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Eames Dax Vintage

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Early Eames DAX Shell Chair
Located in Garnerville, NY
Early Eames DAX fiberglass with iron X base. Beautiful fibrous texture possibly in Greige/Tan Light
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Iron

Vintage Early Eames DAX Shell Chair
Early Eames DAX Shell Chair
H 31 in W 25 in D 22 in
Charles Eames DAX Armchair Edition Herman Miller Fibreglass
Located in Saint ouen, FR
Charles Eames DAX armchair Edition Herman Miller Fibreglass / stainless steel 1975 Dimensions
Category

1970s Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Fiberglass

Mid Century Modern Early Eames DAX Armed Shell Chair
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Tulsa, OK
Mid Century Modern Early Eames DAX Armed Shell Chair Fiberglass in good condition and structurally
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Fiberglass

1951 Pair of Herman Miller Eames DAX Rope Edge Armshell Chairs in Greige
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a pair of circa 1951 production Herman Miller Eames DAX arm shell chairs with
Category

1950s American Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Metal

Herman Miller Eames DAX Fiberglass Chair
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Gorgeous and rare hue of red orange on this vintage fiberglass Herman Miller Eames armchair. Model
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Fiberglass

1959 Herman Miller Eames DAX Fiberglass Arm Shell Chair with Green Removable Pad
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a circa 1959 production Herman Miller Eames DAX dining / side chair with dark
Category

1950s American Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Aluminum

Charles and Ray Eames DAX armchair by Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Athens, Attiki
The DAX chair combines the shell of the 'Eames armchairs' with a classic four-legged base and is
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Metal

Charles and Ray Eames DAX chair by Herman Miller, 70s
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Athens, Attiki
The fully upholstered DAX chair is part of the Eames plastic armchairs collection, first presented
Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Metal

Elephant Hide Gray Eames Herman Miller Molded Fiberglass DAX Arm Shell Chair H B
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Topeka, KS
Awesome example of the Charles and Ray Eames DAX fiberglass arm shell chair for Herman Miller. It
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Metal

DAX Armchair by Charles & Ray Eames
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A rope edge fiberglass "Zenith" shell chair with a brushed steel X-base, in elephant grey.
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

DAX Armchair by Charles & Ray Eames
DAX Armchair by Charles & Ray Eames
H 31.5 in W 24 in D 24 in
Eames for Herman Miller Dax Shell Arm Chair
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Chicago, IL
Eames for Herman Miller DAX fiberglass chair in butter yellow. 1970’s. Herman Miller stamp on
Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Aluminum

Eames for Herman Miller Dax Fiberglass Shell Dining Chair
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Wichita, KS
Early model Eames for Herman Miller fiberglass dax shell dining chair in orange. it is stamped
Category

Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Metal

Red Leather 'Dax' Armchair by Charles & Ray Eames, 1960s
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Hilversum, NL
A Dax rope edge fiberglass Zenith shell chair designed by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller Co
Category

Late 20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Green Leather 'Dax' Armchair by Charles & Ray Eames, 1960s
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Hilversum, NL
A Dax rope edge fiberglass Zenith shell chair designed by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller Co
Category

Late 20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

1950s Eames for Herman Miller Dax Fiberglass Shell Armchair Parchment
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Chula Vista, CA
Gorgeous early production 1950s classic Eames for Herman Miller Dax Molded Fiberglass Shell
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Metal

Charles Eames for Herman Miller Early Pair of Dax Transitional Shell Chairs
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Chicago, IL
Excellent early example of a pair of Transitional Herman Miller Dax red/orange armshell chairs. All
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Fiberglass

Original Mid Century Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller DAX Chair Labelled
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in High Wycombe, GB
Original Iconic Mid Century Modern Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller DAX Chair Branding Under
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Chrome

Mid Century DAX Purple Bucket Lounge Chairs by Eames for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Detroit, MI
Eames for Herman Miller. The iconic DAX chair - Dining (D) Arm Chair (A) on X Base (X) - was designed by
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Vintage 1950s Lemon Yellow DAX Chair Charles+Ray Eames Zenith Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Hyattsville, MD
as, '2nd generation.' These were also shipped from the Venice Eames Office like the 1st iterations of
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Fiberglass

Mid-Century Black Leather Dax Armchair by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Mid-Century Modern design black leather DAX rope edge fiberglass Zenith shell armchair by
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Metal

Red Dax Lounge Armchair by Charles & Ray Eames for Fehlbaum / Herman Miller 1966
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Berlin, DE
Beautiful rare Dax Lounge Chair with the H-leg frame. This Version is a bit little lower than the
Category

1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

4 blue leather rope edge Dax armchairs by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Kleinburg, ON
Four blue leather classic rope edge dax armchairs by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. These
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Chrome

Early Zenith Parchment DAX Fiberglass Shell Armchair for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames, Zenith
Located in San Jose, CA
Iconic design (DAX) dining armchair x-base by Ray and Charles Eames, circa early 1950's. This
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Vintage Herman Miller Eames Rocking Chair (RAR)
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in New York, NY
Excellent examples of vintage Eames rocker with oranger fiberglass. Remnants of sticker remain on
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Fiberglass

Eames Molded Fiberglass Armchair for Herman Miller "Seafoam Green"'
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Centreville, VA
Eames Molded Fiberglass Armchair for Herman Miller "Seafoam Green"' Arguably one of the 20th
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Fiberglass

Original First Generation Eames Zenith Rope-Edge LAX Lounge Chair
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This first generation Zenith DAX lounge chair in Lemon yellow was designed by Charles and Ray Eames
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Metal

Early Large Biscuit Eames Zenith Ivory DAR Fiberglass Chair on Eiffel Tower Base
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Ferndale, MI
From the design offices of Charles and Ray Eames the fiberglass DAR chair . This one on Eiffel
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Charles & Ray Eames DAR Eiffel Rope Edge Chair, 1st Generation, 1950
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames, Zenith
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Charles Eames (1907-1978) & Ray Eames (1912-1988) for Zenith Plastics / HermanMiller DAR Eiffel
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Stainless Steel

Charles & Ray Eames Herman Miller Zenith Plastics LAX Rope Edge X Base Armchair
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Forest Grove, PA
A fabulous Charles & Ray Eames transitional armchair produced by Herman Miller with Zenith Plastics
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Metal

1952 Set of Four Herman Miller Eames Rope Edge SAX Dining / Side Armshell Chairs
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a super rare and original set of four lemon yellow Herman Miller Eames
Category

1950s American Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Metal

Charles and Ray Eames Pair of 'DAX' Chairs
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in LAGUNA BEACH, CA
Charles and Ray Eames Pair of 'DAX' chairs The DAX chairs were designed by Charles and Ray
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Charles Eames for Herman Miller Low DAX Shell Armchair
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in St. Louis, MO
Charles and Ray Eames second generation Zenith shell armchair, black enameled metal legs in X
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Metal

Lemon Yellow First Generation Zenith Eames DAX Arm Shell Chair
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Loughborough, Leicester
A very fibrous version of the yellow, original, first generation Zenith Eames DAX dining armchair
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Fiberglass

Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller Fiberglass DAX Armchair
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Portland, OR
the Eames’ best-known designs. Choose from white or yellow. This listing is for the DAX armchair with
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller Zenith Rope Edge DAX
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Hudson, NY
Early production Eames Zenith rope edge chair. Original paper label. Original shock mounts and feet
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Original Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller DAX Chair with Manufacturers Mark
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
Original Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller DAX chairs with original red/brown upholstery and
Category

1980s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Chrome

Eames DAX Armchair 'Zenith Shell'
By Zenith, Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Eames DAX armchair in parchment. Super patina. Unsigned early Zenith shell. Mounts replaced. No
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Eames DAX Armchair 'Zenith Shell'
Eames DAX Armchair 'Zenith Shell'
H 32 in W 25 in D 25 in
Elephant Grey Herman Miller Eames DAX Armchair
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Elephant grey Herman Miller Eames DAX armchair, 1950s. In excellent condition. 9.5/10. Gorgeous
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Charles Eames, DAX Armchair Hermann Miller Edition, 1975
By Charles Eames
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Charles Eames DAX armchair Hermann Miller Edition - Circa 1975 Fiberglass - Very good condition
Category

1970s North American Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Fiberglass

Charles Eames DAX Armchair Edition Herman Miller Fibreglass
Located in Saint ouen, FR
Charles Eames DAX armchair Edition Herman Miller Fibreglass / stainless steel 1975 Dimensions
Category

1970s Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Fiberglass

Two Herman Miller Eames DAX Armchairs in Parchment
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Two Herman Miller Eames DAX armchairs in parchment. Gorgeous buttery patina. No cracks or dings. In
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Rare Terracotta Herman Miller Eames Dax Armchair
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Herman Miller Eames DAX fiberglass armchair in rare Terracotta. This was not one of the main colors
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Eames DAX Shell Armshell in Yellow
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Very clean bright yellow armshell! Chair is dated 1957 and is sitting on an early X-base low lounge.
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Metal

Eames DAX Shell Armshell in Yellow
Eames DAX Shell Armshell in Yellow
H 28 in W 24.5 in D 22 in
Parchment Eames DAX on Eiffel base
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Portland, OR
Very clean example Eames molded fiberglass armshell chair on Eiffel base. Stamped 1959. Parchment
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Parchment Eames DAX on Eiffel base
Parchment Eames DAX on Eiffel base
H 31 in W 25 in D 26 in
Set of Four Eames DAX Herman Miller Chairs
By Charles and Ray Eames, Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Beautiful iconic DAX chairs in the colors: Sea foam green, greige, seal brown and navy blue. Shells
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Set of Four Eames DAX Herman Miller Chairs
Set of Four Eames DAX Herman Miller Chairs
H 31.5 in W 25.2 in D 24.02 in
Herman Miller Eames DAX Armchair in Elephant Grey
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Rare Herman Miller Eames fiberglass armchair. DAX model in rare color black. Authentic Herman
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Fiberglass

Charles Eames DAX Rope Edge Chair Lime Green
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A Charles Eames, lime green, DAX armchair with rope edge and full early label. Rare find in this
Category

1940s American Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Iron

Charles and Ray Eames DAX Salmon Armchair Herman Miller 'Zenith'
By Charles and Ray Eames, Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Iconic Dax chair in salmon color. Chair is in good condition with only light traces of use. First
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Charles and Ray Eames DAX Salmon Armchair Herman Miller 'Zenith Plastics'
By Charles and Ray Eames, Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Iconic DAX chair in Salmon fibreglass designed by Charles and Ray Eames. The chair is in very good
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Charles and Ray Eames DAX Salmon Armchair Herman Miller 'Zenith Plastics'
By Charles and Ray Eames, Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Iconic Dax chair in salmon color. Chair is in good condition with only light traces of use. First
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Charles and Ray Eames DAX Elephant Grey Armchair Herman Miller 'Zenith Plastics'
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames, Charles Eames
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Iconic DAX chair in Elephant hide grey designed by Charles and Ray Eames. The chair is in very good
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Set of Four Eames DAX Herman Miller Usa Dining Chairs, No.3
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames, Charles Eames
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Beautiful iconic DAX chairs in the colors: Parchment, sea foam green, elephant hide grey and ochre
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Set of 4 Eames DAX Herman Miller USA Dining Chairs (no.1)
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames, Charles Eames
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Beautiful iconic DAX chairs in the colors: Parchment, Olive Green Dark, Canary Yellow and Seal
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Herman Miller USA Eames DAX Fiberglass Armchairs with Four-Leg Base, 1983
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Schagen, NL
A beautiful set of four Herman Miller DAX armchairs in white, designed by Charles and Ray Eames
Category

1980s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Chrome

Set of Four Eames DAX Herman Miller, USA Dining Chairs (No.2)
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Beautiful iconic DAX chairs in the colors: Elephant hide grey, red orange, ochre light and navy
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Herman Miller Eames Zenith Transitional Parchment DAX Armchair
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames, Zenith
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Herman Miller Eames DAX armchair in parchment. This is a second generation/transitional Zenith
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Herman Miller Eames Greige Armchair
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Herman Miller Eames DAX armchair in greige. No fading or cracks. In excellent condition with
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Herman Miller Eames Greige Armchair
Herman Miller Eames Greige Armchair
H 24 in W 25 in D 31.5 in
Herman Miller Eames Elephant Grey Armchair
By Herman Miller
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Herman Miller Eames DAX armchair in elephant hide grey. In excellent condition with original base
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Prototype Charles and Ray Eames Rope Edge Dax
By Zenith, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Dronten, NL
Exceptional example of the Charles and Ray Eames Dax molded fiberglass arm shell chair for Herman
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Steel

Prototype Charles and Ray Eames Rope Edge Dax
Prototype Charles and Ray Eames Rope Edge Dax
H 29.53 in W 24.81 in D 24.02 in
Eames Max Armchair by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller 'Parchment'
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Centreville, VA
middle version called the Medium (MAX) Arm X Base Chair. The very first x-bases of the Eames DAX
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Eames Dax Vintage

Materials

Fiberglass

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Eames Dax Vintage For Sale on 1stDibs

Choose from an assortment of styles, material and more with respect to the eames dax vintage you’re looking for at 1stDibs. A eames dax vintage — often made from plastic, fiberglass and metal — can elevate any home. Whether you’re looking for an older or newer eames dax vintage, there are earlier versions available from the 20th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 20th Century. A eames dax vintage is a generally popular piece of furniture, but those created in Mid-Century Modern styles are sought with frequency. Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller and Charles Eames each produced at least one beautiful eames dax vintage that is worth considering.

How Much is a Eames Dax Vintage?

A eames dax vintage can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $1,629, while the lowest priced sells for $480 and the highest can go for as much as $7,450.

Charles and Ray Eames for sale on 1stDibs

Charles Eames and Ray Eames were the embodiment of the inventiveness, energy and optimism at the heart of mid-century modern American design, and have been recognized as the most influential designers of the 20th century.

As furniture designers, filmmakers, artists, textile and graphic designers and even toy and puzzle makers, the Eameses were a visionary and effective force for the notion that design should be an agent of positive change. They are the happy, ever-curious, ever-adventurous faces of modernism.

Charles (1907–78) studied architecture and industrial design. Ray (née Beatrice Alexandra Kaiser, 1912–88) was an artist, who studied under the Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann. They met in 1940 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in suburban Detroit (the legendary institution where Charles also met his frequent collaborator Eero Saarinen and the artist and designer Harry Bertoia) and married the next year.

His technical skills and her artistic flair were wonderfully complementary. They moved to Los Angeles in 1941, where Charles worked on set design for MGM. In the evenings at their apartment, they experimented with molded plywood using a handmade heat-and-pressurization device they called the “Kazam!” machine. The next year, they won a contract from the U.S. Navy for lightweight plywood leg splints for wounded servicemen — they are coveted collectibles today; more so those that Ray used to make sculptures.

The Navy contract allowed Charles to open a professional studio, and the attention-grabbing plywood furniture the firm produced prompted George Nelson, the director of design of the furniture-maker Herman Miller Inc., to enlist Charles and (by association, if not by contract) Ray in 1946. Some of the first Eames items to emerge from Herman Miller are now classics: the LCW, or Lounge Chair Wood, and the DCM, or Dining Chair Metal, supported by tubular steel.

The Eameses eagerly embraced new technology and materials, and one of their peculiar talents was to imbue their supremely modern design with references to folk traditions. Their Wire chair group of the 1950s, for example, was inspired by basket weaving techniques. The populist notion of “good design for all” drove their molded fiberglass chair series that same decade, and also produced the organic-form, ever-delightful La Chaise. In 1956 the Eames lounge chair and ottoman appeared — the supremely comfortable plywood-base-and-leather-upholstery creation that will likely live in homes as long as there are people with good taste and sense.

Charles Eames once said, “The role of the designer is that of a very good, thoughtful host anticipating the needs of his guests.” For very good collectors and thoughtful interior designers, a piece of design by the Eameses, the closer produced to original conception the better, is almost de rigueur — for its beauty and comfort, and not least as a tribute to the creative legacy and enduring influence of Charles and Ray Eames.

The collection of original Eames furniture on 1stDibs includes chairs, tables, case pieces and other items.

A Close Look at mid-century-modern Furniture

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 legendary 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.

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.

Materials: plastic Furniture

Arguably the world’s most ubiquitous man-made material, plastic has impacted nearly every industry. In contemporary spaces, new and vintage plastic furniture is quite popular and its use pairs well with a range of design styles.

From the Italian lighting artisans at Fontana Arte to venturesome Scandinavian modernists such as Verner Panton, who created groundbreaking interiors as much as he did seating — see his revolutionary Panton chair — to contemporary multidisciplinary artists like Faye Toogood, furniture designers have been pushing the boundaries of plastic forever.

When The Graduate's Mr. McGuire proclaimed, “There’s a great future in plastics,” it was more than a laugh line. The iconic quote is an allusion both to society’s reliance on and its love affair with plastic. Before the material became an integral part of our lives — used in everything from clothing to storage to beauty and beyond — people relied on earthly elements for manufacturing, a process as time-consuming as it was costly.

Soon after American inventor John Wesley Hyatt created celluloid, which could mimic luxury products like tortoiseshell and ivory, production hit fever pitch, and the floodgates opened for others to explore plastic’s full potential. The material altered the history of design — mid-century modern legends Charles and Ray Eames, Joe Colombo and Eero Saarinen regularly experimented with plastics in the development of tables and chairs, and today plastic furnishings and decorative objects are seen as often indoors as they are outside.

Find vintage plastic lounge chairs, outdoor furniture, lighting and more on 1stDibs.

Finding the Right seating for You

With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.

Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — 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 furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official 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 unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.

Questions About Charles and Ray Eames
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Charles and Ray Eames have been recognized as the 20th century’s most influential designers and are best known for their highly recognizable chairs. The Eames lounge chair and ottoman are an iconic duo in modern-styled furniture, and s​ome of the first Eames items to emerge from Herman Miller are now classics: the LCW, or Lounge Chair Wood, and the DCM, or Dining Chair Metal, supported by tubular steel. Find vintage Charles and Ray Eames furniture on 1stDibs.