Italian Mid-Century Space Age Chrome and Red Stacked Ring Table Lamp, 1970s
Located in Beirut, LB
A mid-century modern Space Age table lamp dating to the 1970s.
Category
Vintage 1970s French Art Deco Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Mid Century Chrome Table Lamp
Chrome Eyeball Task desk Lamp 1970s Mid Century
By Kovacs, Robert Sonneman
Located in San Diego, CA
Eyeball Table Lamp by Robert Sonneman for George Kovacs. Multidirectional desk or table lamp in chrome. Provides concentrated task lighting utilizing a spot bulb (included). A narrow...
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
French chrome table lamp
Located in BE
This 1970s French table lamp blends mid-century quality with subtle Art Deco influences from the 1920s–30s. Its adjustable height adds versatility, while the small perforations on th...
Category
Vintage 1970s Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Mid-Century German Space Age Glass and Chrome Table Lamp, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Impressive Space Age table or floor lamp with a hand-blown glass ball. What is particularly striking about this lamp is the contrast between the organic design language of the glass...
Category
20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Mid Century Modern Gray Glass Table Lamp, 20th Century
$4,256Sale Price|20% Off
Mid Century Modern Gray Glass Table Lamp, 20th Century
Located in Lisbon, PT
An Italian mid century modern table lamp features a round gray glass ball with a chromed metal spiral wrapped around it.
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Pr. of George Kovacs Style Mid Century Modern Chrome 3 Stacked Ball Table Lamps
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Pr. of George Kovacs Style Mid Century Modern Chrome 3 Stacked Ball Table Lamps.
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Mid-Century Modern Chrome and Rosewood Table Lamp by Richard Essig, c. 1970s
$762Sale Price|20% Off
Mid-Century Modern Chrome and Rosewood Table Lamp by Richard Essig, c. 1970s
By Richard Essig
Located in Glasgow, GB
A Mid-Century Modern table lamp by Richard Essig, crafted in Germany during the 1970s.
Category
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Original Mid-Century Table Lamp, by J. Hůrka for Napako, Chrome, Czech, 1960s
By Josef Hurka, Napako
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Designer: Josef Hůrka Maker: Napako Model: N 11 Socket: E27 This iconic table lamp is a significant piece of Czechoslovak design from the 1960s, produced by Napako and designed by t...
Category
Vintage 1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Steel, Chrome
Murano Glass Table Lamp by Mazzega, Chrome Base, Mid-Century Modern
By Mazzega
Located in Austin, TX
Table lamp from Murano, Italy outside of Venice. This piece features a chrome base that holds a hand-blown Murano glass shade in place. The shade is organic in shape and has a design...
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Pair of Mid-Century Modern Cork and Chrome Table Lamps of Bottle Form
By Laurel
Located in Nantucket, MA
Large pair of MCM cork table lamps of bottle-form, the cork body is set on a circular chrome foot and topped with a bell-form cone neck, also in chrome. Large harps with ball finials...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome, Stainless Steel
Original Mid-Century Table Lamp, by J. Hůrka for Napako, Chrome, Czech, 1960s
By Napako, Josef Hurka
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Designer: Josef Hůrka Maker: Napako Model: N 11 This iconic table lamp is a significant piece of Czechoslovak design from the 1960s, produced by Napako and designed by the prominent...
Category
Vintage 1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome, Steel
Walter Von Nessen Art Deco Chrome Table Lamp! Mid Century Modern Decorator Rare
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Peoria, AZ
ONE OF THE MOST COVETED NESSEN LAMPS IN THE WORLD! MINIMALIST ART DECO STYLE! CHROME RING BASE WITH TRIPOD TOWER STRUCTURE! WHITE LINEN SHADE (APPROX. 24" TALL By 18" WIDE ) Th...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Mid-Century Modern Blackened and Chrome Metal Circular Shade Table or Desk Lamp
By Louis Kalff
Located in Lisse, NL
Stylish and rare midcentury modern desk lamp in the manner of Louis Kalff. Both figuratively and literally, this 1950s or 60s fixture is perfect for bringing light to your Mid-Centu...
Category
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Mid-Century Wood, Chrome, and Acrylic "Eclipse M" Table Lamp by Fase, 1966
By Fase, Luis Pérez de la Oliva
Located in Lisboa, PT
The Eclipse M Table Lamp, designed by Luis Pérez de la Oliva and Pedro Martín García for Fase in 1966, is an extraordinary piece of mid-century modern lighting design.
Category
Vintage 1960s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Rare Florian Schulz Mid-Century Vintage Modernist Chrome Adjustable Table Lamp
By Florian Schulz
Located in Landau an der Isar, Bayern
Rare Mid-Century Modern vintage German made table lamp or desk light by Florian Schulz circa 1970s.
Category
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
Carlo Nason Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps in Murano Glass & Chrome
By Carlo Nason
Located in Long Island City, NY
Carlo Nason table lamps, a pair. Murano glass, chrome plated metal. Takes 1 medium base bulb each. Priced and sold a s a pair. FREE US rewiring upon request. FREE US Continental ship...
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Original Mid-Century Table Lamp, by J. Hůrka for Lidokov, Chrome, Czech, 1960s
By Lidokov, Josef Hurka
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
The lamp is in original and very well-preserved condition, which attests to its high quality and timelessness. Its minimalist and elegant design fits into any interior. The lamp is f...
Category
Vintage 1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Aluminum, Chrome
Van Teal Mid-Century Modern Emerald Green Lucite Chrome Table Lamp Beige Shade
By Hivo Van Teal
Located in Miami, FL
Hivo Van Teal Mid-Century Modern transparent emerald, green Lucite and Chrome table lamp with rectangle beige fabric shade.
Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
French Mid-Century Modern Chrome and Lemon Cream and Black Enamel Table Lamp
Located in New York, NY
With its clean modernist lines and vibrant (yet restrained palate), this table lamp would be a winning addition to any style of interior from Classic Mid-Century Modern to contempora...
Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Enamel, Chrome
Stilnovo, Mid-Century Lacquer and Chrome Articulated Desk Lamp
By Stilnovo
Located in Catania, CT
Good vintage condition with normal trace of age and use for this desk lamp produced by Stilnovo during the 50s. Very particular spheric joint on the base. Full working with EU standa...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Pair George Kovacs Mid-Century Modern Chrome and Travertine Desk or Table Lamps
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Beautiful pair of minimalist styled desk or table lamps manufactured by George Kovacs. These lamps have a cantilevered chrome body with quarter-round travertine stone accents. The la...
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Travertine, Chrome
Large Paul Mayen Style Chrome Lamp Mid-century Modern
By Robert Sonneman
Located in Pemberton, NJ
Tall table lamp with open square chrome steel tube cruciform box frame with a suspended white ribbed acrylic diffuser shade.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Steel, Chrome
Mid-Century Gold Pendulum Table Lamp by Fase in Wood and Chrome, 1963
By Fase, Luis Pérez de la Oliva
Located in Lisboa, PT
The Presidente Table Lamp, also known as the Pendulum, was designed by Luis Pérez de la Oliva and Pedro Martín García for Fase in 1963. This iconic model is a milestone in Fase's his...
Category
Vintage 1960s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Pair of Frosted Glass and Chrome Lamps by Laurel
$3,200 / set
Pair of Frosted Glass and Chrome Lamps by Laurel
By Laurel Lamp Company
Located in New York, NY
Pair of cylindrical chrome and glass lamps by Laurel. The polished chrome lamps have frosted glass inserts and they have been Newly rewired with polished chrome adjustable double c...
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Mid-Century Modern Space Age Lamp with Dimmer, Chrome & Walnut
Located in San Francisco, CA
This striking piece is an authentic Mid-Century Modern Space Age table lamp that originated in Italy during the mid-20th century.
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps, Glass Globes on Chrome Base, USA, 1950
$440Sale Price / set|20% Off
Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps, Glass Globes on Chrome Base, USA, 1950
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Mid century modern American Karl Springer style table lamps .
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Glass
Large Chrome Desk Lamp, Mid-Century Modern, Industrial Style, 1970
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Large Chrome Industrial Style Desk Lamp A handsome and large piece, theDesk/Work lamp, in full working order, it has 3 articulated joints and it comes complete with its original la...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Tall Mid-Century Modern White Tulip Form Column Table Lamp with Chrome Base
By Eero Saarinen
Located in St. Louis, MO
Modernist 1960s sleek white painted wood tall lamp with chrome base and 3 sockets. The lamps form reminds me of the Seattle space needle, or the shapes used Lagardo Tackett for Archi...
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Mid Century Modern Chrome Stacked Ball Table Lamp in the Kovacs' Style. C 1970s
By George Kovacs
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage Mid Century Modern Chrome Stacked Ball Table Lamp in the George Kovacs' Style.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
1970s Brutalist Brass Gold Table Lamp by Belgo Chrom Willy Rizzo style Belgium
By Belgo Chrome
Located in Sherborne, Dorset
A very elegant, geometric 1970s table lamp manufactured by Belgo Chrom, Belgium, very much in the style of Willy Rizzo. The sculptural base is a combination of polished chromed metal...
Category
Mid-20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass, Chrome
Mid-Century Modern Table Lamp by Mazzega in Murano Glass and Chrome, circa 1970
By Mazzega
Located in Merida, Yucatan
Mid-Century Modern three-light table lamp by Mazzega in clear, blue and orange Murano Glass and chromed hardware, circa 1970.
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Onyx and Chrome Mid-Century Table Lamp, France 1970s in the Style of Charles
Located in New York, NY
Onyx and chrome table lamp, Mid-Century, France, 1970s.
Category
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Onyx, Chrome
Mid-Century Modern Chrome Clamp-On Adjustable Desk Lamp
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A sleek mid-century modern clamp-on desk lamp featuring a polished chrome frame and an adjustable swing arm. The lamp is designed with a practical clamp base, allowing it to be mount...
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Pair Of Vintage Mid Century Modern Round Fiber Optic Smoked Glass & Chrome Lamps
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
A striking blend of retro-futuristic design and mid-century style, this pair of round smoked glass lamps features an internal fiber optic display. Each lamp is crafted with a bulbous...
Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Restored Mid-Century Table Lamp, by J. Indra for Combi Lux, Chrome, Czech, 1970s
By Stanislav Indra
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Designer: Stanislav Indra Maker: Combi Lux This distinctive adjustable desk lamp originating from the 1970s from Czechoslovak production represents a prime example of the artistic s...
Category
Vintage 1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Steel, Chrome
Restored Mid-Century Table Lamp, by J. Indra for Combi Lux, Chrome, Czech, 1970s
By Stanislav Indra
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Designer: Stanislav Indra Maker: Combi Lux This distinctive adjustable desk lamp originating from the 1970s from Czechoslovak production represents a prime example of the artistic s...
Category
Vintage 1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Steel, Chrome
Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chromed Table Lamp by Omi Elux 1960s Germany
Located in Vienna, AT
Mid Century Modern vintage table lamp from the 1960s.
Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Steel
Mid-Century Modern Chromed Vintage Table Lamps with Lavender Shade 1960s France
Located in Vienna, AT
A pair of Mid-Century Modern chromed vintage table lamps with renewed lavender colored chintz fabric shades.
Category
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Mid-Century Adjustable Chrome and Bakelite Desk Lamp, Czechoslovakia, 1950s
Located in Praha, CZ
- Good original condition with Minimalist Mid-Century adjustable desk lamp manufactured in Czechoslovakia during the 1950s. The lamp features a black bakelite shade mounted on an ele...
Category
Vintage 1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Modern Karl Springer Style Chrome Ring Table Lamp by Mutual Sunset, 1970s
By Mutual Sunset Lamp Co., Karl Springer
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Mid-Century Modern chromed metal and enamel table lamp by Mutual Sunset Lamp Company.
Category
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Pair of Early Mid-Century Modern Black Toleware Chrome Lamps
$780Sale Price / set|55% Off
Pair of Early Mid-Century Modern Black Toleware Chrome Lamps
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Early Mid-Century Modern pair of black toleware chrome table lamps This exciting pair of Mid-Century Modern Toleware lamps has outstanding chrome and patina accents.
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Mid-Century Modern Large Oversize Glazed Pottery Table lamp Blue and Chrome
By Gordon Martz
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Striking basket weave pattern vase shape Mid-Century Modern ceramic table lamp.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Ceramic
Mid Century Modern Large acrylic and chrome Table Lamp by Atelier A
$1,084Sale Price|54% Off
Mid Century Modern Large acrylic and chrome Table Lamp by Atelier A
By Atelier A
Located in London, GB
This is a good size, sculptural acrylic and chrome table or desk lamp designed by Atelier A. The curved acrylic base sits on a chrome foot which holds the light fitting, Circa 1970`s...
Category
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Acrylic
Mid Century Brutalist Skyscraper Glass Lamp Pukeberg Style
By Carl Fagerlund, Pukeberg Sweden, Laurel Lamp Company
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
Wonderful mid century modern glass table lamp in the style of Swedish designer Carl Fagerlund and the glassworks Pukeberg.
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
French Mid-Century Minimalist Table Lamp in Clear, Polished, Chromed Lines 1970s
By François Monnet
Located in Salzburg, AT
French Mid-Century Minimalist Table Lamp in Clear, Polished, Chromed Lines 1970s in the style of Francois Monnet.
Category
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Vintage Mid-Century Modern Space Age Atomic Murano Chrome Lamp
Located in Houston, TX
Insane vintage table lamp with beautiful blown spotted leopard white murano glass, mounted on chrome circular bases. Made in the 1970s. In almost excellent condition. Dimensions:...
Category
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Mid-Century Italian Minimalist Table Lamp
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid Century table lamp from Italy. A minimalist design with a special base.
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Mid-Century Table Lamp in Chrome Steel Saturno Gaetano Sciolari Attributable
By Gaetano Sciolari
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Austrian particular and elegant, 1960s Minimalist table lamp Zumtobel in chromed steel, Gaetano Sciolari attributable. Ready to use. Measures cm: H 42 diam 25.
Category
Vintage 1960s Austrian Minimalist Table Lamps
Materials
Steel
Mid-Century Table Lamp, 1970s Germany
Located in Praha, CZ
Made in Germany Made of metal,chrome Re-polished. Good original condition. 1x60W,E27 or E26 bulb Fully Functional US adapter included.
Category
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Pair of Mid-Century Modern Chrome Lamps with Black Bases
Located in Middleburg, VA
Fetching in both form and finish, this pair of Mid-Century Modern table lamps captures the refined elegance of 1960s Parisian design!
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Chrome, Brass, Steel
Table lamp mid century by Philippe Barbier
$1,182Sale Price|20% Off
Table lamp mid century by Philippe Barbier
By Philippe Barbier
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Table lamp metal and chrome by Philippe Barbier
Category
Mid-20th Century Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Globe Chromed Metal Table Lamp
Located in Paris, Ile-de-France
A globe chromed metal table lamp The bulb is hidden behind the inner metal globe Italy, 1970's
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Pair of Mid-20th Century Organic Modern Rattan Weave and Chrome Table Lamps
Located in North Fort Myers, FL
A pair of Mid-20th Century table lamps featuring handwoven rattan bodies with a herringbone weave and polished chrome hardware.
Category
Mid-20th Century Organic Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Rattan
Vintage Mid Century Modern Heavy Stacked Lucite Skyscraper Table Lamp
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Mid Century Modern Heavy Stacked Lucite Skyscraper Table Lamp.
Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Laurel Lamp Co. Atomic Sputnik Polished Chrome & Brass Table Lamp, C. 1970
By Tommi Parzinger, Mutual Sunset Lamp Co.
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Laurel Lamp Co. Sputnik Polished Mixed Metal Table Lamp with Glass Shade. Featuring a sturdy, repolished, reflective Aluminum (5D) conical base, detailed with a bright Brass starburs...
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass, Metal
Mid-century Stacked Graduating Crystal Ball Table Lamps w/ Chrome Base, Pair
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Pair of mid-century modern stacking crystal graduating three ball table lamps with chrome base.
Category
Vintage 1960s American Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Crystal
Large Mid-Century Modern Hand Blown Glass and Chrome Table / Desk Lamp, Italian
Located in Stamford, CT
Mid-Century Modern hand blown Murano Glass and Chrome Table / Desk Lamp, Italian Blown Glass, Chromed Steel Base Italy, 1970s 15.5 H x 17.5 Dia 1 x e26 standard socket.
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Blown Glass
Pair of beautiful large Mid Century Space Age chrome table lamps - Made in Italy
Located in München, DE
Two beautiful, large, Mid Century, Space Age chrome table lamps. Made in Italy.
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Space Age Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Pair of Mid Century Modern Gray Glass Table Lamps, 20th Century
$7,931Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Mid Century Modern Gray Glass Table Lamps, 20th Century
Located in Lisbon, PT
An Italian mid century modern pair of table lamps features a round gray glass ball with a chromed metal spiral wrapped around it.
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Mid-Century Modern Sculpted Lucite Table Lamps
$2,500 / set
Mid-Century Modern Sculpted Lucite Table Lamps
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Dimensions: 30in H x 15in W x 15in D Lamp Shade: 10in H x 17in W. ________________________________________ Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing hi...
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
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Mid Century Chrome Table Lamp For Sale on 1stDibs
Choose from an assortment of styles, material and more with respect to the mid century chrome table lamp you’re looking for at 1stDibs. Each mid century chrome table lamp for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using metal, chrome and glass. Find 2440 options for an antique or vintage mid century chrome table lamp now, or shop our selection of 42 modern versions for a more contemporary example of this long-cherished piece. Your living room may not be complete without a mid century chrome table lamp — find older editions for sale from the 18th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 21st Century. A mid century chrome table lamp made by Mid-Century Modern designers — as well as those associated with Art Deco — is very popular. A well-made mid century chrome table lamp has long been a part of the offerings for many furniture designers and manufacturers, but those produced by Laurel Lamp Company, Robert Sonneman and Josef Hurka are consistently popular.
How Much is a Mid Century Chrome Table Lamp?
A mid century chrome table lamp can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $1,463, while the lowest priced sells for $20 and the highest can go for as much as $25,000.
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 Table-lamps for You
Antique table lamps became a category of their own once electricity moved light off the wall and onto furniture. The form split quickly: task-driven designs like the Anglepoise on one side, decorative ceramic and glass on the other.
Styles to Know
Base material shapes the light as much as the shade does: ceramic and glass diffuse a softer glow, while brass and metal read more directional. Layer the look with a mid-century modern floor lamp for ambient light, or set a pair on a mid-century modern nightstand for a bedroom.
How to Choose the Right Vintage Table Lamp
Buying individually rather than as a pair allows more flexibility when mixing eras across a room. For those shopping by name rather than by shape, the history of the Anglepoise lamp is worth a read. Each piece comes from a vetted 1stDibs seller, with era, designer and condition detailed, and the 1stDibs Promise stands behind every purchase.
Read More
This Paavo Tynell Chandelier Is a Radiant Bouquet
The alluring pendant light exemplifies the designer’s winsome mid-career work.
Why Is Italy Such a Hotbed of Cool Design?
Patrizio Chiarparini of Brooklyn’s Duplex gallery sheds light on the lasting legacy of Italy’s postwar furniture boom.
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.
New Orleans’ Lee Ledbetter Makes Design Magic by Mixing Past and Present
The Louisiana-born and -bred architect talks to 1stdibs about the art of making timeless places that matter.
Desert Modern Designer Arthur Elrod Finally Gets His Day in the Sun
The Palm Springs interior decorator developed a mid-century style that defined the vacation homes of celebrities and other notables, including Bob Hope and Lucille Ball.
From the Hamptons to Palm Springs, FormArch’s Homes Embody Both Comfort and Cool
The houses from this New York studio cloak modernist tendencies within what are often more traditional trappings.
8 Mid-Century Lighting Makers
In the market for a fantastic fixture from the 1940s, ’50s or ’60s? Here are some names to know.
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Pennsylvania House Chippendale