Are Wassily chairs mid-century modern?

Yes, Wassily chairs are indeed considered mid-century modern. Although the chair was initially designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925, it was re-released in the 1960s. Shop a collection of mid-century modern goods from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.

What is an iconic chair from the mid-century modern era?

Some iconic chairs from the mid-century modern era include the Egg chair by Arne Jacobson, the La Chaise by Charles and Ray Eames and the Womb chair by Eero Saarinen. With their clean lines, organic shapes and simple details, these chairs reflect some of the key features of the style. Shop a variety of mid-century modern chairs on 1stDibs.

Mid-Century Modern Ash Chairs

Milo Baughman Burl Wood

Midcentury Modern Burl Wood

Evans Plywood

Ashwood Chairs

Mid Century Molded Plywood Chair

Century Furniture Cane Back Dining Chairs

Materials

Ash

H 33.25 in W 24.25 in D 28 in

Japanese Designer, Lounge Chair, Ash, Japan, 1950s

Located in High Point, NC

An ash lounge chair or armchair designed and produced in Japan, c. 1950s. Wear consistent with age and use. Overall Dimensions (inches): 33.25"H x 24.25"W x 28.0"D Seat Height (in...

Category

Vintage 1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Ash

H 29.14 in W 14.57 in D 16.93 in

Gerrit Rietveld Zig Zag Chair, Solid Wood, Mid-Century Modern

Located in Barcelona, Barcelona

Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Zig Zag Chair For Cassina Designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld in 1934 and quickly deemed a design icon, the Zig Zag chair is one of the first examples of a ca...

Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Wood

H 47.64 in W 19.3 in D 26.78 in

Mid century Wooden Slatted Yoga Body Chairs Loungers 1979 Pair

Located in Stow on the Wold, GB

An important and rare pair of chairs designed by Jim Warren and produced by Pearl Dot, England, they date from 1979. Very cleverly designed to reflect the whole human body, in its fu...

Category

Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Ash

$3,850 / set

H 34.65 in W 28.15 in D 22.45 in

Spanish Pair of Lounge Chairs in Ash and Cane

Located in Waalwijk, NL

Pair of easy chairs, ash, cane, leatherette, metal, Spain, 1950s. Joyful pair of Spanish lounge chairs with soft organic lines. These chairs feature a stained ash frame of which a ...

Category

Vintage 1950s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Faux Leather, Cane, Ash

$14,219

H 25.2 in W 25.6 in D 32.29 in

JH 106 - Lounge chair in ash by Poul Kjærholm & Jørgen Høj

By Poul Kjærholm, Jorgen Hoj, Thorald Madsens Snedkeri

Located in Copenhagen, DK

JH 106 - Armchair in patinated ash and flagline. Designed in 1952 by Poul Kjærholm & Jørgen Høj. Made by Thorald Madsen.

Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Ash

Recent Sales

Ash Chairs Danish Design Midcentury Classic

Unavailable

H 31.11 in W 16.93 in D 16.93 in

Ash Chairs Danish Design Midcentury Classic

Located in Szczecin, Zachodniopomorskie

Set of four chairs of the 1960s-1970s. Construction made of ash wood. New upholstery. Chairs in good condition with visible signs of wear. Price per set Dimensions: height 79cm, ...

Category

Vintage 1970s Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Ash

Chair Danish Design Ash Midcentury Retro Armchair

Unavailable

H 31.5 in W 22.84 in D 17.72 in

Chair Danish Design Ash Midcentury Retro Armchair

Located in Szczecin, Zachodniopomorskie

Chair or office chair from the 1960s-1970s, Danish design, upholstery after replacement, construction made of ashwood. Preserved in good condition, directly for use. Dimensions: H...

Category

Vintage 1970s Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Ash

H. W. Klein Chairs Ash Danish Design Bramin

Unavailable

H 29.53 in W 17.33 in D 16.93 in

H. W. Klein Chairs Ash Danish Design Bramin

By H.W. Klein

Located in Szczecin, Zachodniopomorskie

Set of four Minimalist chairs of the 1960s-1970s. Beautiful straight line designed by a leading Danish designer Henry Walter Klein. Scandinavian design from manufactory Bramin. Const...

Category

Vintage 1970s Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Ash

Vintage Chair Midcentury Teak Retro 1970s Gray Ash

Unavailable

H 32.29 in W 18.9 in D 17.33 in

Vintage Chair Midcentury Teak Retro 1970s Gray Ash

Located in Szczecin, Zachodniopomorskie

Classic chair from the 1960s-1970s, Minimalist form - Danish design. New upholstery (gray color). The structure is made of ashwood. Preserved in good condition (small bruises and scr...

Category

Vintage 1970s Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Ash

Gigi Sabadin Crassevig Arca Folding Chair in Black Wood and Natural Rattan, 1974

By Gigi Sabadin

Located in Paris, FR

Arca chair design by Gigi Sabadin in 1974. Crassevig edition. Folding chair. Structure in black lacquered solid ash, steam bent. Seat in rattan. Award: Selezione d’Onore d...

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

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Mid-Century Modern Ash Chairs For Sale on 1stDibs

Find a variety of mid-century modern ash chairs available on 1stDibs. Each of these unique mid-century modern ash chairs was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, hardwood and ash. There are 1483 antique and vintage mid-century modern ash chairs for sale at 1stDibs, while we also have 315 modern editions to choose from as well. Mid-century modern ash chairs have been made for many years, and versions that date back to the 18th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century. Mid-century modern ash chairs made by mid-century modern designers — as well as those associated with Scandinavian Modern — are very popular at 1stDibs. There have been many well-made mid-century modern ash chairs over the years, but those made by Gio Ponti, Charles and Ray Eames and Cassina are often thought to be among the most beautiful.

How Much are Mid-Century Modern Ash Chairs?

Prices for mid-century modern ash chairs start at $195 and top out at $95,500 with the average selling for $3,788.

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

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.

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.

How Top Designers Are Using Mid-Century Chairs in Today’s Interiors

Modern icons are showing up in gracefully layered dining nooks, living rooms and lounges — proof that great design only gets better with context.

The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs

You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.

Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair Shook Modernism and Charmed Hollywood

The enduring appeal of the Barcelona chair is in the details.

Herman Miller Got Its Start in the Office, but Its Legacy Is in the Home

The brand that turned Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi and George Nelson into mid-century household names is just as relevant today as it was six decades ago.