$280Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 30.71 in W 17.72 in D 20.48 in
Rare Midcentury Dining Chiars in style of Eames, up to 8 available, 1960s
By Cees Braakman, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Praha, CZ
- rare type - confortable - representative - stackable
Fabric, Wood
$1,723Sale Price|20% Off
H 32.29 in W 19.69 in D 24.02 in
4 Teak Vintage Retro 1960's Mid-Century Mid-Century Dutch Armchair Cees Braakman
By Cees Braakman
Located in Markington, GB
Gorgeous Dutch Mid-Century Armchair by Pastoe, 1960s — Cees Braakman An exceptional example of Dutch mid-century design, this striking armchair by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, renown...
Teak
$2,560Sale Price|20% Off
H 30 in W 65 in D 33 in
Scandinavian Modern Extension dining table by Cees Braakman for Pastoe
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An extending dining table designed by Cees Braakman for Pastoe featuring a white Lacquer sliding top mechanism that reveals an integrated leaf for extension on one side of table. Sol...
Lacquer, Hardwood
$3,713Sale Price|36% Off
H 76.78 in W 96.66 in D 18.12 in
Mid-Century Modern Wall Unit "Made to Measure" by Cees Braakman for Pastoe
By Cees Braakman
Located in Doornspijk, NL
Wall-filling 'Made to Measure' storage unit designed by Cees Braakman for Pastoe. The 'Made to Measure' series is called like that because it completely dismountable and could be mad...
Wood
$4,230Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 31.11 in W 19.69 in D 19.3 in
Set of 6 ‘SM08’ Dining Chairs by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, 1960s
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Antwerpen, VAN
Great set of 6 ‘SM08’ dining chairs designed by Cees Braakman for Pastoe during the 1960s. A beautiful minimalist design which features a sleek metal frame combined with the original...
Metal
$1,316Sale Price|20% Off
H 26.78 in W 32.29 in D 17.92 in
1950's "ROLO" PB31 Tea Trolley by Cees Braakman for Pastoe
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Midcentury Modern Dutch Design "ROLO" Tea Trolley by Cees Braakman for UMS Pastoe Utrecht. Model PB31. Made in the Netherlands / Holland, 1950's period. Birch plywood constru...
Birch, Plywood
$2,679Sale Price|20% Off
H 30.71 in W 61.42 in D 13.78 in
Black and White Metal and Wood Top Four Doors Sideboard by Pastoe, Netherlands.
By Cees Braakman
Located in Brussels, BE
Four black and white sliding doors industrial sideboard. Thick natural wood top. Two additional metal shelves inside. By C.Braakman for Pastoe Netherlands 1960.
Metal
$1,175Sale Price|20% Off
H 23.63 in W 25.6 in D 19.69 in
Mid century PT10 serving cart by Cees Brakeman for Pastoe, Netherlands 1950s
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in ECHT, NL
Mid century serving cart. Model PT10 designed by Cees Brakeman for Pastoe in the 1950s. It has two trays made of shaped plywood. The frame is also made of plywood. Well designed piec...
Plywood
Pastoe Sewing Box 1950s Holland
By Cees Braakman
Located in Den Haag, NL
So very rare this standing sewing box. Early design by Cees Braakman all Wood in primary colors. 4 boxes. Typical Holland 1950s This piece is still all original.
Wood
$1,710Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 29.14 in W 19.3 in D 20.08 in
Set of 4 Sa 07 Chairs by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, 1960
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Herentals, BE
The minimalist chairs designed by Cees Braakman in 1960 belong to his Japanese Series. They are made of very dark green lacquered afro-teak and over time they have been fitted with ...
Fabric, Wood
$3,055Sale Price|20% Off
H 31.11 in W 61.42 in D 15.36 in
Sideboard with Black and White Metal Sliding Doors by Cees Brackman, Netherlands
By Cees Braakman
Located in Brussels, BE
Four black and white sliding doors and two shelves sideboard with a thick wood top. Designed by Cees Brackman, Netherlands. circa 1950.
Metal
$714Sale Price|20% Off
H 18.12 in W 47.25 in D 24.81 in
TU04 Coffee Table by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, 1960s
By Cees Braakman
Located in Langemark-Poelkapelle, BE
Coffee table TU04 designed by Cees Braakman for Pastoe in the 1950s. This table has a reversible table top (teak or formica side), black metal legs and a floating magazine holder un...
Metal
$1,856Sale Price|20% Off
H 29.14 in W 73.04 in D 31.89 in
Mid-Century Modern Desk Designed by Cees Braakman for USM Pastoe
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Doornspijk, NL
Beautifully designed desk by Cees Braakman for Pastoe with high levels of practicality and comfort. It has six drawers, three of each side of the seating position. The exterior lo...
Oak
$1,217Sale Price|20% Off
H 27.17 in W 31.5 in D 17.72 in
Mid-Century Modern Serving Trolley PB31 by Cees Braakman for UMS Pastoe, 1950s
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Wonderful Mid-Century Modern serving trolley. Design by Cees Braakman for UMS Pastoe. Iconic Dutch design from the 1950s. Birch laminated plywood with black lacquered top. In ver...
Metal
Unavailable
H 22.05 in W 18.12 in D 18.51 in
Metal wire stool KM05 by Cees Braakman and Adriaan Dekker for Pastoe, 1950s
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Deventer, NL
Metal wire stool KM05 designed by Cees Braakman and Adriaan Dekker for Pastoe, 1950s. The metal wires have a black plastic coating. The wire stool was designed in collaboration with ...
Metal
Unavailable
H 22.05 in W 18.12 in D 18.51 in
Set of two metal wire stools KM05 designed by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, 1950s
By Pastoe, Adriaan Dekker, Cees Braakman
Located in Deventer, NL
Set of two wire steel stools, model KM05, designed by Cees Braakman and Adriaan Dekker for Pastoe, 1950s. The metal wires have a black plastic coating. The wire stool was designed in...
Metal
Unavailable
H 28.75 in W 88.59 in D 17.72 in
Iconic Pastoe Credenza, Sideboard, Japanese Series, Model DU03 by Cees Braakman
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Schagen, NL
Mindblowing and timeless design, this large sideboard/Credenza by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, The Netherlands. This piece was made from teakwood veneer and features four drawers and tw...
Metal
Midcentury Cees Braakman SM05 Chair 1950s
By Cees Braakman
Located in Berlin, DE
Midcentury Cees Braakman SM05 chair, design classic from the 1950s with original cushion.
Metal
Cees Braakman for Pastoe Swivel Chair
By Cees Braakman
Located in LA Arnhem, NL
Cees Braakman for Pastoe. Frame and shell from bent welded and epoxy coated steel rods. Seat and backrests with loose cotton cushions. The base is of black painted metal. The chair c...
Metallic Thread
Sold
H 28.35 in W 88.98 in D 17.72 in
DU03 Sideboard by Cees Braakman for UMS Pastoe, The Netherlands, 1958
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Antwerp, BE
A true masterpiece of mid-century Dutch design, this DU03 sideboard from the renowned Japanese series by Cees Braakman for Pastoe (1958) is both a collector’s item and a timeless sta...
Metal
Sold
H 31.11 in W 19.3 in D 20.87 in
Set of 4 SM08 dining chairs by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, Netherlands 1960s
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in The Hague, NL
Set of 4 SM08 chairs designed in the 1950's by Cees Braakman for UMS Pastoe in the Netherlands. Nickel-plated metal frame and teak bentwood veneer backrest. The original alcantara up...
Metal
Cees Braakman CU05 Cabinet for Pastoe, the Netherlands, 1958
By Hopmi & UMS Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in The Hague, NL
This is for a Minimalist model CU05 cabinet designed by Cees Braakman and manufactured by Pastoe UMS, The Netherlands 1958. This highboard is made of teak wood veneer and has a solid...
Metal
Sold
H 28.35 in W 89.77 in D 17.72 in
Rosewood 'CR Series' Sideboard by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, 1960s
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Antwerpen, VAN
Modernist sideboard designed by Cees Braakman for Pastoe during the 1960s. This model is part of the famous CR or Made to Measure series and is finished in beautiful Rosewood with a ...
Metal
Modernist Teak Writing Desk by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, 1950s
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Antwerpen, VAN
Executive desk designed by Cees Braakman for Pastoe during the 1960s. This model is part of the Made to Measure series recognized by the use of teak wood combined with rosewood joint...
Metal
Sold
H 46.46 in W 49.61 in D 17.72 in
Highboard CU06 by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, Japan Series, The Netherlands 1960s
By Hopmi & UMS Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Hellouw, NL
Minimalist Highboard by Dutch Designer Cees Braakman for UMS Pastoe, The Netherlands 1960s. This highboard comes from the very popular 'Japanese Series". Finding this piece in such a...
Steel
Sold
H 46.86 in W 32.09 in D 17.72 in
Bar or Writing Desk CB07 in Birch Wood by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, 1950s
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Roubaix, FR
Bar or writing desk model CB07 in birch wood, 2 doors and one flap door an 2 drawers inside with original tag of retail seller designer: Cees Braakman for Pastoe, 1950s.
Wood, Birch
Sold
H 31.5 in W 60.5 in D 19 in
Birch Credenza Sideboard by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, Combex Series, Holland
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mid-Century Modern, birch, sideboard / credenza by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, Combex series DB02 features a streamlined exterior with hinged doors and bentwood legs. The interior prov...
Birch
Sold
H 38.19 in W 18.51 in D 18.9 in
Set of 4 Dinning Room Chairs by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, 1960s Netherlands
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in The Hague, NL
Set of four modernist chairs designed by Cees Braakman in the 1960s. Manufactured in the Netherlands by Pastoe. These chairs has a large curved seating back and it's made of African...
Faux Leather, Teak
Cees Braakman for Pastoe Sideboard 1962
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Antwerp, BE
Beautiful midcentury modernist sideboard designed by Cees Braakman for UMS Pastoe, 1962, labeled, has a beech interior storage, metal drawer pulls and metal feet, 6 drawers and two s...
Beech, Walnut
Pair of Wire Chairs by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, 1950s
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Karis, Nyland
These wire chairs come from the 'Combex' series designed by Cees Braakman for Pastoe in the Netherlands, 1950s. The series was only in production for three years. Original plastic...
Steel
Mid-Century Modern Pastoe Writing Desk by Cees Braakman, 1950s
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Westmaas, NL
This rare writing desk was designed by Cees Braakman for Pastoe during the 1950s. The stunning hairpin legs gives a floating appearance to the top and drawer box. Light grey form...
Metal
Sold
H 30.32 in W 50.01 in D 28.35 in
Pastoe FB06 Sofa and Two Easy Chairs Designed by Cees Braakman, 1950s
By Cees Braakman
Located in Ghent, BE
Very nice sofa set designed by Cees Braakman during the 1950s for Pastoe Definitely influenced by Alvar Aalto, this bent birch framed loveseat and two easy chairs have new upholster...
Birch, Plywood
Sold
H 29.14 in W 41.34 in D 17.72 in
Modern Sideboard Designed by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, Netherlands
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Antwerp, BE
Minimalist sideboard designed by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, the Netherlands, 1958. The sideboard has an outstanding clean geometrical design with a minimal black lacquered metal ...
Metal
Pastoe Teak "Made to Measure" Sideboard by Cees Braakman
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Antwerp, BE
Cees Braakman designed his made to measure system in the late 1950s for Pastoe. With a few elements you can build any kind of cabinet, using a simple allen key. With this system Br...
Sold
H 29.53 in W 47.25 in D 24.41 in
Birch Plywood Model EB02 Writing Desk by Cees Braakman for Pastoe
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Amsterdam, NL
An early and rare plywood model EB02 desk, designed by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, The Netherlands. This elegant desk is made in the early fifties and is made of birch and birch veneer...
Birch, Plywood, Wood
Sold
H 24.81 in W 28.75 in D 27.56 in
Rare Dutch Modernist Lounge Chair Model FM04 by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, 1959
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Wonderful reupholstered armchair with model name FM04, designed by Cees Braakman for UMS Pastoe, Netherlands. This Mid-Century Modern armchair with this chassis is quite rare. The ch...
Metal
Sold
H 29.53 in W 17.72 in D 18.51 in
Set of Four Rare SB37 Dining Chairs in Teak by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, 1950s
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A set of very beautiful and uncommon SB 37 chairs designed by the renowned Dutch designer Cees Braakman, for UMS Pastoe, The Netherlands. These Dutch modern dining chairs are very ha...
Birch, Fabric, Plywood, Teak, Wood
Sold
H 47.64 in W 97.45 in D 17.72 in
Mid-Century Sideboard by Cees Braakman for Pastoe, Made to Measure Series
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Schagen, NL
Pastoe sideboard in teak, made to measure series, circa 1950s. Design by Cees Braakman. The show case cabinet can be modular compiled from the sideboard and is very hard to find. ...
Metal
Sold
H 28.35 in W 55.12 in D 27.56 in
Bent Ply Double Pedestal Desk by Cees Braakman, Netherlands, 1950s
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in London, GB
Double pedestal desk, model EB04, finished in birch with bent-ply legs, designed by Cees Braakman for UMS Pastoe of Utrecht, Netherlands in 1950. The desk has three drawers to the l...
Wood, Plywood, Birch
Side Table By Cees Braakmann
By Cees Braakman
Located in Brussels, BE
Side table Cees Braakmann 1960 Pastoe
Formica
$4,800
H 72 in W 82 in D 16.5 in
Mid Century Danish Modern Wall Unit with Shelves & Cabinets with Desk in Teak
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A large Scandinavian wall unit circa 1960's. It features teak wood finish with a drop down center desk. The unit is totally modular and can arranged to your liking. It also includes ...
Teak
$6,595 / set
H 28.25 in W 19.5 in D 21.5 in
Set of 6 Charles & Ray Eames DCW Dining Chairs for Herman Miller in Ash
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous set of six DCW chairs by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller c1985. Created from Ash and show a striking grain pattern in the backs and seats particularly. In excellent...
Ash
$940 / item
H 32.29 in W 16.54 in D 15.75 in
Mid Century Butterfly Chair, Linen Schwarzwald Dedar, Dark Wood, Europe, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Dining chair called "Butterfly" with dark brown walnut stained beech legs and fully upholstered seat and back in beautiful italian fabric. This chair can be customized to your speci...
Fabric, Bouclé, Beech
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
$7,950 / set
H 30.32 in W 26.78 in D 29.53 in
1940s Kozelka & Kropacek Armchairs in Texel Sheepskin & Brown Patinated Frame
By Jindřich Halabala, Karel Kozelka & Antonin Kropacek
Located in Almelo, NL
Mid-Century Czech design by Kozelka & Kropacek, reupholstered in luxurious Texel sheepskin with warm brown patinated bentwood frames. Comfort, craftsmanship, and timeless style. De...
Sheepskin, Upholstery, Bentwood
Pair of Modern Italian Murano Glass and Brass Sconces
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Beautiful lamps in Murano glass and brass, structured glass, made even more beautiful by the polished brass base. The wall lamps are composed of a brass structure fixed to the wall w...
Brass
Flow dining chairs 1970s
Located in Ljubljana, SI
Flow dining chairs 1970s Labeled producer Welzel. Beautiful vintage chairs with great design. Cozy chairs in every aspect.
Fabric, Foam, Hardwood
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
$6,600 / set
H 29 in W 20 in D 19 in
Set of 6 Kai Kristiansen Model 42 Teak Dining Chairs Danish Midcentury
By Schou Andersen Møbelfabrik, Kai Kristiansen
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Set of 6 model #42 dining chairs also known as the "Z" chair designed by Kai Kristiansen manufactured by Schou Andersen in the 1960s. One of the most iconic and coveted chairs to com...
Wool, Teak
$340
H 29.93 in W 22.05 in D 21.26 in
Cognac Brown Castelli Dsc 106 Stacking Chair by Giancarlo Piretti, Italy
By Giancarlo Piretti, Anonima Castelli
Located in Vienna, AT
This iconic Italian Midcentury Modern DSC 106 stacking chair was designed 1965 by Giancarlo Piretti for Castelli Italy. It features a cognac brown leatherette seat and back in very n...
Aluminum
$3,400 / set
H 29.5 in W 20 in D 19 in
4 Rosewood Model 31 Danish Mid Century Modern Dining Chairs by Kai Kristiansen
By Schou Andersen Møbelfabrik, Kai Kristiansen
Located in New York, NY
Iconic Danish Mid Century Modern dining chairs designed by Kai Kristiansen, made in Denmark by Shou Andersen Mobelfabrik, circa 1960's. The chairs feature sculptural, architectural ...
Naugahyde, Rosewood
$3,920Sale Price|20% Off
H 76 in W 59.5 in D 19 in
Mid Century Paul McCobb Calvin Irwin Collection Shelf Bookshelf Room Divider
By Calvin Furniture, Paul McCobb
Located in New York, NY
Rare Mid Century sideboard, shelf unit, room divider, designed by Paul McCobb as part of the sought after Irwin Collection series for Calvin, circa 1950’s. This example features ble...
Brass
$4,850 / set
H 70.5 in W 72 in D 18 in
True Mid-Century Classic Inlaid Rosewood Walnut Credenza Cabinet by Stanley USA
By Stanley Furniture
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a superb Mid-Century Modern credenza or sideboard by Stanley. It is mostly walnut with geometric rosewood inlays on the fronts and has turned aluminum pulls. The lower cabine...
Aluminum, Iron
$2,975 / set
H 31.5 in W 18.12 in D 21.26 in
Louis Van Teeffelen for Wébé Dining Chairs, the Netherlands 1960s
By Louis Van Teeffelen
Located in Almelo, NL
Set of 4- teak dining chairs "HAMAR" designed by Louis van Teeffelen for Wébé, the 1960s, The Netherlands. Very comfortable dining room chairs come in a teak frame and contrastin...
Fabric, Teak
$16,921Sale Price|20% Off
H 109.45 in W 113.39 in D 24.81 in
Luciano Frigerio Mid-Century Modern Italian Brass and Walnut Wardrobe, 1970s
By Luciano Frigerio
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Designed by Luciano Frigerio, wardrobe with eleven doors in brass and walnut wood, Macassar ebony is a precious essence that is widely used in cabinet making, fine carpentry, turning...
Brass
Large Mid-Century Modern Bookcase or Wall Unit
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This impressive Mid-Century Modern wall unit boasts natural wood finish and spacious storage options add to the appeal of this stunning piece. This vintage modern sideboard features ...
Wood
Revered Dutch mid-century modernist designer Cees Braakman had been creating furniture since his teenage years when he was promoted to head of design at UMS Pastoe in 1948. Today’s vintage furniture enthusiasts know that Braakman found inspiration in works by Scandinavian artisans such as Alvar Aalto and Herman Miller luminaries Charles and Ray Eames — Braakman’s clean-lined dining chairs, sleek sideboards and other case pieces are demonstrative of those influences.
UMS Pastoe was established in 1913 by German-Jewish entrepreneur Frits Loeb and became rapidly successful largely owing to its reputation for well-made tables and chairs. However, the Dutch brand is best known by collectors for the modular sideboards, storage cabinets and other spare, streamlined case pieces that it produced during the postwar years.
The Utrecht-born Braakman took over for his father, Dirk, who had by then been managing the company for more than 20 years and had designed a variety of furnishings for the manufacturer by himself. A year before he assumed his new role at Pastoe, Cees visited the United States where he became enamored with the designs of Charles and Ray Eames and the other creative minds associated with legendary American furniture manufacturer Herman Miller.
While many Dutch designers who are now celebrated by vintage furniture collectors — names like Gerrit Rietveld and Friso Kramer are in this list — found inspiration in Piet Mondrian and the country’s De Stijl art movement, they also looked to Scandinavian modernists such as Alvar Aalto and Americans such as the Eameses. Cees Braakman was no different.
Braakman’s 1940s-era tour to the States included a visit to the Herman Miller factory in Zeeland, Michigan. At the time, architect-designer-journalist George Nelson was director of design at the firm and had enlisted a range of designers to collaborate with Herman Miller and create what are now icons of mid-century modernism. Braakman took notice of industrial manufacturing techniques at HM and in particular, the company’s innovations in furniture design owing to experimentation with molded plywood and fiberglass-reinforced plastic.
The Dutch designer introduced the first line of modern furniture at UMS Pastoe thereafter — a table, a chair, a bed and more created in molded plywood and featuring oak veneers, specifically tailored for smaller living spaces. Braakman was convinced that Pastoe should move on from the restrictions that a collection or set of furniture presented to consumers.
Furniture for a bedroom, for example, should be practical and built as individual pieces that could be adapted as more space became available. New production methods and creative marketing came into focus under Braakman’s leadership, and his own lines of oak and birch furniture — which were created around cupboards that could be reconfigured as needed, or armchairs that could be combined to form a sofa — earned acclaim and were commercially very successful.
UMS Pastoe was recognized for its innovative furniture at the Milan Triennial in 1957 and Le Signe d’Or in Belgium, and Cees Braakman’s work can today be found at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.
Find vintage Cees Braakman 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.