Dillingham Horseshoe Bar Stools, Metal Frame, Orange Upholstery, 1955
By Dillingham Manufacturing Company
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Mid-Century American "Horseshoe" cantilevered, metal bar stools with burnt orange plush upholstery and silver metal frames.
Chrome
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.
Bamboo, Rattan
Vintage MCM Slat Swivel Bar Stools After Arthur Umanoff
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This handsome pair of swivel bar stools captures the iconic Mid-Century Modern aesthetic, designed in the distinct manner of Arthur Umanoff.
Iron
Rustic Bar Stool with Live Edge Tree Trunk Seat
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bar-height stool with a 2-inch thick live edge tree trunk slice seat, supported by four thick, splayed wood legs and a low iron footrest.
Iron
$550Sale Price / set|54% Off
Pair of Etienne Fermigier x Mirima Reaper Bar Stools, Chrome & Lacquer
By Etienne Fermigier, Mirima
Located in Astoria, NY
Pair of Etienne Fermigier (French, 1932-1973) for Mirima "Reaper" Adjustable Bar Stools, with white lacquered metal seats on chrome-plated base, with label to underside. Tallest for...
Chrome
$7,899 / set
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.
Steel
$1,450 / set
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 with natural warmth and texture. Perfect for adding a relaxed, beachy vibe to your...
Upholstery, Rattan
Harry Bertoia for Knoll Bar Stools in Custom Italian Parker Hotel Style Cushions
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in Saint Louis, MO
Made of bent metal frames finished in chrome with bends and curves to support all of yours, these sexy mid century modern bar stools are comfortable. Photographed along with custom m...
Metal, Chrome
Brutalist Bar Stool, Wood and Leather, 1970s - 3 available
Located in Brussels, BE
Brutalist Bar Stool, Wood and Leather, 1970s - 7 available
Leather, Wood
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 forward the material vocabulary Aalto pioneered in Finnish modernism. Four bentwoo...
Birch, Bentwood
Single Charlotte Perriand Style Wicker Bar Stool by Rohe Noordwolde
By Rohe Noordwolde, Charlotte Perriand
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The open weave construction and natural golden-amber tone of the wicker contrast sharply with the black industrial frame — a pairing characteristic of Mid-Century European wicker des...
Metal
$2,750 / item
Woven Rush Walnut Bar Stool by Mel Smilow
By Mel Smilow
Located in New York, NY
Originally designed by Mel Smilow in 1956 and officially reintroduced by his daughter Judy Smilow in 2013, the Woven Rush Bar Stool is classically midcentury. This collection’s handw...
Rush, Walnut
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 seating, it features a wrap-around "embrace" design where one side is upholstered in a...
Metal
$1,770 / set
Set of 4 vintage brutalist bar stools, 1960s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Mid century brutalist bar stools with backrests, thick and comfy olive green fabric seats and a very very sturdy frame.
Fabric, Oak
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.
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 is curved for seamless comfort while displaying a stunning intersecting diagonal ac...
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 is curved for seamless comfort while displaying a stunning intersecting diagonal ac...
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 is curved for seamless comfort while displaying a stunning intersecting diagonal ac...
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 is curved for seamless comfort while displaying a stunning intersecting diagonal ac...
Steel
$546 / item
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 is curved for seamless comfort while displaying a stunning intersecting diagonal ac...
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 is curved for seamless comfort while displaying a stunning intersecting diagonal ac...
Steel
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 recognized works. The sculptural saddle seat is shaped to follow the body's natura...
Wood, Lacquer
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 by Adesso Imports. Can be made in different sizes and woods.
Wood
Arthur Umanoff Wicker & Iron Bar Stools – Authentic MCM Sculptural Pair
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in West Hollywood, CA
This authentic pair of Arthur Umanoff bar stools represents a classic example of the designer’s celebrated mid-century modern aesthetic, blending handwoven natural materials with scu...
Wrought Iron
$2,295 / set
Set Of Four Dakota Jackson Vik-Ter II Bar Stools
By Dakota Jackson
Located in Bridgeport, CT
A clean and Minimal design from the iconic Modern Stylist Dakota Jackson. Set of fine quality stools with wood construction, wrought iron frame, comfortable curved seat. Dimensions:...
Wrought Iron
$1,650 / set
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 blend of rustic craftsmanship and timeless design. Crafted from solid wood with a warm ...
Rush, Wood
$441Sale Price|20% Off
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 1960s mid-century modern bar stools, combining sleek chrome frames with classic black...
Metal
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 great pair for a Country or Industrial look interior design made in cast iron The ...
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.
Birdseye Maple, Maple
$3,313Sale Price / set|20% Off
FOUR COLLECTABLE ViNTAGE EMECO 111 BRUSHED ALUMINIUM COUNTER BAR STOOLS
By Emeco
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely suite of four vintage RRP £5,600 Emeco 111 Brushed Aluminum Navy Collection bar counter stools ...
Aluminum
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 upholstered in Kravet Ivory Nubby Boucle. Ready for a new home.
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" height. You can measure your counter height and ideally you want around 8-10" of cl...
Metal, 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 base with arms. Designed and manufactured be Design Institute America c. 1980's.
Steel
$660Sale Price / item|40% Off
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" (seat height). 18.5" x 15.74" Very stylish set of barstools with nice backrests. T...
Wood, Birch
$1,500Sale Price|20% Off
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 in sued leather seats.These sturdy & strong bar stools or counter stools are super ...
Leather, Hickory
$1,487Sale Price / set|30% Off
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 wooden tops. They are both in its original untouched condition, preserving a beautiful o...
Steel
Pair of Kurt Østervig Bar Stools for Brande Møbelindustri
By Kurt Østervig, Brande Møbelindustri
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of teak stools by Danish born designer Kurt Østervig for Brande Mobelindustri, c.1960s, Denmark. The stools feature a round seat and curved seat back. Each stool has four long s...
Brass
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 Outdoor Bar Stools Are Very Comfortable With A Vertical Slat Back. Each Stool Has So...
Aluminum
$660Sale Price / item|40% Off
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" (height) 30" (seat height). 18.5" x 15.74" Very stylish set from four barstool...
Wood, Birch
Magis Bombo Bar Stool by Stefano Giovannoni, Blue, Adjustable Height
By Stefano Giovannoni, Magis
Located in Reading, Berkshire
Magis Bombo Blue Revolving Height Adjustable Kitchen Bar Stool Designed by Stefano Giovannoni Made in Europe Base in chromed steel and seat in moulded ABS. Bombo shows a magnificen...
Steel, Chrome
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 upholstery. The stool consists of an upholstered part, a seat and brown wood legs. Not r...
Steel
Cleo Baldon X-Frame Bar Stool, Brown Snakeskin Upholstery, 1970s
By Terra, Cleo Baldon
Located in Queens, NY
Mid-Century American (1970s) X-frame bar stool with a brown snakeskin upholstered seat pad with button tufted detail, resting on a sturdy iron and oak frame.
Oak
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 with original glides.
Iron
Rohe Noordwolde set of 3 Rattan Bar Stools 1960s Holland
By Dirk Van Sliedregt, Rohe Noordwolde
Located in Den Haag, NL
Very nice set of Three Rattan Bar Stools ,chrome tube legs . comes with a Rattan seat and backrest .Manufactured by Rohe Noordwolde 1960s Holland . Original in White Color Rattan . ...
Rattan
Single Charlotte Perriand Style Wicker Bar Stool by Rohe Noordwolde
By Rohe Noordwolde, Charlotte Perriand
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Charlotte Perriand style wicker bar stool by Rohe Noordwolde. This stool has chrome legs with a woven wicker seat and angled backrest. In original condition with visible wear consist...
Metal
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.
Iron
Dirk van Sliedregt Rattan Bar Stools in Charlotte Perriand Style
By Dirk Van Sliedregt, Charlotte Perriand, Rohe Noordwolde
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Woven rattan bucket-style bar stools designed by Dirk van Sliedregt for Rohe Noordwolde, produced in the Netherlands in a design influenced by Charlotte Perriand's iconic wicker seat...
Metal
1960s Bar Stools in Blonde Wood and Hammered Iron
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Barstools, beech, hammered iron, Europe, 1960s This group of barstools from the 1960s are built around a clean geometry: a perfectly round seat, supported by four evenly spaced legs...
Iron
1960s Bar Stools in Blonde Wood and Hammered Iron
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Barstools, beech, hammered iron, Europe, 1960s This group of barstools from the 1960s are built around a clean geometry: a perfectly round seat, supported by four evenly spaced legs...
Iron
Charlotte Perriand Style Rattan Bar Stool by Dirk van Sliedregt
By Rohe Noordwolde, Charlotte Perriand
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Woven rattan bar stool produced by Rohe Noordwolde and designed by Dirk van Sliedregt in a style closely associated with Charlotte Perriand's iconic rattan seating.
Metal
$5,312 / set
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, Square and Flower. Designed as unique pieces for a private residence, Italy 1930's.
Wood
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 seating, it features a wrap-around "embrace" design where one side is upholstered in a...
Metal
Vintage tree trunk bar stools set of 5 - 1970s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Beautiful hand made mid century tripod bar stools with with tree root seats.
Oak
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 sturdy iron rod base tapers down to splayed feet showing quality construction. A conven...
Iron
$410Sale Price / item|40% Off
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 Italian design, this bar stool features a clean, industrial silhouette in fully black...
Aluminum
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 metal footrest. Very good vintage condition.
Metal
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 Pierre Chapo, France, 1970s. This stool is made out of solid elmwood with all origina...
Elm
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 Pierre Chapo, France, 1970s. This stool is made out of solid elmwood with all origin...
Elm
Set of 4 Decorated Memphis Style Bar Stools New Upholstery
By Memphis Group
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Set of four Mid-Century Modern Memphis style bar stools with newly upholstered seats.
Wool, Hardwood
Three bar stools in pine made by Asko, Finland, 1970s
By Rainer Daumiller, Asko
Located in Eskilstuna, SE
Great set of pine bar stools made by Asko, Finland, during the second half of the 20th century. Made in solid pine in the style of Rainer Daumiller.
Pine
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.
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.
Modern icons are showing up in gracefully layered dining nooks, living rooms and lounges — proof that great design only gets better with context.
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
The enduring appeal of the Barcelona chair is in the details.
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.
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.
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.
There are many lessons to be learned from the lofts, apartments and townhouses of architects and decorators in Manhattan and beyond.
Having created extravagant homes for reality TV’s biggest stars, the designer is stepping into the spotlight with his first book.