Bright sky-to-floor bookcase three spans 1950 mid-century italian
By Mid Century Antiques
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Light-filled sky-ground bookcase, three bays with storage cabinets, 1950. Polyester finish and metal illuminating structure painted black at the top.
Metal
Wood and metal slatted wall bookcase with shelves and storage unit, 1960
By Mid Century Antiques
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Bookcase with wooden slatted structure with shelves and storage module, 1960. In good condition, with patina consistent with age and use. Origin: Italy
Metal
Industrial Metal Display Cabinet, Mid-20th Century
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This tall display cabinet has been taken down to bare metal and then sealed to give a handsome
Metal
Antique Metal Filing Cabinet
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An antique industrial metal cabinet featuring multiple drawers and a rugged, utilitarian design
Metal
Mid-Century Vintage Mini Office Cabinet
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Add a big splash of mid-century modern charm into any room with this compact tambour cabinet
Metal, Brass, Chrome
$8,483 / item
Mid Century Accent Cabinet
Located in Westwood, NJ
mid-century interiors. The stainless steel base and hardware are cast in our exclusive foundry and
Metal
Danish teak room divider modular vintage library bookcase shelf-system , 1960s
By Mid Century Antiques
Located in Gaggenau, DE
Danish teak room divider vintage library bookcase Modular shelf-system , 1960s Dimensions: Height: 220--260 cm Width: 88 cm Depth: 38 cm It is in outstanding vintage condition,...
Metal
$12,432 / item
Long Mid Century Media Cabinet
Located in Westwood, NJ
A Long Mid-Century Modern style media cabinet. This cabinet is constructed of American walnut with
Metal
Stunning Mid Century Cabinet in Brass, Metal, Enamel and Gemstones Belgium 1960s
By Paul Evans
Located in Meer, VAN
Stunning Mid Century Cabinet in Patinated Brass, Metal, Enamel and Gemstones Belgium 1960s A
Metal, Brass, Enamel
Mid Century Italian Free Standing Blond and Black Metal Shelf Cabinet
Located in Troy, MI
. Black metal frame supports corner shelves on the sides and a center cabinet/writing desk with drop down
Metal
Mid Century Wooden and Metal "Bloc" Charlotte Perriand Sideboard Cabinet, 1950s
By Steph Simon, Charlotte Perriand
Located in Stockholm, SE
A very rare French mid century "Bloc" sideboard cabinet in black lacquered metal, dark stained
Metal
Petite Mid-Century Tambour Door Office Cabinet
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Add a big splash of mid-century modern charm into any room with this compact tambour cabinet
Metal, Brass, Chrome
Mid-Century Style, Cabinet, Gold, Black, Lacquered Wood, Metal, USA, 1950s
Located in Stamford, CT
Truly one of a kind monumental cabinet. This exquisite piece with a sunburst or spider web design
Wood
Mid-20th Century Industrial Metal Cage Storage Cabinet with 5 Shelves
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Industrial metal cage storage shelves. Two doors open to reveal five shelves perfect to use for
Metal
$576Sale Price|60% Off
Mid Century French Macassar Ebony Cabinet
Located in SAINTE-COLOMBE, FR
Mid-Century French Macassar Ebony Cabinet This classic stylish 1970s cabinet is veneered in
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Antique Oak Cabinet with Metal Accents, Circa 1940
Located in Barcelona, ES
Antique cabinet unit. Made in American oak and metal. Manufactured by unknown designer, circa 1940
Wood
$15,885 / item
Truffles Mid Century Bar Cabinet
Located in Westwood, NJ
With the utmost attention to detail, craft and functionality, this tall cabinet evokes the rhythmic
Metal
Mid Century Hoosier Farmhouse Enameled Kitchen Bakers Cabinet Cupboard 39"
Located in Dayton, OH
Mid century country farmhouse kitchen Hoosier cabinet. It features a white enameled work surface
Metal, Enamel
Mid Century Rosewood Cabinet, 1960's, Danish
Located in Praha, CZ
Refined Danish mid-century cabinet from the 1960s showcasing clean Scandinavian modern lines and
Metal
$1,520Sale Price|20% Off
41" Industrial Architectural Metal Flat File Cabinet
Located in Pasadena, TX
41" Industrial Architectural metal flat file cabinet Repurposed architects flat file cabinet
Metal
Mid-Century Perforated Metal Shelf, 1950s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Perforated Metal Shelf, 1950s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1950 to 1959 Mid
Metal
Mid-Century Teak Cabinet, Belgium 1960s
Located in Meulebeke, BE
This mid‑century teak sideboard from 1960s Belgium reflects the quiet sophistication and functional
Metal
Vintage Mid Century Modern Laminate Formica Case 72" Credenza Cabinet Buffet
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Mid Century Modern Laminate Formica Case 72" Credenza Cabinet Buffet. Item features cane
Metal
Italian mid-century modern archive cabinet in wood and red metal, 1940s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century modern archive in wood and red metal, 1940s Office filing cabinet in solid wood
Metal
Set of Three Mid‑Century Teak Cabinets, Belgium, 1960s
Located in Meulebeke, BE
This set of three Mid‑Century teak cabinets from Belgium, dating to the 1960s, captures the clarity
Metal
Mid-Century Tall Filing Archive Cabinet in Steel
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Filing cabinet, lacquered steel, metal, Germany, 1960s This filing cabinet from the 1960s is
Metal, Steel
$3,900 / item
Mid-Century Tall Filing Archive Cabinets in Steel
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Filing cabinets, lacquered steel, metal, Germany, 1960s These filing cabinets from the 1960s are
Metal, Steel
Mid-Century Storage Cabinet by Matteo Thun, Bieffeplast, 1985
By Matteo Thun
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Storage Cabinet by Matteo Thun, Bieffeplast, 1985
Metal
Industrial Stackable Metal Cabinet With Sliding Glass Doors
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A striking mid-century industrial metal cabinet featuring a smooth sliding glass door and a clean
Metal
$432Sale Price|20% Off
Metal Cabinet, 1970s Back Wheels
Located in Ljubljana, SI
Vintage cabinet with 1 drawer and additional storage space with one shelve. Material: Metal
Metal, Chrome, Iron
60s Mid-Century Modern Locking Rolling Cabinet / Side Table
Located in Ljubljana, SI
A stylish mid-century modern cabinet from the 1960s, featuring a warm walnut-tone wood case with
Metal, Brass
Mid Century metal Brocapharms Verbandtrommel Apothecary Box
Located in Bern, CH
Mid Century metal Brocapharms Verbandtrommel Apothecary Box / Pharmacy Medicine Box from the Royal
Metal
Exceptional Vintage Mid Century French Teak Wall Unit Cabinet
Located in Detroit, MI
This exceptional vintage mid century modern teak wall unit cabinet was made in France circa 1970
Metal, Aluminum, Steel
Vintage Addressograph Industrial Steel Metal 30 Drawer Garage Parts Cabinet
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Addressograph Industrial Steel Metal 30 Drawer Garage Parts Cabinet. Item features 30
Metal, Steel
American Designer, Cabinet, Maple, Metal, 1950s
Located in High Point, NC
A custom made maple and black-lacquered wood and metal cabinet or sideboard designed and produced
Metal
American Designer, Cabinet, Maple, Metal, 1950s
Located in High Point, NC
A custom made maple and black-lacquered wood and metal cabinet or sideboard designed and produced
Metal
American Designer, Cabinet, Maple, Metal, 1950s
Located in High Point, NC
A custom made maple and black-lacquered wood and metal cabinet or sideboard designed and produced
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Cocktail Bar Cabinet, Rosewood & Walnut, Italy
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A vintage Mid-Century modern Italian two-part cocktail bar cabinet with an elevated top made of
Metal, Brass
Mid-Century "Outlook" Display Cabinet by Leo Jiranek for Bassett
By Leo Jiranek, Bassett Furniture
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Designed by Leo Jiranek, a forefather of mid-century American Modern furniture, this vintage
Metal
Mid‑Century Belgian Teak Cabinet or Bookcase, 1960s
Located in Meulebeke, BE
A beautifully balanced mid‑century cabinet from Belgium, crafted in the 1960s and executed in warm
Metal
Vintage Mid-Century Modern Glass-Frosted Cabinet, Italy, 1950s
Located in Paris, FR
A stunning Italian mid-century modern vintage cabinet with an angular design and exquisite
Metal, Brass
Aksel Kjersgaard Teak cabinet with Metal Legs
By Aksel Kjersgaard
Located in London, GB
This refined square teak cabinet by Aksel Kjersgaard is a masterclass in minimalist design and
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Cabinet by Zanine Caldas, Brazil, 1950s
By José Zanine Caldas
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Mid-Century Modern Cabinet by Zanine Caldas, Brazil, 1950s Cabinet by the acclaimed Brazilian
Metal
Rosewood and Black Metal Cabinet
By Alain Richard
Located in Brooklyn, NY
modernist cabinet from the 1950's , France
Metal
Remington Rand Industrial Green Steel Metal Stacking Barrister Storage Cabinet B
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Remington Rand Industrial Green Steel Metal Stacking Barrister Storage Cabinet (B). Item
Metal
Danish Mid-Century Modern Teakwood Cabinet by Kirke Nielsen, 1950s
By Abrahamssons Möbelfabrik
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A vintage Mid-Century modern Danish cabinet made of hand crafted polished, partly veneered Teakwood
Metal, Brass
USM Haller Sideboard, Metal, Mid-Century Modern, Switzerland, 1970
By Usm Haller
Located in VILLEURBANNE, FR
architectural clarity of the system. The black lacquered panels integrate precisely within the metal framework
Metal
20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Walnut Serving Cabinet - Vintage Brass Buffet
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A vintage Mid-Century modern Swedish serving cabinet made of hand crafted polished, partly veneered
Metal, Brass
Italian mid-century modern white industrial bathroom two doors cabinet, 1960s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century modern white industrial bathroom two doors cabinet, 1960s Industrial wardrobe
Metal
$4,283 / item
Müller Bar Cabinet in Metal
By Müller Möbelfabrikation
Located in Tilburg, NL
Müller Bar Cabinet in Metal. Germany. Design 1998, current production. Available in every RAL-color
Metal
Mid-Century Brutalist Wall Mounted Patchwork Cabinet Signed Paul Evans 68
By Paul Evans
Located in New York, NY
An iconic design by legendary American studio craftsman Paul Evans, this mid-century Brutalist wall
Slate, Metal
Wood and Metal Pie Cabinet with Fixed Interior Shelves
Located in Seattle, WA
This antique-style pie cabinet is crafted from wood and features a classic, vertically oriented
Metal
$1,950Sale Price|20% Off
Mid-Century Pilastro Two Section Wall Shelving Unit with Cabinet
By Coen de Vries, Pilastro
Located in Los Angeles, CA
–1960s A striking example of Dutch mid-century industrial design, this two-section enameled metal wall
Metal
$3,447Sale Price|20% Off
Mid-Century Modern Modular Bookcase, Wood & Metal, Italy, 1960s
Located in Milano, IT
Vintage Mid-Century Modern modular bookcase in wood with metal main structure. Designed and mady
Metal
Mid-Century Pair Walnut Two Door Cabinet George Nelson Herman Miller
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Baltimore, MD
referred to as the Primavera Line, part of the Basic Cabinet Series. A beautiful example of Mid-Century
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Walnut and Rosewood Display Cabinet by Stanley
By H. Paul Browning 1, Stanley Furniture
Located in North Hollywood, CA
finest of 1960s American craftsmanship and mid-century modern design. Manufactured in the United States
Metal, Steel
Mid-Century Design Danish Metal Wall Unit, 1970’s
Located in Delft, NL
Metal holders with plastic shelves.
Metal
Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.
ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.
Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.
Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer.
Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by celebrated manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.
Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
Generations turn over, and mid-century modern remains arguably the most popular style going. As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.
Of all the vintage storage cabinets and antique case pieces that have become popular in modern interiors over the years, dressers, credenzas and cabinets have long been home staples, perfect for routine storage or protection of personal items.
In the mid-19th century, cabinetmakers would mimic styles originating in the Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI eras for their dressers, bookshelves and other structures, and, later, simpler, streamlined wood designs allowed these “case pieces” or “case goods” — any furnishing that is unupholstered and has some semblance of a storage component — to blend into the background of any interior.
Mid-century modern furniture enthusiasts will cite the tall modular wall units crafted in teak and other sought-after woods of the era by the likes of George Nelson, Poul Cadovius and Finn Juhl. For these highly customizable furnishings, designers of the day delivered an alternative to big, heavy bookcases by considering the use of space — and, in particular, walls — in new and innovative ways. Mid-century modern credenzas, which, long and low, evolved from tables that were built as early as the 14th century in Italy, typically have no legs or very short legs and have grown in popularity as an alluring storage option over time.
Although the name immediately invokes images of clothing, dressers were initially created in Europe for a much different purpose. This furnishing was initially a flat-surfaced, low-profile side table equipped with a few drawers — a common fixture used to dress and prepare meats in English kitchens throughout the Tudor period. The drawers served as perfect utensil storage. It wasn’t until the design made its way to North America that it became enlarged and equipped with enough space to hold clothing and cosmetics. The very history of case pieces is a testament to their versatility and well-earned place in any room.
In the spirit of positioning your case goods center stage, decluttering can now be design-minded.
A contemporary case piece with open shelving and painted wood details can prove functional as a storage unit as easily as it can a room divider. Alternatively, apothecary cabinets are charming case goods similar in size to early dressers or commodes but with uniquely sized shelving and (often numerous) drawers.
Whether you’re seeking a playful sideboard that features colored glass and metal details, an antique Italian hand-carved storage cabinet or a glass-door vitrine to store and show off your collectibles, there are options for you on 1stDibs.