Womb Chair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1980s. USA. Classic womb chair in original knoll butter yellow fabric.
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Fabric
Womb Chair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1980s. USA. Classic womb chair in original knoll butter yellow fabric.
Fabric
$9,500
H 36.5 in W 39.5 in D 35.5 in
Vintage Womb Lounge Chair in Brown Cato Wool, Eero Saarinen for Knoll Studio
By Eero Saarinen, Knoll
Located in Detroit, MI
This vintage Womb lounge chair designed by Eero Saarinen for Knoll is from the 1990s as evidenced
Steel, Chrome
$11,000 / set
H 36 in W 41 in D 34 in
1980s Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb Lounge Chair w/ Ottoman in Brown Leather
By Eero Saarinen, Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an original Womb lounge chair and its accompanying ottoman, Model 70L, designed by Eero
Steel
One of a Kind Modern Teak Womb Chair
By John Brevard
Located in Coral Gables, FL
back and smooth edges, this solid teak chair envelopes us like a womb. Handmade of solid teak wood
Teak
Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb Chair is French Boucle
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Dallas, TX
An iconic Eero Saarinen for Knoll womb chair newly upholstered in a very high-quality French bouclé
Metal
$8,439
H 37.41 in W 40.56 in D 33.86 in
Luxurious Soft Womb Chair, by Saarinen for Knoll Switzerland Production, 1960s
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Renens, CH
The Womb Chair was designed by Eero Saarinen in 1946 at the request of Florence Knoll, who wanted a
Metal
Forsyth Eero Saarinen Womb Chair and Ottoman in Dedar Karakorum
By Eero Saarinen
Located in SAINT LOUIS, MO
Saarinen designed the groundbreaking Womb Chair at Florence Knoll's request for ‘a chair that was like a
Fabric
$8,500 / set
H 36 in W 39 in D 32 in
Early Production Saarinen Knoll Womb Chair & Ottoman Reupholstered LIC Label
By Eero Saarinen, Knoll
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A wonderful early production Eero Saarinen Knoll Womb Chair and ottoman that we just recently had
Steel
Forsyth Bespoke Eero Saarinen Womb Chair and Ottoman in Suede
By Eero Saarinen
Located in SAINT LOUIS, MO
Ottoman will be made to order in a luxurious brown suede. Images are of a Womb Chair and Ottoman we
Chrome
$11,487 / set
H 35.44 in W 40.16 in D 33.86 in
Womb Chair and Ottoman by Eero Saarinen for Knoll, 2000s
By Eero Saarinen, Knoll
Located in Renens, CH
Indulge in comfort with the Womb Chair, designed by Eero Saarinen and produced by Knoll. This
Metal
$8,500 / set
H 36 in W 39 in D 32 in
1966 Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb Chair w/newer Ottoman Reupholstered
By Eero Saarinen, Knoll
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A wonderful early vintage Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb Chair. The chair dates from 1966. We had it
Wool
$13,500 / set
H 36 in W 43 in D 30 in
Eero Saarinen Womb Chair and Ottoman in New Zealand Taupe Sheepskin
By Eero Saarinen
Located in Saint Louis, US
Relax and unwind in this beautifully comfortable original Eero Saarinen Womb Chair and ottoman set
Steel
$6,800
H 35.75 in W 39.5 in D 32 in
Early Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb Chair and Ottoman Re-upholstered
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A wonderfully redone vintage 1960’s Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb chair and ottoman. It has been
Wool
$7,600Sale Price|20% Off
H 36.5 in W 39.5 in D 35.5 in
Early Restored Mid Century Tan Womb Lounge Chair by Saarinen for Knoll
By Eero Saarinen, Knoll
Located in Detroit, MI
Note: We have a collection of vintage Eero Saarinen Womb chairs and loveseat settees undergoing
Steel, Chrome
$14,800 / set
H 35 in W 41 in D 39 in
Forsyth Bespoke Womb Chair and Ottoman in New Zealand Sheepskin, Smokey Taupe
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in SAINT LOUIS, MO
design icons waiting for a new life. Our upcycled womb chairs are some of our most popular designs. This
Sheepskin
$8,200
H 36.25 in W 38 in D 35 in
Early Restored Mid Century Womb Lounge Chair by Saarinen for Knoll, Custom Avail
By Eero Saarinen, Knoll
Located in Detroit, MI
Note: We have a collection of vintage Eero Saarinen Womb chairs and loveseat settees undergoing
Steel, Chrome
1st Series of the Womb Chair by Ero Saarinen, Knoll, ca. 1948
By Eero Saarinen
Located in VILLEURBANNE, FR
The Womb Chair stands as one of the most celebrated icons of 20th-century design, born from the
Metal
Eero Saarinen Womb Chair and Ottoman Produced by Knoll
By Eero Saarinen
Located in Pittsburgh, PA
Brown womb chair and ottoman designed by Eero Saarinen and produced by Knoll. Unique Provenance.
Metal
Early Eero Saarinen “Womb” Chair
By Eero Saarinen
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Artist/Designer: Eero Saarinen (Finnish-American, 1910-1961); Knoll Additional Information: Chair
Steel
Pair of Bent Plywood Brown Red Mohair Upholstery Womb Lounge Chairs
By Knoll
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Pair of very nice design super comfortable chairs by Bill Stephens for Knoll.
Mohair, Upholstery
1960s Womb Chair & Ottoman by Eero Saarinen
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Chicago, IL
Produced by Knoll, tagged. The fabric is in excellent condition, and the seat / ottoman foam is is still very soft. The foam attached to the fiberglass shell has hardened a bit over...
Fabric
3rd Generation Eero Saarinen Womb Chair for Knoll
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Southampton, NJ
An early 3rd generation Eero Saarinen Womb chair having black iron base and signature stainless
Stainless Steel, Iron
Saarinen for Knoll Leather Womb Chair and Ottoman
By Eero Saarinen
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Like a favourite pair of worn gloves, or an old oiled baseball mitt this Saarinen for Knoll Womb
Metal, Chrome
Eero Saarinen Womb Chair and Ottoman by Knoll
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Highland, IN
Saarinen's iconic lounge chair and ottoman in a rich, textural fabric. One of the most generous and
Steel
Vintage Eero Saarinen Womb Chair Restored in Brazilian Cowhide
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in SAINT LOUIS, MO
One-of-a-kind vintage Eero Saarinen Womb chair restored in Brazilian cowhide We collected this
Cowhide
Eero Saarinen Womb Lounge Chair w/ Ottoman for Knoll
By Eero Saarinen
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A womb chair with matching ottoman in a orange / yellow woven wool blend fabric sitting on chromed
Upholstery
Mid Century Modern Florence Knoll Womb Chair With Ottoman
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Stafford, TX
chair but both were purchased at the same time. Measurements Chair 39x31x35.5h sh17 Ottoman 25x19x16h
Chrome
Early Wool Womb Chair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll, 1960s
By Eero Saarinen, Knoll
Located in Aachen, NW
Early 2-tone wool Womb chair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll. The groundbreaking Womb chair was
Aluminum
Early Eero Saarinen "Womb" Cognac Leather Chair for Knoll
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we take this journey with passion and precision. With over 17 years of artisanal exper...
Iron
Vintage Eero Saarinen Womb Chair Restored in New Zealand Sheepskin
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in SAINT LOUIS, MO
One-of-a-kind vintage Eero Saarinen Womb chair restored in Brazilian cowhide We collected this
Sheepskin
Eero Saarinen "Womb" Cognac Leather Chair with Ottoman for Knoll
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Iconic “Womb” chair and ottoman designed by Eero Saarinen for Knoll Inc. In the United States in
Steel, Chrome
Eero Saarinen Womb Chair and Ottoman in Golden Teddy Bear Sheepskin
By Eero Saarinen
Located in Saint Louis, US
Relax and unwind in this beautifully comfortable original Eero Saarinen Womb Chair and ottoman set
Steel
Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb Lounge Chair in mauve-gray Fabric
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in The Hague, NL
Womb Lounge Chair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll, USA, 1990s Designed by Eero Saarinen in 1948 for
Chrome
Early Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb Chair and Ottoman Re-upholstered
By Eero Saarinen, Knoll
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A wonderfully redone vintage 1960’s Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb chair and ottoman. It has been
Wool
Sold
H 35 in W 41 in D 39 in
Forsyth Eero Saarinen Womb Chair and Ottoman in Pierre Frey 'Wokabi' Fabric
By Eero Saarinen
Located in SAINT LOUIS, MO
A favorite of the Forsyth design team! “Eero Saarinen designed the groundbreaking Womb Chair at
Fabric
Sold
H 36 in W 41.5 in D 37 in
Vintage "Womb" Cognac Leather Chair with Ottoman by Eero Saarinen for Knoll
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Dimensions: 36in H x 41.50in W x 37in D Seat height 15.50in Ottoman: 13.50in H x 25in W x 20in D.
Chrome
Sold
H 36.25 in W 39.5 in D 34.5 in
1960s Knoll Womb Chair and Ottoman Designed by Eero Saarinen Mid Century Modern
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Virginia Beach, VA
A 1960's Orange Knoll womb chair and ottoman designed by Eero Saarinen for Knoll. Reupholstered in
Chrome
Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb Chair and Ottoman
Located in Astoria, NY
Eero Saarinen (Finnish/American, 1910-1961) for Knoll Brown Upholstered Womb Chair and Ottoman
Metal, Chrome
Eero Saarinen Womb Chair
By Eero Saarinen
Located in Stamford, CT
A Eero Saarinen womb chair for Knoll. This model is unmarked due to the fact that it has been
Metal
Saarinen for Knoll Womb Chair in Brown Boucle
By Eero Saarinen
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Original Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb Chair in brown bouclé. 5 Year old chair in very nice
Chrome
Eero Saarinen Womb Chair and Ottoman for Knoll
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Amarillo, TX
Eero Saarinen Womb chair and ottoman Knoll, USA, 1946 Wool upholstery and chrome-plated steel
Chrome
First Generation Eero Saarinen Womb Chair for Knoll
By Eero Saarinen
Located in Stamford, CT
A newly reupholstered Eero Saarinen "Womb Chair" for Knoll. This chair is clearly a first
Steel
Knoll Mid-Century Womb Chair and Ottoman, Pair
By Knoll
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Knoll mid-century womb chair and ottoman - pair. Each chair measures: 41 wide x 37 deep x 36
Chrome
Bespoke Eero Saarinen Womb Chair and Ottoman in Shearling
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in SAINT LOUIS, MO
design icons waiting for a new life. Our upcycled Womb Chairs are some of our most popular designs. This
Sheepskin
Eero Saarinen "Womb" Leather Chair with Ottoman for Knoll
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Iconic “Womb” chair and ottoman designed by Eero Saarinen for Knoll Inc. In the United States in
Chrome, Steel
Vintage Eero Saarinen Womb Chair in Distressed Velvet, 1970s
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A 20th century classic, here we have a stunning womb chair with a unique patterned velvet--a la
Steel, Chrome
Eero Saarinen "Womb" Cognac Leather Chair with Ottoman for Knoll
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Iconic “Womb” chair and ottoman designed by Eero Saarinen for Knoll Inc. In the United States in
Steel, Chrome
Custom Modernist KNOLL Womb Chair and Ottoman by Eero Saarinen
By Eero Saarinen, Knoll
Located in Buffalo, NY
Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb chair and ottoman. Custom Ordered “Puff” Mocha color upholstery "Nick
Metal, Steel
Sold
H 35.5 in W 39 in D 30.5 in
Early Eero Saarinen Womb Chair and Ottoman, Jack Lenor Larsen Fabric, Knoll
By Eero Saarinen, Knoll, Jack Lenor Larsen
Located in Buffalo, NY
Early eero Saarinen womb chair and ottoman, Jack Lenor Larsen fabric, Knoll, classic womb chair and
Iron
Sold
H 36 in W 39.5 in D 36 in
Early Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb Chair & Ottoman in Knoll Fabric, 1969
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Southampton, NJ
Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb chair and ottoman produced in 1969 as documented on its frame having
Iron
Sold
H 36 in W 39.5 in D 36 in
Early Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb Chair & Ottoman in Original Knoll Fabric
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Southampton, NJ
Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb chair and ottoman circa 1960 as having rare original Knoll Cornflower
Iron
Sold
H 35 in W 39 in D 34 in
Mid-Century Modern Womb Chair and Ottoman by Eero Saarinen for Knoll in Leather
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A nice early 1950s womb chair and ottoman designed by Eero Saarinen and produced by Knoll. The
Steel
Womb Chair with Teak Legs
Located in New York, NY
Vintage 1960s Danish Purple Chair This mid century womb chair is in excellent condition. Very
Cotton, Teak
Eero Saarinen Womb Chair + Ottoman for Knoll
By Eero Saarinen, Knoll
Located in Hudson, NY
New upholstery on this Womb chair plus ottoman chrome base made by Knoll.
Fabric
Eero Saarinen Womb Chair Florence Knoll, 1948
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Basel, CH
Eero Saarinen Womb chair designed 1948 and manufactured by Knoll. Beautiful brown leather and black
Metal
Eero Saarinen for Knoll Boucle Womb Chair, 2019
By Eero Saarinen, Knoll
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Eero Saarinen for Knoll Boucle Womb Chair, 2019. Covered in custom Flax Boucle from Knoll. The
Bouclé
Early Eero Saarinen Womb Chair and Ottoman, 1950s
By Eero Saarinen
Located in New York, NY
Early example of a black iron frame Eero Saarinen "Womb" chair and ottoman, newly recovered in
Iron
Original Leather 'Womb' Chair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Vintage original grey brown leather 'Womb' chair and ottoman by Eero Saarinen for Knoll, produced
Leather
Original Leather 'Womb' Chair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Vintage original grey brown leather 'Womb' chair and ottoman by Eero Saarinen for Knoll, produced
Leather
Mid-Century Modern Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb Chair and Ottoman
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Chicago, IL
Womb chair and ottoman designed by Eero Saarinen for Knoll USA, d 1948 / circa 1960s
Leather
"Womb Chair" and Its Ottoman by Eero Saarinen, 1950-1960
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Toulouse, France
An iconic armchair, aka "Womb Chair", and its ottoman by Eero Saarinen and manufactured by Knoll
Metal
Knoll Womb Chair and Ottoman Taupe
By Knoll
Located in Bridgehampton, NY
Knoll womb chair and ottoman taupe Measures: 41" W x 37" D x 36" H, seat H 16". Ottoman 24" W x
Metal
Eero Saarinen Vintage Womb Chair and Ottoman
By Eero Saarinen
Located in Pasadena, CA
This vintage womb chair by Eero Saarinen is an icon of modern design. Its ergonomic Silhouette and
Metal
Eero Saarinen, Early "Womb" Chair, 1950s
By Eero Saarinen
Located in New York, NY
Early "Womb" chair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll Associates, circa 1950s Original orange wool is in
Iron
Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb Chair and Ottoman
By Eero Saarinen
Located in Pasadena, CA
Embrace the perfect blend of comfort and iconic design with the Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb Chair
Fabric
Womb Chair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in San Francisco, CA
This is a vintage womb chair and ottoman by Eero Saarinen for Knoll.
Metal
Original Leather 'Womb' Chair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Vintage original grey brown leather 'Womb' chair and ottoman by Eero Saarinen for Knoll, produced
Leather
$3,960Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 31.25 in W 35 in D 34 in
Eero Saarinen Womb Chair & Ottoman Medium in Alexander Girard Quatrefoil Fabric
By Eero Saarinen
Located in Seattle, WA
One of the most iconic chair designs of the 20th century, Eero Saarinen designed this lounge chair for Florence Knoll at the request of “a chair that was like a basket full of pillow...
Fabric, Fiberglass
Pair of 70s Style Italian Bamboo and Brass Table Lamps
Located in New York, NY
Monumental size Bamboo lamps. Crafted in Italy and made to order, these lamps are modern and chic. Production lead time 2-4 weeks. Base diameter 8 inches, hat diameter 20 inches, he...
Brass
Bertu Counter Stools, White Oak Counter Stool, Chile Stool
By Bertu Furniture
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
Bertu Counter Stools, White Oak Counter Stool, Chile Stool This White Oak Chile Counter Stool is beautifully constructed from solid wood in Ohio, USA. The stool is chunky and modern...
Wood, Oak
Rosso Wall Mirror
By Specchi Veneziani
Located in Milan, IT
Venetian mirror made in the strictest Murano tradition. Assembled with crystal/gold and red elements handmade in the Murano furnaces. Wooden frame with a natural finish.
Glass
$1,155Sale Price / item|30% Off
H 16.1 in Dm 11.5 in
'Plissé White Edition' Pleated Textile Table Lamp by Folkform for Örsjö
By Örsjö Industri AB
Located in Glendale, CA
'Plissé White Edition' pleated textile table lamp by Folkform for Örsjö. This unique table lamp was awarded “Lighting of the Year 2022” by Residence Magazine Sweden, who called it “...
Textile
$2,550
H 31.5 in W 25.6 in D 1 in
Angelic -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Woman, Nature, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Josue M Pierre ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,317Sale Price|20% Off
H 13.39 in W 53.15 in D 28.75 in
Roger Capron Signed Herbier Ceramic Coffee Table, circa 1965, France.
By Roger Capron
Located in Brussels, BE
Rare Roger Capron signed ceramic oval coffee table, circa 1965. Herbier model. Ceramic tiles, grass motifs, tinted oak frame and feet. Signed R. Capron on one ceramic tile. Good Co...
Ceramic, Oak
Lantern Pendant Small
By Workstead
Located in Floyd, VA
The LANTERN PENDANT SMALL brings sculptural elegance and quiet drama to any space. Crafted in the U.S. and wrapped in luminous 100% Dupioni Raw Silk, it radiates a warm, ambient glow...
Silk
$1,275 / item
H 15 in W 13.5 in D 6 in
JENNY Large Wall Light or Sconce in Enamel & Brass by Blueprint Lighting
By Mathieu Matégot, Blueprint Lighting, Stilnovo
Located in New York, NY
Introducing Jenny, the latest vintage-inspired fixture from Blueprint Lighting. Named for multi-hyphenate Jenny Mollen; NYT best-selling author, actress, design enthusiast, mom of ...
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
$2,000Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 17.72 in Dm 14.97 in
Soda Blown Murano Glass High Coffee Table in Petrol by Yiannis Ghikas
By Miniforms, Yiannis Ghikas
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Soda was born upside-down, with a puff of air. It weighs 20 kilos, and it is blown, drawn out and shaped by three master glassmakers. The result is a single volume of glass with thre...
Blown Glass
$1,300 / item
H 14 in W 9 in D 9 in
Brutalist, Handmade Ceramic Table Lamp, Double Decker Lamp by Streicher Goods
By Ethan Streicher, Streicher Goods
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Double Decker lamp is a tall, brutalist-inspired table lamp, perfect for lighting in larger living spaces, created by Streicher Goods in Brooklyn, NY. The lamp is composed of a...
Brass
Belgian Multi Lobbed Stone Table, Belgium 1960's
By Pia Manu
Located in New York, NY
Large coffee table with a steel top and embedded flagstones, base is carved oak and wrought Iron.
Steel, Wrought Iron
Classic Mid Century Plycraft Lounge Chair and Ottoman
By Plycraft, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in New York, NY
Iconic Plycraft Mr. style lounge chair and ottoman, executed in bent plywood, vinyl faux leather, chrome and steel. The chair swivels and tilts on its center pole support, which is ...
Upholstery, Plywood
$1,712Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 25.6 in W 59 in D 13.8 in
"Perf" Sideboard in Varnished Steel by Moroso for Diesel
By Diesel Creative Team 1, Moroso
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"Perf" is a credenza, designed by Diesel Creative Team and manufactured by Moroso, in varnished steel black mat, with doors in varnished steel available in these colors: copper, blac...
Steel
$4,555 / item
H 39.38 in Dm 21.66 in
Josef Hoffmann & Wiener Werkstätte "Fabric Department" Chandelier, Re Edition
By Wiener Werkstätte, Woka Lamps, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Vienna, AT
A simple but sensational fixture, designed by Josef Hoffmann, for the fabric department of the Wiener Werkstaette on Kaerntnerstrasse in Vienna. Style and color of the fabric custom ...
Silk
Capiz Shell Table Lamp, Model Cornelia
By Dusty Deco
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cornelia Table Lamp is a lamp that is made from capiz shells which gives the material an irregular structure. This makes each lamp unique, something that adds to its character and pe...
Brass
Through his work as an architect and designer, Eero Saarinen was a prime mover in the introduction of modernism into the American mainstream. Particularly affecting were the organic, curvilinear forms seen in Saarinen’s furniture and his best-known structures: the gull-winged TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy airport in New York (opened 1962), Dulles International Airport in Virginia (1962) and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri (1965).
Saarinen had a peerless modernist pedigree. His father, Eliel Saarinen, was an eminent Finnish architect who in 1932 became the first head of the Cranbrook Academy of Art in suburban Detroit. The school became synonymous with progressive design and decorative arts in the United States, and while studying there the younger Saarinen met and befriended several luminaries of mid-century modernism, among them Harry Bertoia and Charles and Ray Eames.
At Cranbrook, Saarinen also met Florence Schust Knoll, who, as director of her husband Hans Knoll's eponymous furniture company, would put Saarinen’s best designs into production. These include the Grasshopper chair, designed in 1946 and so named because its angled bentwood frame resembles the insect; the Tulip chair (1957), a flower-shaped fiberglass shell mounted on a cast-aluminum pedestal; and the lushly contoured Womb lounge chair and ottoman (1948). In his furniture as in his architecture, the keynotes of Eero Saarinen’s designs are simplicity, strength and grace.
Find vintage Eero Saarinen tables, chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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 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.
While this specific seating is known to all for its comfort and familiar form, the history of how your favorite antique or vintage lounge chair came to be is slightly more ambiguous.
Although there are rare armchairs dating back as far as the 17th century, some believe that the origins of the first official “lounge chair” are tied to Hungarian modernist designer-architect Marcel Breuer. Sure, Breuer wasn’t exactly reinventing the wheel when he introduced the Wassily lounge chair in 1925, but his seat was indeed revolutionary for its integration of bent tubular steel.
Officially, a lounge chair is simply defined as a “comfortable armchair,” which allows for the shape and material of the furnishings to be extremely diverse. Whether or not chaise longues make the cut for this category is a matter of frequent debate.
The Eames lounge chair, on the other hand, has come to define somewhat of a universal perception of what a lounge chair can be. Introduced in 1956, the Eames lounger (and its partner in cozy, the ottoman) quickly became staples in television shows, prestigious office buildings and sumptuous living rooms. Venerable American mid-century modern designers Charles and Ray Eames intended for it to be the peak of luxury, which they knew meant taking furniture to the next level of style and comfort. Their chair inspired many modern interpretations of the lounge — as well as numerous copies.
On 1stDibs, find a broad range of unique lounge chairs that includes everything from antique Victorian-era seating to vintage mid-century modern lounge chairs by craftspersons such as Hans Wegner to contemporary choices from today’s innovative designers.