Set of Two Baby Pink Velvet "Shell" Chairs, Europe, 1960s.
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Two beautiful chairs type 1020 colloquially called "shells" produced by the Slupsk centre of Furniture Industry in the 1960s. They are after full renovation upholstery and carpentry....
Velvet, Beech
Gray Boucle 'Shell' Chair, Dark Brown Beech Wood, Poland, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Beautiful chair type 1020 colloquially called "shell" produced by the Slupsk centre of furniture industry in the 1960s in Poland. They are after full renovation upholstery and carpen...
Textile, Beech
Set of Four Dark Green Velvet 'Shell' Chairs, Europe, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Beautiful chairs type 1020 colloquially called "shell" produced by the Slupsk centre of furniture industry in the 1960s in Poland. They are after full renovation upholstery and carpe...
Textile, Beech
Set of Nine Dark Green Velvet 'Shell' Chairs, Europe, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Beautiful chairs type 1020 colloquially called "shell" produced by the Slupsk centre of furniture industry in the 1960s in Poland. They are after full renovation upholstery and carpe...
Textile, Beech
Pair of White Shell Chairs in the Style of Hans Wegner
Located in Brooklyn, NY
With a unique sleek design, this pair of vintage chairs styled after Hans Wegner is sure to stand out. Please confirm item location with seller (NY/NJ).
Upholstery, Wood
$6,000 / set
Vintage ‘Clam Shell’ Chairs by Kodawood - a Pair
By Kodawood, Seymour James Wiener, Seymour J. Wiener
Located in Raleigh, NC
Vintage pair of ‘Clam Shell’ chairs designed by Seymour James Weiner for Kodawood, circa 1950s. This pair is simply stunning with comfort to match. Sculptural with vibrant upholstery...
Brass
1960s Miroslav Navratil Shell Lounge Chair, Czechoslovakia
By Miroslav Navratil
Located in Praha, CZ
Lounge chair by M. Navratil, made in Czechoslovakia, in the 1960's. Made of wood and fabric. Cleaned, shows signs of use, visible defect in the top left corner. Fully functional. ...
Fabric, Beech
1960s Pair of Restored Shell Chairs, Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- Carefully refurbished - newly upholstered - heigh of seat 41 cm
Fabric, Wood
1960s Miroslav Navratil Shell Lounge Chair, Czechoslovakia
By Miroslav Navratil
Located in Praha, CZ
- Newly upholsterered - Beech wooden base has been refurbished - Height of seat 40 cm.
Fabric, Beech, Wood
1970s Pair of Shell Beech Chairs, Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- good original condition with minor signs of use - heigh of seat 36 cm
Fabric, Beech
Set of 6 Børge Mogensen Teak "Shell Chairs" for Soborg Møbelfabrik, Denmark
By Børge Mogensen, Soborg Mobler
Located in Argelato, BO
Rare set of six Model 1788 chairs (also known as the "Dining Chair" or "Shell Chair" in teak) designed by Børge Mogensen for Søborg Møbelfabrik in 1956.
Wood, Teak
1960s Miroslav Navratil Shell Lounge Chair, Czechoslovakia
By Miroslav Navratil
Located in Praha, CZ
- Newly upholsterered - Beech wooden base has been refurbished - Height of seat 40 cm.
Fabric, Beech, Upholstery, Wood
Shell Dining Chair, Turquoise Wool, by Vintola Studio, Europe, Poland
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Springy, very comfortable and stabile club seats. They are contemporary chairs inspired of 1960s style. They can be used as armchairs and dining chairs. Chair was designed by Vint...
Bouclé, Velvet, Beech
1970s Shell Chair with Iron Base, Germany
Located in Praha, CZ
- Good original condition with minor signs of use - height of seat 32 cm
Iron
1960s Miroslav Navratil Shell Lounge Chair, Czechoslovakia
By Miroslav Navratil
Located in Praha, CZ
- The fabric shows signs of use - Height of seat 43 cm.
Fabric, Beech
Pair of 2nd Generation "Seafoam" Fiberglass Eames Shell Chairs by Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Oxnard, CA
Here is a pair of fantastic "seafoam" fiberglass armchairs by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. These collectible second generation chairs (1954-55) are characterized by thei...
Steel
1950s Hans Olsen Beech Shell Chair For Bramin Mobler, Denmark
By Hans Olsen, Bramin Mobler
Located in Praha, CZ
- Newly upholstered - Carefully refurbished - High of seat 44 cm.
Fabric, Beech
Shell Chair by Ib Kofod-Larsen for Christensen & Larsen, Denmark, around 1950
By Ib Kofod-Larsen
Located in Waasmunster, BE
The chair features a sculpted wooden frame and a seat that mimics the contours of a shell, hence the name.
Fabric, Wood
Pair of Miroslav Navrátil Shell Lounge Chairs, Czechoslovakia 1960s
By Miroslav Navratil
Located in Praha, CZ
Widely regarded as one of the most important figures in Czech Mid-Century furniture design, Navrátil created these chairs with a distinctive fiberglass shell that combines sculptural...
Fabric, Fiberglass, Beech
Shell Dining Chair, Brown Fire Retardant Fabric, by Vintola Studio, Europe
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Springy, very comfortable and stabile club seats. They are contemporary chairs inspired of 1960s style. They can be used as armchairs and dining chairs. Chair was designed by Vint...
Velvet, Beech
Shell Dining Chair, Linen Schwarzwald Dedar, by Vintola Studio, Europe, Poland
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Springy, very comfortable and stabile dining seats. They are contemporary chairs inspired of 1960s style. They can be used as armchairs and dining chairs. Chair was designed by Vi...
Linen, Bouclé, Beech, Velvet
Eames Early Shell Chair Lounge Height for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Cincinnati, OH
An early second generation parchment fiberglass arm shell chair with large shock mounts and black iron base in the rare lower lounge height . Having slip on black boot feet of rubber...
Fiberglass
$4,800Sale Price / set|49% Off
Set of 6 Bertoia Wire Side Chair with Upholstered Shell for Knoll
By Harry Bertoia
Located in Oceanside, US
Set of 6 Harry Bertoia Side Chairs for Knoll, USA, Late 1960s–1970s A set of six iconic Side Chairs designed by Harry Bertoia in 1952 and produced by Knoll International in the Unit...
Wire
Set of Eight Shell Dining Chairs, Flimflam Jacquard by Dedar, Vintola Studio
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Springy, very comfortable and stabile dining seats. They are contemporary chairs inspired of 1960s style. They can be used as armchairs and dining chairs. Chair was designed by Vi...
Jacquard, Linen, Velvet, Beech
Set of Eight Gray Boucle 'Shell' Chairs, Dark Beech Wood, Europe, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Set of eight beautiful chairs type 1020 colloquially called "shell" produced by the Slupsk centre of furniture industry in the 1960s in Poland. They are after full renovation upholst...
Textile, Beech
Expertly Restored - Ib Kofod-Larsen Shell Chairs for Christiansen & Larsen
By Ib Kofod-Larsen, Christensen & Larsen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Kofod Larsen’s versatility to work with different types of wood, in this case creating a frame of beech wood and mixing it with teak bent wood back and seat, shows his vision to crea...
Wood, Beech, Teak
Set of Seven Gray Boucle 'Shell' Chairs, Dark Beech Wood, Europe, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Set of Seven beautiful chairs type 1020 colloquially called "shell" produced by the Slupsk centre of furniture industry in the 1960s in Poland. They are after full renovation upholst...
Textile, Beech
Seven Velvet 'Shell' Chairs, Dark Green Velvet, Dark Beech Wood, Europe, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Set of seven beautiful chairs type 1020 colloquially called "shell" produced by the Slupsk centre of furniture industry in the 1960s in Poland. They are after full renovation upholst...
Textile, Beech
Set of Six Shell Dining Chairs, Linen Schwarzwald by Dedar, Vintola Studio
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Springy, very comfortable and stabile dining seats. They are contemporary chairs inspired of 1960s style. They can be used as armchairs and dining chairs. Chair was designed by Vi...
Bouclé, Linen, Velvet, Beech
Set of Six Black and Chrome Cantilever Dining Armchairs
By Contemporary Shells Inc. 1
Located in Dallas, TX
Featured here is an amazing set of cantilevered chrome dining chairs armchairs by Contemporary Shells Inc. Contemporary Shell Inc. was based in Hempstead NY and produced works for ma...
Chrome
Shell Dining Chair, Light Beige Fire Retardant Fabric, by Vintola Studio, Europe
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Springy, very comfortable and stabile club seats. They are contemporary chairs inspired of 1960s style. They can be used as armchairs and dining chairs. Chair was designed by Vint...
Velvet, Beech
Vintage MCM Burke Tulip Side Chair No 115 White Shell and Round Stationary Base
By Maurice Burke, Burke, Inc.
Located in Topeka, KS
Wonderful Mid-20th Century MCM or Mid Century Modern Tulip side chair No. 115 by Burke comprised of a white fiberglass armless shell or frame & round stationary 4 prong fiberglas...
Metal
Early 2nd Generation Charles and Ray Eames Arm Shell Chair
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Buffalo, NY
Classic Mid-Century fiberglass arm shell chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames, 2nd year production featuring early exposed fibers, heavy iron x base, large rubber shock monts, unu...
Iron
Charles Eames by Hermann Miller Design Red Fabric and Fiberglass Shell Chairs
By Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in Brescia, IT
Charles Eames by Hermann Miller, circa 1960s. Ivory shell seat and red fabric metal and aluminum base. Very good condition.
Metal
$479Sale Price / item|50% Off
Orange Eiffel Shell Chair By Charles And Ray Eames For Herman Miller, 1960s
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Zohor, SK
Original 1960s orange fiberglass shell chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. The scarse candy orange color has its original finish with the distinct thread textu...
Metal
Charles & Ray Eames DSS Seal Brown Stacking Shell Chairs Pair
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in South Bend, IN
An iconic pair of Eames "DSS" shell side chairs, dining chairs, or office chairs By Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller USA, Circa 1980s Rare "seal brown" colored fiberglass she...
Chrome
Set of Ten Shell Dining Chairs, Turquoise Wool, by Vintola Studio, Europe.
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Springy, very comfortable and stabile club seats. They are contemporary chairs inspired of 1960s style. They can be used as armchairs and dining chairs. Chair was designed by Vint...
Bouclé, Velvet, Beech
$4,960Sale Price|20% Off
Shell Chair by Hans Wegner in Walnut and Beech
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Shell chair by Hans Wegner in laminated walnut seat and back and solid beech wood frame. It has the original screws on the bottom of seat to secure the seat cushion.
Beech, Walnut
Pair of 1960s Miroslav Navratil Shell Lounge Chairs, Czechoslovakia
By Miroslav Navratil
Located in Praha, CZ
Lounge chair by M. Navratil, made in Czechoslovakia, in the 1960's. Made of wood and fabric. Cleaned, shows minor signs of use. Fully functional.
Fabric, Wood
Pair of Green Painted French Style Side Chairs with Shell Motif and Tufted Seat
Located in Locust Valley, NY
Pair of carved dining chairs painted green with green diamond print fabric tufted seat and tight back. Carved shell detail on seat back and carved cabriole legs.
Fabric, Paint
Vintage Coastal Nautilus Shell Wrought Iron Lounge Chairs - a Pair
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Bring seaside elegance to your outdoor space with the Vintage Coastal Nautilus Shell Wrought Iron Lounge Chairs - A Pair. These American-style chairs feature intricate nautilus shell...
Wrought Iron
$4,118Sale Price / item|20% Off
Cayenne Lounge Chair, Shell Velvet/High Gloss Varnish Walnut
By Marie Burgos Design
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Cayenne lounge chair is a deft homage to midcentury design. Designer Marie Burgos has taken the clean lines that defined seating designs of that era and given them a luxurious ne...
Fabric
Set of Six Shell Dining Chairs, Brown FR Fabric, by Vintola Studio, Europe
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Springy, very comfortable and stabile club seats. They are contemporary chairs inspired of 1960s style. They can be used as armchairs and dining chairs. Chair was designed by Vint...
Velvet, Beech
Vintage Charles Eames "PAW Chair" Swivel Fiber Glass Shell Dowel Leg 1950's
By Charles Eames
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A classic dining chair with arms on a swivel dowel base, second edition, ca' 1950's. Salmon color with birch legs, beautiful patina.
Steel
1960s Pair of Restored Shell Chairs in Bouclé, Czechoslovaki
Located in Praha, CZ
- newly upholstered in green boucle fabric - wooden parts have been carefully refurbished - high of seat 42 cm
Fabric, Wood
Original Vintage Eames Fiberglass Shell Dining Side Chairs for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in San Jose, CA
Mid Century Modern DSS stacking dining side chairs designed by Ray and Charles Eames for Herman Miller circa 1960s.
Fiberglass
$880Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 4 Signed Eames Herman Miller Shell Chairs
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Pasadena, TX
Set of 4 Eames Herman Miller Stacking Chairs CIRCA 2000 Black molded material with fabric seat pad White powder coated base Signed Herman Miller Measures: 18" W, 18.5" D, 31.75" H,...
Plastic
1960s Miroslav Navratil Fiberglass Shell Lounge Side Chairs, Czechoslovakia
By Miroslav Navratil
Located in Praha, CZ
- Newly upholstered - The wooden parts have been refurbished
Fiberglass
Pair of Coconut Shell Chairs with Mother of Pearl Inlay
Located in New York, NY
Pair of coconut shell chairs with curved backs and mother-of-pearl inlay detail at top. Paris, France, circa 1990s.
Coconut
Martin Eisler & Carlo Hauner Modern Brazilian Lounge Chair Model "Shell" White
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma Brazil
Located in Barcelona, ES
A Mid-Century modern Brazilian Armchair by Martin Eisler & Carlo Hauner designed in 1955.
Metal
Finnish Modern, Shell Form Lounge Chairs, Beige Shearling, Wood, Finland, 1940s
Located in Stamford, CT
Finnish Mid-Century Modern, Organic Lounge Chairs, Beige Sheepskin, Wood, Finland, 1950s Pair of wonderful organic form lounge chairs in the manner of Sven Staaf and Carl Johan-Boma...
Sheepskin
Classic Modernist Charles and Ray Eames Arm Shell Lounge Chair, Zenith
By Zenith, Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Buffalo, NY
Museum quality, sea foam green arm shell lounge chair made by Zenith Plastic Co./ Herman Miller.
Zinc
Set of Ten Shell Dining Chairs, Light Beige FR Fabric, by Vintola Studio, Europe
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Springy, very comfortable and stabile club seats. They are contemporary chairs inspired of 1960s style. They can be used as armchairs and dining chairs. Chair was designed by Vint...
Velvet, Beech
Black Metal & Pagwood 1960s Chairs with Pagholz Shells
By Pagholz
Located in Varese, Lombardia
The chairs are 5. They are made from black metal legs and Pagholz pagwood seats. Some rivets have been replaced so they are not all the same (see the last pictures). Only 4 can be pu...
Metal
A Transitional Charles Eames PAW Shell Swivel Chair w Wood Dowel Legs
By Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in Chicago, IL
A Transitional Charles Eames PAW Shell Swivel Chair w Wood Dowel Legs. In beautiful attractive condition. Red Venice Label attached on underside. Production Date was 1954-1955. Imme...
Fiberglass
"La Fonda" C. Eames by H. Miller Space Age Design Fiberglass Shell Two Chair
By Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in Brescia, IT
Black fiberglass shell seat Aluminium base.
Aluminum
Early Eames LAR Fiberglass Arm shell Lounge Chair for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in Buffalo, NY
Rare Eames LAR chair for Herman Miller. Parchment molded fiberglass LAR chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. On wire "cat's cradle" base. This example dates to ...
Iron
Eames Lounge Chair Cognac Brown and White Shell, Set of 2
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Munich, Bavaria
2 similar Eames lounge chairs from the Original Producer in germany Original Cognac brown Seminaniline leather. It was lacquered in white from a professional company. Very good cond...
Aluminum
Vintage Plywood Dining Chair – 1980s German Design, Curved Wood Shell
Located in Hannover, DE
The manufacturer is unknown. The chair features a beautifully curved plywood shell combined with sleek chrome legs, giving it a clean, minimalist look typical of late 20th-century d...
Chrome
Charles Eames for Herman Miller DSX Shell Chair
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller, Charles Eames, Ray Eames
Located in New Windsor, NY
Charles Eames for Herman Miller fiberglass DSX shell chair. Circa 1970. Retains all it's plastic glides. Shock mounts are in good condition with no visible drying or cracking. Struct...
Metal, 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.
With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.
Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.
Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.
The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.
Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.
With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.
Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.
No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.
Modern icons are showing up in gracefully layered dining nooks, living rooms and lounges — proof that great design only gets better with context.
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
The enduring appeal of the Barcelona chair is in the details.
The brand that turned Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi and George Nelson into mid-century household names is just as relevant today as it was six decades ago.
Our feed is filled with the world's most beautiful spaces. See the rooms our followers have deemed the best of the best this month.
Our feed is filled with the world's most beautiful spaces. See the 10 our followers have deemed the best of the best this month.
There are many lessons to be learned from the lofts, apartments and townhouses of architects and decorators in Manhattan and beyond.
Having created extravagant homes for reality TV’s biggest stars, the designer is stepping into the spotlight with his first book.