1950s Midcentury?
A Close Look at Mid-Century Modern Furniture
Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.
ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Emerged during the mid-20th century
- Informed by European modernism, Bauhaus, International style, Scandinavian modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture
- A heyday of innovation in postwar America
- Experimentation with new ideas, new materials and new forms flourished in Scandinavia, Italy, the former Czechoslovakia and elsewhere in Europe
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Simplicity, organic forms, clean lines
- A blend of neutral and bold Pop art colors
- Use of natural and man-made materials — alluring woods such as teak, rosewood and oak; steel, fiberglass and molded plywood
- Light-filled spaces with colorful upholstery
- Glass walls and an emphasis on the outdoors
- Promotion of functionality
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
- Charles and Ray Eames
- Eero Saarinen
- Milo Baughman
- Florence Knoll
- Harry Bertoia
- Isamu Noguchi
- George Nelson
- Danish modernists Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, whose emphasis on natural materials and craftsmanship influenced American designers and vice versa
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
- Eames lounge chair
- Nelson daybed
- Florence Knoll sofa
- Egg chair
- Womb chair
- Noguchi coffee table
- Barcelona chair
VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.
Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.
Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer.
Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by legendary manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.
Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.
- What is midcentury modern?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021Organic shapes, clean lines and elegant simplicity describe mid-century modern American furniture well. The style, which emerged primarily in the post-World War II era, is characterized by furniture that was crafted by creators who believed that good design was key to good living.Today, mid-century modern is by far the largest category of furnishings on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Yes. While the gem has always been a mainstay in jewelry, there was a boom in demand for pearl pieces in the 1950s. The style at the time was black-and-white-chic, and pearls were an excellent accompaniment to pieces like the classic little black dress. Shop a collection of expertly vetted pearl jewelry from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertJune 30, 2023Some popular watches for men during the 1950s were the Rolex Submariner, the Enicar Sherpa Dive, the Breitling Navitimer, Omega, Constellation and the Rolex GMT-Master. Rolex, Timex, Orvin, Tower and Elgin were among the top watchmakers for women during the decade. On 1stDibs, find a collection of antique, vintage and contemporary watches.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 21, 2024The clothing style in the 1950s was well tailored and classic. For women, dresses with padded busts, cinched waists and hips, and full circle skirts were popular, and the collared button-up shirt dress came into fashion during the decade. Men tended to wear suits in neutral gray, dark blue and brown colors made out of easy-to-care-for synthetic fabrics. Straight-cut double-breasted blazers were commonly worn for casual occasions. On 1stDibs, explore a variety of vintage clothing from the 1950s.
- 1stDibs ExpertNovember 21, 2023In the 1950s, several diamond cuts were popular. They included the brilliant round cut, the Asscher cut, the emerald cut and the marquise cut. Rings that featured a large central stone flanked by smaller baguettes were also trendy during the decade. Find a collection of vintage diamond jewelry on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertNovember 6, 2023There were a few popular diamond cuts in the 1950s. One was the brilliant round cut, which is still common today due to its simple shape and prominent sparkle. Other favorite cuts of the decade included the Asscher cut, the emerald cut and the marquise cut. On 1stDibs, explore a large selection of engagement rings.
- 1stDibs ExpertNovember 27, 2023In the 1950s, a Chanel bag was priced between $200 and $300. The iconic Chanel 2.55 bag cost $220 when first introduced in February 1955. Accounting for inflation, that works out to around $2,536 in today's money. On 1stDibs, find a diverse assortment of Chanel bags from some of the world's top boutiques.
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Jochum Rodgers Has Long Brought the Best of 20th-Century Design to Berlin and Beyond
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A Guide to Herman Miller’s Most Iconic Furniture
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