Skip to main content

Eisler Concha

Carlo Hauner Martin Eisler Concha Lounge Chair, Brazil, 1950
By Martin Eisler, Carlo Hauner
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Stunning and comfortable ‘Concha’ (shell) lounge chair designed by Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Category

Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Metal

Carlo Hauner Martin Eisler Concha Lounge Chair, Brazil, 1950
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in San Francisco, CA
An original 'Concha' (shell) lounge chair designed by Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler and
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal

Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler Concha Lounge Chair, Brazil - 1950s
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in Berlin, DE
. The Concha Chair which translates to "shell chair" in English, is one of Eisler's and Hauner's most
Category

Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Metal

Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler Concha Armchairs, Brazilian MidCentury Modern, 1953
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma Brazil
Located in New York, NY
This pair of Concha armchairs was designed in the 1950s by Carlo Hauner (1927-1997) and Martin
Category

Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Iron

Concha Lounge Chairs Carlo Hauner Martin Eisler, Brazil, 1950
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Stunning and fully original pair of 'Concha' (shell) lounge chairs designed by Carlo Hauner and
Category

Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Metal

Concha by Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Brazilian Midcentury Design, 1953
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Martin Eisler, Carlo Hauner
Located in New York, NY
This armchair is a rare version of Concha, one of the most iconic pieces designed by Martin Eisler
Category

Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Iron

Martin Eisler & Carlo Hauner Brazilian "Concha" Armchair Burnt Sunset Red
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in Barcelona, ES
Martin Eisler (1913-1977) & Carlo Hauner (1927-1997) Armchair model “Shell” Manufactured by Forma
Category

Vintage 1950s Brazilian Armchairs

Materials

Iron

'Concha' Lounge Chair, by Martin Eisler & Carlo Hauner, Brazilian Mid-Century
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
The "Concha" armchair, designed by Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner, is a hallmark of mid-century
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Iron

Pair of "Concha" Armchairs by Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler, Brasil, 1955
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma
Located in Echt, NL
Set of beautiful ‘Concha’ chairs in very good condition. Designed by Carlo Hauner and Martin
Category

20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal

Pair of Concha Chairs by Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, 1953, Brazilian Design
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Martin Eisler, Carlo Hauner
Located in New York, NY
Concha armchair is one of the most iconic pieces designed by Martin Eisler (1913-1977). The
Category

Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Iron

Pair of Conchas by Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Brazilian Midcentury Design
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in New York, NY
Concha armchair is one of the most iconic pieces designed by Martin Eisler (1913-1977). The
Category

Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Iron

"Concha" Sofa by Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Modern Brazilian Design, 1950s
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in New York, NY
Designed by Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, modern Brazilian sofa, iron, and velvet. Brazil, circa
Category

Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Iron

Pair of Concha Wicker Armchairs Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler circa 1953 Brazil
By Carlo Hauner, Forma Brazil, Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Martin Eisler
Located in New York, NY
Eisler (1913-1977), with a single seat and backrests made with wicker. "Concha" is the Portuguese word
Category

Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Iron

Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner 'Concha' Lounge Chairs for Forma, Brazil, c 1960
By Martin Eisler, Carlo Hauner, Forma Brazil
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautifully reupholstered with soft nubby white bouclé, this pair of 'Concha' chairs by Martin
Category

Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Iron

"Shell" Lounge Chair by Martin Eisler, 1950
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in PARIS, FR
A "Concha" lounge chair by Martin Eisler, produced by Forma Brazil, 1950. The structure is made of
Category

Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Metal

"Shell" Lounge Chair by Martin Eisler, 1950
"Shell" Lounge Chair by Martin Eisler, 1950
Free Shipping
H 31.5 in W 29.53 in D 31.5 in
Rare Chaise Lounge by Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler, circa 1954, Móveis Artesanal
By Carlo Hauner, Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Martin Eisler
Located in New York, NY
This chaise Lounge is one of the fantastic designs by Martin Eisler (1913-1977) and produced by
Category

Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues

Materials

Iron

Martin Eisler & Carlo Hauner Pair of Purple Velvet Armchairs with Ottomans
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in Barcelona, ES
Martin Eisler (1913-1977) & Carlo Hauner (1927-1997) Set of armchair and footrest Manufactured by
Category

Vintage 1950s Brazilian Armchairs

Materials

Iron

Martin Eisler & Carlo Hauner Midcentury Brazilian Armchairs White Fabric Metal
By Forma Brazil, Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in Barcelona, ES
Martin Eisler (1913-1977) & Carlo Hauner (1927-1997) Pair of armchairs Manufactured by Forma
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Metal

Martin Eisler & Carlo Hauner Round Brazilian Wood and Glass Coffee Table
By Forma Brazil, Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in Barcelona, ES
Martin Eisler (1913-1977) & Carlo Hauner (1927-1997) Coffee table Manufactured by Forma Moveis
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Glass, Wood

Martin Eisler & Carlo Hauner Modern Brazilian Pair of Low Armchairs White Fabric
By Forma Brazil, Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in Barcelona, ES
Martin Eisler (1913-1977) & Carlo Hauner (1927-1997) Pair of low armchairs Manufactured by
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Metal

Midcentury Armchairs in White Leather & Iron Base by Carlo Hauner, 1955, Brazil
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in New York, NY
Hauner and manufactured by Forma Moveis in Brazil 1955 and are fabulous! The name of the model is “Concha
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Steel

Mid-Century Modern Loveseat in Iron & Grey Fabric by Carlo Hauner, Brazil 1955
By Carlo Hauner
Located in New York, NY
“Concha” (“Shell” in Portuguese), as they resemble an open seashell. This iconic midcentury modern gem
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Loveseats

Materials

Steel

Brazilian Modern Bar Cart in Hardwood, Chrome, and White Formica by Forma, 1960s
By Forma Brazil
Located in New York, NY
excellent condition and adding to its allure. Paired beautifully with the Sofá Concha by Joaquim Tenreiro
Category

Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts

Materials

Chrome

Brazilian Modern Armchair in Brown Leather & Iron, Carlo Hauner, 1950s, Brazil
By Carlo Hauner
Located in New York, NY
also popular “Concha” armchairs from Carlo Hauner and features an intricate steel base with a soft
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Iron

People Also Browsed

Mint Condition Florian Schulz Onos Polished Brass with Side Counterweight
By Florian Schulz
Located in Berlin, DE
This lamp is in perfect condition. The height is adjustable with the counter weight to any needs. To be on the safe side, the lamp should be checked locally by a specialist concer...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and ...

Materials

Brass

Solid Black Oak Round Coffee Table
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This solid wood coffee table is handcrafted out of oak solid wood that retains its natural character.
Category

2010s Mexican Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Oak

LATO ln8, Warm Black Steel & Marble Side Table by Luca Nichetto for &Tradition
By Luca Nichetto
Located in Dubai, AE
At first glance, Lato resembles a sculpture, with its slim, round table top balanced by an oval-shaped base. The marble is turned into shape on a lather and then honed to a semi Mat...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Scandinavian Modern Side Tables

Materials

Marble, Steel

Gio Ponti F.A. 33 Medium Mirror in Black Brass
By Gio Ponti, Gubi
Located in Glendale, CA
Gio Ponti F.A. 33 medium mirror in black brass. The F.A. 33 Mirror was originally designed by Gio Ponti in 1933 for Fontana Arte, the period’s most prominent lamp, glass, and mirror ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors

Materials

Brass

Gio Ponti F.A. 33 Medium Mirror in Black Brass
Gio Ponti F.A. 33 Medium Mirror in Black Brass
H 31.49 in W 21.25 in D 0.98 in
Pair of "MP-51" Armchair, Percival Lafer, Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Design
By Percival Lafer
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
The MP-51 armchair is a true rarity in the world of furniture design, with its entire structure crafted from Pau Ferro, a highly sought-after Brazilian hardwood that can only be foun...
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Wood

Sunday Daybed Oak and Boucle
Located in Plymouth, GB
Part of the Sunday collection exclusive to Alexander & Ellis, and designed by Founder Oliver A-J, the Sunday Day Bed was designed and handcrafted in house with the finest Oak and Bou...
Category

2010s British Mid-Century Modern Daybeds

Materials

Bouclé, Oak

Sunday Daybed Oak and Boucle
Sunday Daybed Oak and Boucle
H 19.69 in W 70.87 in D 27.56 in
Bespoke Round Italian Dining Table in Travertine
Located in London, London
Travertine dining table Made to order in Italy Round top Honed or polished finish Rounded or straight edges Travertine pedestal. The photos show a variance of tables we have ma...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables

Materials

Travertine

Contemporary Minimal Round Coffee Center Table in Travertine Stone Natural Pores
Located in Porto, PT
Lunarys Center Table is an outstanding modern design piece. A key coffee table for a contemporary living room project seems to come directly from space. Made in travertine stone is p...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Organic Modern Center Tables

Materials

Travertine

Pair of Bedside Tables Nightstands Oak, Esko Pajamies for Asko Finland 1960s
By Børge Mogensen, Esko Pajamies, Henning Kjærnulf, Asko, Alvar Aalto
Located in Aarhus C, DK
Mid-Century Modern pair of nightstands by Finnish designer Esko Pajamies for Asko Finland. Made circa 1960s to 1970s. The nightstands are not identical but very similar. They are p...
Category

Vintage 1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Oak

Bespoke Round Italian Travertine Dining Table
Located in London, London
Travertine dining table Made to order in Italy Round top Dimensions can be adjusted Honed or polished finish Rounded or straight edges Travertine pedestal Photos show recently...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables

Materials

Travertine

Corbu Ottoman in Grey Oak by DeMuro Das
By DeMuro Das
Located in New York, NY
Inspired by the curved forms of Le Corbusier's High Court in Chandigarh, the Corbu bench features a domed seat that blends seamlessly into its contoured solid wood base. Available in...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Benches

Materials

Oak, Walnut

Roland Bench, Solid Walnut, Customizable
By Rather Well Design
Located in Louisville, KY
The Roland bench is built by hand in our Louisville, KY studio using premium solid hardwoods. Simple and sturdy, the bench highlights its unique double tenon joinery with the shaped ...
Category

2010s American Scandinavian Modern Benches

Materials

Walnut

Tongue Lounge Chairs by Pierre Paulin for Artifort, 1960s, Set of 2
By Artifort, Pierre Paulin
Located in ŁÓDŹ, PL
Pair of 1st edition Pierre Paulin “Tongue” lounge chairs, Artifort, 1960s Timeless elegance untouched by fleeting fashion. The above features perfectly distinguish the “To...
Category

Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Wool

Brazilian Jangada Rosewood & Leather Sling Chair with Ottoman by Jean Gillon
By Jean Gillon, Percival Lafer, Sergio Rodrigues
Located in Chattanooga, TN
This Jean Gillon Jangada armchair and ottoman were completely disassembled and each piece of rosewood was stripped, sanded and refinished in multiple coats of hand-buffed finishing o...
Category

Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Rosewood, Rope

La Manufacture-Paris Moro Sheepskin Armchair Designed by Sebastian Herkner
By Sebastian Herkner
Located in New York, NY
Moro is a cosy cocoon of a chair. Named after a famous Venetian Doge, the design evokes the strong personality of an Italian palazzo’s lush interior. A warm and welcoming atmosphere ...
Category

2010s Italian Armchairs

Materials

Sheepskin

SOLD 03/04/24 Seymour James Weiner for Kodawood MCM Clam Shell Chairs - Pair
By Seymour James Wiener, Kodawood
Located in Countryside, IL
Seymour James Weiner for Kodawood midcentury Clam Shell Chairs - Pair Each chair measures: 22.5 wide x 25 deep x 31 inches high, with a seat height/chair clearance of 16 inches All p...
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Wood

Recent Sales

Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler for Forma Lounge Chair, 1950's
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma
Located in Sao Paulo, BR
The Shell or "Concha" lounge chair is an icon of the Brazilian Mid-Century Modern design
Category

Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Iron

Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner Rare 'Concha' Armchair for Forma Brazil, 1950s
By Martin Eisler, Carlo Hauner, Forma Brazil
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Eisler Concha lounge chair has been reupholstered in a gorgeous soft nubby fabric which has variations of
Category

Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Metal

Concha Armchair Martin Eisler & Carlo Hauner Brazilian Midcentury
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
Produced by Forma, in Brazil, this is one of the most iconic pieces designed by Martin Eisler and
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Iron

Three Concha Armchairs by Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler, Brazil, circa 1960
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in Whitstable, GB
Three stunning original ‘Concha’ (shell) lounge chairs designed by Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Metal

Martin Eisler & Carlo Hauner "Concha" Lounge Chair in Iron and Reed, Brazil 1954
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
Iconic lounge chair, in the reed variation here. Great for porches, verandas and balconies. Reed was rotten and had to be replaced with new fibers, straight from the Amazon jungle.
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Wrought Iron

Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler Costela Chair for Forma, Brazil, 1950s
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma Brazil
Located in Utrecht, NL
Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler Costela (‘Rib’) chair for Forma, Brazil 1950s This characteristic
Category

Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Linen, Wood

Pair of Martin Eisler & Carlo Hauner 'Concha' Armchairs
By Martin Eisler, Carlo Hauner
Located in New York, NY
A pair of highly modern 'concha' (shell) armchairs by collaborative designers Martin Eisler and
Category

Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Metal

Mid-Century Modern Concha Armchair by Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler, Brazil 1950s
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Mid-Century Modern Concha Armchair by Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler, Brazil 1950s Elegant 1950s
Category

Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Iron

Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler Shell 'Concha' Lounge Chairs, Forma Brazil, 1950s
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma Brazil
Located in London, GB
A rare authentic pair of Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler Shell (Concha) lounge chairs, manufactured
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Steel

Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner 'Concha' Lounge Chairs for Forma, Brazil, c 1960
By Martin Eisler, Carlo Hauner, Forma Brazil
Located in Los Angeles, CA
. These Concha chairs by Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner would work great in a Mid-Century Modern
Category

Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Iron

Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler "Reversible" Armchair, Brazil, 1950s
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in Whitstable, GB
wonderful example of the awesome creations by the prolific duo Eisler & Hauner and their company Forma
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Metal

Pair of Armchairs by Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner, Brazil 1950s
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma
Located in Barcelona, ES
Pair of “concha” (shell) armchair designed by Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner, manufactured by Forma
Category

Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Steel

Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner 'Concha' Lounge Chairs for Forma, Brazil, c 1960
By Martin Eisler, Carlo Hauner, Forma Brazil
Located in Los Angeles, CA
materials such as Jacaranda and Caviuna. These Concha chairs by Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner would
Category

Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Iron

Martin Eisler & Carlo Hauner for Forma Modern Sofa & Armchairs Lounge Set, 1950s
By Forma
Located in Whitstable, GB
Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler midcentury sofa and armchairs; 1950s Sofa designed for their
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Velvet, Hardwood

Get Updated with New Arrivals
Save "Eisler Concha", and we’ll notify you when there are new listings in this category.

Eisler Concha For Sale on 1stDibs

With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the eisler concha you’re looking for. Each eisler concha for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using metal, fabric and iron. You’ve searched high and low for the perfect eisler concha — we have versions that date back to the 20th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 20th Century are available. A eisler concha, designed in the Mid-Century Modern style, is generally a popular piece of furniture. A well-made eisler concha has long been a part of the offerings for many furniture designers and manufacturers, but those produced by Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler are consistently popular.

How Much is a Eisler Concha?

Prices for a eisler concha can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, they begin at $4,000 and can go as high as $18,000, while the average can fetch as much as $9,000.

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.

On the Origins of Brazil

More often than not, vintage mid-century Brazilian furniture designs, with their gleaming wood, soft leathers and inviting shapes, share a sensuous, unique quality that distinguishes them from the more rectilinear output of American and Scandinavian makers of the same era.

Commencing in the 1940s and '50s, a group of architects and designers transformed the local cultural landscape in Brazil, merging the modernist vernacular popular in Europe and the United States with the South American country's traditional techniques and indigenous materials.

Key mid-century influencers on Brazilian furniture design include natives Oscar NiemeyerSergio Rodrigues and José Zanine Caldas as well as such European immigrants as Joaquim TenreiroJean Gillon and Jorge Zalszupin. These creators frequently collaborated; for instance, Niemeyer, an internationally acclaimed architect, commissioned many of them to furnish his residential and institutional buildings.

The popularity of Brazilian modern furniture has made household names of these designers and other greats. Their particular brand of modernism is characterized by an émigré point of view (some were Lithuanian, German, Polish, Ukrainian, Portuguese, and Italian), a preference for highly figured indigenous Brazilian woods, a reverence for nature as an inspiration and an atelier or small-production mentality.

Hallmarks of Brazilian mid-century design include smooth, sculptural forms and the use of native woods like rosewoodjacaranda and pequi. The work of designers today exhibits many of the same qualities, though with a marked interest in exploring new materials (witness the Campana Brothers' stuffed-animal chairs) and an emphasis on looking inward rather than to other countries for inspiration.

Find a collection of vintage Brazilian furniture on 1stDibs that includes chairssofastables and more.

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.