George Nelson Modular Sofa by Herman Miller, 1966
By Herman Miller
Located in Los Angeles, CA
George Nelson modular sofa by Herman Miller, 1966.
20th Century American Sofas
Chrome
George Nelson Modular Sofa by Herman Miller, 1966
By Herman Miller
Located in Los Angeles, CA
George Nelson modular sofa by Herman Miller, 1966.
Chrome
George Nelson Modular Sofa Table System Herman Miller
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Berlin, BE
This original George Nelson Modular Sofa Table System for Herman Miller is a versatile and well
Steel
$10,068
H 27.96 in W 120.48 in D 29.93 in
George Nelson, Modular Sofa and Table Seating System, 1966 for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in Munster, NRW
George Nelson for Herman Miller, 1960s, United States. Very fine Modular §seater sofa by George
Steel, Chrome
George Nelson Modular Group Sofa
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Highland, IN
The modular seating group designed by the Nelson office in 1955 is one of our favorite sofa designs
Steel
Modular Sofa designed by George NELSON for HERMAN MILLER, 1960s
By George Nelson
Located in Berlin, Berlin
Two-seat Sofa designed by George Nelson. U.S.A., Herman Miller, 1960s. Modular Sofa by George
Metal
Modular Seating Sofa by George Nelson for Herman Miller
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1950s. USA. Reupholstered in Pierre Frey “Bourail” Jacquard fabric. Refoamed as well. White laminate side tables with metal frame.
Metal
$18,967
H 28.35 in W 135.83 in D 29.93 in
George Nelson for Hermann Miller Modular 3-Seater Sofa, 1960s
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Naples, IT
Modular 3-seater sofa designed by George Miller in 1956. The sofa incorporates a system of modules
Leather, Wood
$26,080 / set
H 27.96 in W 120.87 in D 90.56 in
Herman Miller George Nelson Modular Seating Cognac Natural Leather Sofa
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Munich, Bavaria
This living room set model modular sofa was designed by George Nelson for Herman Miller. This set
Steel, Chrome
Unavailable
H 29.75 in W 72 in D 32 in
Vintage George Nelson Steel Frame Modular Sectional Sofa for Herman Miller
By George Nelson
Located in Salt Lake City, UT
Vintage steel frame modular sectional by George Nelson for Herman Miller. Two separate sections
Steel
Unavailable
H 27.56 in W 75.6 in D 120.48 in
George Nelson, Herman Miller Modular Sofa System Rosewood Table & Drawer Chest
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Hamburg, DE
-Century Modern vintage high-end modular seating system, designed by Georg Nelson 1955 in US and produced
Steel
George Nelson Modular Sofa with Table
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in Kalamazoo, MI
rest drinks or books. The George Nelson modular sofa has been newly reupholstered in a fantastic deep
Steel
George Nelson Modular Sofa with Built-In Rosewood Side Tables
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in Palm Springs, CA
This early George Nelson modular sofa has the round Herman Milled tags ( see photos) Built in
Rosewood, Fabric
George Nelson Modular Sofa Herman Miller, 1963
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Very nice leather sofa designed by George Nelson for Herman Miller, United States, 1963. This sofa
Metal
George Nelson Modular Sofa System Model 5698
Located in Chicago, IL
Herman Miller Modular Sofa System, No. 5698 with attached end table. Reupholstered in vintage
George Nelson Modular Sofa and Tables Herman Miller, 1963
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Very nice leather sofa designed by George Nelson for Herman Miller, United States, 1963. This sofa
Metal
George Nelson Modular Sofa in Dark Leather for Herman Miller
By George Nelson
Located in Antwerp, BE
Magnificent modular system sofa designed by US George Nelson in the 1950s for Herman Miller
Sold
H 27.56 in W 27.56 in D 30.32 in
George Nelson Modular Sofa by Herman Miller, USA, 1963 Sectional
By Herman Miller
Located in Berlin, DE
Fully restored Nelson Modular Set in Hallingdal / Maharam Fabric with new foam. Seven seating
Chrome
Sold
H 27.96 in W 124.02 in D 29.93 in
Modular System Seating Suite Sofa by George Nelson for Herman Miller Perfect
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in Munster, NRW
Beautiful George Nelson modular sofa for Herman Miller with one armrest. The seats were
Fabric
Modern George Nelson for Herman Miller Modular Group Sofa
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Houston, TX
Single sofa designed by George Nelson for Herman Miller as part of their Modular Group line, but it
Steel
Modular System Sofas by George Nelson for Herman Miller
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Berlin, DE
Very rare and beautiful sofas by George Nelson for Herman Miller, designed in the 1960s
Chrome
George Nelson Modular Group Sectional Sofa by Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in Highland, IN
The Nelson office developed the modular group for Herman Miller as a redesign of their steelframe
Steel
George Nelson for Herman Miller Modular Sectional Sofa
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Culver City, CA
A stunning, iconic piece of Mid-Century Modern design, a George Nelson for Herman Miller sectional
George Nelson for Herman Miller Modular Sectional Sofa
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Culver City, CA
A stunning, iconic piece of Mid-Century Modern design, a George Nelson for Herman Miller sectional
Metal
Early Production George Nelson / Herman Miller Modular Steel Frame Sofa
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in Buffalo, NY
Early Production George Nelson / Herman Miller Modular Steel Frame Sofa,, Professionally
Metal
Sold
H 34 in W 87 in D 28 in
Mid-Century Modular Three-Seat Sofa and Table, in the Style of George Nelson
By George Nelson
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
Mid-Century modular three-seat sofa and table, in the style of George Nelson, Florence Knoll
Steel
Modular Sofa Set by George Nelson for Herman Miller, 1960s
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in bruxelles, BE
Set of a 3 seater sofa and 1 armchair. Armchair dimensions: H: 70cm L: 76cm P: 76cm. Wear due to
Metal
George Nelson Sofa from Herman Miller's Modular Seating System
By Herman Miller, George Nelson, John Pile
Located in Kalamazoo, MI
Designed by George Nelson Associate John Pile, the 0693 model sofa was part of the Modular Seating
Steel
George Nelson for Herman Miller 3-Piece Modular Sectional Sofa Couch
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Completely restored in black velour fabric. This 3-piece modular sectional sofa allows for a wide
Aluminum
Sold
H 27 in W 90 in D 30 in
Modern George Nelson for Herman Miller Modular Group Sofa with Side Table
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Houston, TX
Modern George Nelson for Herman Miller sofa with a side table for their Modular Group line.
Steel
Sold
H 27 in W 75 in D 30 in
Modern George Nelson Herman Miller Modular Group Sofa with Side Table & Drawers
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Houston, TX
Lovely sofa by George Nelson for Herman Miller as part of their Modular Group line featuring an
Steel
Modular sofa designed by George Nelson
Located in Dallas, TX
A modular sofa with black powdercoated frame and white laminate tables designed by George Nelson
Sold
H 27.96 in W 106.3 in L 27.96 in
Two Modular Sofas with Table and Drawers by George Nelson for Herman Miller, US
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Berlin, DE
modular - the name says it all. Newly upholstered in grey Hallingdal fabric by Kvadrat. The sofas shown in
Chrome
Sold
H 29 in W 72 in D 32 in
George Nelson Herman Miller Steel Frame Modular Sofa and Table for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Jens Risom, George Nelson
Located in Philadelphia, PA
An early 1950s design by George Nelson for Herman Miller. Its features a lower steel frame
Steel
Sold
H 26.5 in W 89 in D 120 in
George Nelson Modular Seating System Sectional in A.Girard Checker Fabric
By George Nelson
Located in Seattle, WA
of Nelson’s Modular System can be found in all shapes and sizes to this day. Sofas, loveseats, chairs
Steel
Sold
H 28 in W 136 in D 30 in
George Nelson for Herman Miller Modular Steel Frame 2-Piece Seating & Table 60s
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
A sleek and minimal modular steel frame 2-piece seating system and tables by George Nelson for
Fabric
George Nelson, Herman Miller 'Modular Seating' Suite
Located in Utrecht, NL
Offered here is a complete sofa group from George Nelson's first edition (1956) 'Modular Seating
Laminate
George Nelson for Herman Miller Modular Seating Unit
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Two piece sectional sofa with end table and ottoman seating on square tubular steel legs in
Stainless Steel
Sold
H 27.56 in W 89.77 in D 29.53 in
Modular System Seating Sofa Set by George Nelson for Herman Miller
By George Nelson
Located in Munich, DE
Sofa set: One sofa 228cm, one sofa with small table attached 152cm and a coffee table. Professional
Modular Sofa Set by George Nelson for Herman Miller, 1968
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Melbourne, VIC
This exceptional modular piece by George Nelson for Herman Miller was produced in 1968. A sectional
Sold
H 27.5 in W 96 in D 30.5 in
George Nelson Modular Group Sofa & Chair in NOS Alexander Girard "Lines" Fabric
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Kansas City, MO
George Nelson for Herman Miller Modular Group sofa and chair reupholstered in new old stock
Steel
Sold
H 28 in W 96 in D 31 in
Steel Frame Sofa, Bench and Coffee Table by George Nelson for Herman Miller
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Kansas City, MO
George Nelson Steel Frame Group modular sofa, coffee table and bench. Rare version with the folding
Steel
George Nelson for Herman Miller Modular Sofa
By George Nelson
Located in Doylestown, PA
A George Nelson steel frame modular sofa in 2 sections with lift out folding seat frames and
Steel
George Nelson Modular Group Sectional Sofa by Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in Highland, IN
The Nelson office developed the modular group for Herman Miller in 1955. A steel chassis supports a
Steel
Sold
H 28 in W 96 in D 31 in
Pair of George Nelson for Herman Miller Steel Frame Sofas / Modular Seating
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Kansas City, MO
Two George Nelson steel frame sofa / seating units. One is four sections (8 feet long) and the
Steel
Sold
H 27 in W 27.5 in D 30.5 in
Mid-Century Modern Don Chadwick Modular or Sectional Sofa Set for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Don Chadwick, George Nelson
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A sculptural modular designed set by Don Chadwick and manufactured by Herman Miller in the early
Sold
H 13 in W 59.45 in D 20.08 in
George Nelson Bench and Coffee Table for Herman Miller Modular Sofa, US, 1950s
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Berlin, DE
Rare original George Nelson bench and coffee table in black leather and two formica tabletops
Chrome
George Nelson Modular Sofa Herman Miller No. 2, 1960s
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Hamminkeln, DE
Beautiful George Nelson modular sofa for Herman Miller, the seats were reupholstered and covered
Metal
George Nelson Modular Group Sofa, Herman Miller, 1956
By George Nelson
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This massive ten foot sofa represents the largest incarnation of George Nelson's 1956, industry
George Nelson Steel Frame Modular Sofa Herman Miller, 1956
By George Nelson
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Sofa designed by George Nelson as part of the modular steel frame group for Herman Miller. The
George Nelson Modular Seating Sofa for Herman Miller 1956
By George Nelson
Located in Maastricht, NL
Excellent condition George Nelson modular seating 3-seater in cream alcantara style high quality
Metal
Long Modular Series Sofa by George Nelson for Herman Miller
By George Nelson
Located in Chicago, IL
Long modular series sofa by George Nelson for Herman Miller professionally restored with new
Steel
George Nelson for Herman Miller Modular Sofa, USA, 1950s
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in Chicago, IL
George Nelson for Herman Miller modular sofa just redone in a wonderful grey maharam wool fabric
Steel
George Nelson for Herman Miller Modular Sofa USA 1950's
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in Chicago, IL
George Nelson for Herman Miller Modular Sofa recently redone in a wonderful Grey Maharam Wool
Steel
George Nelson for Herman Miller Modular Seating 1955
By George Nelson
Located in San Francisco, CA
built in white laminate tables and metal base. George Nelson design for Herman Miller 1955, produced
Sold
H 27 in W 90.5 in D 30 in
Vintage George Nelson Modular Seating Sectional Sofa and Bench Herman Miller
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Salt Lake City, UT
Stunning sectional with bench/ottoman Fabric is in good condition With minor wear from use Very comfortable This can be modulated in various ways to accommodate your space.
George Nelson Modular System for Herman Miller
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Hudson, NY
Three-seat sofa with laminate side table attached. Six square brushed steel legs. Previously
George Nelson Modular Group Sofa. Herman Miller 1956
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This massive 10 foot sofa represents the largest incarnation of Nelson's 1956, industry changing
George Nelson Modular Group Sofa. Herman Miller 1956
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This massive 10 foot sofa represents the largest incarnation of Nelson's 1956, industry changing
Modular Seating System by George Nelson for Herman Miller
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Berlin, DE
Modular seating system by George Nelson for Herman Miller produced from 1956-1978. This six-part
Leather
Sold
H 28 in W 121 in D 30 in
George Nelson for Herman Miller 4 seat Modular Group Sofain Maharam Wool
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in Chicago, IL
An exceptional example of George Nelson's Modular Group Series sofa. This one has been completely
Aluminum, Steel
George Nelson Sofa with Drawers Herman Miller 1956
Located in Brooklyn, NY
George Nelson Modular Group sofa with walnut two-drawer side unit.
Steel
George Nelson Modular Seating Sofa Set by Herman Miller
By Herman Miller
Located in Maastricht, NL
each of these side tables to the side or to make a 4-seater out of the sofa. The Arm Chair with
Metal
Pedestal Desk by George Nelson for Herman Miller, Usa, 1955
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in Barcelona, ES
Pedestal desk designed in 1955 by George Nelson for Herman Miller, USA. Teak wood top with two drawers underneath and polished aluminium bases.
Aluminum
$1,155Sale Price / item|30% Off
H 16.1 in Dm 11.5 in
'Plissé White Edition' Pleated Textile Table Lamp by Folkform for Örsjö
By Örsjö Industri AB
Located in Glendale, CA
'Plissé White Edition' pleated textile table lamp by Folkform for Örsjö. This unique table lamp was awarded “Lighting of the Year 2022” by Residence Magazine Sweden, who called it “...
Textile
$34,000
H 26.5 in W 92.75 in D 32 in
Warren Platner Walnut and Leather Floating Case Sofa for Lehigh Leopold, c. 1970
By Lehigh Leopold, Warren Platner
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This exceptionally rare and highly sought-after collectors piece (with celebrity provenance) is a Warren Platner Executive Leather Case Sofa designed for Lehigh Leopold in circa 1970...
Chrome
$4,979
H 28.75 in W 55.12 in D 15.75 in
1970s Console Table attr. Romeo Rega, Brass, Chrome and Glass, Hollywood Regency
By Romeo Rega
Located in Rosendahl, DE
Romeo Rega attributed console table from the 1970s. Beautiful bi-color chrome and brass console table with a glass top. The piece shows patina on the brass. We can organize fast sh...
Brass, Chrome
$5,400
H 29.5 in W 97 in D 30 in
Danish Mid-Century Kurt Østervig Attributed Large Danish Four-Seat Sofa, 1960's
By Kurt Østervig
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Amazing sofa sleek organic design lines and just the epitome of the best the Danish designers of the 1960s had to offer. Some of these fantastic designs were in many ways the last ho...
Wool, Teak
$22,000
H 100.4 in W 231.5 in D 19.3 in
George Nelson for Herman Miller CSS Modular Wall Unit in Walnut & Aluminum
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Waalwijk, NL
George Nelson for Herman Miller, modular wall unit model 'CSS', walnut, aluminium, glass, United States, 1959 Herman Miller introduced George Nelson’s Comprehensive Storage System (...
Aluminum
$14,000Sale Price|60% Off
H 79.5 in W 84 in D 108.5 in
Vintage 1949 Mid-Century Modern Custom L-Shaped Office Desk by George Nelson
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Lafayette, IN
This remarkable piece is a one-off desk/wardrobe/bar/bookcase/storage cabinet custom-designed by George Nelson in 1949 to match his Basic Cabinet Series (BCS) for Herman Miller. The ...
Aluminum
$2,465Sale Price|20% Off
H 26.78 in W 77.56 in D 34.65 in
Very rare and early Richard Stein Sofa / Daybed for Knoll
By Knoll, Richard Stein
Located in Munich, DE
All original. can be converted to a bed.
Fabric
Sold|$2,450
H 29.625 in W 76 in D 33.625 in
Mid-Century Teak Sofa Bed with Storage Headboard, 1960s Design
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A versatile and functional example of Mid-Century design, this teak sofa bed offers both comfortable seating and convenient storage. Complete with a matching, detached headboard feat...
Teak, Upholstery
$6,995Sale Price|41% Off
H 31 in W 112 in D 33.88 in
Adrian Pearsall 1709-S Style Platform Sofa with Floating Walnut End Tables
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Soaring like a streamlined icon of mid-century modern design, the Adrian Pearsall–style 1709-S platform daybed is a rare marriage of architectural line and functional elegance. With ...
Metal
Milo Baughman Tuxedo Sofa for Thayer Coggin c. 1970s
By Thayer Coggin, Milo Baughman
Located in Saint Louis, MO
A chocolate brown 1970s sofa designed by one of the most iconic Mid Century Modern Designers Milo Baughman and made by Thayer Coggin. Modern. Confident. Elegant. The sofa floats atop...
Upholstery, Wood
$10,500
H 28.5 in W 86 in D 34 in
Expertly Restored - Milo Baughman Rosewood Case Sofa for Thayer Coggin
By Milo Baughman, Thayer Coggin
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we take this journey with passion and precision. With over 17 years of artisanal exper...
Upholstery, Foam, Rosewood
Milo Baughman Style Mid Century Danish Rosewood Case Sofa
By Milo Baughman
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Milo Baughman Style Mid Century Danish Rosewood Case Sofa This sofa measures: 81.5 wide x 32.5 deep x 27 inches high, with a seat height of 15 and arm height of 26 inches All piece...
Chrome
Mawu Chair in Snow by Laura Gonzalez
By laura gonzalez
Located in Paris, FR
Original chair in golden oak, satin finish. Flared legs, backrest and seat upholstered in a textured cream fabric by Dedar.
Oak, Fabric, Bouclé
$10,900Sale Price|29% Off
H 27.25 in W 71 in D 27.25 in
Early Year LC2 Black Leather Three-Seat Sofa by Le Corbusier for Cassina, Signed
By Pierre Jeanneret, Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This incredibly comfortable Le Corbusier for Cassina 'LC2' three-seat sofa (authentic signed and earlier year production example with low number production number stamped on the fram...
Steel
$8,895
H 32.5 in W 108 in D 33 in
Adrian Pearsall Sofa with Travertine Side Tables for Craft Associates
By Craft Associates, Adrian Pearsall
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we take this journey with passion and precision. With over 17 years of artisanal exper...
Upholstery, Foam, Wood
Architect, designer, and writer George Nelson was a central figure in the mid-century American modernist design movement; and his thoughts influenced not only the furniture we live with, but also how we live.
Nelson came to design via journalism and literature. Upon receiving his bachelor’s degree in architecture from Yale in 1931, he won the Prix de Rome fellowship, and spent his time in Europe writing magazine articles that helped bring stateside recognition to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Gio Ponti, Le Corbusier and other canonical modernist architects.
In the 1940s, Nelson wrote texts that suggested such now-commonplace ideas as open-plan houses, storage walls and family rooms. D.J. De Pree, the owner of the furniture maker Herman Miller, was so impressed by Nelson that in 1944 — following the sudden death of Gilbert Rohde, who had introduced the firm to modern design in the 1930s — he invited Nelson to join the company as its design director. There Nelson’s curatorial design talents came to the fore.
To Herman Miller he brought such eminent creators as Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi, and the textile and furniture designer Alexander Girard. Thanks to a clever contract, at the same time as he directed Herman Miller he formed a New York design company, George Nelson & Associates, that sold furniture designs to the Michigan firm. Nelson's studio also sold designs for clocks to the Howard Miller Clock Company, a manufacturer that was initially part of Herman Miller before it became an offshoot that was helmed by Howard Miller, D.J. De Pree's brother-in-law.
Nelson’s New York team of designers (who were rarely individually credited) would create such iconic pieces as the Marshmallow sofa, the Coconut chair, the Ball clock, the Bubble lamp series and the many cabinets and beds that comprise the sleek Thin-Edge line.
For dedicated collectors, as well as for interior designers who look beyond “the look,” there is a “cool factor” inherent to vintage pieces from George Nelson and others. Nelson was in on it from the start, and it’s valuable to have a piece that was there with him.
But still, as is evident from the offerings from dealers on 1stDibs, in any of the designs, in any iteration whose manufacture Nelson oversaw and encouraged, there are shining elements of lightness, elegance, sophistication — and a little bit of swagger. George Nelson felt confident in his ideas about design and didn’t mind letting the world know.
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.