Perforated Jacques Biny Sconces Black, Mid-Century, France, 1950s
By Jacques Biny
Located in New York, NY
Perforated Jacques Biny sconces black, Mid-Century, France, 1950s.
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
Perforated Jacques Biny Sconces Black, Mid-Century, France, 1950s
By Jacques Biny
Located in New York, NY
Perforated Jacques Biny sconces black, Mid-Century, France, 1950s.
Metal
Rare & Lovely Mid Century Modern Perforated Brass Sconce Papillon Sweden 1960s
By Hans Bergström, Bertil Brisborg, Boréns Borås
Located in München, BY
Extremely rare, elegant and highly decorative Mid-Century Modern perforated brass sconce with a papillon figure on the shade.
Brass, Metal
Perforated Articulating Sconce
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Single delightful perforated articulating Mid-Century Modern reading sconce from 1950s Italy.
Aluminum, Brass
$1,450 / item
LUbular Perforated Sconce
By Lumfardo Luminaires
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Part of our Lumfardo Luminaires contemporary collection, this LUbular perforated all-brass sconce is a directional reading sconce in a patina brass finish. Single E26 based socket pe...
Brass
$1,200 / item
Rewire Custom Perforated Sconce
By Rewire
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rewire Custom Perforated Sconce. Sconces can be powder coated in various colors. Requires one E26 60w maximum bulb. Priced and sold individually.
Metal, Brass
Pair of French Mid-Century Modern Perforated Iron Sconces Attr. Maria Pergay
Located in New York, NY
A pair of handcrafted modern wall lights attributed to Maria Pergay composed of cylindrical tubes of Iron that have been perforated. Literature: Iron work in a similar style is ex...
Wrought Iron
$1,155Sale Price|30% Off
Alf Svensson Swedish Mid-Century Adjustable Wall Sconce SL3 in Perforated Brass
By Bergboms, Alf Svensson
Located in Örebro, SE
A Swedish adjustable wall lamp model SL 3, designed by Alf Svensson for Bergbom & Co, circa 1950s. Executed in brass, the lamp features a perforated bell-shaped shade mounted on...
Brass
$2,000 / item
Rewire Custom Brass Perforated Sconce
By Rewire
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rewire Custom Brass Perforated Sconce. Various finishes available upon request. Requires one E26 100w maximum bulb. Priced and sold individually.
Brass
$4,061 / set
Perforated Metal Sconces by Lunel 1950
By Maison Lunel
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Perforated metal sconces by Lunel from 50.
Metal
$1,600 / item
1950s Stilnovo White Perforated Metal Sconce
By Stilnovo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1950s Stilnovo White Perforated Metal Sconce Executed in cream painted perforated metal shade with brass arm and backplate. The shade rotates freely left/right and up/down on a ball...
Metal, Brass
$875 / item
Hexagon Perforated Sconce by Lawson-Fenning
By Lawson-Fenning
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Hexagon Perforated sconce by Lawson-Fenning. The Hexagon Perforated Sconce features a hexagonal backplate with a curved perforated steel shade and brass details. This modern sconce w...
Metal, Brass
Mid-Century German Minimalist Perforated Wall Lamp, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century wall lamp with flexible umbrella. Probably from Emperor. A minimalist design. Cubic shapes run through this design, from the screen to the wall plate. The most striking ...
Metal
White Perforated Scoop Sconce by Lawson-Fenning
By Lawson-Fenning
Located in Los Angeles, CA
White perforated scoop sconce by Lawson-Fenning. The scoop perforated sconce features a perforated shade and brass hardware. The Lawson-Fenning Collection is designed and handmade...
Brass
Black Perforated Scoop Sconce by Lawson-Fenning
By Lawson-Fenning
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Black Perforated scoop sconce by Lawson-Fenning. The Scoop Perforated Sconce features a perforated shade and brass hardware. The Lawson-Fenning Collection is designed and handmade...
Brass
Black Perforated Scoop Sconce by Lawson-Fenning
By Lawson-Fenning
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Black Perforated scoop sconce by Lawson-Fenning. The Scoop Perforated Sconce features a perforated shade and brass hardware. The Lawson-Fenning Collection is designed and handmade i...
Brass
White Perforated Scoop Sconce by Lawson-Fenning
By Lawson-Fenning
Located in Los Angeles, CA
White perforated scoop sconce by Lawson-Fenning. The scoop perforated sconce features a perforated shade and brass hardware. The Lawson-Fenning Collection is designed and handmade i...
Brass
1950s Three Patinated Brass Wall Sconces Perforated Shade
By Stilnovo
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1950s Modern Atomic three patinated brass wall sconces perforated round saucer dish shade Lamps are in patinated brass with frosted glass Provides for a lovely light display 12 de...
Brass
Large Midcentury Scandinavian Wall Sconces in Perforated Brass
By Westal
Located in Karlstad, SE
Rare midcentury wall sconces, produced in Sweden, possibly by Westal. These lamps are made of solid, thick brass. They feature one light source, hidden by a perforated brass shade, ...
Brass
Mid-Century Hala Zeist Clip Reading Lamp, Red Perforated Star Shade
By Hala Zeist
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Hala Zeist produced some of the Netherlands' most characterful Mid-Century lighting, and this little clip lamp delivers everything that made the brand beloved — compact engineering, ...
Brass, Chrome, Enamel, Metal
Modern Black & White Hexagon Perforated Sconce by Lawson-Fenning
By Lawson-Fenning
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Hexagon Perforated Sconce by Lawson-Fenning. The Hexagon Perforated Sconce features a hexagonal backplate with a curved perforated steel shade and brass details. This modern sconce w...
Metal, Brass
Pair of Mid-Century Brass and Perforated Metal Shade Wall Lights
Located in London, GB
A pair of large mid-century wall lights. France, c1960s. With perforated black shades reminiscent of Mathieu Matégot. Could be hung up or down. Dimensions: 95 W x 33 D...
Metal, Brass
Original Mid Century brass wall lamp with perforated metal sheet lampshades
Located in München, DE
Beautiful 1950s brass wall lamp with two perforated metal lampshades. Typical Mid Century Modern design in original condition with a beautiful patina. No damage to the entire lamp, v...
Metal, Brass
1970s Modern Wall Sconce Lamps Patinated Bronze Perforated Shade
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1970s Patinated Bronze Arm Wall Sconce Lamps with Modern Perforated Shade Unmarked. Set of two. Original restored vintage preowned condition. Upgraded brass shade, rewired and new so...
Bronze, Brass
Modernist mid century wall lamp perforated brass, Scandinavian modernism, Sweden
Located in Forserum, SE
A modernist wall or bedside lamp, crafted from solid brass with a tiltable shade perforated with a geometric pattern of holes. It can be mounted directly on the wall or a headboard u...
Brass
Lawson-Fenning Rolled Perforated Sconce in White, Modern Wall Light
By Lawson-Fenning
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The rolled perforated sconce features a single sheet of rolled perforated steel powder-coated in white or black with a rounded brass backplate. Shown here in white powder coat. The...
Brass, Metal
Lawson-Fenning Rolled Perforated Sconce in Black, Modern Wall Light
By Lawson-Fenning
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Rolled Perforated Sconce features a single sheet of rolled perforated steel powdercoated in white or black with a rounded brass backplate. Shown here in Black Powdercoat. The L...
Brass, Metal
1950s Italian White Perforated Sconce Attributed to Gino Sarfatti
By Jacques Biny, Gino Sarfatti, Arteluce
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1950s Italian White Perforated Sconce Attributed to Gino Sarfatti. Executed white painted perforated metal and polished brass. Pivots up or down and left or right on a ball joint. Th...
Brass, Metal
Scandinavian mid century wall lamp with perforated stars, brass, Denmark, 1940s
Located in Forserum, SE
A beautiful Scandinavian wall lamp, produced by an unidentified Danish manufacturer in the 1940s. Crafted entirely from brass, the lamp features a gracefully bent arm extending from ...
Brass
Pair of Custom Perforated Metal Brass Conical or Convex Sconces
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of custom conical or convex shaped brass sconces with perforated metal by Adesso Imports.
Brass
Handcrafted "Starlite" Set of Stunning Curved Copper Perforated Wall Sconces
Located in Antwerp, BE
"Starlite" stunning handmade curved copper perforated wall sconces.Halogen up and downlight.
Aluminum, Copper
Pair of beautiful mint green Mid Century Modern perforated sheet metal wall lamp
Located in München, DE
Two very beautiful Mid-Century Modern perforated metal wall lamps with white plexiglass shades. A typical, beautiful 1950s design, still in its original mint green color. Both Plexig...
Metal
1950s Style of Stilnovo Sexy Diablo Wall Sconce Perforated Aluminum
By Stilnovo
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1950s Style of stilnovo diablo wall lamp sconce in aluminum. Measures: 9.5 tall x 5.5 wide x 8 deep Unmarked Preowned condition vintage diabolo sconce in aluminum. It has been rew...
Aluminum
1950s Hala Zeist Double Wall Sconce, Black and White Perforated Shades
By Hala Zeist
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Hala Zeist brings inventive Dutch modernist thinking to wall-mounted lighting with this double sconce from the 1950s. Two conical shades in contrasting black and white finishes creat...
Chrome, Enamel, Metal
Rare 1950s Robert Mathieu Perforated Yellow Metal and Brass Wall Sconce
By Robert Mathieu, Stilnovo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A bright and sculptural wall sconce highly indicative of the iconic mid-century Italian designs of Stilnovo.
Metal, Brass
Pair of Mid-Century Modern Tynell Style Perforated Copper Scones, Finland 1950
Located in Helsinki, FI
A beautiful and heavy duty sconces in the style of Paavo Tynell. Although the designer and makers are not known, these wall lamps are made with high quality finishing and show true c...
Copper
Large Brass & Painted Perforated Steel Mategot Style Sconces, France 1960's
Located in New York, NY
Large brass and mesh steel sconces with three lights, paper shades and new wiring.
Brass, Cut Steel
Set of Nine Red and White Perforated Metal Sconces, France, 1950s
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
Fabulous set of nine red and off-white lacquered wall lights in the style of Mathieu Matégot. Each sconce holds two bulbs, one uplighter and one down lighter. Can be used horizontall...
Elegant Pair of Modernist Sconces with Perforated Screen, France, circa 1960
Located in New York, NY
France, circa 1960 Elegant pair of Modernist round sconces with perforated screen, Enameled metal, polished brass Rewired for use in the USA with two candelabra base bulbs Dimens...
Metal, Brass
Pair of 1950s Italian White Perforated Sconces Attributed to Gino Sarfatti
By Jacques Biny, Gino Sarfatti, Arteluce
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1950s Italian White Perforated Sconces Attributed to Gino Sarfatti. Executed white painted perforated metal and polished brass. Sconces pivot up or down and left or right on a ball j...
Metal, Brass
1960s, Tito Agnoli Perforated Yellow Metal & Brass Sconce for O-Luce
By O-Luce, Tito Agnoli
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1960s Tito Agnoli perforated yellow metal & brass sconce for O-Luce. These iconic sconces are executed in yellow painted perforated metal and brass. Lamps rotate freely on highly adj...
Metal
Pair of Italian Wall Sconces in Copper and Black Perforated Metal, 1970s
Located in Morazzone, Varese
Beautiful and particular pair of wall sconces, made of hammered copper and perforated black metal. Made in Italy in the 1970s. Both are hollow inside, with a domed shape. The black m...
Metal, Copper
1950s Red Sconce Wall Lamp Adjustable Perforated Shade Style of Stilnovo Italy
By Stilnovo
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1950s Vintage wall lamp Perforated red shade sconce Style of Stilnovo Italy Swivel arm mount and adjustable shade height with cord. 13 tall x 3.75 w x 18.25 d Shade 4.5 tall Origi...
Aluminum
Lisa Johansson-Pape Perforated Brass Wall Sconce Model 50-084, Orno 1950s
By Lisa Johansson-Pape, Orno Oy
Located in Helsinki, FI
An extremely rare model 50-084 wall sconce, designed by Lisa Johansson-Pape for Orno in the 1950s in Finland. This exact one is a more rare version of the model, which usually comes ...
Brass
$5,200 / item
Rewire Custom Perforated Mirror
By Rewire
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rewire custom perforated mirror. Available in brass, nickel, chrome. Also available in a variety of powder coated pantone colors. Comes in two sizes 17" and 25". Four-Six week lead. ...
Brass
Post modern perforated metal wall lamp , 1970s
Located in Delft, NL
Post modern perforated metal wall lamp , 1970s
Metal
Swedish wall bracket Bergboms brass perforated adjustable
By Bergboms
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Scandinavian wall lamp edited in the 50's by the Swedish company Bergboms. Structure of the sconce and the lampshade in solid brass, perforated at the level of the lampshade. Possibi...
Brass
1950s Perforated Metal Wall Lamps, Manner of Pierre Gauriche
By Pierre Guariche
Located in Long Island City, NY
The red, perforated metal shades of these sconces appear to float above the black metal lamps. Together they are suspended from a bent steel arm and held away from the wall. In their...
Brass, Steel
1950s Stilux Milano White Perforated Double Shade Wall Lamp
By Stilux
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1950s Stilux Milano White Perforated Double Shade Wall Lamp An elegant midcentury sconce design executed in perforated white metal on a brass stem. When illuminated, the perforatio...
Metal, Brass
Pair of white perforated metal wall lights, 1980, France
Located in Brussels, BE
Pair of white perforated metal wall lights, 1980, France
Metal
Paavo Tynell Scone Model 9460 in Perforated Brass, Idman 1950s
By Paavo Tynell, Idman Oy
Located in Helsinki, FI
A beautiful and refined example of the model 9460 wall light / singular scone by Paavo Tynell, produced by Idman in Finland during the 1950s. Executed entirely in brass, the fixture ...
Brass
Pierre Disderot Model #2059 Large Perforated Wall Lamp in Yellow & Chrome
By Disderot, Pierre Disderot
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pierre Disderot model #2059 large perforated wall lamp in yellow & chrome. Originally designed in 1955, this clean and refined wall lamp is an authorized re-edition by Disderot mad...
Metal, Chrome
Pair of Perforated Brass Scones, NAFA Nybro Armaturfabrik, Sweden 1970s
By NAFA
Located in Helsinki, FI
A charming pair of mid-century wall lamps by Swedish lighting manufacturer NAFA (Nybro Armaturfabrik), circa 1970s. Featuring perforated metal shades, these versatile lamps can be ad...
Metal, Brass
Mategot Inspired Mod Industrial Gray Perforated Fluorescent Linear Wall Lamps
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mategot inspired Mod industrial fluorescent linear wall or ceiling lamps. The fixture presents an elongated, column-like silhouette anchored by a curved metal fascia that introduces...
Aluminum, Enamel
Pair of perforated conical Italian wall lamps attributed to Giuseppe Ostuni
By Giuseppe Ostuni
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Pair of adjustable wall lamps attributed to Italian designer Giuseppe Ostuni. Solid brass wall mount and articulated arm. Conical perforated metal shades in yellow and beige (origina...
Metal, Brass
Pierre Disderot Model #2059 Large Perforated Wall Lamp in Black and Chrome
By Pierre Disderot, Disderot
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pierre Disderot model #2059 large perforated wall lamp in black and chrome. Originally designed in 1955, this clean and refined wall lamp is an authorized re-edition by Disderot ma...
Chrome, Metal
Pierre Disderot Model #2059 Large Perforated Wall Lamp in Black and Brass
By Pierre Disderot, Disderot
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pierre Disderot model #2059 large perforated wall lamp in black & brass. Originally designed in 1955, this clean and refined wall lamp is an authorized re-edition by Disderot made ...
Metal, Brass
Pierre Disderot Model #2059 Large Perforated Wall Lamp in White and Chrome
By Pierre Disderot, Disderot
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pierre Disderot Model #2059 large perforated wall lamp in white and chrome. Originally designed in 1955, this clean and refined wall lamp is an authorized re-edition by Disderot ma...
Metal, Chrome
Italian Minimalist Perforated Metal Cone Sconce, 1950s
Located in Brussels, Ixelles
Decorative Italian midcentury wall sconce, brass base with black painted arm ending with cone shaped perforated metal in red.
Brass
Extra Large Perforated Aluminium Swirl Sconce, 1970s
Located in Brussels, Ixelles
Extra large sized wall sconce dating from the 1970s, perforated aluminium sheet bent to provide the swirl shape.
Aluminum
Unavailable
H 22.45 in W 15.75 in D 6.3 in
French Design Kobis & Lorens Perforated Metal 3-Stems Sconce
By M. Kobis & R. Lorens
Located in Brussels, Ixelles
Midcentury french design wall sconce from Kobis & Laurence - full brass 3 stems structure matched with original white painted perforated metal diffusers.
Metal, Brass
Unavailable
H 11.42 in W 10.24 in D 6.3 in
Midcentury French Design Pair of Minimalist Perforated Metal Wall Sconces
Located in Brussels, Ixelles
Pair of Minimalist French high end wall sconces lamps. Brass structure matched with black flute shaped bases and perforated metal rings.
Metal, Brass
Unavailable
H 9.85 in W 27.56 in D 5.52 in
Pierre Guariche G320 Large White Perforated Metal Wall Lamp, 1952, France
By Pierre Disderot, Pierre Guariche
Located in Aix En Provence, FR
Authentic and rare wall sconce designed by Pierre Guariche in 1952 and produced by Pierre Disderot A large curved white lacquered perforated metal plate is attached to a metal wall b...
Metal
Unavailable
H 10 in Dm 10 in
Paavo Tynell for Taito Perforated Polished Brass Wall Lamp with Counterweight
By Paavo Tynell
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Paavo Tynell polished perforated brass with a frosted shade and adjustable by a counterweight.
Metal
Italian Mid-Century Perforated Sconces- 2 Pairs Available
Located in New York, NY
Large Italian Mid-Century wall lights featuring a cylindrical glass shade backed by a black perforated shell. Hardware is brass and holds one E26 bulb. Price per pair- 2 pairs availa...
Brass
Mid-Century Perforated American Sconces
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Unique perforated sconces from Mid-Century USA. Sconces are fixed and lend a qualitative ambient presence in any room.
Aluminum, Brass
Mid-Century Double Cone Perforated Wall Sconces
Located in North Miami, FL
Painted metal double cone sconces with perforated accents. Up and down lighting.
Metal
Pair of Mid-Century Oval Chrome Wall Sconces with Perforated Detail
Located in Astoria, NY
A pair of vintage sconces in chrome, each including an oval plate with perforated detail, affixed to a conical wall support. Wiring and sockets to US standard, each requires a single...
Chrome
Pair of Mid-Century Perforated Metal Wall Sconce Lights
Located in London, GB
A pair of wall sconces or shades. France, c1970s. Price is for the pair. Good vintage condition, some signs of wear commensurate with age. They are wall hung shades a...
Metal
American Perforated Sconces
Located in Los Angeles, CA
(2) perforated American sconces from the 1950s in un-lacquered patinated brass. The arm and the shade swivel up and down and forward and backward. The sconces are fully restored and ...
Brass
Stilnovo Perforated Sconces
By Stilnovo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Iconic steel perforated modern Stilnovo Sconces from Italy with acrylic yellow shades and lightly patinated brass details. Single E26 medium based socket per shade. Currently wired f...
Brass, Steel
French Perforated Sconces
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Two pairs of French modern industrial sconces. A very organic finish on all brass parts, that softens the industrial aspect of its perforated shades. Fully restored. Width: 10.5" D...
French Perforated Sconces
Located in Los Angeles, CA
5 delightful French perforated sconces in the manner of Disderot, designed to subtly illuminate, casting warm indirect lighting. Shade height: 10" Shade width: 3.5"
Brass, Steel, Metal, Sheet Metal
Mid-Century Modern Brass and Perforated Metal Sconce by Mathieu Mategot
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in New York, NY
With its elegant proportions and dramatic, yet understated, aesthetic, this sconce embody the qualities that discerning collectors of first rate French Mid-Century Modern design abso...
Metal, Brass
Sold
H 8.75 in W 8.34 in D 4.5 in
Pair of 1950 Ceramic Perforated Metal Sconces Mid Century Brass Detail France
Located in New York, NY
Pair of 1950 Ceramic Perforated Metal Mid Century Sconces with Brass Detail France Lovely pair of French Mid-Century ceramic and brass sconces.
Brass
Sold
H 9.06 in W 4.34 in D 3.15 in
Mid-Century Modern Black and White Perforated Metal Pair of Sconces, 1950s
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Hagenbach, DE
Mid-Century Modern black and white perforated metal pair of sconces, 1950s.
Metal
1950s American Perforated Sconces
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of fixed Mid-Century Modern American perforated sconce lights.
Aluminum
1970s Modern Perforated Brass Sconces
Located in New York, NY
1970s perforated brass sconces. Newly professionally rewired and ready to use.
Brass
Lunel French Perforated Vanity Sconce
By Maison Lunel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lovely rectangular French perforated vanity sconce. Sconce pivots on its axis allowing a nice range of light direction.
Steel
Pair of Perforated French Sconces
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of perforated sconces. Manufactured in France, circa 1950s. Enameled aluminum, brass hardware. Rewired for U.S. standards. We recommend 2 E12 40w maximum bulbs per sconce. Bulbs...
Aluminum
'4' 1940s Perforated Italian Sconces
Located in Los Angeles, CA
(2) Pairs of 1940s perforated Italian sconces in steel, brass and aluminum. Original finish. Rewired with (1) E12 candelabra based socket per sconce. Priced and sold in pairs. Wired ...
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
French Perforated Double Shade Sconces
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Three Fantastic 1950s perforated double shade sconces from France. Fully restored and ready to use. Two candelabra based E14 sockets per sconce. We at Lumfardo Luminaires do all t...
Brass, Steel
Pair of Midcentury Perforated Terracotta Sconces
Located in Houston, TX
Stunning pair of midcentury perforated terracotta sconces designed by Beaumont Mood. These vintage perforated sconces are in very good condition and create a beautiful warm glow when...
Terracotta
Sold
H 13 in W 9.85 in D 4.53 in
Perforated Brass Wall Lamp with Metal Backplate, Europe Mid-20th Century
Located in Utrecht, NL
Mid-century lighting design is world-famous for numerous reasons. The era’s designers managed to make strictly practical design look beautiful, while maintaining the highest quality....
Metal, Brass
French Mid-Century Modern Sconces
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in Austin, TX
French Mid-Century Modern sconces with a perforated metal backing, brass components, and beautiful frosted glass shades.
Metal, Brass
Industrial Perforated Dome Shaped Wall Sconce
Located in Palm Springs, CA
We can not take our eyes off these beautiful industrial sconces - especially when they are lit. Originally a ceiling hung fixture from the famous Faust Hotel in Rockford Illinois (w...
Brass, Steel
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.
From the kitchen to the bedroom and everywhere in between, there is one major part of home decor that you definitely want to master: lighting. Carefully selected vintage sconces and wall lights can do wonders in establishing mood and highlighting your distinctive personality.
We’re a long way from the candelabra-inspired chandeliers of the medieval era. Lighting is no longer merely practical, and lighting designers have been creating and reinventing lighting solutions for eons. Because of the advancements crafted by these venturesome makers, we now have the opportunity to bring unique, customizable lighting solutions into our homes.
It’s never been easier to create dramatic bedrooms, cozy kitchen areas and cheerful bars than it is today. Think of an elegant wall sconce as functional and as a work of art, adding both light and style to your hallways, whimsical kids’ rooms and elsewhere.
When choosing a lighting solution, first determine what your needs are: Will you opt for a moody or a bright feel? The room that will serve as your home office will need adequate lighting — think “the brighter, the better” for this particular setting.
For the bedroom, bedside wall lamps with warm-temperature bulbs instead of bedside table lamps could be the way to go to induce a sense of calm or intimacy. Try to match the style of the wall light or sconce that you’re installing to the overall design scheme of your room. It’s never “just a light.” You should approach the lighting of a room with a mindset that is one part practical and one part aesthetics-driven.
Let 1stDibs help you set the mood with the right antique and vintage wall lights and sconces for your home. Our collection includes every kind of fixture, from sculptural works by Austrian craftsman J.T. Kalmar to chic industrial-style wall sconces, from adjustable painted aluminum wall lamps designed by Artemide to a wide variety of minimalist mid-century modern masterpieces.
The alluring pendant light exemplifies the designer’s winsome mid-career work.
Patrizio Chiarparini of Brooklyn’s Duplex gallery sheds light on the lasting legacy of Italy’s postwar furniture boom.
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.
The Louisiana-born and -bred architect talks to 1stdibs about the art of making timeless places that matter.
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.
The houses from this New York studio cloak modernist tendencies within what are often more traditional trappings.
In the market for a fantastic fixture from the 1940s, ’50s or ’60s? Here are some names to know.