Mid-Century Modern Sectional Velvet Sofa by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, USA
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edward Wormley for Dunbar, c.1960s, USA, two-piece sectional sofa. The sofa features split arm rests and an exposed sculpted ebonized wood frame.
Velvet, Walnut, Upholstery
French Provincial Style Leather Sofa with Exposed Back Frame
By Creart
Located in New York, NY
Elegance, deconstructed design and high comfort. An immersive experience born from the exclusive craftsmanship: rediscover comfort through a vision that shows the unique essence of h...
Leather, Jute, Wood, Linen
SHIMNA Caribou Sofa with Walnut Exposed Frame
By SHIMNA
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This sofa is similar to our hallmark Beam sofa series, yet it features a hardwood exposed frame. Evoking a fresh take on Scandinavian Mid-Century pieces, the Caribou sofa is at home ...
Leather, Fabric, Wool, Upholstery, Foam, Wood, Hardwood, Cherry, Maple, ...
Exposed Frame Mid Century Sofa
Located in New York, NY
Mid Century Sofa with nice exposed frame covered in grey. Polished frame.
Wood, Upholstery
Sold
H 44.5 in W 58 in D 30 in
19th Century Swedish Exposed Carved Wood Frame Sofa in White Bouclé Fabric
Located in Middleburg, VA
19th century Swedish Exposed Carved Wood Frame Sofa in Modern White Bouclé Fabric.
Bouclé, Wood
Sold
H 30 in W 90 in D 30 in
Gorgeous Sway Back Sofa with Exposed Mahogany Frame Attributed to Paul McCobb
By Paul McCobb, Milo Baughman, Harvey Probber
Located in New York, NY
Gorgeous sway nack sofa with exposed mahogany frame attributed to Paul McCobb. Very well made, sturdy, and comfortable. Fully restored in a soft grey velvet. Refine Limited is a cur...
Fabric, Upholstery, Velvet, Wood, Mahogany
Blue Velvet Swedish Gustavian Sofa
Located in South Salem, NY
A late Swedish Gustavian sofa or daybed ca.1820. The exposed wood frame of the sofa features an egg and dart carving along the top and base.
Pine
Sold
H 29.14 in W 61.03 in D 33.86 in
Arne Norell 'Inca' Lounge Chair with Ottoman in original leather
By Norell Möbel AB, Arne Norell
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Originally designed by Arne Norell in 1970, the Kontiki sofa was inspired by safari furniture. Featuring an exposed beech wood frame, the 2-seater sofa is upholstered in soft tan le...
Leather, Beech
Vintage Arne Norell Kontiki Olive Green Leather Sofa, 1970s
By Arne Norell
Located in Rochester, England
Originally designed by Arne Norell in 1970, the Kontiki sofa was inspired by safari furniture. Featuring an exposed beech wood frame, the 2-seater sofa is upholstered in soft oliv...
Leather, Beech
Grey Suede Sofa
Located in New York, NY
Tight back and seat. Exposed mahogany wood frame along base of sofa with mahogany tapered legs.
Mahogany, Suede, Upholstery
$1,623 / item
H 13.78 in Dm 9.45 in
Murano Round Green Glass and Brass Modern Wall Light and Sconces, 2020
Located in Roma, Lazio
Very special Murano glass wall light, stylish and elegant, their design truly unique in their kind. Beautiful coloring. The wall light is composed of a brass stem where a system for...
Brass
$33,000
H 102.76 in W 130.71 in D 13 in
Italian Mid-Century Modern Large Architectural Library in Walnut
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Library wall-unit, walnut, Italy, 1960s Rooted in Italy’s mid-century design tradition, this substantial bookcase highlights the makers architectural sensibility and refined taste f...
Walnut
$1,009 / item
H 13.78 in W 29.53 in D 11.82 in
1970s Industrial Cast Aluminium, Glass and Brass Flameproof Strip Light & Shade
By Daeyang
Located in Leicester, Leicestershire
Korean flameproof strip light made by Daeyang circa 1978 with a polished finish. Originally these would have illuminated hazardous areas on super tankers, cargo ships and military v...
Aluminum, Brass
$68,000Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 32.5 in W 45.25 in D 35 in
Oscar Niemeyer Rosewood 'ON' Lounge Chairs for Hotel SESC Rio de Janeiro, c 1980
By Oscar Niemeyer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
An exceptionally rare and historically important pair of 'ON' lounge chairs designed by Oscar Niemeyer for the Hotel SESC in Rio de Janeiro. This set comprises the pair of sculptural...
Leather, Rosewood
$22,500
H 28.5 in W 90 in D 30.5 in
Rare Dunbar Sofa Model 5316 by Edward Wormley. Original Orange Upholstery
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Kansas City, MO
Very rare and desirable sofa Model 5316 designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, 1950s. This completely original example is in very good condition. No tears, holes or stains to the o...
Aluminum
$12,800Sale Price|20% Off
H 16.5 in W 57 in D 31 in
Model 5309 Coffee Table by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Denton, TX
Model 5309 rare coffee table by Edward Wormley for Dunbar. Combination of rosewood and brass with the original glass top.
Brass
$18,700
H 24.81 in W 89.18 in D 99.61 in
Vittorio Rossi and Luciano Bertoncini for Cjfra 'Zattera' Bed in Green Fabric
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Vittorio Rossi and Luciano Bertoncini for Cjfra, 'Zattera' bed, alcantara, lacquered wood, brass, chrome-plated steel, Italy, 1970s This extraordinary bed, created through the colla...
Brass, Steel, Chrome
$26,800Sale Price|21% Off
H 29.5 in W 75 in D 36 in
'Mole' Brazilian Rosewood Sofa by Sergio Rodrigues for OCA Brazil, 1960s, Signed
By Sergio Rodrigues, OCA Brazil
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A rare signed example of the 'Mole' sofa by Sergio Rodrigues, produced by OCA Brazil in the 1960s (see image gallery for a photo of the OCA stamp). This Mole sofa has an expansive am...
Rosewood, Leather
1930s Bauhaus Floor Lamp, Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- Restored - cleaned and rewired - US wiring compatible - W: 40 D: 53 H: 165 cm
Metal
$8,000
H 32.67 in W 86.61 in D 72.83 in
1950s Osvaldo Borsani (Edited by Arredamenti Borsani, Varedo) Bed Frame
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in West Hollywood, CA
This striking 1950s bed frame by Italian designer Osvaldo Borsani, edited by Arredamenti Borsani (Varedo), is a rare and iconic piece of mid-century modern design. Featuring a Califo...
Mahogany
Cini Boeri for Arflex 'Tuttoletto' Queen Bed in Oak
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Cini Boeri for Arflex, 'Tuttoletto' queen bed, oak veneer, Italy, 1978 Exceptional piece of furniture designed by Cini Boeri for Arflex in 1978. This monumental bedroom unit present...
Oak
$7,886Sale Price|40% Off
H 29.53 in W 135.83 in D 80.71 in
Carlo Bartoli for Rossi di Albizzate 'Bogo' Sofa in black Leather, 1970s
By Carlo Bartoli, Rossi di Albizzate
Located in amstelveen, NL
Carlo Bartoli for Rossi di Albizzate, modular 'Bogo' sofa, leather, Italy, 1976 This seating system consists of three elements. Maximum comfort is guaranteed using the thick seating...
Leather
Sculptural Sofa by Wiener Werkstätte, Austria, 1980's
By Wiener Werkstätte
Located in amstelveen, NL
Stunning and rare large sculptural sectional sofa by Wiener Werkstätte, 1970. Very distinctive design and extraordinary shapes. New upholstered in a high-quality terracotta color P...
Leather, Chenille
$38,500
H 37 in W 65 in D 28 in
Rare and Important Walnut And Upholstered Parchment Bench By Carlo Bugatti
By Carlo Bugatti
Located in Montreal, QC
Carlo Bugatti bench upholstered with parchment, inlaid with pewter details and mounted with hammered copper decorations.Italy, c. 1906 literature: Carlo Bugatti au Musée d'Orsay, Mas...
Walnut
Edward Wormley, Dunbar Sofa, Brown Velvet with Brass Legs
By Edward Wormley
Located in Greensboro, NC
Dunbar sofa, designed by Edward Wormley. This sofa was a custom length/custom order. It has been reupholstered in a brown cotton velvet with new cushions combining foam and down. Bra...
Brass
Frank Lloyd Wright "Midway 2" Chairs & Table Set, 1914
By Frank Lloyd Wright
Located in Brescia, Brescia
Frank Lloyd Wright Model 603 “Midway” — Set of Four Chairs and Table Midway Gardens, 1914 An early Cassina production of the iconic “Midway” suite, originally conceived by Frank Llo...
Iron
Black leather, silk velvet cushions, breathable bouclé fabric — when shopping for antique or vintage sofas, today’s couch connoisseurs have much to choose from in terms of style and shape. But it wasn’t always thus.
The sofa is typically defined as a long upholstered seat that features a back and arms and is intended for two or more people. While the term “couch” comes from the Old French couche, meaning to lie down, and sofa has Eastern origins, both are forms of divan, a Turkish word that means an elongated cushioned seat. Bench-like seating in Ancient Greece, which was padded with soft blankets, was called klinai. No matter how you spell it, sofa just means comfort, at least it does today.
In the early days of sofa design, upholstery consisted of horsehair or dried moss. Sofas that originated in countries such as France during the 17th century were more integral to decor than they were to comfort. Like most Baroque furnishings from the region, they frequently comprised heavy, gilded mahogany frames and were upholstered in floral Beauvais tapestry. Today, options abound when it comes to style and material, with authentic leather offerings and classy steel settees. Plush, velvet chesterfields represent the platonic ideal of coziness.
Vladimir Kagan’s iconic sofa designs, such as the Crescent and the Serpentine — which, like the sectional sofas of the 1960s created by furniture makers such as Harvey Probber, are quite popular among mid-century modern furniture enthusiasts — showcase the spectrum of style available to modern consumers. Those looking to make a statement can turn to Studio 65’s lip-shaped Bocca sofa, which was inspired by the work of Salvador Dalí. Elsewhere, the furniture of the 1970s evokes an era when experimentation ruled, or at least provided a reason to break the rules. Just about every area of society felt a sudden urge to be wayward, to push boundaries — and buttons. Vintage leather sofas of that decade are characterized by a rare blending of the showy and organic.
With so many options, it’s important to explore and find the perfect furniture for your space. Paying attention to the lines of the cushions as well as the flow from the backrest into the arms is crucial to identifying a cohesive new piece for your home or office.
Fortunately, with styles from every era — and even round sofas — there’s a luxurious piece for every space. Deck out your living room with an Art Deco lounge or go retro with a nostalgic '80s design. No matter your sitting vision, the right piece is waiting for you in the expansive collection of unique sofas on 1stDibs.
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