American Designer, Bar Stools, Bamboo, Rattan, USA, 1950s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of bamboo and rattan bar stools designed and produced in the US, 1950s.
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Bamboo, Rattan
Mid Century Bar Stools
to
102
353
226
486
99
10
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
262
281
178
173
102
114
82
90
85
85
76
92
507
11
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
3
482
109
4
327
110
1
2
2
6
71
78
69
22
3
366
281
197
114
103
290
225
218
73
49
595
509
543
21
19
14
14
13
Alvar Aalto Inspired Bent Birch Bar Stool, Scandinavian Design
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by the work of Alvar Aalto, this bar stool is constructed entirely in bent birch, carrying
Category
Vintage 1980s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Birch, Bentwood
Vintage Coastal Bent Rattan Bar Stools- Set of 2
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A charming set of vintage coastal bar stools crafted from bent rattan, showcasing a timeless design
Category
Mid-20th Century Philippine Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Upholstery, Rattan
Set of 3 Bar Stools by Piet Hein
By Piet Hein
Located in Copenhagen, DK
3 bar stools in original patinated black leather on steel frame. Piet Hein / Fritz Hansen.
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Stools
Materials
Steel
Single Charlotte Perriand Style Wicker Bar Stool by Rohe Noordwolde
$495
H 27.875 in W 14 in D 15.25 in
Single Charlotte Perriand Style Wicker Bar Stool by Rohe Noordwolde
By Charlotte Perriand, Rohe Noordwolde
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Wicker bar stool in the style of Charlotte Perriand, manufactured by Rohe Noordwolde, the Dutch
Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal
Brutalist Bar Stool, Wood and Leather, 1970s - 7 available
$618 / item
H 37.21 in W 11.82 in D 14.57 in
Brutalist Bar Stool, Wood and Leather, 1970s - 7 available
Located in Brussels, BE
Brutalist Bar Stool, Wood and Leather, 1970s - 7 available
Category
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Leather, Wood
Kanto Bar Stool with Wooden Legs and White Upholstery
Located in Freamunde, PT
The most striking feature of the Kanto bar stool is its dual-tone backrest. Unlike standard bar
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal
Original Mid-Century Modern Chrome Vintage Retro Stools, 1960s, Set of 2
$439Sale Price|20% Off
H 18.9 in W 18.9 in D 18.9 in
Original Mid-Century Modern Chrome Vintage Retro Stools, 1960s, Set of 2
Located in Markington, GB
Set of 2 Mid-Century Modern Chrome Bar Stools, 1960s RETRO ICONS — A stylish pair of original
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal
Woven Rush Walnut Bar Stool by Mel Smilow
By Mel Smilow
Located in New York, NY
in 2013, the Woven Rush Bar Stool is classically midcentury. This collection’s handwoven seating and
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Rush, Walnut
Ilmari Tapiovaara Pirkka Bar Stool for Laukaan Puu, 1950s
By Artek, Ilmari Tapiovaara
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara for Laukaan Puu in the 1950s, the Pirkka bar stool is one of his most
Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Wood, Lacquer
Harry Bertoia for Knoll Bar Stools in Custom Italian Parker Hotel Style Cushions
$3,400 / set
H 39 in W 20 in D 23 in
Harry Bertoia for Knoll Bar Stools in Custom Italian Parker Hotel Style Cushions
By Harry Bertoia, Knoll
Located in Saint Louis, MO
century modern bar stools are comfortable. Photographed along with custom made cushions inspired by
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal, Chrome
American Designer, Bar Stools, Metal, Leather, USA, 1950s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of black-lacquered metal and beige leather stools designed and produced in the US, 1950s.
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal
Roberts Bar Stool with Wood Inlay Walnut Mustard
Located in Cincinnati, US
This sleek stool has a thin carved wooden seat that rests on a steel tubing base. The elegant seat
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Steel
Roberts Bar Stool with Wood Inlay Maple Orange
Located in Cincinnati, US
This sleek stool has a thin carved wooden seat that rests on a steel tubing base. The elegant seat
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Steel
Roberts Bar Stool with Wood Inlay Walnut Orange
Located in Cincinnati, US
This sleek stool has a thin carved wooden seat that rests on a steel tubing base. The elegant seat
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Steel
Roberts Bar Stool with Wood Inlay Walnut Green
Located in Cincinnati, US
This sleek stool has a thin carved wooden seat that rests on a steel tubing base. The elegant seat
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Steel
Roberts Bar Stool with Wood Inlay Maple Gray
Located in Cincinnati, US
This sleek stool has a thin carved wooden seat that rests on a steel tubing base. The elegant seat
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Steel
Roberts Bar Stool with Wood Inlay Maple Green
Located in Cincinnati, US
This sleek stool has a thin carved wooden seat that rests on a steel tubing base. The elegant seat
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Steel
Arthur Umanoff Wicker & Iron Bar Stools – Authentic MCM Sculptural Pair
$2,950 / set
H 30.75 in W 21 in D 15.5 in
Arthur Umanoff Wicker & Iron Bar Stools – Authentic MCM Sculptural Pair
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in West Hollywood, CA
organic wicker and industrial iron creates a striking contrast, making these stools ideal for mid-century
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Wrought Iron
Custom Walnut Wood Round Bar Stools by Adesso Imports
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Custom American walnut bar stools with decorative 3" diameter hole in center. Made in Los Angeles
Category
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Wood
Vintage Boho Rush Seat Bar Stools - Set of 4
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Elevate your space with this charming set of four Vintage Boho Rush Seat Bar Stools, a perfect
Category
Mid-20th Century American Stools
Materials
Rush, Wood
Set Of Four Dakota Jackson Vik-Ter II Bar Stools
By Dakota Jackson
Located in Bridgeport, CT
stools with wood construction, wrought iron frame, comfortable curved seat. Dimensions: 18" W, 18 1/2" D
Category
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Wrought Iron
Pair of Quirky Tractor Seat Kitchen/Bar High Stools
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
A pair of quirky tractor seat kitchen/bar high stools Quirky Bar or Kitchen Stools these are a
Category
Mid-20th Century Industrial Stools
Materials
Iron
Solid Brid’s-Eye Maple High Pool Chairs Bar Stools
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Pair of very fine custom-made rock solid bird’s-eye and tiger maple bar stools.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Birdseye Maple, Maple
Pair of Wicker Pencil Reed Brass Upholstered Bar Stools
Located in Miami, FL
Pair of Wicker Pencil Reed Upholstered Bar Stools, with brass foot rail protectors. Freshly
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Fabric, Rattan, Reed
Clean Lined Zebra Hide Chrome Bar Stools 30" Height
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in Atlanta, GA
Set of Three Clean Lined Chrome and Zebra Hide Bar Stools, American, circa 1960s. They measure 30
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Magis Bombo Bar Stool by Stefano Giovannoni, Blue, Adjustable Height
$1,303 / item
H 32.68 in Dm 15.75 in
Magis Bombo Bar Stool by Stefano Giovannoni, Blue, Adjustable Height
By Magis, Stefano Giovannoni
Located in Reading, Berkshire
Magis Bombo Blue Revolving Height Adjustable Kitchen Bar Stool Designed by Stefano Giovannoni
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Steel, Chrome
Design Institute America Deco Revival Bar Stool With Arms
By Design Institute America
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Art Deco revival modern bar stool with nude leather cushioned seat and back rest on a tubular steel
Category
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Steel
FOUR COLLECTABLE ViNTAGE EMECO 111 BRUSHED ALUMINIUM COUNTER BAR STOOLS
$4,116 / set
H 42.92 in W 15.75 in D 19.69 in
FOUR COLLECTABLE ViNTAGE EMECO 111 BRUSHED ALUMINIUM COUNTER BAR STOOLS
By Emeco
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
vintage RRP £5,600 Emeco 111 Brushed Aluminum Navy Collection bar counter stools Please note the
Category
20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Aluminum
Pair of Warren Bacon Chrome & Wood Horseshoe Cantilever Bar Stools
$7,600 / set
H 28 in W 17.5 in D 15 in
Pair of Warren Bacon Chrome & Wood Horseshoe Cantilever Bar Stools
By Warren Bacon
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Mid-Century American sculpted wood tractor style bar stools smoothly contoured for a
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Chrome
Chrome and Velvet Bar Stools, Set of Three, c. 1970s
Located in Rancho Cucamonga, CA
A set of three vintage bar stools defined by polished chrome frames and chocolate velvet seats. The
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Chrome
Rustic Bar Stools Midcentury from Birch Wood, Germany, 1970
$660Sale Price / item|40% Off
H 44 in W 15.74 in D 18.5 in
Rustic Bar Stools Midcentury from Birch Wood, Germany, 1970
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Vienna, AT
Rustic bar stools made from birch, circa 1970 - priced per stool. Dimensions 44" (height) 30
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Wood, Birch
Lucite Swivel Bar Stools Attributed to Hill Manufacturing, a Pair
$595Sale Price / set|52% Off
H 45.75 in W 19.75 in D 20.5 in
Lucite Swivel Bar Stools Attributed to Hill Manufacturing, a Pair
By Hill Manufacturing
Located in Miami, FL
Lucite swivel bar stools attributed to Hill Manufacturing, a pair Offered for sale is a pair of
Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Chrome
Early Old Hickory Bar Stools W/ Suede Seats-Pair
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Amazing Signed Old Hickory Furniture bar stools from Martinsville,Indiana and newly re-upholstered
Category
Mid-20th Century American Adirondack Stools
Materials
Leather, Hickory
Arthur Umanoff for Shells Wire Pedestal & Black Leather Bar Stool
$3,800
H 29 in W 19.75 in D 19.75 in
Arthur Umanoff for Shells Wire Pedestal & Black Leather Bar Stool
By Arthur Umanoff, Contemporary Shells Inc. 1
Located in Queens, NY
"Mid-Century American (1960s) chrome wire bar stool in a conical, space-age geometric op art design
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Chrome
Set of two prototype bar stools from the 1950s.
$1,498Sale Price / set|30% Off
H 32.29 in W 13.39 in D 13.39 in
Set of two prototype bar stools from the 1950s.
Located in Antwerp, BE
Set of two prototype bar stools from the 1950s. These stools features steel bases and painted
Category
Vintage 1950s European Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Steel
Pair of Kurt Østervig Bar Stools for Brande Møbelindustri
By Brande Møbelindustri, Kurt Østervig
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of teak stools by Danish born designer Kurt Østervig for Brande Mobelindustri, c.1960s
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Brass
Pair of Blonde Toned Oak Brutalist T-Back Bar Stools
By Pierre Chapo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Solid oak bar stools built with a distinctive T-shaped back formed by two vertical slats and a
Category
Vintage 1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Oak
Pair of Cleo Baldon for Inca Campaign Style Bar Stools
By Cleo Baldon
Located in Dallas, TX
Pair of Cleo Baldon campaign style bar stools in bamboo, faux leather and wrought iron.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Iron
Vintage Tall Brushed Aluminum Bar Stools - Set of 4
By Emeco
Located in Monrovia, CA
4 vintage Tall Brushed Aluminum Indoor Outdoor Bar Stools. These Sturdy Brushed Aluminum Indoor
Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Aluminum
Rustic Bar Stools Midcentury from Birch Wood, Germany, 1970
$660Sale Price / item|40% Off
H 44 in W 15.74 in D 18.5 in
Rustic Bar Stools Midcentury from Birch Wood, Germany, 1970
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Vienna, AT
Rustic bar stools (Four available) made from birch, circa 1970 - priced per stool. Dimensions 44
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Wood, Birch
Vintage Flowers and Wood Swivel Bar Stool, Germany, 1960s
$713Sale Price|50% Off
H 36.23 in W 19.69 in D 17.72 in
Vintage Flowers and Wood Swivel Bar Stool, Germany, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Stool from the turn of the 1960s. Produced in Germany. Beautiful, well crafted flower Italian
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Steel
Set of Three Midcentury Tractor Seat Bar Stools, Restored
By Achille Castiglioni & Pio Manzu
Located in St. Louis, MO
Fully restored set of three vintage Mid-Century Modern tractor seat bar stools on a tripod base
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Iron
Kanto Bar Stool with Black Wooden Legs and Cream Upholstery
Located in Freamunde, PT
The most striking feature of the Kanto bar stool is its dual-tone backrest. Unlike standard bar
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal
Single Charlotte Perriand Style Wicker Bar Stool by Rohe Noordwolde
$495
H 37 in W 15.75 in D 16.25 in
Single Charlotte Perriand Style Wicker Bar Stool by Rohe Noordwolde
By Charlotte Perriand, Rohe Noordwolde
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Charlotte Perriand style wicker bar stool by Rohe Noordwolde. This stool has chrome legs with a
Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal
1960s Bar Stools in Blonde Wood and Hammered Iron
Located in Waalwijk, NL
subtle sculptural gesture. The footrest is a solid ring of hammered iron that circles the legs at mid
Category
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Iron
1960s Bar Stools in Blonde Wood and Hammered Iron
Located in Waalwijk, NL
subtle sculptural gesture. The footrest is a solid ring of hammered iron that circles the legs at mid
Category
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Iron
Set of 4 bar stools in two colors lacquered wood
Located in Milano, IT
COD-1592 Set of 4 bar stools in two colors lacquered wood with seat in the shape of Heart, Spade
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Wood
Three Vintage Modern Arthur Umanoff Style Swivel Bar Stools
$2,100 / set
H 41.25 in W 16.75 in D 17 in
Three Vintage Modern Arthur Umanoff Style Swivel Bar Stools
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A striking midcentury set of three bar stools that boast slatted wood seats and backrests. The
Category
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Iron
Pair of 1970s Lucite Lotus Bar Stools with Upholstered Seats
$5,353 / set
H 34.26 in W 20.48 in D 19.69 in
Pair of 1970s Lucite Lotus Bar Stools with Upholstered Seats
Located in Vilnius, LT
Pair of 1970 Lotus bar stools, in lucite/plexi glass, with light grey textile upholstery seat and
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal
French Mid Century Pierre Jeanneret Wood & Iron Low Stool for Chandigarh, 1950s
$10,528
H 18.9 in Dm 15.75 in
French Mid Century Pierre Jeanneret Wood & Iron Low Stool for Chandigarh, 1950s
By Pierre Jeanneret
Located in Stockholm, SE
Rare and decorative French mid century wooden low bar stool in dark brown stained teak and
Category
Vintage 1950s Indian Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Iron
Vintage Retro Full Metal Italian 1970's Kartell Bar Stool
$407Sale Price / item|40% Off
H 31.11 in W 17.33 in D 17.33 in
Vintage Retro Full Metal Italian 1970's Kartell Bar Stool
By Kartell
Located in Markington, GB
Vintage retro full black metal Italian 1970s bar stool, by Kartell. A striking example of 1970s
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Aluminum
Midcentury Chrome Bar Stools by Harry Bertoia for Knoll
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Mid century classic and iconic Bertoia for Knoll stools in a high chrome finish. Architectural
Category
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Steel, Stainless Steel, Chrome
Pierre Chapo, Elm Bar Stool S-01-c France, 1960
By Pierre Chapo
Located in Almelo, NL
Pierre Chapo, Elm Bar Stool S-01-C. France, 1970 Bar tabouret - stool model S-01-C created by
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Elm
Three bar stools in pine made by Asko, Finland, 1970s
By Asko, Rainer Daumiller
Located in Eskilstuna, SE
Great set of pine bar stools made by Asko, Finland, during the second half of the 20th century
Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Stools
Materials
Pine
Pair of Warren Bacon Chrome & Wood Horseshoe Cantilever Bar Stools
$5,516Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 29.5 in W 17.75 in D 17.25 in
Pair of Warren Bacon Chrome & Wood Horseshoe Cantilever Bar Stools
By Warren Bacon
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A striking pair of Warren Bacon chrome and wood horseshoe-form cantilever bar stools. Clean-lined
Category
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Chrome
Scandia Bar Stool by Fjord Fiesta with Steel Bolt Base
By Fjord Fiesta
Located in Rhinebeck, NY
Scandia / Bar Stool by Hans Brattrud The high back makes you sit by the bar for hours. Bar stool
Category
2010s Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Stools
Materials
Metal
- 1
Get Updated with New Arrivals
Save "Mid Century Bar Stools", and we’ll notify you when there are new listings in this category.
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.
More Ways To Browse
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