Mid-Century Modern Bar Stool CH 56 by Hans Wegner, New Edition
By Carl Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Courbevoie, FR
Mid-Century Modern CH 56 stool by Hans Wegner. New edition.
Category
Vintage 1980s Scandinavian Stools
Materials
Oak
Mid Century Bar Stools
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Plywood & Brass Bar Stools
$917 / item
Plywood & Brass Bar Stools
Located in London, England
Tubular brass angles elegantly towards the highly lacquered plywood seats. Well finished, the brass has a lovely patina which can be polished to a high shine. Price is per stool. ...
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Brass
Set of 3 Mid-Century Modern Amuse Bar Stool by Mavo Atelier, Handmade Portugal
By Mavo Atelier
Located in Trofa, PT
With its gracefully curved silhouette and thoughtful design, the Amuse Bar Stool is rooted in the spirit of mid-century elegance.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Brass
Set of 2 Mid-Century Modern Amuse Bar Stool by Mavo Atelier, Handmade Portugal
By Mavo Atelier
Located in Trofa, PT
With its gracefully curved silhouette and thoughtful design, the Amuse Bar Stool is rooted in the spirit of mid-century elegance.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Brass
Mid-Century Modern Knoll Rockwell Unscripted Swivel Bar and Low Stool, Set of 2
By Knoll
Located in Chicago, IL
Mid-Century Modern Knoll Rockwell unscripted swivel bar and low stool - set of 2 The Rockwell unscripted upholstered seat offers fun punctuation to dining, living or office spaces.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Fabric
Mid-Century Modern Knoll Rockwell Unscripted Swivel Bar and Low Stool, Set of 2
By Knoll
Located in Chicago, IL
Mid Century Modern Knoll rockwell unscripted swivel bar and low stool - set of 2.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Fabric
Mid-Century Modern Aretha Bar Stool in Chenille & Light Grey Oak by Mavo Atelier
By Mavo Atelier
Located in Trofa, PT
Its silhouette draws on mid-century modern elegance, reimagined with contemporary lines that feel playful yet impeccably refined.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal, Brass
Mid-Century Style Aretha Bar Stool in Leather and Walnut Wood by Mavo Atelier
By Mavo Atelier
Located in Trofa, PT
Its silhouette draws on mid-century modern elegance, reimagined with contemporary lines that feel playful yet impeccably refined.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal, Brass
Restored Mid-century Rattan Stacked Bar Swivel Stools w/ Red Seat , Set of 4
$2,310Sale Price / set|30% Off
Restored Mid-century Rattan Stacked Bar Swivel Stools w/ Red Seat , Set of 4
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Restored set of 4 mid-century era rattan barstools with stacked rattan backs with red Naugahyde swivel seats.
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Naugahyde, Rattan
1970s Set of 3 Danish Modern Style Oak Bar Stools With Rush Seats Mid-Century
Located in North Hollywood, CA
A great set for a kitchen island, breakfast bar, home bar, or Mid-Century Modern interior. —————————————— Whenever you purchase a piece from Mid Century Shop, you’re acquiring more...
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Rush, Wood
Mid-Century Modern Bentwood Bar Stools in Thonet Style, Italy 80s, Set of 3
By Thonet
Located in Lucija, SI
Nice set of three benrwood bar stools in Thonet style. They were made in the 80s in Italy
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Nouveau Stools
Materials
Cane, Bentwood
Custom Made Bar Stools
$8,000 / set
Custom Made Bar Stools
Located in New York, NY
Sourced from Los Angeles, this striking set of three lounge chairs is a vibrant homage to 1960s Space Age and Googie architecture. While drawing inspiration from this playful, optimi...
Category
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Steel
Pair of Mid-Century Modern Walnut and Brass Bar Stools with New Leather Seats
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pair of vintage walnut bar stools with round tubular brass foot rest/sabots and newly upholstered gray leather seats (ca. 1960s, USA). Walnut has been refinished, gray leather and fo...
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Brass
A set of vintage mid century cantilever bar stools in the style of Milo Baughman
By Milo Baughman
Located in Houston, TX
A set of vintage mid century cantilever bar stools in the style of Milo Baughman, circa 1970s.
Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Brass
Pair of Mid Century Modern Iron with Maple and Raffia Bar Stools Arthur Umanoff
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Set of Two bar stools with maple slatted seats, raffia backs on a hand welded iron frame, painted black. Seats swivel for comfort. Priced individually at 450 ea. Original plastic fee...
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Iron
Vintage Arthur Umanoff Mid Century Slatted Wood and Metal Swivel Bar Stools MCM
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
1863 Pair slatted wood and metal bar stools.Attributed to Arthur Umanoff . Feature a swivel seat
Category
Vintage 1970s Stools
Materials
Metal
Mid-Century Brutalist Bar Stool by De Puydt, Dark Stained Oak, T-Back
By De Puydt
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bar stool by Belgian manufacturer De Puydt demonstrates the Brutalist approach to functional seating through Pierre Chapo-inspired design principles. Constructed entirely from solid ...
Category
Vintage 1970s Belgian Brutalist Stools
Materials
Oak
Pair of Mid Century Charles Hollis Jones Acrylic Lucite Bar or Counter Stools
By Charles Hollis Jones
Located in Philadelphia, PA
An incredible vintage pair of matching stools by Charles Hollis Jones. They feature heavy thick clear acrylic construction with white & swiveling black Panton print naugahyde seats a...
Category
Vintage 1970s American Hollywood Regency Stools
Materials
Chrome
Set of Milo Baughman Mid-Century Modern Bar Counter Stools in Chrome & White
By Design Institute America, Milo Baughman
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A well made matching set of four stools made by Design Institute & designed by Milo Baughman. These feature heavy chromed steel construction with white enameled curved slat wood seat...
Category
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Stools
Materials
Chrome, Enamel
Brutalist bar stool, 1960s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Beautiful hand made mid century oak bar stool with a steel ring foot rest.
Category
Vintage 1960s Spanish Brutalist Stools
Materials
Oak
Set of 3 Mid-Century Aretha Bar Stool in Black Stain Ashwood by Mavo Atelier
By Mavo Atelier
Located in Trofa, PT
Its silhouette draws on mid-century modern elegance, reimagined with contemporary lines that feel playful yet impeccably refined.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal, Brass
Set of 2 Mid-Century Aretha Bar Stool in Black Stain Ashwood by Mavo Atelier
By Mavo Atelier
Located in Trofa, PT
Its silhouette draws on mid-century modern elegance, reimagined with contemporary lines that feel playful yet impeccably refined.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal, Brass
Set 3 of Mid-Century Aretha Bar Stool in Chenille & Light Oak by Mavo Atelier
By Mavo Atelier
Located in Trofa, PT
Its silhouette draws on mid-century modern elegance, reimagined with contemporary lines that feel playful yet impeccably refined.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal, Brass
Set 2 of Mid-Century Aretha Bar Stool in Chenille & Light Oak by Mavo Atelier
By Mavo Atelier
Located in Trofa, PT
Its silhouette draws on mid-century modern elegance, reimagined with contemporary lines that feel playful yet impeccably refined.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal, Brass
Pair of Mid Century Modern Rosewood with Teak Bar Stools by Erik Buch
By Erik Buch, O.D. Møbler A-S
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fantastic pair of Rosewood with teak footrests bar stools designed by Erik Buch from the early sixties. An iconic design by a Danish designer which has held up to the test of time. ...
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Stools
Materials
Leather, Rosewood, Teak
Set of 2 Mid-Century Robusta Bar Stool in Lacquered Arched Frame by Mavo Atelier
By Mavo Atelier
Located in Trofa, PT
Effortlessly merging sculptural elegance with refined proportions, the Robusta Bar Stool is born from a study into dualities. The interplay of absence and presence, of mass and void,...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Brass
Set of 3 Mid-Century Robusta Bar Stool in Lacquered Arched Frame by Mavo Atelier
By Mavo Atelier
Located in Trofa, PT
Effortlessly merging sculptural elegance with refined proportions, the Robusta Bar Stool is born from a study into dualities. The interplay of absence and presence, of mass and void,...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Brass
A MID-CENTURY-MODERN RUSTIC BAR STOOL CHAIR, by ARTHUR UMANOFF, RAYMOR, USA 1950
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in PARIS, FR
An astonishing high bar chair with adjustable seat, Modernist, Free Form, Dansk, Scandinavian, black lacquered wrought iron structures, swivel seat on its axis in strips of folded wo...
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Iron
Pair of Oak and Rush Bar Stools, France, 20th Century
Located in London, London
Pair of Oak and Rush Bar Stools, France, 20th Century A charming pair of French bar stools in solid oak with handwoven rush seats.
Category
Mid-20th Century French Country Stools
Materials
Oak, Rush
Mid Century Dark Stained Rattan Bar Stools with Stick Back, set of 8
$3,482Sale Price / set|30% Off
Mid Century Dark Stained Rattan Bar Stools with Stick Back, set of 8
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Set of 8 dark Stained rattan bar stools with woven wicker seats and 3-strand rattan pull legs. The stools come with a fully formed backrest complimented by arches connecting each leg...
Category
Vintage 1950s Stools
Materials
Rattan
Mid-Century Modern French Wood, Chromed Metal and Black Leather Bar Stool, 1930s
$1,465Sale Price|20% Off
Mid-Century Modern French Wood, Chromed Metal and Black Leather Bar Stool, 1930s
Located in Roma, IT
Amazing barstool in wood, chromed metal and black leather with footrest. This fantastic item was designed in France during the 1930s. The piece is fantastic because of the mix of ...
Category
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Stools
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Set of Four Vintage Spindle Back Bar Stools
$5,500 / set
Set of Four Vintage Spindle Back Bar Stools
Located in Atlanta, GA
Set of Four Clean Lined Bar Stools, in the manner of George Nakashima, American, circa 1950s. These look very similar to the spindle back chairs that Nakashima designed for Knoll. Th...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal
Set of Four Modern Bar Stools
$1,100 / set
Set of Four Modern Bar Stools
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Four vintage-modern stools with sturdy sculpted iron construction, comes with removable tufted seat cushions. Please confirm item location NY or NJ with dealer. 29 inch seat height.
Category
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal
Set of 3 Mid-Century Aretha Bar Stool in Leather and Walnut Wood by Mavo Atelier
By Mavo Atelier
Located in Trofa, PT
Its silhouette draws on mid-century modern elegance, reimagined with contemporary lines that feel playful yet impeccably refined.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal, Brass
Set of 2 Mid-Century Aretha Bar Stool in Leather and Walnut Wood by Mavo Atelier
By Mavo Atelier
Located in Trofa, PT
Its silhouette draws on mid-century modern elegance, reimagined with contemporary lines that feel playful yet impeccably refined.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Cenury French Brass Bar Stool with Faux Black Leather Seat
Located in Fayetteville, AR
This mid twentieth century French brass bar stool features a circular brass base with a central black metal column.
Category
Mid-20th Century French Stools
Materials
Brass
Madison Bar Stool Walnut Mustard
$410 / item
Madison Bar Stool Walnut Mustard
Located in Cincinnati, US
A well-designed piece of furniture blurs the line between functionality and art. The Madison stool is a geometrical masterpiece testing the boundary of what we think is possible with...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Steel
Madison Bar Stool Maple Black
$410 / item
Madison Bar Stool Maple Black
Located in Cincinnati, US
A well-designed piece of furniture blurs the line between functionality and art. The Madison stool is a geometrical masterpiece testing the boundary of what we think is possible with...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Steel
Madison Bar Stool Maple Navy
$410 / item
Madison Bar Stool Maple Navy
Located in Cincinnati, US
A well-designed piece of furniture blurs the line between functionality and art. The Madison stool is a geometrical masterpiece testing the boundary of what we think is possible with...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Steel
Madison Bar Stool Walnut White
$410 / item
Madison Bar Stool Walnut White
Located in Cincinnati, US
A well-designed piece of furniture blurs the line between functionality and art. The Madison stool is a geometrical masterpiece testing the boundary of what we think is possible with...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Steel
Madison Bar Stool Maple Yellow
$410 / item
Madison Bar Stool Maple Yellow
Located in Cincinnati, US
A well-designed piece of furniture blurs the line between functionality and art. The Madison stool is a geometrical masterpiece testing the boundary of what we think is possible with...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Steel
Set of Four Mid Century Post Modern Tokyo Style Counter or Bar Stools in White
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A sleek modern set of four counter stools circa 1990's. These feature white enameled steel tubular frames with white naugahyde seats.
Category
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal
Pair Bar stools by Cesare Lacca
$2,022 / set
Pair Bar stools by Cesare Lacca
By Cesare Lacca
Located in London, GB
A delightful pair of bar stools in dark cherrywood newly upholstered in African inspired velvet fabric. Designed circa 1950 by Cesare Lacca .
Category
Mid-20th Century Stools
Materials
Velvet, Cherry
Pair Thonet Style Bar Stools Made in Czechoslovakia
$1,520Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair Thonet Style Bar Stools Made in Czechoslovakia
By Michael Thonet
Located in Pasadena, TX
Pair Thonet style bar stools Thonet style barstools manufactured in the Czech republic. Sculptural bentwood frames in a dark walnut finish. Marked/Engraved “Made in Czechoslowaki...
Category
Mid-20th Century Bauhaus Stools
Materials
Walnut
Set of Four Coconut Wood Bar Stools, Europe Late 20th Century
Located in Utrecht, NL
An artistic flair is apparent with this set of four bar stools. The design uses elements of geometry to create a unique look based on the natural qualities of wood. This set’s struct...
Category
20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Coconut
Pair of Vintage Italian Bar Stools
$667 / set
Pair of Vintage Italian Bar Stools
Located in London, GB
A stylish and very well made pair of vintage Italian bar stools. They were made in Italy, and date from around the 1960-70’s. The quality is excellent, the solid beech frames have l...
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Rush, Beech
Midcentury Leather and Iron Bar Stool
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This charming bar stools features soft leather seats and a rugged iron frame. With a simplistic design, these stool will fit into almost any decor while still adding their own versio...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal
Pair of Vintage Modern Chrome Bar Stools
$800 / set
Pair of Vintage Modern Chrome Bar Stools
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pair of vintage modern chrome bar stools with black seats. Triangular frames and sculpted seating make these atomic space age-inspired stools a subtle yet refined choice for interior...
Category
Late 20th Century Taiwanese Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Chrome
Bar Stool for Knoll, 1940s
By Knoll
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A beautifully constructed stool having an architectural blackened steel base with a floating chrome footrest supporting a sculptural walnut seat upholstered with thick patinated wove...
Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Steel
Vintage Walnut and Aluminum Bar Stools
$2,400 / set
Vintage Walnut and Aluminum Bar Stools
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Introducing this stunning pair of mid-century barstools, crafted in the United States circa the 1970s.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Aluminum, Chrome
Vintage MCM Wood and Rush Bar Stool
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This vintage Mid-Century Modern bar stool is defined by its sculptural, horn-shaped backrest, a single carved wood crest rail that curves gently upward at both ends and tapers to sle...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Rush, Wood
Set of Three Hand Wrought Iron Scrollwork Bar Stools
Located in Redding, CT
Set of Three Hand Wrought Iron Scrollwork Bar Stools. Gorgeous hand forged craftsmanship. These are extra tall bar stools for a higher outdoor Bar top height generally designed for h...
Category
Mid-20th Century Stools
Materials
Iron
Pair of Steel and Leather Mid-century Modern Italian Bar Stools by Marzio Cecchi
By Marzio Cecchi
Located in Barcelona, ES
Marzio cecchi (1940-1990) Pair of bar stools Manufactured by Most Studio Produced for Ringo bar in Firenze Italy, 1970s Steel, leather Measurements 51 cm x 48 cm x 94 H cm 20 in x ...
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Stools
Materials
Steel
Oak Plank Seat Bar Stools, Pair
$780Sale Price / set|20% Off
Oak Plank Seat Bar Stools, Pair
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of oak plank seat bar stools from the mid century. These stools are very strong & sturdy.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Adirondack Stools
Materials
Wood
Pair of White Washed Bamboo Bar Stools
$1,200Sale Price / set|25% Off
Pair of White Washed Bamboo Bar Stools
Located in Sheffield, MA
Pair of white washed faux bamboo bentwood bar stools or counter stools. The stools have black cushions. Great proportions for comfort and style. The rounded barrel back gives great s...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Bentwood
Pair of Charlotte Perriand Style Bar Stools /Kitchen Stools
By Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand Cassina
Located in Westport, CT
Pair Italian Charlotte Perriand style chrome tubular, Z shaped Bar stool blue Naugahyde.
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Chrome
Börje Johanson Venus Swivel Bar Stools
$4,000 / set
Börje Johanson Venus Swivel Bar Stools
By Börje Johanson
Located in Brooklyn, NY
For your consideration is this Scandinavian modern set of four bar height swivel stools by Börje Johanson in very good, all original condition. They feature the original, durable dar...
Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Stools
Materials
Metal
Four "Tre" Bar Stools by Davis Furniture
$1,500 / set
Four "Tre" Bar Stools by Davis Furniture
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Set of bentwood stools by David Furniture. Features molded plywood, connecting three separate and identical pieces to make a geometrical pleasing design. Please confirm location NY ...
Category
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Bentwood
Set of 3 Mid-Century Bentwood Bar Stools w Caned Seats attributed to Thonet 1960
By Michael Thonet
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fantastic set of three bentwood with caned seat barstools attributed to Thonet and made in Romania. Heart shaped sweetheart backs on all three. In excellent vintage condition with m...
Category
Vintage 1960s Romanian Modern Stools
Materials
Cane, Beech
Frederick Weinberg Style Modernist Wire Bar Stool
By Frederic Weinberg
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A modernist bar stool with a slender profile in bent, powder-coated metal. The stool has four angled legs, encircled by a support bar and footrest. The feet are capped with rubber ti...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal
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Mid Century Bar Stools For Sale on 1stDibs
There is a range of mid century bar stools for sale on 1stDibs. Each of these unique mid century bar stools was constructed with extraordinary care, often using metal, wood and fabric. Find 2717 antique and vintage mid century bar stools at 1stDibs now, or shop our selection of 113 modern versions for a more contemporary example of this long-cherished furniture. Mid century bar stools have been made for many years, and versions that date back to the 18th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century. There are many kinds of mid century bar stools to choose from, but at 1stDibs, mid-century modern, Scandinavian Modern and industrial mid century bar stools are of considerable interest. Many mid century bar stools are appealing in their simplicity, but Arthur Umanoff, Erik Buch and Rohe Noordwolde produced popular mid century bar stools that are worth a look.
How Much are Mid Century Bar Stools?
The average selling price for at 1stDibs is $1,910, while they’re typically $36 on the low end and $41,453 highest priced.
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
- Emerged during the mid-20th century
- Informed by European modernism, Bauhaus, International style, Scandinavian modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture
- A heyday of innovation in postwar America
- Experimentation with new ideas, new materials and new forms flourished in Scandinavia, Italy, the former Czechoslovakia and elsewhere in Europe
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Simplicity, organic forms, clean lines
- A blend of neutral and bold Pop art colors
- Use of natural and man-made materials — alluring woods such as teak, rosewood and oak; steel, fiberglass and molded plywood
- Light-filled spaces with colorful upholstery
- Glass walls and an emphasis on the outdoors
- Promotion of functionality
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
- Charles and Ray Eames
- Eero Saarinen
- Milo Baughman
- Florence Knoll
- Harry Bertoia
- Isamu Noguchi
- George Nelson
- Danish modernists Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, whose emphasis on natural materials and craftsmanship influenced American designers and vice versa
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
- Eames lounge chair
- Nelson daybed
- Florence Knoll sofa
- Egg chair
- Womb chair
- Noguchi coffee table
- Barcelona chair
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.
Finding the Right Stools for You
Stools are versatile and a necessary addition to any living room, kitchen area or elsewhere in your home. A sofa or reliable lounge chair might nab all the credit, comfort-wise, but don’t discount the roles that good antique, new and vintage stools can play.
“Stools are jewels and statements in a space, and they can also be investment pieces,” says New York City designer Amy Lau, who adds that these seats provide an excellent choice for setting an interior’s general tone.
Stools, which are among the oldest forms of wooden furnishings, may also serve as decorative pieces, even if we’re talking about a stool that is far less sculptural than the gracefully curving molded plywood shells that make up Sōri Yanagi’s provocative Butterfly stool.
Fawn Galli, a New York interior designer, uses her stools in the same way you would use a throw pillow. “I normally buy several styles and move them around the home where needed,” she says.
Stools are smaller pieces of seating as compared to armchairs or dining chairs and can add depth as well as functionality to a space that you’ve set aside for entertaining. For a splash of color, consider the Stool 60, a pioneering work of bentwood by Finnish architect and furniture maker Alvar Aalto. It’s manufactured by Artek and comes in a variety of colored seats and finishes.
Barstools that date back to the 1970s are now more ubiquitous in kitchens. Vintage barstools have seen renewed interest, be they a meld of chrome and leather or transparent plastic, such as the Lucite and stainless-steel counter stool variety from Indiana-born furniture designer Charles Hollis Jones, who is renowned for his acrylic works. A cluster of barstools — perhaps a set of four brushed-aluminum counter stools by Emeco or Tubby Tube stools by Faye Toogood — can encourage merriment in the kitchen. If you’ve got the room for family and friends to congregate and enjoy cocktails where the cooking is done, consider matching your stools with a tall table.
Whether you need counter stools, drafting stools or another kind, explore an extensive range of antique, new and vintage stools on 1stDibs.
Read More
How Top Designers Are Using Mid-Century Chairs in Today’s Interiors
Modern icons are showing up in gracefully layered dining nooks, living rooms and lounges — proof that great design only gets better with context.
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair Shook Modernism and Charmed Hollywood
The enduring appeal of the Barcelona chair is in the details.
Herman Miller Got Its Start in the Office, but Its Legacy Is in the Home
The brand that turned Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi and George Nelson into mid-century household names is just as relevant today as it was six decades ago.
May’s Most Popular Interiors on Instagram
Our feed is filled with the world's most beautiful spaces. See the rooms our followers have deemed the best of the best this month.
April’s Most-Liked Interiors on Instagram
Our feed is filled with the world's most beautiful spaces. See the 10 our followers have deemed the best of the best this month.
See How New York City Designers Experiment on Their Own Homes
There are many lessons to be learned from the lofts, apartments and townhouses of architects and decorators in Manhattan and beyond.
Jeff Andrews Captures Old Hollywood Glamour in His Cinematic Spaces
Having created extravagant homes for reality TV’s biggest stars, the designer is stepping into the spotlight with his first book.
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Arthur Umanoff Mayan
Jerry Johnson Arcadia
Umanoff Mayan
Chr Christensen
Umanoff Sun
Val St Lambert Green
Vasarely Victor Porcelain
Venetian Carved Figure
Vert De Mer
Vicke Lindstrom
Victorian Antique Bedside Table
Victorian Pug
Vietnamese Wood
Vintage Aircraft Seat
Vintage Army Canvas
Vintage Awls
Vintage Brass Bank
Vintage Brass Charger Plates