Lloyd Loom Lusty chair
By Lloyd Loom
Located in Castle Douglas, GB
Lloyd Loom Lusty chair The Lloyd loom or weave is made from craft paper woven onto wire.
Category
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Wire
Mid Century Wire Chairs
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105
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13
10
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Charles Eames Wire Chairs with Bikini Cover on Eiffel Base's
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Buffalo, NY
Classic pair Eames wire chairs on a black Eiffel base with the bikini covers for Herman Miller, Naugahyde bikini tops missing elastic connectors, nice early pair.
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
Materials
Steel
Five Harry Bertoia Chrome Wire Dining Chairs by Knoll
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in San Mateo, CA
Set of five Harry Bertoia side chairs manufactured by Knoll. These chairs date to around 1970. They have a chrome finish. The chairs have black vinyl seat pads. The pads are Knoll re...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Chrome
Warren Platner Bronze Wire Easy Chair for Knoll International, c 1966, Signed
$9,500Sale Price|20% Off
Warren Platner Bronze Wire Easy Chair for Knoll International, c 1966, Signed
By Warren Platner, Knoll
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This iconic high-back lounge chair, often affectionately referred as the 'Throne' chair represents one of the most sculptural and luxurious seating designs of the Mid-Century Modern ...
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Bronze
set of 4 Italian Wire Chairs, Chrome & Metallic Thread, 1974
Located in Zevenaar, NL
Set of 4 vintage wire chairs Beautiful minimalist design, the chairs create a unique sense of space. The chairs are very comfortable thanks to their ergonomic shape and cantilever ...
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Chrome, Metallic Thread
Pastoe "Sm05" Black Wire Chair by Cees Braakman, Netherlands 1960
By Harry Bertoia, Pastoe, Cees Braakman, Knoll
Located in DE MEERN, NL
PASTOE "SM05" BLACK WIRE CHAIR BY CEES BRAAKMAN, NETHERLANDS 1960S The PASTOE SM05 black wire chair by renowned Dutch designer Cees Braakman is a mid-century modern masterpiece that...
Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Metal, Metallic Thread
Mid-Century Modern Eames Rkr Rocking Accent Chair 1st Generation
$2,956Sale Price|20% Off
Mid-Century Modern Eames Rkr Rocking Accent Chair 1st Generation
Located in Seattle, WA
Mid-Century Modern Eames RKR wire rocking chair features orange bikini pads for Herman Miller.
Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Materials
Metal
Russell Woodard Sculptura Wire Armchair in the Style of Eames (B)
By Russell Woodard
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A wire and iron molded and welded Sculptura armchair in the style of Eames with foot pads and in a satin black finish. Great for a three seasons room, deck, porch or that cozy garden...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Metal, Wire
Kembo Inspired Wire Frame Side or Dining Chairs with Original Vinyl
By Kembo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage side or dining chairs with gray metal wire frame and original red vinyl seats and backrests. In original condition with visible wear, such as enamel loss, scratches, dents et...
Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Metal
Black Wire Dining Chair with Beautiful Curves and Elegant Silhouet, circa 1960
Located in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NL
This chair is part of the private collection of Casey Godrie and is situated in his private house. Ask him for competitive shipping quotes. His incredible Dune Villa, Amsterdam Beac...
Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
Materials
Metal
Rare Verner Panton Wire Cone Chair, Model K2, First Year Production, 1959
By Verner Panton
Located in Kansas City, MO
This example is from the first year of production as noted by the rounded feet (later productions feature enlongated black feet). Chair retains original upholstery. Overall example h...
Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Steel
Set of 4 Vintage Italian Wire Chairs, Chrome & Metallic Thread, 1974
Located in Zevenaar, NL
Set of 4 vintage wire chairs Beautiful minimalist design, the chairs create a unique sense of space. The chairs are very comfortable thanks to their ergonomic shape and cantilever ...
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Chrome, Metallic Thread
Pkw-2 Pivoting K-Wire Wood Base Side Chair, Eames Herman Miller, Bikini, Seng
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Hyères, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
eames‘ chairs are so common and widespread today that you’ve actually seen them far too often. but there are some versions that are a bit more special – making them collector’s items...
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Materials
Metal
Authentic 1960's Harry Bertoia for Knoll Bird Lounge Chair in Black Metal Wire
By Harry Bertoia
Located in Bedford Hills, NY
An icon of 20th-century furniture, the Bird Chair (Model 423LU) is crafted from bent and welded steel rods in a black powder-coated finish. Its organic, high-backed form is designed ...
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Metal
Set of 6 Harry Bertoia for Knoll International Black Wire Dining Chairs, 1970s
$2,240Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 6 Harry Bertoia for Knoll International Black Wire Dining Chairs, 1970s
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This set of six wire dining chairs, designed by Harry Bertoia for Knoll, represents one of the most iconic and enduring designs of mid-century modern furniture.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Metal
Pair of 1950s Pastoe wire chairs by Cees Braakman and Adriaan Dekker
By Adriaan Dekker, Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Baambrugge, NL
A pair of rare, 1950s, metal wire chairs designed by Cees Braakman and Adriaan Dekker for UMS Pastoe in the color white with black base. Early edition, 1957. A derivative of Pastoe’s...
Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Metal
White Bertoia Steel Wire Side Chair With "X" Base by Knoll, Set of 6
$3,864Sale Price / set|20% Off
White Bertoia Steel Wire Side Chair With "X" Base by Knoll, Set of 6
By Knoll
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Set of 6 original 1950s white steel wire Bertoia side chairs with "X" base by Knoll. Hans and Florence Knoll never insisted that Harry Bertoia design furniture when they originally ...
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
Materials
Steel
1st Generation Eames RKR Wire Mesh Rocker by Herman Miller 1951
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Detroit, MI
Charles and Ray Eames designed their fiberglass and wire chairs to be fitted with a wide variety of bases to offer a range of heights, uses, and aesthetics. One of the most desirable...
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Set of 4 Eames Wire Chairs for Herman Miller with Original Girard Bikini Seats
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Dronten, NL
Why They Stand Out The Eames Wire Chair is a mid-century modern design icon, and examples with their original Girard Bikini pads are rare and highly sought after by collectors.
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Steel
Wire Steel Light Blue Bench Settee 'Astoria' Sonett, Karl Fostel, Austria, 1950s
By Karl Fostel Sen’s Erben
Located in Hausmannstätten, AT
A settee model 'Astoria' from the 'SONETT' series designed by J.O.Wladar & V. Mödlhammer and manufactured by Karl Fostel Sen.'s Erben, Austria, manufactured in midcentury, circa 1950...
Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal, Steel
Set of Four Eames for Herman Miller Black DKR Wire Chairs on Eiffel Bases
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Ferndale, MI
Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller DKR wire chairs on Eiffel tower bases. All four chairs have been refinished in a correct tone matte black powder coat. Three chairs have origi...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Steel
Original 1960's Herman Miller Charles & Ray Eames Bikini Wire Chairs set of 4
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Set of 4 Herman Miller "Bikini" chairs in factory white with aluminum bases and dark green vinyl cover. Circa early 1960's. Well loved and cared for. One has been reweld repaired and...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Aluminum, Iron
Set of Six Wire Chairs by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller, 1970s
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Bastia Umbra, IT
Set of Six Wire Chairs by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller, Made in Italy, 1970s. Very elegant Set of Six Wire Chairs in black lacquered metal with ORIGINAL red fabric. The four...
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Harry Bertoia Early and Rare 'Pre-Production' Small Diamond Chair for Knoll
By Harry Bertoia
Located in Cincinnati, OH
Early production small diamond chair with a very usual double wire seat configuration, the typical wire structure is in place but an additional larger spaced wire seat frame is attac...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Wire
Mid Century Silver Diamond Wire Lounge Chair by Harry Bertoia for Knoll
By Harry Bertoia, Knoll
Located in Detroit, MI
This vintage mid century modern diamond wire lounge chair designed by Harry Bertoia (American, 1915-1978) for Knoll is circa 1970.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Materials
Steel, Wire
1970s Slope Wrought Iron and Steel Mesh Lounge Chairs, a Pair
By BoConcept
Located in Germantown, MD
Comfortable, close to maintenance-free and with a style punch to accompany it, this BoConcept Style outdoor furniture is the perfect setting for great outdoor moments. With a light, ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Iron, Wire
Vintage White Metal Wire Patio Garden Chairs Mid-Century Sled Base-Pair
Located in High Point, NC
A delightful pair of vintage Mid-Century Modern welded-wire patio chairs, each with a wonderfully airy silhouette and beautifully timeworn white finish.
Category
Vintage 1960s European Industrial Patio and Garden Furniture
Materials
Metal, Wire
Original Eames DKX-1 Side Chair in Orange Leather for Herman Miller, 1960s
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Aramits, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Charles and Ray Eames side chair DKX-1 in orange leather for Herman Miller, circa 1960s. The chair is in very good vintage condition, no damage to the leather, very solid chair.
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
Materials
Wire
Mid 20th Century Modern Open Metal Wire Dining Table and Chairs, Set of 5
Located in Monrovia, CA
Vintage Mid-Century Modern 5 Piece Open Metal Wire Cone dining set In The Style Or Likeness of Verner Panton.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets
Materials
Stone, Wire
Mid century modern wire chair, armchair, red painted steel, Sweden, 1960s
By Harry Bertoia
Located in Forserum, SE
A modernist wire armchair crafted from robust steel wire painted in a deep red color. The chair is constructed from a sled shaped base holding a sculptural wire seat. The base can be...
Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Materials
Steel
Patty deGrandpre"Connect for Sound", Abstract, Mid Century Modern Chair, Wires, Red, Monoprint, 2022
$600
"Connect for Sound", Abstract, Mid Century Modern Chair, Wires, Red, Monoprint
By Patty deGrandpre
Located in Franklin, MA
Deconstructed and cropped images of a turntable, a cassette tape, and a mid century modern chair are represented on 12 x 12 inch Red River photo paper in vivid hues of pink, blue and...
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Prints
Materials
Paper, Color, Digital
Set of Two (2) Mid Century Modern Iron Wire Swiveling Patio Chairs, c. 1960's
Located in Deland, FL
Constructed from steel wire this set of two period patio chairs boast the original plaid outdoor cushions. Use these in a sunroom, patio or in your interior if desired. The set swive...
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
Materials
Metal
Swedish Mid-Century Brio Ferie Cantilever Patio Chair, 1960s
By BRIO - Bröderna Ivarsson i Osby
Located in Los Angeles, CA
White painted tubular metal cantilever armchair from the Brio Ferie outdoor line, attributed to the Swedish Brio company, 1960s. The frame forms a continuous cantilever loop from fro...
Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
Materials
Metal, Wire
Vintage Russell Woodard (attr) Wire Patio Spring Chair Unsigned C1960
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Russell Woodard (attr) Wire Patio Spring Chair Unsigned C1960
Located in Big Flats, NY
This is a vintage Russell Woodard (attr) wire mesh spring lounge chair, dating to approximately the 1960s.
Category
Mid-20th Century Patio and Garden Furniture
Materials
Metal
Childs Size Wire Chair by Harry Bertoia for Knoll
$384Sale Price|20% Off
Childs Size Wire Chair by Harry Bertoia for Knoll
By Harry Bertoia, Knoll
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A staple design from famous designer Harry Bertoia for Knoll. A child’s Size wire side chair. Great for indoor or outdoor use. Your kid will definitely have the coolest chair on the ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Children's Furniture
Materials
Metal
Single French White Painted Iron Wire Tub Back Patio Chair
Located in Clifton Forge, VA
This is the sweetest French wire tub back chair with a wonderful aged paint finish, fantastic lines and scroll feet. The iron work is extremely well done but there is some paint loss...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Art Nouveau Patio and Garden Furniture
Materials
Wrought Iron
White Bertoia Steel Wire Side Chair with Sled Base by Knoll
$1,120Sale Price / set|20% Off
White Bertoia Steel Wire Side Chair with Sled Base by Knoll
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in Van Nuys, CA
This is a classic pair of Harry Bertoia Side Chairs, originally designed in 1952 for Knoll, it comes in white with sled base. The chair is crafted from welded steel rods, creating a ...
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Materials
Steel
5 Piece Vintage Russell Woodard Wire Patio Set: 1 Table & 4 Chairs, c1960
$2,760Sale Price|20% Off
5 Piece Vintage Russell Woodard Wire Patio Set: 1 Table & 4 Chairs, c1960
Located in Big Flats, NY
This set includes an octagonal table and four Sculptura-style chairs, all crafted from white-painted wire mesh.
Category
Mid-20th Century Patio and Garden Furniture
Materials
Metal
Pair Tempestini Style Black Wrought Iron & Expanded Wire Lounge Chairs, 1950's
By Maurizio Tempestini
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Pair of Sculptural Black Wrought Iron and Wire Lounge Chairs. Lanai Chairs. Patio Chairs. In the style of Maurizio Tempestini and Van Keppel-Green. Featuring sturdy, wrought iron fr...
Category
Vintage 1960s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
Materials
Iron, Wrought Iron
Pair of Wire-Brushed Oak and Leather Arm Chairs after Jean-Michel Frank
By Jean-Michel Frank
Located in Shippensburg, PA
PAIR OF "BRIDGE METTEUR EN SCENE" (1932) WIRE-BRUSHED OAK AND SADDLE-LEATHER ARM CHAIRS AFTER JEAN-MICHEL FRANK Unmarked Circa third quarter of the 20th century brand new artisan-m...
Category
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Materials
Steel
Woodard Black Wrought Iron & Wire Cafe Set with Round Table & Two Dining Chairs
By Russell Woodard
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Smaller Russell Lee Woodward Black Wrought Iron & Wire Mesh Cafe Set with Dining Table and Pair of "Sculptura" Chairs. Patio. Terrace. Balcony. Porch. Featuring circular original...
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
Materials
Metal, Iron
Set of Two Rare Black Wire Easy Chairs with Wooden Armrests, circa 1960
Located in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NL
This chair is part of the private collection of Casey Godrie and is situated in his private house. Ask him for competitive shipping quotes. His incredible Dune Villa, Amsterdam Beac...
Category
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Materials
Metal
John Risley Sculptural Patio Set with Two Lady Chairs and Wire Tulip Table 1960s
By John Risley
Located in Dallas, TX
Two solid steel lady chairs by mid-century sculptor John Risley (1919-2002). Handmade in his studio in Middletown, Ct circa 1960. Freshly powder-coated in a Calder red finish and r...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
Materials
Steel
Pair of Faux Bois Chairs
$3,180Sale Price|20% Off
Pair of Faux Bois Chairs
Located in Faversham, GB
A wonderful pair of Faux Bois garden chairs with foliage and branch detailing. Each seat displays a high back with splayed legs and diagonal elongated branch stretchers. This pair ...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
Materials
Cast Stone, Concrete, Wire
1950s Pair of Yellow "Sculptura" Collection Chairs by Russell Woodard
Located in Turners Falls, MA
Pair of "Sculptura" Collection Chairs by Russell Woodard. These organically shaped wire mesh chairs are from the iconic mid century classic collection that was designed by Woodard i...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
Materials
Wire
Woodard Sculptura Sofa and Chair, Professionally Restored
By John Woodard, Woodard Furniture Co.
Located in Kansas City, MO
Often attributed to Russell Woodard, the Sculptura line was designed by John Woodard. This is the full size sofa and high back chair. Professionally sand blasted and powder coated. N...
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
Materials
Wrought Iron, Wire
Vintage Warren Platner Lounge Chairs and Table for Knoll
By Warren Platner
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Pair of lounge chairs and table designed by Warren Platner, circa 1970s. A Stunning set in original upholstery.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues
Materials
Wire
Pair of Russell Woodard Style Black Wrought Iron Linai Lounge Chairs, 1960's
By Russell Woodard
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Pair of Russell Woodard Style black enamel Wrought Iron Linai Armchairs. Featuring rugged, balanced frameworks, handcrafted in black enameled wrought iron, with comfortable woven wir...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
Materials
Wrought Iron, Wire
1 Salterini Peacock Wrought Iron Arm Chair
$1,050Sale Price|25% Off
1 Salterini Peacock Wrought Iron Arm Chair
By John Salterini
Located in Pasadena, TX
1 Salterini Peacock Wrought Iron Chair John Salterini vintage midcentury wrought iron wire peacock chair. Victorian style chair designed with a back pattern reminiscent of a peacoc...
Category
Mid-20th Century North American Rustic Armchairs
Materials
Wrought Iron
- 1
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Mid Century Wire Chairs For Sale on 1stDibs
At 1stDibs, there are several options of mid century wire chairs available for sale. Each of these unique mid century wire chairs was constructed with extraordinary care, often using metal, fabric and steel. We have 291 antique and vintage mid century wire chairs in-stock, while there are 20 modern editions to choose from as well. Mid century wire chairs have been made for many years, and versions that date back to the 20th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century. There are many kinds of mid century wire chairs to choose from, but at 1stDibs, Mid-Century Modern, Modern and Neoclassical mid century wire chairs are of considerable interest. Mid century wire chairs have been a part of the life’s work for many furniture makers, but those produced by Harry Bertoia, Charles and Ray Eames and Knoll are consistently popular.
How Much are Mid Century Wire Chairs?
The average selling price for at 1stDibs is $1,809, while they’re typically $250 on the low end and $23,920 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
- Eames lounge chair
- Nelson daybed
- Florence Knoll sofa
- Egg chair
- Womb chair
- Noguchi coffee table
- Barcelona chair
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 Seating for You
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.
Read More
How Top Designers Are Using Mid-Century Chairs in Today’s Interiors
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The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair Shook Modernism and Charmed Hollywood
The enduring appeal of the Barcelona chair is in the details.
Herman Miller Got Its Start in the Office, but Its Legacy Is in the Home
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.
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