20th Century Cork Benches
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany, Cork
Vintage 1940s American Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany, Cork
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood, Mahogany, Cork
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Cork
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany, Cork
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Benches
Cork, Mahogany
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany, Cork
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Benches
Cork, Wood
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Benches
Cork, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Benches
Cork
Vintage 1950s American Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany, Cork
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Benches
Cork, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Benches
Cork
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Benches
Cork, Mahogany
Vintage 1940s American Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Cork, Mahogany
Vintage 1940s American Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Cork, Mahogany
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany, Cork
Vintage 1950s American Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Cork, Wood
Vintage 1950s American Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany, Cork
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Cork, Mahogany
Paul Frankl Biography and Important Works
His “Skyscraper” cabinets, introduced in 1924, are Frankl’s earliest and best-known designs (and the work by which he is most often represented in institutions, such as New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art). Tall and narrow, the pieces have staggered shelves meant to mimic the setbacks of Manhattan office towers. A later visually expressive line — the “Speed” chairs and sofas, which have a raked profile suggesting motion — links Frankl to Donald Deskey, Raymond Loewy and other creators of “Streamlined Moderne” design.
Frankl moved to Los Angeles in 1934 and luxuriated in the climate and lifestyle. His designs became lighter and simpler and found an audience among the Hollywood élite. (Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Fred Astaire were clients.) Fascinated by Asian arts, Frankl produced numerous pieces — tabletops with edges that curve upward; sofas and chairs with rattan frames — inspired by Chinese and Japanese forms and materials. In the 1940s, Frankl became one of the first designers to incorporate free-form, biomorphic shapes in his work, as well as novel upholstery fabrics such as denim and nubby wool.
Frankl biographer Christopher Long argues that the designer’s easy, elegant aesthetic had an enormous influence on movie set design. As the furniture below attests, Paul Frankl’s work is ready for its close-up.
Finding the Right Seating for You
With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality lounge furniture cannot be overstated. Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other seating — 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 styles in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other furnishings — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring 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 antique, new and vintage seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.