$30,000
H 24.25 in W 78.5 in D 9.25 in
Clairtone Project G2 Series T11 Console Stereo System & Garrard Turntable
By Clairtone
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
designed by Hugh Spencer and introduced at the National Furniture Show in Chicago in January 1964. Striking
Aluminum
Clairtone T10 Designed by Hugh Spencer
By Clairtone
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Classic Clairtone T10 stereo designed in 1964, Silver Medal Winner of the 1964 Milan Triennale. This Canadian stereo system was absolute cutting edge! A little over 300 ever produced...
Aluminum
Sold
H 28 in W 85 in D 19 in
Clairtone Project G 1 T4 Rosewood Stereo System First Generation by Hugh Spencer
By Clairtone
Located in Dallas, TX
Holy Grail of designer electronics from the 1960s. Designed by Hugh Spencer, less than 100 of these
Stainless Steel
Sold
H 19 in W 85 in L 19 in
Clairtone Project G 1 T4 Rosewood Stereo System First Generation by Hugh Spencer
By Clairtone
Located in Dallas, TX
, phone or Bluetooth device. Designed by Hugh Spencer, less than 100 of these first-generation T4 units
Stainless Steel
Sold
H 28 in W 85 in D 19 in
Clairtone Project G1 Hi-Fi Stereo System with Lab 80 Turntable by Hugh Spencer
By Clairtone
Located in Dallas, TX
1960s. Designed by Hugh Spencer, less than 300 of the G1 units were ever produced. Refinished. Repaired
Aluminum, Steel
The Project G Stereo
Located in Chicago, IL
Designed by Hugh Spencer The Project G by Clairtone, Silver Medal winner of the 1964 Milan
Aluminum
1960s Clairtone Project G2 Rosewood Stereo System
By Clairtone
Located in Dallas, TX
be easily added to connect your ipad, phone or other device. Designed by Hugh Spencer.
Rosewood
Clairtone Project G-1 Model T10 Rosewood Stereo System
By Clairtone
Located in Dallas, TX
Hugh Spencer less than 300 of these T10 units were ever produced.
First Generation Clairtone Project G T4 Rosewood Stereo System
By Clairtone
Located in Dallas, TX
your ipad, phone or bluetooth device. Designed by Hugh Spencer less than 100 of these first generation
Stainless Steel
Planpit Executive Sand Garden Coffee Table by Hugh Spencer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
An incredible coffee table by Hugh Spencer, designed and created in the 1960s this table was made
Wood
Hugh Spencer Brazilian Palisander & Chrome Floating Credenza
Located in Hanover, MA
Designed by one of Canada's most noted mid-century modern designers, Hugh Spencer, for his firm
Chrome
Sold
H 27 in W 78.5 in D 14.5 in
Clairtone Project G2 Rosewood T10 Console Stereo System & Turntable by Al Faux
By Clairtone
Located in Dallas, TX
originally conceived by Peter Munk, David Gilmour and Hugh Spencer. The futuristic design of the G2 was the
Aluminum
Scarce Midcentury, Clairtone Project G Stereo System
By Clairtone
Located in St. Louis, MO
1960s. Please inquire for price and condition. Designed by Hugh Spencer. “In the sixties
Clairtone Model G2 Stereo Entertainment System
Located in North Hollywood, CA
" and one graced Hugh Hefner's Playboy mansion.
Acrylic, Rosewood
$1,900 / item
H 24 in W 35 in D 19 in
Solid Bentwood Side Chair Stool, Velvet Upholstery by Raka Studio
By Raka Studio
Located in Cape Girardeau, MO
A side/filler chair made in solid ashwood by bending wood. Three of the legs have been made using the wood-turning technique to adopt an abstract natural wave-like design. It has bee...
Velvet, Ash, Bentwood
$2,034Sale Price / item|10% Off
H 6 in W 7.25 in D 4.75 in
'Single Block' Model #185 Alabaster Sconce in the Manner of Pierre Chareau
By Pierre Chareau, Maison Paname
Located in Glendale, CA
'Single Block' Model #185 Alabaster Sconce in the Manner of Pierre Chareau Handcrafted in Los Angeles in the workshop of noted French designer and antiques dealer Denis de le Mesier...
Alabaster, Steel
$710 / item
H 14.5 in W 7.5 in D 1.5 in
fferrone Contemporary Modern Mirror Polished Stainless Steel Candle Wall Scone
By Felicia Ferrone
Located in Chicago, IL
Strikingly simple and minimal, the contemporary, modern, asymmetrical candle wall sconce, made from mirror polish stainless steel, reflects the light doubling it’s effect which perfe...
Stainless Steel
$3,800 / set
H 0.75 in Dm 10.5 in
12 Coalport Grey and Polychrome Enamel Floral Shaped Rim Dinner Service Plates
By Coalport Porcelain
Located in Great Barrington, MA
This set of 12 Coalport dinner plates feature an unusual color combination of a soft gray border decorated with a vibrant palette of brightly painted flowers. There are various combi...
Porcelain
'Grande Mania' Sconce by Vico Magistretti for Artemide
By Vico Magistretti, Artemide
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Single Grande Mania Sconce by Vico Magistretti for Artemide. Designed and manufactured in Italy, circa 1960. Minimal half layered half sphere sconce made from delicate opaline glass....
Aluminum, Brass
$1,150 / set
H 11.25 in W 10 in D 7 in
Wrightsman Collection, Vols I-V, First Editions, Signed by the Wrightsmans
By Everett Fahy, F.J.B. Watson, Carl C. Dauterman
Located in valatie, NY
The Wrightsman collection, Vols. I-V. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1966-1973. First edition hardcovers with dust jackets. 2248 pp. Inscribed by the Wrightsmans. The comp...
Paper
$1,803
H 4.5 in W 3.3 in D 2.2 in
Antique Victorian Sterling Silver Tea Caddy by Edward Barnard & Sons Ltd
By Edward Barnard & Sons
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Victorian English sterling silver tea caddy made by Edward Barnard & Sons Ltd; an addition to our silver teaware collection. This excep...
Silver, Sterling Silver
Joe Columbo Elda Lounge Armchair Chair Vintage c 1970's
By Joe Colombo
Located in Chicago, IL
In 1964, Joe Colombo designed the Elda fibreglass armchair for Comfort. The "Elda" Armchair is one of the most well-known designs of Italian designer Joe Colombo and was named after ...
Leather, Fiberglass
$19,274Sale Price|20% Off
H 24.81 in W 96.46 in D 26.38 in
Reupholstered 932 3-seater sofa by Mario Bellini for Cassina, Italy - 1960s
By Mario Bellini
Located in Berlin, DE
Reupholstered 932 3-seater sofa by Mario Bellini for Cassina. Designed 1964, price on request.
Leather
Hans Wegner Easy Chair Model AP-16 by AP-Stolen in Denmark
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare easy chair model AP-16 designed by Hans Wegner. Produced by AP-Stolen in Denmark.
Fabric, Oak
$3,651 / item
H 16.5 in W 36 in D 36 in
4 x 4 ottoman deep tufting walnut base button tufted channeling tufted ottoman
Located in Ridgewood, NY
Bubbly and delicious, the hand-tufted 4 x 4 ottoman beautifully shapes any space. The delicate crown of each tuft is fun, flirty, and begs to be sat on.
Fabric
Early Ekstrem Chairs by Terje Ekstrom
By Terje Ekstrom
Located in Phoenix, AZ
Pair of all original early ‘Ekstrem’ lounge chairs by Terje Ekstrom.
Upholstery
$8,500 / set
H 39 in W 28 in D 22 in
Tropi-Cal Danny Ho Fong and Miller Fong Garden Patio Pair of Chairs
By Danny Ho Fong, Miller Fong
Located in Chicago, IL
Tropi-cal Danny Ho Fong and Miller Fong garden patio pair of chairs As shown there areas where there is loss of caning and damage. May desire to have a caner do some restoration. ...
Wicker
Accademia Wall Lamp by Cini Boeri for Artemide, 1978
By Cini Boeri, Artemide
Located in Barcelona, ES
The Accademia lamp, designed by Cini Boeri in 1978, is a lamp version of the popular table lamp created for Artemide. This lamp is an impressive example of Boeri's minimalist approac...
Iron
$38,987 / set
H 26.97 in W 31.89 in D 17.92 in
Unusual Victorian Five-Light Cut-Glass Wall-Lights Attributed to F&C Osler, Pair
By F. & C. Osler
Located in Steyning, West sussex
An unusual pair of mid-Victorian five-light cut-glass silver mounted wall-lights (original for gas) the silvered glass covered back plates supporting five half hoop thumb cut candle ...
Silver Plate
set of 2 norman bel geddes sofas
By Norman Bel Geddes
Located in Munich, DE
rare set of two small 2-seater sofas by norman bel geddes. corner element also available.
Fabric, Wood
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.