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Mid-Century Modern Benches

MID-CENTURY MODERN STYLE

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

CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS

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.

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Style: Mid-Century Modern
Midcentury Square Ottoman in style of Edward Wormley
Located in Chicago, IL
Midcentury square ottoman with wood base. This ottoman was made in style of Edward Wormley for Dunbar. New upholstery. Two ottomans are available.
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Upholstery, Wood

Large Wooden Bench, 1990s
Located in Brussels, BE
Large wooden bench, 1990s.
Category

1990s Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Wood

Modern Iron and Leather Bench
Located in Westwood, NJ
Modern iron and leather bench with a hammered iron modern tapered frame and box leather upholstered seat cushion. Dimensions 30" W x 14" D x ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Asian Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Iron

Earl Hand Crafted Walnut and Brass Harold Bench
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Solid wood construction hand crafted bench. This bench is shown in walnut with brass detailing. Measures: 12" W x 48" L x 18" H Hand made in Los Angeles, California.    
Category

2010s North American Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Oak, Walnut, Maple, Ash

German Handmade Bench Made of Oak, Coated Steel and Handwoven Jute Belts
Located in Wolfurt, AT
The bench is made of a filigree construction of powder-coated steel. On this construction rests a frame of solid, lacquered oak tree, which is covered with handwoven stripes of fabri...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary German Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Steel

Midcentury Brazilian Bench in Lacquered Wood, 1950s
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
Midcentury Brazilian bench in lacquered wood, 1950s Of unknown authorship, this bench in wood lacquered in black color is all built in wood. Its bac...
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Wood

Selection of Sculptural Stools
Located in Atlanta, GA
Selection of sculptural stools, circa 1960s or earlier. From left to right, they are: 1) Thebes Stool, probably English, at least circa 1940s, probab...
Category

1960s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Metal

Bench, Cantilever, Mid Century, Walnut, Danish Cord, Weave, Hardwood, Semigood
Located in Issaquah, WA
Mid-century inspired, hardwood and woven Danish cord bench. This listing is for a 41.125" long Rian Cantilever Bench in Walnut with Kraft Danish Cord....
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Cord, Hardwood

Iconic Pair of French Colonial Stools, French Indochina, 1930
Located in New York, NY
A sober and elegant pair of French Colonial stools / benches from the former colony of French Indochina. These pieces embrace a clean, modern aestheti...
Category

1930s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Rosewood

Pair of Charles Dudouyt Attributed French Oak Corkscrew Benches
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Rare mid-century modern oak trestle corkscrew dining benches attributed to French designer Charles Dudouyt (French 1885-1946). The massive benches are nearly 10 feet long and feature...
Category

20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Oak

Ebonized Italian Mid Century Bench
Located in New York, NY
An ebonized Italian Mid Century bench. Ebonized Beech wood with tapered legs and carved detaials on the armrests.
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Wood

Teak Bench PJ-SI-33B by Pierre Jeanneret, India, 1950s
Located in Antwerp, BE
Pierre Jeanneret rectangular PJ-SI-33B bench in teak and cane, designed in the 1950s for the M.L.A. hostels in Chandigarh, India. The cane tabletop is supported by a pair of V-shaped...
Category

1950s Indian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Cane, Teak

Pair Brueton "Macao" Steel Benches by Stanley Jay Friedman
Located in Chicago, IL
This pair of “Macao” benches / ottomans by Stanley Jay Friedman for Brueton is a striking example of the seamless fusion of form and function that characterizes 1970s American desig...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Stainless Steel

Long "Krobo" Table/Bench in Rosewood by Torbjørn Afdal for Bruksbo, Norway, 1960
Located in Deland, FL
Introducing a rare, fully restored long “Krobo” bench designed by the influential Torbjørn Afdal for Bruksbo. Constructed from a mix of solid and veneered Brazilian rosewood with stu...
Category

1960s Norwegian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Rosewood, Leather

Architectural Harvey Probber Bench Low Etagere Console
Located in Chicago, IL
Elegant architectural Harvey Probber bench etagere. Very thoughtful in all of the proportions and placements of forms. A fine example of Harvey Probber work. Probber craftsmanship is...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Wood

Mid-Century Italian Bench in Beech Wood
Located in Houston, TX
Beautiful and elegant Mid-Century Italian bench made out of beech wood. Newly re-polished and re-upholstered in light beige fabric. Wide bench seat is supported be 4 triangular legs....
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Fabric, Beech

Benches by Ton in Bentwood
Located in Waalwijk, NL
TON, benches, bentwood, faux leather, Czech Republic, 1960s These benches are manufactured by TON in the 1960s. The benches have a circular bentwood frame with striking round forms....
Category

1960s Czech Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Bentwood, Faux Leather

Martin Borenstein Elegant Daybed/Bench with Sculptural Legs, 1950s
Located in New York, NY
Daybed/bench with walnut base, upholstered cushion seat and sculptural chrome legs by Martin Borenstein for MB Designs, Challenge Series, American 1960's. Bo...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Chrome

1960s Cherry Wood Legs and Light Green Velvet Benches, Set of 2
Located in IT
1960s Cherry Wood Legs and Green Velvet Benches, Set of 2 Set of 2 benches in cherry wood and green velvet. New paddings and Recently reupholstered...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Velvet, Wood

Mid Century Modern George Nelson for Herman Miller Long Bench
Located in Tulsa, OK
**Please Read Entire Description** Please view all listing pictures on a laptop if possible. Some cell phones don’t display all listing pictures and some could be pictures relati...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Oak

Pair of Mid Century Modern Jens Risom Floating Top Walnut Stools/Ottomans
Located in Wilmington, DE
Pair of Mid Century Modern Jens Risom Floating Top Walnut Stools Offered is a Pair of Mid Century Modern Jens Risom Floating Top Walnut Stools. This set includes two stools(we have...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Walnut

Vintage Cherrywood "Cow Horn" Bench by Kipp Stewart and Stewart McDougall
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Solid cherrywood bench designed by Kipp Stewart and Stewart McDougall for Winchedon (ca. 1950s, USA). Composed of a deeply carved, cow horn-form backrest and minimal rectangular plat...
Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Cherry

Le Jeune Upholstery Melina Bench Showroom Model in Velvet and Walnut
Located in Miami, FL
Le Jeune Upholstery Melina Bench Showroom Model in Velvet and Walnut Offered for sale is a MELINA B3.923 Bench showroom model. The bench is inspired by the designs of the mid-centur...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Velvet, Walnut

Midcentury Low Long Coffee Table or Bench, Walnut + Brass - Gordon's
Located in Decatur, GA
Long and low cocktail table or bench in walnut by Gordon's fine Furniture circa 1950s. Perfect for an entryway. Brass sabots. This table has been attended to and restored by our te...
Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Brass

Sculptural ICO Bench by Stamford Modern
Located in Westport, CT
Introducing the ICO Bench, a stunning addition to any modern living space. Named after the celebrated Italian designer Ico Parisi, this bench beautifully sho...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Linen, Walnut

Linear Bench in Natural Wanut Series 72 by Stamford Modern
Located in Westport, CT
Introducing "The Linear Bench" – Where Clean Lines and Modern Design Converge! Draw clean lines with contemporary furniture inspired by the Mid-Century M...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Brass

60" Woven Rush Bench in Walnut by Mel Smilow
Located in New York, NY
Available in 44" or 60". RLB 60 measures 60"w 18"d 17"h RLB 44 measured 44"w 18"d 17"h Originally designed by Mel Smilow in 1956, the Woven Rush Benches...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Rush, Walnut

Swiss Design Permesso Bench in cowhide, by Girsberger - 2000s
Located in Renens, CH
Permesso, conceived by designers Kurt Müller and Daniel Leist, offers a contemporary take on the conventional bench. Its allure lies in its formal simplicity and lightness, reimagi...
Category

Early 2000s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Steel

George Nelson for Herman Miller MCM Extra Long Contract Bench with Planter Box
Located in Countryside, IL
George Nelson for Herman Miller Mid Century Extra Long Contract Bench with Planter Box This bench measures: 101 wide x 20.5 deep x 16.75 high All pieces of furniture can be had in ...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Metal

Tandem Eames for Herman Miller for Three Shells and a Table Top
Located in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NL
Tandem Base and Table without shells. 35 cm H x 200 cm L x 56 cm D Tandem incl floor caps.
Category

1940s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Metal

Adrian Pearsall Mid-Century Modern Walnut Chaise Lounge by Craft Associates
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Chaise lounge designed by the American designer Adrian Pearsall. The structure of the cocktail lounge is made of walnut in a beautiful curved shape and covered in white chenille fabr...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Bouclé, Walnut

Gerald McCabe Oak Trestle Bench
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Oak bench from American designer Gerald McCabe for Eon Furniture, c.1970s. The solid wood bench has a long seat with seat back perfect for a dining table, living room or entry way. P...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Oak

Mid-Century 1950s French Bench Adrien Audoux and Frida Minnet - Rush Seat
Located in Dorchester, GB
A 1950s rope bench in the style of French furniture designers Adrian & Frida Audoux-Minet. The bench features turned beech wood frame and original hand woven abaca rope seats and ba...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Rush, Wood

1970s Vintage Ercol Love Seat Bench
Located in Shibuya-ku, 13
The Ercol loveseat is a representative of UK modernity and is still a popular brand founded by designer Lucian R. Ercolani in 1920. The smooth form of the seat, made of hard, bend-re...
Category

1970s English Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Beech, Elm

French wooden bench in solid wood, ca 1900
Located in Meulebeke, BE
France / 1900 / bench / wood / rustic / mid-century / france Handsome rustic wooden bench in solid wood, made in France around 1900. The bench features a thick solid top supported b...
Category

Early 1900s French Antique Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Wood

Vintage Black Lacquer Red Upholstery Bench w/ Arms Slotted Back MINT
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Vintage Black Lacquer Red Upholstery Bench w/ Arms Slotted Back MINT
Category

20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Upholstery

Tandem Sling by Ray and Charles Eames for Herman Miller, Four-Seat
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Ray and Charles Eames were commissioned to design the perfect utilitarian seating for the first international airports in 1962, created for comfort and convenience. For the modern-da...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Aluminum

French antique soldid wood bench with narrow and long seat, 1930s
Located in MIlano, IT
Mid-century French wooden bench with long narrow seat, 1930s Bench with narrow and long seat with rounded corners, entirely in solid wood. The square section legs facing outwards are...
Category

1930s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Wood

Harry Bertoia Bench 400 Knoll International Mid Century Coffee Table
Located in Berlin, BE
This design by Harry Bertoia for Hans and Florence Knoll is an icon of mid-century modern design. Straightforward and simple but still unmistakable. The base has been kept in origina...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Long Vintage Green Enameled Steel and Solid Oak Gym Bench with Lower Storage
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage gymnasium bench with green enameled metal legs and lower basket shelf and solid oak dark stained top. Originally used to house soccer balls and sports equipment. In original ...
Category

1970s Dutch Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Metal

Ico & Luisa Parisi Vintage Wooden Bench, Italian Design 1960
Located in Oostrum-Venray, NL
Discover the timeless beauty of the Ico & Luisa Parisi wooden bench, a 1960 masterpiece made in Italy. This elegant piece of furniture embodies the modern Italian style of the 1950s ...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Wood

Vintage Extra Long Green Enameled Steel & Solid Oak Gym Bench with Lower Storage
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage gymnasium bench with solid oak top and green enameled metal frame with lower shelf. Originally used for soccer matches and sporting these large benches are perfect for a long...
Category

1970s Dutch Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Metal

Antique French farm bench in solid oak (1950s)
Located in LYON, FR
We offer you this fully restored and varnished farm bench. From the 50s, it has a pretty veining and will fit perfectly into many interior decorations. Perfectly stable. Dimensions...
Category

1950s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Oak

Daybed by AP-Originals, the Netherlands, 1960's
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Metal bench or daybed with new black leather upholstery and new filling. Manufactured by AP originals. We have two available, one is marked at the bottom.
Category

1970s Dutch Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Metal

Custom Made “Zigzag” Bench - Dark finish
Located in Los Angeles, CA
W57 D14 H16.5 Custom made in house by our professional carpentry team. This piece is made from solid wood and sealed to protect wood. Not designed for outdoor living, but we could a...
Category

2010s Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Wood

Slat Bench by Harry Bertoia for Knoll
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1970s. Wood slat bench with metal legs. Tagged.
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Metal

Spanish Gilt Iron Bench
Located in Buchanan, NY
This lovely Spanish gilt iron bench features a hammered hourglass frame with scrolled legs. The seat has been recently reupholstered in fashionable striped red and gray fabric. In ve...
Category

1950s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Iron

Mid Century Bamboo Bench
Located in Houston, TX
The Mid Century Bamboo Bench stands as an enduring symbol of mid-century modern design excellence, boasting sleek lines and the timeless appeal of natural materials. Crafted meticulo...
Category

Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Fabric, Bamboo

1960s Mid Century Low Profile Slat Wood Bench
Located in Boston, MA
Mid Century slat wood bench or coffee table, circa 1960s. Perfect size, long at 5ft, but balanced with a low profile 11 inch height. Constructed of thick wood slats creating a suitab...
Category

1960s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Wood

"Filoggetto" Red Metal and Chrome Bench by Rebolini for Robots, Italy 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Fantastic "Filoggetto" bench in chrome and red enameled metal by designers Guido Demarco and Roberto Rebolini for ROBOTS, produced in Italy during the 1970s. This delightful bench i...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Metal, Iron, Chrome

Swiss Design Permesso Bench in cowhide, by Girsberger - 2000s
Located in Renens, CH
Permesso, conceived by designers Kurt Müller and Daniel Leist, offers a contemporary take on the conventional bench. Its allure lies in its formal simplicity and lightness, reimagi...
Category

Early 2000s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Steel

Elegant Simplicity: A Mid-Century Beechwood Three-Seater Bench Handwoven Rush
Located in Boven Leeuwen, NL
"Embrace the understated elegance of our 1960s beechwood three-seater bench, a refined addition for those with a penchant for pastoral aesthetics. This slender and graceful bench is ...
Category

1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Rush, Beech

Mid Century Modern John Risley Steel Sculpture Bench
Located in Tulsa, OK
**Please Read Entire Description** Please view all listing pictures on a laptop if possible. Some cell phones don’t display all listing pictures and some could be pictures relati...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Steel

Mid-Century Solid Wood Platform Slat Bench by Nasco Yugoslavia
Located in San Diego, CA
Mid-century solid wood (possibly birch) platform slat bench by Nasco of Yugoslavia, circa 1960s. The piece is solid and sturdy with brass capped tapered legs that can be removed for...
Category

Mid-20th Century Macedonian Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Brass

Guillerme & Chambron Daybed or Bench with Side Table in Oak and Fabric
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Guillerme et Chambron, daybed bench, oak, fabric, France, 1960s. This low bench or daybed shows the admirable, characteristic details of the French designer duo Guillerme and Chambr...
Category

1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Fabric, Oak

Ash and Rush Bench
Located in London, GB
An ash and rush seat banquette France, 1970-80s
Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Rush, Ash

Rosewood bench by Kai Kristiansen, design 1960's
Located in PARIS, FR
Clean and elegant bench signed by the great Danish designer Kai Kristiansen. Kristiansen places strong emphasis on quality, aesthetics, ergonomics and functionality. This piece is of...
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Palisander

Vintage Handmade Primitive Arts and Crafts Style Wooden Petite Bench.
Located in Seattle, WA
Striking wood tone, possibly made from oak. This Bench could also be used as foot stool. Vintage Condition Consistent with Age as Pictured. Dimensions. 24 W ; 9 D ; 12 H
Category

1970s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Benches

Materials

Wood

Mid-century Modern benches for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern benches for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage benches created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating, tables, building and garden elements and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern benches made in a specific country, there are North America, United States, and Europe pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original benches, popular names associated with this style include Stamford Modern, Carlos Solano-Granda, Lawson-Fenning, and Montage. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee.

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