Mid Century Modern Figural Lamp

Chinoiserie Porcelain Table Lamp

Figure Floor Lamp

Cherub Lighting

French Renaissance Lighting

Brass Figure

Female Lamp

Antique And Vintage Metal Lamps

Oriental Figure

Rare Pair of Classic Mid Century Acrylic Figural 'MOSS' Lamps, Arabian figures

$2,280 / set

Rare Pair of Classic Mid Century Acrylic Figural 'MOSS' Lamps, Arabian figures

By Moss Lamp Co. 1

Located in Buffalo, NY

Rare Pair of Classic Mid Century Acrylic , lucite Figural 'MOSS' Lamps, Nubian / Arabian figures

Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Ceramic, Acrylic, Lucite

American Mid-Century Jockey Figure Table Lamp

$1,250

American Mid-Century Jockey Figure Table Lamp

Located in Queens, NY

American 1940s painted metal table lamp with jockey figure standing on ebonized square wood base

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Metal

Mid Century Modern Frederick Weinberg Style Figural Bust Head Iron Table Lamp

$795

Mid Century Modern Frederick Weinberg Style Figural Bust Head Iron Table Lamp

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Mid Century Modern Frederick Weinberg Style Figural Bust Head Iron Table Lamp. Item features a mica

Category

Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Metal

Italian Mid-Century Black-Figure Pottery Table Lamp

$3,200

Italian Mid-Century Black-Figure Pottery Table Lamp

Located in Queens, NY

Italian Mid-Century Black-Figure Pottery table lamp featuring a triskele with three interlocking

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Mid-Century Modern Figural Ceramic Lamp with South Asian Theme

$1,395

Mid-Century Modern Figural Ceramic Lamp with South Asian Theme

Located in Hamilton, Ontario

Mid-Century Modern figural ceramic lamp with South Asian theme.

Category

Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Vintage Mid Century Modern Figural African Black Male w/ Gong Acrylic Table Lamp

$650

Vintage Mid Century Modern Figural African Black Male w/ Gong Acrylic Table Lamp

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Vintage Mid Century Modern Figural Ceramic African Black Male w/ Metal Gong White Acrylic Table

Category

Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Metal

Mid Century Modern Yasha Heifetz Sculptural Abstract Brass Figure Table Lamp

$2,200

Mid Century Modern Yasha Heifetz Sculptural Abstract Brass Figure Table Lamp

By Yasha Heifetz

Located in Buffalo, NY

Mid Century Modern Yasha Heifetz Sculptural Abstract Brass Figure Table Lamp.. (woman in dress

Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Brass

American Mid-Century Jockey Figure Table Lamp

$1,250

American Mid-Century Jockey Figure Table Lamp

Located in Queens, NY

American 1940s painted metal table lamp with jockey figure standing on ebonized square wood base

Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Metal

Mid Century Modern Yasha Heifetz Sculptural Abstract Brass Figure Table Lamp

$1,600

Mid Century Modern Yasha Heifetz Sculptural Abstract Brass Figure Table Lamp

By Yasha Heifetz, Heifetz

Located in Troy, MI

Uncommon table lamp designed by Yasha Heifetz Manufactured by Heifetz Manufacturing New York circa

Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Brass

Pair Mid Century Modern Sculptural Chrome w Black Plinth Bases Laurel Lamp Co.

$1,499 / set

Pair Mid Century Modern Sculptural Chrome w Black Plinth Bases Laurel Lamp Co.

By Laurel Lamp Company

Located in Port Jervis, NY

figural central figures sitting on black plinths. 5 x 5 x 39h to the top of the finial. In excellent

Category

Vintage 1960s American Brutalist Table Lamps

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Pair of Italian Mid-Century Murano Green Art Glass Figural Lamps

$7,000 / set

Pair of Italian Mid-Century Murano Green Art Glass Figural Lamps

Located in Queens, NY

PAIR of Italian Mid-Century Murano lamps in emerald green art glass of a woman with hands raised to

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Art Glass

Pair of Mid Century Plasto Lamp Company Figural Chalkware Lamps

$2,495 / set

Pair of Mid Century Plasto Lamp Company Figural Chalkware Lamps

By Plasto Usa

Located in Chapel Hill, NC

A stunning pair of Figural Chalkware Lamps made by the Plasto Manufacturing Company of Chicago

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Brass

Pair Modern Figural Sculptural Profile Square Base Polished Brass Table Lamps

$3,200 / set

Pair Modern Figural Sculptural Profile Square Base Polished Brass Table Lamps

By Mastercraft, Kovach, Laurel, Laurel Lamp Company

Located in Rockaway, NJ

Pair Modern Figural Sculptural Profile Square Base Polished Brass Table Lamps MINT!

Category

Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Brass

Lucite Ceramic Mid-Century Lamp by Moss with Original Shade

$1,120Sale Price|20% Off

Lucite Ceramic Mid-Century Lamp by Moss with Original Shade

By Moss Lamp Co. 1

Located in New York, NY

Classic Moss lamp of California, having a lucite base, with a ceramic figure ( Figure by DeLee Art

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Fabric, Lucite

Pair of Mid-Century Heifetz Fruitwood Figural Table Lamps

$2,750 / set

Pair of Mid-Century Heifetz Fruitwood Figural Table Lamps

By Heifetz

Located in Queens, NY

Pair of Mid-century modern carved fruitwood lamps in the form of a stylized dancing male and female

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Fruitwood

Midcentury Figural Jester Harlequin Plaster Table Lamp

$1,120Sale Price|20% Off

Midcentury Figural Jester Harlequin Plaster Table Lamp

By The Marbro Lamp Company

Located in Lambertville, NJ

Large Mid-Century Modern sculptural jester plaster table lamp featuring a reflective metallic gold

Category

Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Plaster

Pair of Mid-Century Modernist Abstract Figural Ceramic Table Lamps

$3,475 / set

Pair of Mid-Century Modernist Abstract Figural Ceramic Table Lamps

Located in New York, NY

This striking pair of Mid-Century Modernist ceramic table lamps showcases an abstract figural

Category

Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Ceramic

American Indian Pop Culture Figure Table Lamp, Italy, 1970s, Mid-Century Modern

$260Sale Price|46% Off

American Indian Pop Culture Figure Table Lamp, Italy, 1970s, Mid-Century Modern

By Linea Zero

Located in Nuernberg, DE

Pop Art Table Lamp by Linea Zero, Italy, 1970s A striking pop culture table lamp designed in the

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Table Lamps

Materials

Fabric, Plastic

Pair of American Mid-Century Heifetz Figural Mahogany Table Lamps

$4,200 / set

Pair of American Mid-Century Heifetz Figural Mahogany Table Lamps

By Heifetz

Located in Queens, NY

Pair of American Mid-century modern figural table lamps in mahogany depicting a stylized bull

Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Mahogany

Pair Mid-Century Modern Figural Table Lamps w Triple Horse Heads Maitland Smith

$3,695 / set

Pair Mid-Century Modern Figural Table Lamps w Triple Horse Heads Maitland Smith

By Maitland Smith

Located in Port Jervis, NY

Fabulous pair of table lamps by Maitland Smith. Triangular in style with crisp detailed horse heads

Category

Vintage 1960s Philippine Hollywood Regency Table Lamps

Materials

Brass, Iron

Fantastic Pair of James Mont Style Asian Figural Buddha Lamps Mid-Century Modern

$2,840Sale Price / set|20% Off

Fantastic Pair of James Mont Style Asian Figural Buddha Lamps Mid-Century Modern

By James Mont

Located in Pemberton, NJ

Fantastic pair of James Mont Style Asian figural Buddha Lamps. This pair has a wonderful aged

Category

Vintage 1960s Chinese Hollywood Regency Table Lamps

Materials

Metal

Pair of American Modern Figural Iron Table Lamps

$4,800 / set

Pair of American Modern Figural Iron Table Lamps

Located in Queens, NY

Pair of American Modern Figural Iron Table Lamps

Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Iron

Expertly Restored - Mid-Century Woman Figure Table Lamp by Lighthouse Co.

$895

Expertly Restored - Mid-Century Woman Figure Table Lamp by Lighthouse Co.

By Lighthouse Light and Shade Co.

Located in Los Angeles, CA

________________________________________ Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we take this

Category

Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Wood, Oak

Russel Wright Figural Female Nude Mid-Century Table Lamp Circa 1950s

$1,400

Russel Wright Figural Female Nude Mid-Century Table Lamp Circa 1950s

By Russel Wright

Located in Southampton, NJ

An elegant design in this sculptural lamp depicting a turning nude female form designed by Russel

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Brass

1970s, Mid-Century Modern Brass Italian Bacchus Table Lamp

$1,442

1970s, Mid-Century Modern Brass Italian Bacchus Table Lamp

Located in Aci Castello, IT

An amazing hand-crafted solid brass table lamp designed and manufactured in Italy in the Seventies

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Brass

Pair of Italian Mid-Century Figural Lamps, in the Manner of Ernestine

$1,516Sale Price / set|20% Off

Pair of Italian Mid-Century Figural Lamps, in the Manner of Ernestine

By Ernestine

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

Pair of Italian mid-century figural lamps, in the manner of Ernestine. Each one painted with

Category

20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Pottery, Wood

Pair 1950s Mid Century Modern Murano Pink w/ Gold Dust Figural Parrots- Barovier

$3,000Sale Price / set|20% Off

Pair 1950s Mid Century Modern Murano Pink w/ Gold Dust Figural Parrots- Barovier

By Barovier&Toso

Located in Opa Locka, FL

Stunning Pair of 1950's Mid Century Modern Murano Pink Art Glass Parrots with Gold Dust worked in

Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Art Glass

Vintage Figural Porcelain Table Lamps

$1,375 / set

Vintage Figural Porcelain Table Lamps

Located in Miami, FL

Vintage figural porcelain table lamps Offered for sale is a vintage pair of vintage elegant hand

Category

Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Brass

Gino Sarfatti Model 1095 Floor Lamp, Mid-Century Modern, Italy

$4,809 / item

Gino Sarfatti Model 1095 Floor Lamp, Mid-Century Modern, Italy

By Gino Sarfatti, Astep

Located in Barcelona, Barcelona

Model 1095 Design by Gino Sarfatti The floor lamp designed in 1968 is slender, graceful and

Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps

Materials

Aluminum

Mid Century Modern Stacked Lucite Disc Table Lamp, Karl Springer

$1,400

Mid Century Modern Stacked Lucite Disc Table Lamp, Karl Springer

By Karl Springer

Located in Bedford Hills, NY

Springer, a legendary figure in 20th-century luxury furniture known for his "Hollywood Regency" and

Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Lucite

Tarcisio Tosin Mid-Century Modern Italian Ceramic Table Lamp, 1960s

$1,730

Tarcisio Tosin Mid-Century Modern Italian Ceramic Table Lamp, 1960s

Located in Puglia, Puglia

Beautiful lamp made by the famous Italian ceramist Tarcisio Tosin, figure of a woman in Art Nouveau

Category

Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Brass

Mid-Century Modern Craquelé Table Lamp by Pieter Groeneveldt, Netherlands, 1960s

$2,697

Mid-Century Modern Craquelé Table Lamp by Pieter Groeneveldt, Netherlands, 1960s

By Pieter Groeneveldt

Located in Weesp, NL

Mid-Century Modern Craquelé Table Lamp by Pieter Groeneveldt, Netherlands, 1960s Bring timeless

Category

Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Ceramic, Fabric

Mid-Century Modern Translucent & Frosted Glass Figurative Table Lamp by Orrefors

$3,975

Mid-Century Modern Translucent & Frosted Glass Figurative Table Lamp by Orrefors

By Orrefors

Located in New York, NY

This elegant Mid-Century Modern table lamp was realized by the legendary maker Orrefors in Sweden

Category

Vintage 1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Enamel

Italian Mid-Century Modern Parrot Floor Lamp Lantern, attr. to Aldo Tura, 1950s

$2,632

Italian Mid-Century Modern Parrot Floor Lamp Lantern, attr. to Aldo Tura, 1950s

By Aldo Tura

Located in Barntrup, DE

Striking Italian Mid-Century figural floor lamp with carved parrot and lantern-form light element

Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps

Materials

Brass

1960s Mid-Century Modern Black and White Ceramic Table Lamp by Italo Casini

$961

1960s Mid-Century Modern Black and White Ceramic Table Lamp by Italo Casini

By Italo Casini

Located in Aci Castello, IT

This lamp is a classic example of Mid-Century Modern design, created by the Italian artist Italo

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Ceramic

Vintage Mid-Century Modern Polished Chrome Table Lamp New Black Drum Shade

$1,295

Vintage Mid-Century Modern Polished Chrome Table Lamp New Black Drum Shade

Located in Topeka, KS

Striking vintage Mid-Century Modern polished chrome table lamp with new black Fenchel drum shade

Category

Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Chrome

19th Century Carved Wood Figure Table Lamp Signed Jeret

$875

19th Century Carved Wood Figure Table Lamp Signed Jeret

Located in Dallas, TX

This distinctive antique table lamp is formed from a 19th century hand-carved wooden figure

Category

Antique Mid-19th Century French Country Table Lamps

Materials

Walnut

Pair of Mid Century Style Table Lamps

$3,714 / set

Pair of Mid Century Style Table Lamps

Located in Westwood, NJ

office spaces, these lamps enhance any setting with their unique style. Bring a touch of mid-century

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Marble, Metal

Mid Century Modern Reglor of California Plaster Table Lamp Gaucho Girl 1950s.

$475Sale Price|24% Off

Mid Century Modern Reglor of California Plaster Table Lamp Gaucho Girl 1950s.

By Reglor Of California

Located in Miami, FL

This beautiful Mid Century Reglor Plaster Lamp depicts an Argentinan Gaucho Girl with her bandana

Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Metal

MCM 1950s Heifetz Figural Wood Modern Art Abstract Female Form Table Lamp Oak

$2,320Sale Price|20% Off

MCM 1950s Heifetz Figural Wood Modern Art Abstract Female Form Table Lamp Oak

By Yasha Heifetz

Located in Peoria, AZ

OAK! BLACK CUBE BASE! Dimensions: 31" Tall By 18" Wide 1950s Heifetz Figural Wood Lamp! Modern Art

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Metal

Pair Brutalist Mid Century Lamps Signed

$3,800

Pair Brutalist Mid Century Lamps Signed

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

Pair Brutalist Mid Century Lamps Signed Captivating pair of handmade brutalist lamps. Crafted from

Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Aluminum

RAAK Amsterdam R-60 ‘Cricket’ Table Lamp by Otto Wach Mid-Century Modern

$833

RAAK Amsterdam R-60 ‘Cricket’ Table Lamp by Otto Wach Mid-Century Modern

By Otto Wach, RAAK

Located in CULEMBORG, GE

This stunning R-60 ‘Cricket’ table lamp was designed in 1962 by Otto Wasch for Raak Amsterdam. It

Category

Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Steel

E.R. Nele 'Figuration' Floor Lamp for Temde Leuchten

$6,500

E.R. Nele 'Figuration' Floor Lamp for Temde Leuchten

By Temde Leuchten, E. R. Nele

Located in Los Angeles, CA

lamps - known as the “Figuration” line - were actually designed by Eva Renée Nele for German-Swiss

Category

Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps

Materials

Steel

Antique Italian Renaissance Capodimonte Porcelain Urn Figural Table Lamp

$350

Antique Italian Renaissance Capodimonte Porcelain Urn Figural Table Lamp

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Antique Italian Renaissance Capodimonte Porcelain Urn Figural Table Lamp. Circa Mid 20th Century

Category

Mid-20th Century Unknown Renaissance Table Lamps

Materials

Porcelain

Mid-century pair Italian ceramic lamp bases.

$2,800 / set

Mid-century pair Italian ceramic lamp bases.

Located in Pymble, NSW

A highly original pair of Italian ceramic lamp bases depicting an Ancient Egyptian couple, a

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Ceramic

Vintage Boho Carved Figural Lamps - a Pair

$1,750 / set

Vintage Boho Carved Figural Lamps - a Pair

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

appropriate to age and use. Ideal for eclectic, bohemian, or mid-century modern interiors, these lamps will

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Gold

Figural Pottery "Bird Nest" Table Lamp

$900

Figural Pottery "Bird Nest" Table Lamp

Located in Rockaway, NJ

Very unusual figural "bird nest" table lamp.

Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

20th century design Large colored warrior figure ceramic floor lamp 1950 1 meter

$2,637

20th century design Large colored warrior figure ceramic floor lamp 1950 1 meter

Located in Neuilly-en- sancerre, FR

Warrior ceramic figure - unique handmade piece Monumental warrior castle ceramic sculpture and

Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps

Materials

Ceramic

Mid-20th Century Jema, Netherlands Table Lamp

$395

Mid-20th Century Jema, Netherlands Table Lamp

By Jema

Located in Pymble, NSW

A Jema, Netherlands table lamp of a "Girl Sitting on Her Luggage" mounted on a timber base with a

Category

Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Pottery

Vintage Oriental Verdigris Green Archaic Bronze Figural Chinese Table Lamp

$650

Vintage Oriental Verdigris Green Archaic Bronze Figural Chinese Table Lamp

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Vintage Oriental Verdigris Green Heavy Archaic Bronze Figural Chinese Table Lamp with Solid Wood

Category

Mid-20th Century Unknown Chinoiserie Table Lamps

Materials

Bronze

Vintage Chinese Export Large White Porcelain Figural Jardiniere Table Lamp

$1,250

Vintage Chinese Export Large White Porcelain Figural Jardiniere Table Lamp

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Vintage Chinese Export Large White Porcelain Figural Jardiniere Table Lamp. Circa Mid 20th Century

Category

Mid-20th Century Unknown Chinoiserie Table Lamps

Materials

Porcelain

1950s Floor Lamp with Blue Ceramic Figure

$2,397

1950s Floor Lamp with Blue Ceramic Figure

Located in Paris, FR

Wrought and gilded iron floor lamp, the stem decorated with a blue ceramic figure and three blue

Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps

Materials

Wrought Iron, Iron

Female Figure Table Lamp from USA

$3,600

Female Figure Table Lamp from USA

Located in Sagaponack, NY

A table lamp with a hand carved base in the form of a female nude. Base is 17" H.

Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Walnut

Vintage Boho Swedish Jie Ceramics Figural Lamp

$950

Vintage Boho Swedish Jie Ceramics Figural Lamp

By JIE Gantofta

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

Add a unique touch to your decor with this vintage Boho Swedish Jie ceramics figural lamp

Category

Late 20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Ceramic

Vintage French Victorian Renaissance Figural Cherub Musician Metal Table Lamp

$1,500

Vintage French Victorian Renaissance Figural Cherub Musician Metal Table Lamp

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Vintage French Victorian Renaissance Figural Triple Cherub Musician Metal Table Lamp with Blue

Category

Mid-20th Century Unknown Renaissance Table Lamps

Materials

Metal

Vintage Chinoiserie Bulbous Porcelain Vase Oriental Figural Painted Table Lamp

$495

Vintage Chinoiserie Bulbous Porcelain Vase Oriental Figural Painted Table Lamp

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Orange and Blue. Circa Mid 20th Century. Measurements: 31" H (to finial) x 22" H (to light socket) x 8.5

Category

Mid-20th Century Unknown Chinoiserie Table Lamps

Materials

Porcelain

Mid-Century Turned Wood Table lamp - Boxwood French Table Lamp 24" Tall - 1960s

$2,249

Mid-Century Turned Wood Table lamp - Boxwood French Table Lamp 24" Tall - 1960s

By Maison Regain, Guillerme et Chambron

Located in ROUEN, Normandie

Mid-Century Turned Wood Table lamp - Boxwood French Table Lamp 24" Tall - 1960s Rare and large

Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Gold Leaf

Lighting Under $1,000

Antique and Vintage Lighting

Mid-Century Modern Lighting

20th Century Lighting

Metal Lighting

Lighting on Sale

Get Updated with New Arrivals

Save "Mid Century Modern Figural Lamp", and we’ll notify you when there are new listings in this category.

Mid Century Modern Figural Lamp For Sale on 1stDibs

With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the mid century modern figural lamp you’re looking for. Frequently made of metal, wood and ceramic, every mid century modern figural lamp was constructed with great care. You’ve searched high and low for the perfect mid century modern figural lamp — we have versions that date back to the 18th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century are available. A mid century modern figural lamp is a generally popular piece of furniture, but those created in Mid-Century Modern and Hollywood Regency styles are sought with frequency. A well-made mid century modern figural lamp has long been a part of the offerings for many furniture designers and manufacturers, but those produced by Heifetz, Yasha Heifetz and Ivan Jakes are consistently popular.

How Much is a Mid Century Modern Figural Lamp?

The average selling price for a mid century modern figural lamp at 1stDibs is $1,600, while they’re typically $356 on the low end and $12,000 for the 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

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 Lighting for You

The right table lamp, outwardly sculptural chandelier or understated wall pendant can work wonders for your home. While we’re indebted to thinkers like Thomas Edison for critically important advancements in lighting and electricity, we’re still finding new ways to customize illumination to fit our personal spaces all these years later. A wide range of antique and vintage lighting can be found on 1stDibs.

Today, lighting designers like the self-taught Bec Brittain have used the flexible structure of LEDs to craft glamorous solutions by working with what is typically considered a harsh lighting source. By integrating glass and mirrors, reflection can be used to soften the glow from LEDs and warmly welcome light into any space.

Although contemporary innovators continue to impress, some of the classics can’t be beat.

Just as gazing at the stars allows you to glimpse the universe’s past, vintage chandeliers like those designed by Gino Sarfatti and J. & L. Lobmeyr, for example, put on a similarly stunning show, each with a rich story to tell.

As dazzling as it is, the Arco lamp, on the other hand, prioritizes functionality — it’s wholly mobile, no drilling required. Designed in 1962 by architect-product designers Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, the piece takes the traditional form of a streetlamp and creates an elegant, arching floor fixture for at-home use.

There is no shortage of modernist lighting similarly prized by collectors and casual enthusiasts alike — there are Art Deco table lamps created in a universally appreciated style, the Tripod floor lamp by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Greta Magnusson Grossman's sleek and minimalist Grasshopper lamps and, of course, the wealth of mid-century experimental lighting that emerged from Italian artisans at Arredoluce, FLOS and many more are hallmarks in illumination innovation.

With decades of design evolution behind it, home lighting is no longer just practical. Crystalline shaping by designers like Gabriel Scott turns every lighting apparatus into a luxury accessory. A new installation doesn’t merely showcase a space; carefully chosen ceiling lights, table lamps and floor lamps can create a mood, spotlight a favorite piece or highlight your unique personality.

The sparkle that your space has been missing is waiting for you amid the growing collection of antique, vintage and contemporary lighting for sale on 1stDibs.

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.