1950s PVC Chairs
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Plastic
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Materials: Plastic Furniture
Arguably the world’s most ubiquitous man-made material, plastic has impacted nearly every industry. In contemporary spaces, new and vintage plastic furniture is quite popular and its use pairs well with a range of design styles.
From the Italian lighting artisans at Fontana Arte to venturesome Scandinavian modernists such as Verner Panton, who created groundbreaking interiors as much as he did seating — see his revolutionary Panton chair — to contemporary multidisciplinary artists like Faye Toogood, furniture designers have been pushing the boundaries of plastic forever.
When The Graduate's Mr. McGuire proclaimed, “There’s a great future in plastics,” it was more than a laugh line. The iconic quote is an allusion both to society’s reliance on and its love affair with plastic. Before the material became an integral part of our lives — used in everything from clothing to storage to beauty and beyond — people relied on earthly elements for manufacturing, a process as time-consuming as it was costly.
Soon after American inventor John Wesley Hyatt created celluloid, which could mimic luxury products like tortoiseshell and ivory, production hit fever pitch, and the floodgates opened for others to explore plastic’s full potential. The material altered the history of design — mid-century modern legends Charles and Ray Eames, Joe Colombo and Eero Saarinen regularly experimented with plastics in the development of tables and chairs, and today plastic furnishings and decorative objects are seen as often indoors as they are outside.
Find vintage plastic lounge chairs, outdoor furniture, lighting and more on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right Seating for You
With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.
Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.
Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.
The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.
Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.
With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.
Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.
No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.
- 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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