Boomerang Rocker
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Hardwood, Beech
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Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak, Wool
Vintage 1960s Danish Rocking Chairs
Vintage 1950s Danish Rocking Chairs
Vintage 1950s American Rocking Chairs
Wood, Upholstery
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20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Chrome, Nickel
Mid-20th Century Swedish Brutalist Chaise Longues
Pine, Leather
Vintage 1930s Italian Art Deco Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut, Burl
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Stools
Faux Leather, Acrylic, Foam, Plywood
21st Century and Contemporary Scottish Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century English Neoclassical Revival Musical Instruments
Bronze
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Brass
Vintage 1940s Italian Art Deco Wardrobes and Armoires
Wood
2010s American Modern Cabinets
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century Dutch Sofas
Fabric, Palmwood
Antique 19th Century Austrian Vienna Secession Beds and Bed Frames
Bentwood
Vintage 1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Chinese Tang Antiquities
Pottery
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
Chrome
Finding the Right Rocking-chairs for You
The phrase “rocking chair” didn’t find its way into the dictionary until the mid-18th century. While most of the sitting furniture that we use in our homes originated in either England or France, the iconic rocking chair is a quintessentially American piece of furniture.
A Philadelphia cabinetmaker’s bill for a proto-rocking chair issued in 1742, which identified the seat as a “Nurse Chair with rockers,” is the earliest surviving evidence of this design’s humble beginnings. The nurse chair was a low side chair intended for nursing women, so giving it a soothing rocking motion made sense. Rocking chairs, which saw a curved slat affixed to the chairs’ feet so that they could be literally rocked, quickly gained popularity across the United States, garnering a reputation as a seat that everyone could love. They offered casual comfort without the expensive fabrics and upholstery that put armchairs out of many families’ budgets.
Rocking chairs are unique in that they don’t just offer a place to rest — they offer an opportunity to reminisce. The presence of one of these classic pieces stirs up our penchant for nostalgia and has the power to transform a space. They easily introduce a simple country feel to the city or bring the peaceful rhythm of a porch swing into a sheltered sunroom. Although craftsmen took to painting and stenciling varieties of the chairs that emerged in New England during the 19th century, the most traditional rocking chairs are generally unadorned seats constructed with time-tested materials like wood and metal. As such, a minimalist vintage rocking chair can be ushered into any corner of your home without significantly disrupting your existing decor scheme or the room’s color palette.
In the decades since the first rocker, top designers have made the piece their own. Viennese chair maker Michael Thonet produced a series of rockers in the middle of the 19th century in which the different curved steam-bent wood parts were integrated into fluid, sinuous wholes. Mid-century modernists Charles and Ray Eames added wooden rockers to their famous plastic shell armchair, while Danish designer Frank Reenskaug opted for teak and polished beech, introducing pops of color with small cushions (a precursor to the bold works that would follow in the 1970s and 1980s).
No matter your personal style, let 1stDibs pair you with your perfect seat. Deck out your porch, patio or parlor — browse the vintage, new and antique rocking chairs in our vast collection today.
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