John Stuart On Sale
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Walnut
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Faux Leather, Walnut, Lacquer
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Cork
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern End Tables
Rosewood
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Brass
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
Teak, Chenille
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Wood, Rosewood
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Brass
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Teak, Wood, Cane, Wicker, Upholstery, Fabric
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Chrome
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Rosewood
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Wood
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Daybeds
Teak, Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Glass, Wood
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Metal
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Goatskin
Vintage 1970s American Modern Desks
Chrome
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Chrome
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Furniture
Teak
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Travertine, Brass
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Benches
Wood
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Wood
Vintage 1970s American Hollywood Regency Console Tables
Glass, Wood, Lacquer
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and...
Brass, Metal, Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary French Brutalist Night Stands
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and...
Brass
20th Century American Bohemian Ottomans and Poufs
Upholstery, Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Steel
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
2010s American Organic Modern Side Tables
Pine, Wood
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Cabinets
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Benches
Velvet, Wood, Ebony
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Benches
Fabric, Velvet, Lacquer, Wood
2010s Brazilian Modern Chairs
Textile, Cane, Wood, Hardwood
2010s North American Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Leather, Maple, Oak, Walnut
2010s Brazilian Modern Chairs
Leather, Textile, Upholstery, Hardwood, Fiberglass
2010s British Ottomans and Poufs
Fabric, Bouclé, Walnut
2010s North American Modern Night Stands
Brass
2010s Italian Side Tables
Onyx
Recent Sales
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Bedroom Sets
Nickel
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Chrome
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Brass
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Velvet, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Nesting Tables and Stacking T...
Teak
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Nickel
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Buffets
Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Dra...
Wood
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Wood, Mohair
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Chrome
Vintage 1950s Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Teak
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Walnut
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Teak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Walnut
Vintage 1970s Hollywood Regency Wall Mirrors
Brass
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Travertine, Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Walnut
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Chrome
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Chrome
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Upholstery, Wood, Teak
Vintage 1960s American Credenzas
Brass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Loveseats
Silk, Walnut
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
Teak, Upholstery
Vintage 1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Tables
Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Daybeds
Teak
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Aluminum
Vintage 1960s Scandinavian Modern Credenzas
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Brass
Vintage 1960s Desks and Writing Tables
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Cane, Upholstery, Walnut
Vintage 1960s American Hollywood Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Laminate, Walnut
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Nesting Tables and Stacking Ta...
Mahogany
John Stuart On Sale For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a John Stuart On Sale?
John Stuart for sale on 1stDibs
Grand Rapids, Michigan, was once known as “Furniture City” for its local mass-production industry that flourished from the mid-19th century into the early 20th century, led by furniture manufacturers like John Stuart. Stuart’s eponymous company, which would build showrooms in New York and Philadelphia, designed and sold elegant reproductions of various furniture styles, including 18th-century French and English furniture as well as what we now call mid-century modern home furnishings built by European craftsmen in the entrepreneur’s Grand Rapids factory.
In 1845, a British cabinetmaker named George Widdicomb arrived in New York before moving to Grand Rapids. There he set up a small cabinet shop in 1857 with a dozen craftsmen, including his son John Widdicomb. The store quickly found success due to Widdicomb’s English training and the dearth of other quality furniture makers in the region. Toward the end of the 19th century, Grand Rapids had earned an international reputation as a leader of American furniture manufacturing, and while the Widdicomb family would navigate some difficulty after the Civil War, they emerged anew as Widdicomb Brothers and Richards, and then the Widdicomb Furniture Company. Widdicomb’s son started his own company in 1897, the John Widdicomb Company, and in 1929, the Grand Rapids–born John Stuart joined the company as a director.
Stuart, who had been in the furniture industry since 1913, was named president of John Widdicomb Company in the early 1940s and by then had formed John Stuart, Inc., with partner Herbert M. Rothschild. John Stuart, Inc.’s offerings included oak buffets and other dining-room furnishings crafted in the Tudor and Elizabethan styles, with cabinet doors and drawer fronts characterized by meticulously carved natural-world motifs and other decorative flourishes. Stuart also oversaw the design of reproductions of sophisticated walnut and mahogany Queen Anne side tables and dining chairs, with the latter marked by pronounced, vase-shaped curves in the back splats and cabriole legs. In 1952, the manufacturer and distributor’s founder sold the business, including the right to trade under his name, to the John Widdicomb Company.
Find a wide variety of vintage John Stuart furniture on 1stDibs.
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 celebrated 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.
Generations turn over, and mid-century modern remains arguably the most popular style going. 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.