$3,985
H 44.89 in W 32.68 in D 21.46 in
Mid-Century Magic Box Desk by Mummenthaler & Meier, Switzerland, 1955
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Magic Box Desk by Mummenthaler & Meier, Switzerland, 1955
Wood
$1,875Sale Price|25% Off
H 40 in W 40 in D 20 in
Mid century Danish Modern Magic Box Desk in Teak Made in Denmark
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mid century teak closable locking teak writing desk Similar to the Magic Box desk. The piece closes
Wood, Teak
$3,187Sale Price|25% Off
H 36 in W 40 in D 17 in
Mid-Century Modern Rosewood Desk Magic Box Made in Brazil with Key
By Jean Gillon
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Stunning closable and lockable rosewood writing desk. The piece closes completely and can be key-locked to protect all your documents. Opened, it has a large teak writing top that ex...
Rosewood
"Magic Box" by Mummenthaler & Meier, Switzerland, 1960's
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Oud Beijerland, NL
60's. It is a foldable and closable writing desk or secretary desk called the "Magic Box". The
Wood
Incredible “Magic Box” Secrecy Desk by Mumenthaler and Meier
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Mount Penn, PA
An incredible "magic box" secrecy desk by Swiss architects Mummenthaler and Meier. This exceptional
Wood
Mid Century Danish Magic Box Teak Desk
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Waxahachie, TX
Beautifully engineered. Teak. Danish. Vintage Magic Box Desk. Lots of cubbies, file areas
Teak
Mid Century Danish Modern “Magic Box” Desk by Mummenthaler & Meier
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Mid Century “Magic Box” Desk in Teak. Designed by Swiss Mummenthaler and Meier. No key. Original
Wood
Mid century Modern Norwegian "Magic Box" Folding Desk Cabinet C.1960s
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Bernville, PA
Classic Norwegian Mid-Century “Magic Box”. Tall handsome cabinet that opens to an intricate desk
Maple, Walnut
Mid Century Danish Modern “Magic Box” Desk by Mummenther and Meier
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
“Magic Box” Desk by Mummenthaler and Meier. This amazing piece closes completely into a box and
Wood
Sold
H 51.5 in W 48.5 in D 20.5 in
TEAK Mid Century Modern Danish "MAGIC BOX" Desk / Hideaway Secretary Desk
Located in Weehawken, NJ
This Mid Century Modern Teak "Magic Box" secretary desk highlights precisely what makes Danish
Wood, Teak
Magic Box Desk by Mummenthaler & Meier
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Basildon, London
Introducing the stunning Magic Box Desk by Mummenthaler & Meier, a must-have addition to any luxury
Wood
Mummenthaler & Meier "Magic Box" Folding Desk Cabinet
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Hidden desk in a box, a.k.a. "Magic Box" designed by Mummenthaler & Meier in 1928, produced in the
Wood
Mummenthaler & Otto Folding Desk /Magic Box/1950s Desk
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in London, Lambeth
What an amazing design a mult functionalists desk that folds into a box.
Maple
Sold
H 21.26 in W 66.15 in L 21.26 in
Mummenthaler & Meier Magic Box Writing Desk Rosewood, Switzerland, 1950
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Etten-Leur, NL
called “Magic Box” and the name says it all. When you open the cabinet, it shows a very nice working
Brass
Sold
H 44.3 in W 32.49 in D 21.26 in
Swiss Design Magic Box Desk by Mummenthaler & Meier, Switzerland, 1960's
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage mid-century Swiss design magic box desk by Mummenthaler & Meier. The 'MAGIC BOX' desk or
Wood
Sold
H 44.5 in W 66 in D 29.5 in
Mummenthaler and Meier Teak 'Magic Box' Fold Out Secretary Desk and Cabinet
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Astoria, NY
Ernst Mummenthaler and Otto Meier, referred to as 'The 'Magic Box', manufactured circa 1960s, with
Teak
Sold
H 44.69 in W 32.68 in D 21.86 in
Mid-Century Magic Box Desk by Mummenthaler & Meier, Switzerland, 1955
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Mid-Century Magic Box Desk by Mummenthaler & Meier, Switzerland, 1955 Retractable desk or “magic
Wood
Sold
H 45 in W 32 in D 30 in
Mid century Danish Modern Desk in Rosewood Mummenthaler & Meier Magic Box
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Stunning foldable and closable Rosewood writing desk called the "Magic Box", designed by Swiss
Brass
Mid-Century Danish Modern Desk in Teak Mummenthaler & Meier Magic Box
By Mummenthaler and Meier, Arne Vodder
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Stunning foldable and closable teak writing desk called the "Magic Box", designed by Swiss
Brass
Sold
H 45 in W 32 in D 21.5 in
Mid-Century Modern "Magic Box" Mummenthaler Meier Style Folding Teak Desk
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This unique folding teak desk is designed in the style of Swiss architects Ernst Mum(m)enthaler & Otto Meier. Unique writing desk folds into itself to save space, offers plenty o...
Teak
Mid century Danish Modern Magic Box Desk in Teak by Mummenthaler & Meier
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mid century teak closable locking teak writing desk called the "Magic Box", designed by Swiss
Brass
1800s Magic Lantern Full Boxed Set
By Ernst Plank
Located in Peekskill, NY
This is a beautiful and decorative 1800 magic lantern full boxed set. We believe it was created by
Brass
Ateliers Genestar "Magic Box" Folding Desk Cabinet
By Ateliers Genestar
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mid-century, 1950s "Magic Box". Expertly made by French manufacturer "Ateliers Genestar". This
Wood
Mummenthaler and Meier Rosewood "Magic Box" Hideaway Desk
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mid-Century Modern, rosewood, "Magic Box" hideaway, folding desk by Mummenthaler and Meier
Rosewood, Birch
Sold
H 44.49 in W 66.15 in D 29.53 in
Sought after Mummenthaler & Meier “magic box” Vintage 1950’S teak desk in box
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Markington, GB
Introducing the stunning Magic Box Desk by Mummenthaler & Meier, a must-have addition to any luxury
Teak
Midcentury Danish Modern Desk in Rosewood Mummenthaler & Meier Magic Box
By Arne Vodder, Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Stunning foldable and closable Rosewood writing desk called the "Magic Box", designed by Swiss
Brass
Sold
H 44.89 in W 33.08 in D 21.66 in
Mummenthaler & Meier Teak 'Magic Box' Fold Out Secretary & Cabinet, 1960
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in The Hague, NL
space with drawers, shelves etc. - they called it " Magic Box". Has installed lamp- tested& working
Faux Leather, Maple, Teak
Midcentury Danish Modern Magic Box Desk in Teak by Mummenthaler & Meier
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Midcentury teak closable locking teak writing desk called the "Magic Box", designed by Swiss
Brass
Sold
H 45 in W 32 in D 21 in
Midcentury Danish Modern Desk in Rosewood Mummenthaler and Meier Magic Box
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Stunning compact Rosewood writing desk called the "Magic Box", designed by Swiss Mummenthaler and
Brass
Midcentury Danish Modern Magic Box Desk in Teak by Mummenthaler & Meier
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Midcentury teak closable locking teak writing desk called the "Magic Box", designed by Swiss
Brass
Sold
H 44.49 in W 32.68 in D 21.26 in
1950's Amazing "Magic Box' Organiser Bureau Compact Plywood Ateliers Genestar
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in bergen op zoom, NL
This 'Magic Box' organising desk has been produced by various manufactures in Europe in the 1950's
Oak, Plywood
Sold
H 48 in W 31.5 in D 20.5 in
Vintage Mcm Danish Rosewood Magic Box Folding Desk by Neils Erik, Glasdam Jensen
By Vantinge Møbelindustri, Niels Erik & Glasdam Jensen
Located in Chicago, IL
Measures: 31.5” x 20.5” x 48”H; 60” x 29.5”D when open 31.5” x 20.5” x 48”H; 60” x 29.5”D when open Ingeniously designed Danish modern rosewood cabinet whose hinged doors open ...
Brass
Original "Magic Box" Writing Desk by Mummenthaler & Meier
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Amsterdam, NL
-named the "Magic Box"; when closed it looks like an ordinary cabinet with two large doors while it opens
Maple, Teak
Sold
H 46.46 in W 21.66 in D 32.68 in
Mummenthaler & Meier "Magic Box" Foldable Desk / Working Station, 1950
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Wilnis, UT
Switzerland, circa 1950. This amazing cabinet is nicknamed "Magic Box" because it reveals an entire working
Rosewood
Sold
H 45.28 in W 32.29 in D 20.87 in
Mummenthaler & Meier Foldable Desk, Working station, Magic Box, 1960s
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Schagen, NL
This absolute phenominal writing desk, was designed by Mummenthaler and Meier, circa 1960s. This small cabinet can be transformed to a real working space with drawers, shelves etc....
Maple, Teak
Sold
H 45.28 in W 32.68 in D 21.26 in
Mummenthaler and Meier Magic Box, Desk in a Box Closable Work Station
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Rare foldable writing desk or secrétaire called the "Magic Box", designed by Swiss Mummenthaler and
Plywood
Sold
H 45.28 in W 31.89 in D 29.53 in
Mummenthaler & Meier Desk-in-a-Box or "Magic Box" Work Station Desk Secretary
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Rare foldable and closable writing desk or secrétary desk called the "Magic Box", designed by Swiss
Maple, Teak
Sold
H 44.5 in W 32 in D 21.25 in
Mummenthaler and Meier Teak 'Magic Box' Fold Out Secretary Desk and Cabinet
By Mummenthaler and Meier
Located in New London, CT
Ernst Mummenthaler and Otto Meier, referred to as 'The 'Magic Box', manufactured circa 1960s, with
Teak, Maple
$603
H 6.3 in W 2.37 in D 7.49 in
Beautiful Black/White Perspex and Brass Sconces by Stillux, Italy 1960s
By Stilux
Located in Echt, NL
Beautiful Italian sconces in very good condition. Designed and manufactured by Stilux in the 1960s Three available, price per piece. These lamps have a perspex (acrylic) shade in...
Brass
$7,580 / item
H 70 in W 76 in D 12 in
Casey Lurie Studio Modern High "Primo" Shelving System in Walnut with Brass
By Casey Lurie
Located in Chicago, IL
“Shelving can be the most mundane thing you own, or it can be the beautiful bones of a room as pleasing to see as anything it displays. Casey Lurie’s Primo system would be the latter...
Brass, Stainless Steel, Metal
$11,710 / item
H 32.68 in W 90.56 in D 40.56 in
Art Deco Sofa by Munna Design Studio with Velvet Upholstery
By Munna Design Studio
Located in NEW YORK, NY
This sofa features a wonderfully elegant fan-shaped motif, with its accentuated curvy lines with decadent and lavish finish. The feminine curves are ravishingly enhanced by the diffe...
Velvet
$1,242 / item
H 13.39 in W 10.63 in D 10.63 in
Set Antique Vintage Acorn Opaline White Milk Glass Ceiling Pendant Light Lamp
Located in Sale, GB
- A fabulous run of church opaline acorn pendant lights with steel galleries, circa 1950. - Wear commensurate with age, all in excellent condition, the steel galleries are aged worn...
Glass
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
Danish Bar Cabinet by Reno Wahl Iversen for Dyrlund
By Reno Wahl Iversen, Dyrlund
Located in Karlstad, SE
"Captains bar" designed by Reno Wahl Iversen for Dyrlund, Denmark. The bar is made of rosewood with elegant details in brass. The black laminated top can be folded out to prepare dri...
Brass
$22,000
H 32.5 in W 48 in D 20 in
Magnificent Rare Modern Commode by John Stuart, circa 1940 - Pair Available
By John Stuart
Located in Atlanta, GA
This majestic commode has undergone a meticulous complete restoration. The chest may be re-lacquered in another Ben Moore color in advance of shipment, if so desired. A stellar ex...
Brass
$2,295 / set
H 30.75 in W 61.5 in D 19 in
Mid Century Modern Diamond Faced Walnut Triple Dresser with Full Length Mirror
By United Furniture Corporation
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fantastic walnut diamond faced triple dresser by the United Furniture Co. with a full length beveled mirror framed in walnut. Triple Dresser with nine drawers which when fully closed...
Mirror, Oak, Walnut
$2,800 / item
H 39.38 in W 39.38 in D 13.39 in
Sling Hanging Swing Chair Genuine Black Leather 21st Century Modern
By Joanina and David Pastoll
Located in Johannesburg, ZA
Stripped away from all excess, this hanging chair has a circular frame with the sheets of soft leather hanging loose within it, to create a sleek, sexy, and oh so comfortable experie...
Steel
Linden Table Lamp with Contemporary Linen Shades by Studio Dunn
By Studio DUNN
Located in Rumford, RI
The Linden table lamp features a cream linen shade and lamp body, solid hardwood walnut base, and brass details. A study in duality, the piece explores the balance between soft, flow...
Brass
$10,650 / item
H 30 in W 84 in D 18 in
Mae Solid Wood Credenza, Cabinet, or Dresser, by Crump and Kwash
By Crump and Kwash
Located in Baltimore City, MD
Solid wood case / hand-turned legs / hand rubbed oil finish / solid brass pulls / premium, full extension, soft close drawer slides / solid wood, dovetailed drawer boxes Dimensions:...
Brass
$4,500 / set
H 15.75 in W 59.75 in D 14.88 in
Arthur Umanoff Birch and Iron Bench/Coffee Table with Rush Nesting Stools
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Arthur Umanoff slatted birch bench/coffee table with iron legs concealing three nesting stools with rush seats (ca. 1950s, USA). Compact piece, ideal for smaller rooms with space li...
Wrought Iron
Cult Stool, Sculptural Side Table, Mexican Green Onyx
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Cult stool/ side table; a hand sculpted stone from a Mexican marble and Mexican onyx conglomerate, remits to primal sculptural-architectural language while displaying materials in a ...
Onyx
1970s Norman Foster Glass Table Model Nomos for Tecno, Italy
By Sir Norman Foster
Located in Praha, CZ
- good /very good condition with minor signs of use.
Metal
$1,520
H 1 in W 108 in D 50 in
Frank Lloyd Wright for Schumacher Imperial Tokyo Textile, 3 yards, 1950’s USA.
By Schumacher, Frank Lloyd Wright
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Frank Lloyd Wright for Schumacher Imperial Tokyo Textile, 3 yards, 1950’s USA. 3 continuous yards
Textile
Teak File Cabinet
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Three drawer mid-century style file cabinet with teak grain wood veneer. Metal gliding rails, finished back and wood handles. The drawers measure 9.25"h, 15.75"w, 21"d Please confirm...
Teak
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.
Of all the vintage storage cabinets and antique case pieces that have become popular in modern interiors over the years, dressers, credenzas and cabinets have long been home staples, perfect for routine storage or protection of personal items.
In the mid-19th century, cabinetmakers would mimic styles originating in the Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI eras for their dressers, bookshelves and other structures, and, later, simpler, streamlined wood designs allowed these “case pieces” or “case goods” — any furnishing that is unupholstered and has some semblance of a storage component — to blend into the background of any interior.
Mid-century modern furniture enthusiasts will cite the tall modular wall units crafted in teak and other sought-after woods of the era by the likes of George Nelson, Poul Cadovius and Finn Juhl. For these highly customizable furnishings, designers of the day delivered an alternative to big, heavy bookcases by considering the use of space — and, in particular, walls — in new and innovative ways. Mid-century modern credenzas, which, long and low, evolved from tables that were built as early as the 14th century in Italy, typically have no legs or very short legs and have grown in popularity as an alluring storage option over time.
Although the name immediately invokes images of clothing, dressers were initially created in Europe for a much different purpose. This furnishing was initially a flat-surfaced, low-profile side table equipped with a few drawers — a common fixture used to dress and prepare meats in English kitchens throughout the Tudor period. The drawers served as perfect utensil storage. It wasn’t until the design made its way to North America that it became enlarged and equipped with enough space to hold clothing and cosmetics. The very history of case pieces is a testament to their versatility and well-earned place in any room.
In the spirit of positioning your case goods center stage, decluttering can now be design-minded.
A contemporary case piece with open shelving and painted wood details can prove functional as a storage unit as easily as it can a room divider. Alternatively, apothecary cabinets are charming case goods similar in size to early dressers or commodes but with uniquely sized shelving and (often numerous) drawers.
Whether you’re seeking a playful sideboard that features colored glass and metal details, an antique Italian hand-carved storage cabinet or a glass-door vitrine to store and show off your collectibles, there are options for you on 1stDibs.