Vintage Space Age furniture captured post–World War II optimism with swooping shapes, bowed lines and experimentation with new materials including plastic and fiberglass.
From the launch of the Sputnik 1 satellite in 1957 to the landing of Apollo 11 astronauts on the moon in 1969, the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States propelled advancements in technology that transformed culture. Space Age design encompassed fashion, architecture, cars, furniture and objects for the home, bringing wonder and hope for the future into everyday life.
Coinciding with Pop art, Space Age style featured bold colors and forms. Eero Aarnio’s Ball chair, which debuted in 1966, used molded fiberglass for a capsule-like space while Verner Panton’s 1959 Panton chair was a single piece of molded plastic for a gravity-defying S shape. Red versions of Olivier Mourgue’s 1964 Djinn chair were futuristic enough to appear on the space station in Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Today, Joe Colombo is revered as a master of modern Italian design thanks to the provocative modular furniture pieces he created, such as the Tube chair and the Elda armchair, both of which embody the future-forward spirit of the Space Age.
The Space Age spirit extended to home building too. The futuristic Case Study Houses, which were designed by the likes of Pierre Koenig, Charles and Ray Eames, Richard Neutra and Whitney R. Smith, are considered a high point of modernism and the Southern California lifestyle.
Sometimes the nods to space exploration were more literal, like moon and star motifs or the 1965 Eclisse lamp by Vico Magistretti that saw the mid-century Italian designer integrating a movable inner shade to “eclipse” the light source. Alongside the pioneering moon missions, JVC manufactured the Videosphere portable television reminiscent of the Apollo 11 space helmets.
Although the style faded in the 1970s — with the 1975 joining of the Apollo and Soyuz spacecrafts signaling a new era of cooperation and the global oil crisis impacting the availability of plastics — the era’s innovations influenced designers into the 21st century such as Zaha Hadid and Djivan Schapira.
Find a collection of vintage Space Age seating, tables, lighting and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Italian 1970s Yellow Plastic Vanity Case by Makio Hasuike
Located in San Benedetto Del Tronto, IT
This portable vanity case was designed by Makio Hasuike for Gedy in Italy during the 1970s and represents an iconic example of Italian Space Age plastic design. Executed in vibrant ...
Plastic, Glass
Acrylic Cube Box with Spherical Cavity, Attributed to Albrizzi, 1970s
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Elegant clear acrylic cube with a polished hemispherical cavity, reminiscent of the refined geometric accessories designed by Alessandro Albrizzi during the 1970s. This piece perfect...
Acrylic
Alessandro Albrizzi Lucite Cube, Italy 1970s
Located in Autonomous City Buenos Aires, CABA
Alessandro Albrizzi Lucite Cube, Italy, 1970s This Italian design object is a modular, sculptural acrylic (Lucite) cube composed of two stackable sections. The base is a dark or smok...
Lucite
Vintage Hand Carved Wood Clam Box
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This elegant vintage trinket box is a beautiful example of Mid-Century organic design, meticulously hand-carved from solid wood. Shaped like a graceful scallop shell, the piece featu...
Brass
Large Ceramic Box - Gabbianelli Production - Italy - 1970s
By Gabbianelli
Located in Milano, IT
Large orange ceramic storage box, consisting of two containers, one with lid, the other crescent-shaped, open. Produced by Gabbianelli. The object can be combined with a similar one ...
Ceramic
1960 Roberto Arioli Gabbianelli Italian Space Age Design Chrome Ceramic Box
By Roberto Arioli, Gabbianelli
Located in Brescia, IT
Box Roberto Arioli Gabbianelli Italy, 1970 Eggplant Ceramic with Crome Handle Sticker Label under the base Perfect condiction
Chrome
Silver Plated Metal 1960s Bowl & Box by Christofle
By Christofle
Located in Varese, Lombardia
Set of 2 silver plated metal decorative objects: a "leave" bowl and an "apple" box from the '60s. Pretty good condition: the bowl show light defect on one side as showed in the pictu...
Silver Plate, Brass
Italian 1970s Taupe Plastic Bathroom Set by Makio Hasuike
Located in San Benedetto Del Tronto, IT
This bathroom accessories set was designed by Makio Hasuike for Gedy in Italy during the 1970s and represents a sophisticated example of Italian Space Age domestic design. Executed ...
Glass, Plastic
Ceramic Box - Gabbianelli Production - Italy - 1970s
By Gabbianelli
Located in Milano, IT
Small orange ceramic storage box, consisting of two containers, one with lid, the other crescent-shaped, open. Produced by Gabbianelli. The object can be matched with a similar one b...
Ceramic
Hollywood regency lucite tuxedo set, Guzzini Italy 1970
By Guzzini
Located in Firenze, IT
Smoking Set, ashtray, table lighter and cigars box Italy 1970 Lucite Ashtray: H 14.5 x 14.5 x 4 cm Table Lighter: H 6.5 x 8.5 x 7 cm Cigars box: H 7.5 x 18 x 10.5 cm Label on t...
Lucite
1970's Space Age Postmodern Frosted Lucite Planter
Located in San Diego, CA
Solid thick frosted lucite posts holding a white lucite square floating box , a very rare and unique piece can be used as a planter or ice bucket , very nice condition except one pie...
Lucite
Walter Zeischegg Stacking Ashtrays / Bowls, 1967 for Helit, Fantastic Plastic
By Walter Zeischegg, Helit Presswerk
Located in London, GB
Walter Zeischegg for Helit, Ulm, W. Germany Large stacking ashtrays / bowls, model 84009, designed 1967 Red melamine, original labels. This is an e...
Plastic
Wood, Red, White & Black enameled 1960s box by Siva
Located in Varese, Lombardia
Decorative box in enameled metal and wood produced by Siva from Poggibonsi, Italy. Good condition: a visible chip at the base.
Metal, Enamel
Vintage Italian Nickel Plated Metal & Plastic 1960s Small Box
Located in Varese, Lombardia
This metal & plastic box was produced in the 1960s. It is made from nickel plated brass frame and plastic faces. The box shows the engraved logo of a well-known Italian company ( A...
Brass, Nickel
Jacques Tissinier (1936-2018) Box, Jean Neuhaus SA éditeur, France, 1972
Located in Paris, FR
Jacques Tissinier (1936-2018) Box, Jean Neuhaus SA éditeur, France, 1972 Steel in vitracer enamel, Good condition, a few scratches from use. Co...
Metal
Mid Century Jewelry Box Hand Carved Wood Boob 1960s
By Dean Santner
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
This is a beautiful hand carved wood jewelry box in the style of Dean Santner. The boob shaped box twists open easily to reveal a compartment w...
Wood
$775
H 1.78 in W 4.34 in D 3.75 in
STUNNING ViNTAGE HAND CARVED SOLID MALACHITE HEXAGONAL TRINKET JEWELLERY BOX
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely vintage Malachite jewellery trinket storage box A good...
Malachite
$470
H 1.66 in W 11.03 in D 4.73 in
1970s Mid-Century Modern fake Tortoiseshell Lucite Italian Jewelry Box
By Guzzini
Located in Aci Castello, IT
This 1970s Mid-Century Modern Italian jewelry box is a beautiful example of the era's design sensibilities, combining elegance, functionality, and high-quality craftsmanship. Here's ...
Lucite
$470Sale Price|20% Off
H 2.96 in W 13.98 in D 7.49 in
1960s Art Deco Tortoise Lucite Trinket Box - Italian Design
Located in Albano Laziale, Rome/Lazio
Here is a jewelry/trinket box in Art Deco style produced during the late 1960's. The material is lucite/plexiglass with black and brown tortise decor and a white inside. The box is i...
Lucite, Plexiglass
Italian Ceramic Box
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautiful Italian ceramic box with blue and green coloring. Marked Italy on underside. Great stash box and tabletop object.
Ceramic
Ceramic Box by Nanni Valentini for Ceramica Arcore, Italy, 1970s
By Arcore Ceramica 1, Nanni Valentini
Located in Milan, IT
Ceramic box by Nanni Valentini for Ceramica Arcore.
Ceramic
Alessandro Albrizzi "Nest of Snakes" Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Baron Alessandro Albrizzi grew up in, and later inherited, the family palazzo in Venice, where the French doors that opened onto the garden had hardware embellished with bronze snakes. The memory of them prompted him to create the“nest of snakes” sculptures...
Metal
Vintage Italian Decorative Chrome Box Italy 1960s
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This vintage Italian decorative chrome box from the 1960s features an elegant brass top detail, exemplifying mid-century Italian craftsmanship and style.
Brass, Chrome
Lucite and Chrome Box, Italy, 1970s
Located in Naples, IT
Rare decorative lucite and chrome cube-shaped box. Made in Italy in the 1970s.
Chrome
$411
H 5.91 in W 6.3 in D 6.3 in
Italian mid-century Orange ceramic Vase by Bettonica for Gabbianelli, 1970s
By Franco Bettonica, Gabbianelli
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century Orange ceramic Vase by Bettonica for Gabbianelli, 1970s Vase with a helix shape in orange ceramic. Produced by Gabbianell...
Ceramic
$1,780 / set
H 5.91 in W 17.33 in D 10.24 in
Set of Two Ceramic Centerpieces by Gabbianelli, Italy, 1970s
By Gabbianelli
Located in Milan, IT
Set of two huge ceramic centerpieces by Gabbianelli. Oversized handles and pure sculptural shape.
Ceramic
1970s Signed Gabriella Crespi Cigarette Case
Located in Florence, Tuscany
An original 1970s Gabriella Crespi ciagrette case signed on the side and with the original Crespi sticker on the base. The case is dated 11 Decemer 1972 on the inside. A perfect piec...
Brass
Italian Metal & Plexiglass Box, 1970s
Located in Varese, Lombardia
Plexiglass box with metal belt. Pretty good condition: no dents. some few scratches under the base as showed in the picture.
Metal
Sold
H 5.91 in W 12.6 in D 7.09 in
Large box in clear & smoked mirror, in the style of Fontana Arte, 1970s
By Fontana Arte
Located in STRASBOURG, FR
Large Italian box circa 1970, all in clear and smoked mirror, in the style of productions by Fontana Arte or Crystal Art. In fine condition, with a scratch and a small chip.
Mirror
Sold
H 5.12 in Dm 7.49 in
Collectible Disc Holder Plastic Container by Olaf von Bohr for Kartell, 1960s
By Kartell, Olaf von Bohr
Located in San Benedetto Del Tronto, IT
Lovely and rare plastic disc holder designed by Olaf Von Bohr and produced by Kartell. This rare vintage piece is made of high density plastic. The black color is the perfect match ...
Plastic
Italian Steel & Brass 1970s Decorative Box
Located in Varese, Lombardia
This metal box was produced in the 1970s. It is made from brass, steel and glass and it remains in a good vintage condition: visible oxidation spots on the cover.
Brass, Steel
Sold
H 9.85 in W 3.94 in D 3.94 in
Set of Three Orange Glazed Ceramic Boxes by Pino Spagnolo for Sicart, Italy
By Sicart, Pino Spagnolo
Located in Rome, IT
Set of three orange glazed ceramic boxes by Pino Spagnolo for Sicart, Italy. Each box has different dimensions, following an ascending order...
Ceramic
Fratelli Toso Murano Apple Green a Pentoni Italian Art Glass Jewelry Powder Box
By Ermanno Toso, Fratelli Toso
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful Murano handblown Italian art glass covered powder or jewelry box with green sliced murrines. Documented to Ermanno Toso, for the Fratelli Toso company, in the "A Pentoni" d...
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Murrine, Glass