Mid Century Modern Cedar Lined Hope Chest w/ Brass Pulls One Bottom Drawer
By Lane Furniture
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Nice one drawer cedar hope chest.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Mahogany, Cedar
Midcentury Cabinet Pulls
to
19
215
214
99
26
23
13
8
5
4
2
2
2
2
1
13
9
8
7
6
Vintage Ten Drawer Dresser Debonaire Cabinet with Brass X Pulls by Paul Frankl
By Paul Frankl, Johnson Furniture Company
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Iconic, sophisticated debonaire cabinet/dresser (Model 1031-B) designed by Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture (ca. 1950, USA). Crafted from solid pearwood and finished with elegant "X...
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Brass
Paul Frankl for Johnson Brass X Pulls High Chest of Drawers Dresser Cabinet
By Paul Frankl, John Stuart Inc.
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Paul Frankl for Johnson Brass X Pulls high chest of drawers dresser cabinet.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Brass
John Stuart Honey Amber Maple High Chest 6 Drawers Dresser Cabinet Wooden Pulls
By Johnson Furniture Company, Paul Frankl
Located in Rockaway, NJ
John Stuart Honey amber maple high chest 6 drawers dresser cabinet wooden pulls. Desing attributed to Paul Frankl manufactured by Jonson Furniture Company. Retailed by John Stuart. ...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Brass
Kittinger Mid Century Modern Heavy Solid Drop Pulls Bachelor 3 Drawer Chest MINT
By Kittinger, Tommi Parzinger
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Kittinger Mid Century Modern Heavy Solid Drop Pulls Bachelor 3 Drawer Chest MINT Outstanding design and craftsmanship cabinet.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Brass
Mid Century Bachelor Chest in Cerused Oak with Brass Pulls C 1950's
By Raymond Lowey, Mengel Furniture Co.
Located in New York, NY
Sophisticated mid century bachelor chest, in original cerused oak finish, with recessed brass pulls. This chest has three deep drawers, it is in very good, clean, original, ready to...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Brass
Cedar Drawer W/ Lid Mid-Century Modern Burl High Chest Dresser Sculptured Pulls
By Paul McCobb, Metropolitan
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Cedar drawer w/ lid Mid-Century Modern burl high chest dresser sculptured pulls. Honey-amber tone burl wood grain. Mint condition.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Maple
Flip Top Drop Brass Pulls 3 Drawers Two Door Compartment Server Cabinet on Wheel
By Century Furniture
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Flip Top Drop Brass Pulls 3 Drawers Two Door Compartment Server Credenza Bar Liquor Cabinet on Wheels MINT!
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Materials
Brass
Mid-Century Modern 7 Drawers Brass Drop Pulls Long Walnut Dresser Credenza Mint!
By Drexel, Kindel Furniture
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Kindel Mid-Century Modern 7 Drawers Brass Drop Pulls Long Walnut Dresser Credenza MINT!
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Brass
Mid Century 6 Drawers Walnut High Chest Dresser W/ Porcelain Ball Pulls Mint!
By Drexel, Kipp Stewart
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid century 6 drawers walnut high chest dresser W/ Porcelain ball pulls mint!
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Porcelain, Walnut
X Pulls Mid Century Modern High Chest Dresser Greek Key Style Feet
By Paul Frankl
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Burl wood high chest with Greek key style feet.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Wood
Campaign Style 6 Drawers Brass Drop Pulls Mid-Century Modern Bachelor Chest Mint
By Drexel, Heritage-Henredon
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Campaign style 6 drawers brass drop pulls Mid-Century Modern bachelor chest mint. Glass reverse gold gilt top decorative brass bezel.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Brass
Three Pcs Mid-Century Modern Oiled Walnut Chest Dresser Credenza w/ Waive Pulls
By George Nelson, Paul McCobb
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-Century Modern 3 pieces dresser consisting of two paired individual cabinets resting on tapered dowel legs bench. Attributed to McCobb Nelson influence. Stunning lightly refinish...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Walnut
Johnson John Stuart Mid Century Modern Walnut High Chest Dresser Brass Pull MINT
By John Stuart, Johnson Furniture Co.
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Very nice mid-century modern walnut dresser high chest by Johnson for John Stuart.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Brass
Vintage Drexel Brass Pull Dresser
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This impressive credenza by the esteemed Drexel Furniture Company offers a masterclass in the refined intersection of Mid-Century Modern and Campaign-style design. Crafted with a bea...
Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Brass
Mid-Century Modern Walnut Drop-Front Dry Bar Cabinet with Shelving
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Below, two sliding doors conceal a spacious storage area with a wide shelf, offering versatile room for bar essentials while maintaining the cabinet’s streamlined mid-century profile...
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Aluminum
Mid Century 3 Drawer Side Table Chest in Walnut with Brass Hourglass Pulls 1960s
By Harvey Probber
Located in Troy, MI
Petite side table or chest of drawers in the style of Harvey Probber USA circa 1960's Three drawer design in Walnut with alternating grain patterns across the drawer fronts Resting...
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Brass
Satinwood Brass Pulls Dresser Credenza
By Baker Furniture Company, Drexel
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-Century Modern credenza with Horn tone finish. Nice solid brass pulls.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Materials
Brass
English Pair Black & Gold Side Chests w/Pull Out Shelf, Mid 20th C.
Located in Atlanta, GA
An English pair of petite five-drawer painted wood sides chests from the mid 20th century. This mid-century pair of smaller sized chests from England each have a rectangular-shaped t...
Category
Mid-20th Century English Cabinets
Materials
Metal
Tall Highboy Light Walnut Multi-Drawer Cabinet Sliding Leather Doors Brass Pulls
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-Century Modern tall highboy gentleman's chest or bachelor chest. Medium to light walnut finish. Pull out desk or sorting table flip top compartment. Exposed tapered dowel shape l...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Walnut
Hardwood Dresser with Custom Brass Pulls
$8,745 / item
Hardwood Dresser with Custom Brass Pulls
By Semigood Design
Located in Issaquah, WA
Hardwood dresser with custom drawer pulls. The custom brass pull is inspired by nature, the California Quail topknot. The tapering cabinet sides create a unique and beautiful visual ...
Category
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Brass
Jerome 'Jerry' & Evelyn Ackerman Micro-Mosaic Inlaid Desk Drawer Handle Pull
By Evelyn & Jerome Ackerman
Located in Studio City, CA
A fantastic little micro-mosaic design gem with orange colored mosaic inlay by well know Mid-Century Modern designers Jerome (Jerry) & Evelyn Ackerman. The Ackermans began the...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks
Materials
Metal
Jerome 'Jerry' & Evelyn Ackerman Micro-Mosaic Inlaid Desk Drawer Handle Pull
By Evelyn & Jerome Ackerman
Located in Studio City, CA
A fantastic little micro-mosaic design gem with turquose colored mosaic inlay by well know Mid-Century Modern designers Jerome (Jerry) & Evelyn Ackerman. The Ackermans began t...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks
Materials
Metal
Vintage Serpentine Commode w/Rococo Pulls
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French-style carved-wood serpentine commode with three drawers, from the mid 20th century. This mid-century chest, likely American, but designed with French influences, has a serpe...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Wood
Midcentury Modern solid Oak wood Hide-a-Bar cabinet with pull out tray and brass
By Esvee, Esvee
Located in Hyderabad, TG
Suave is a hide-a-bar cabinet handcrafted entirely in American Oak wood with brass inlay and details. You can use it as a standalone piece of furniture for everyday living. But when ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Brass
Burl Wood Walnut Brass Hardware Pulls Art Deco Dresser Cabinet Chest of Drawers
By Gilbert Rohde
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-Century Modern Art Deco burl wood walnut dresser with brass pulls.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Brass
Johannes Andersen Teak Credenza with Sculpted Pulls
By Johannes Andersen, Uldum Møbelfabrik
Located in Oakland, CA
Danish teak credenza designed by Johannes Andersen for Uldum Møbelfabrik, 1955, Denmark. This finely crafted cabinet, made of teak with mitered corners, features tambour doors with s...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Credenzas
Materials
Teak
15 Drawer Mahogany Carlton House Desk with Solid Brass Pulls
Located in Milford, NH
A fine mahogany Carlton House desk with 12 fitted drawers in the upper case over three fitted frieze drawers below the writing surface. Each drawer has crotched mahogany veneer front...
Category
Mid-20th Century Desks
Materials
Brass
Grosfeld House Dressers with Pepe Mendoza Pulls, signed
By Grosfeld House, Pepe Mendoza
Located in New York, NY
Pair of matte finished ebonized mahogany cabinets by Grosfeld House of New York with large Pepe Mendoza bronze pulls with blue and green enamel. Cabinets have two doors which conceal...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Bronze
Stunning Frank Kyle Drawer with Pepe Mendoza Pulls
By Frank Kyle, Pepe Mendoza
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
If you are searching for a piece that represents the most iconic and amazing Mexican Modernist era, we have for you this stunning and rare Frank Kyle Drawer, custom made in México ci...
Category
Vintage 1950s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Materials
Brass
Jens Risom Credenza with Y-Shaped Drawer Pulls
$4,560Sale Price|22% Off
Jens Risom Credenza with Y-Shaped Drawer Pulls
By Jens Risom
Located in Pasadena, TX
A rare and unique vintage Jens Risom credenza, this particular piece has y-shaped metal pulls, six regular drawers, one partitioned drawer, a filing drawer and a shelved cabinet. An ...
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Materials
Walnut
Danish Modern High Sideboard in Teak With Rolled Pulls
Located in Berkeley, CA
Origin: Denmark Designer: Unknown Manufacturer: Unknown Era: 1960s Materials: Teak Measurements: 71″ wide x 18″ deep x 43.5″ tall
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Materials
Teak
Ebonised Black Lacquer Double Dresser with Brass Pulls
By Richardson Brothers, Lawrence Peabody
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-Century Modern black lacquer ebonized compact double dresser credenza bachelor chest.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Materials
Oak
Dorothy Draper 3 Drawers Dresser Chest w/ Ring Pulls
By Dorothy Draper
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Dorothy Draper 3 Drawers Dresser Chest w/ Ring Pulls
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Brass
Henredon Horse Shoe Shape Heavy Brass Pulls Double Dresser
By Heritage-Henredon
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Henredon Mid-Century Modern decorative brass pulls double long dresser credenza.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Walnut
Walnut Veneer 4-Drawer Chest, Nickel Pulls, France, 1940’s
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Walnut Veneer 4-Drawer Chest, Nickel Pulls, France, 1940’s H: 36.5 D: 15.75 W: 35 in.
Category
Vintage 1940s French Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Nickel
Lacquered Wood Sideboard with Large Brass Front Pulls
Located in New York, NY
Lacquered wood sideboard with large brass front pulls.
Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Materials
Brass
Mid Century Rougier 9 Drawer Walnut Dresser
By Edition Rougier
Located in Pasadena, TX
This dresser has 9 drawers and a plinth base. It was made by Rougier in the mid century period. The pulls are rosewood. and the plinth base is black lacquered.
Category
Mid-20th Century Canadian Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Walnut
Vintage Mastercraft Credenza Sideboard 1970s Burl Wood & Brass Tassel Pulls
By Mastercraft
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Vintage 1970s Mastercraft credenza sideboard buffet cabinet, burl wood burlwood & brass. Large brass hinges and tassel pulls. Shelf and drawers as shown. This has been cleaned and po...
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Materials
Brass
Antique American Empire Classical Flame Mahogany Sideboard, Bronze Pulls, c1840
$2,360Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American Empire Classical Flame Mahogany Sideboard, Bronze Pulls, c1840
Located in Big Flats, NY
An exquisite American Empire Classical sideboard, crafted from flame mahogany around 1840, exemplifies the refined aesthetics of early 19th-century American furniture. This substanti...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Sideboards
Materials
Mahogany
George Nelson for Herman Miller Walnut Highboy Dresser with Cupcake Pulls
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Franklin Park, IL
George Nelson for Herman Miller Mid Century Walnut Highboy Dresser with Cupcake Pulls This highboy measures: 40 wide x 18.5 deep x 39.75 inches high Good Vintage Condition - Top an...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Walnut
Custom Tommi Parzinger Mahogany Chests with Brass Pulls, 1960s
By Tommi Parzinger
Located in New York, NY
Custom ordered pair chest of drawers in solid mahogany with iconic brass pulls all designed by Tommi Parzinger/Parzinger originals. Each chest has four ample drawers and two half dra...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Brass
Sculptural Carved Pulls Walnut Multi Drawer Gentelmen's High Chest
By Craft Associates, Adrian Pearsall
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Very nice mid century modern walnut high chest or dresser.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Walnut
Table Top Jewelry Chest, Walnut, Brass Pulls Edward Wormley for Dunbar, Signed
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Kansas City, MO
Rare table top jewelry case / cabinet designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar. Signed with the brass Dunbar metal tag. Walnut case and brass pulls. Two drawers with dividers. Completel...
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Materials
Brass
Brazilian Rosewood Sideboard / Bar with Pull-Out Trays by Ando — Brazil, 1950s
Located in New York, NY
Carefully refinished to highlight the wood’s natural veining and tonal variation, the surface presents a refined satin finish consistent with high-quality Brazilian mid-century craft...
Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Materials
Brass
Pair of Walnut Solid Brass Pulls Mid-Century Modern Nightstands Cabinets MINT!
By Harvey Probber, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Pair of walnut hammered solid brass pulls one drawer two door compartment Mid-Century Modern nightstands cabinets MINT!.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
Materials
Brass
California Modern Walnut Dresser with Tulip Style Pulls by Milo Baughman
By Glenn of California, Milo Baughman
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Materials Walnut Wood, Steel Pull Handles ________________________________ Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we take thi...
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Steel
Expertly Restored - Danish Modern 9-Drawer Teak Dresser with Steel Pulls
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Materials Teak Wood, Steel Handles ________________________________________ Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we take th...
Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Steel
John Keal Walnut Dresser with Metal Accent Pulls for Brown Saltman
By Brown Saltman, John Keal
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Materials Walnut Wood, Aluminum Pulls, Brass Sabots ________________________________________ Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to li...
Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Aluminum, Brass
USM Haller 2x3 Record Console, Silver, Pull-Out Trays + 2 Soft-Close Doors, 1960
By Usm Haller
Located in Chattanooga, TN
This USM Haller 2x3 console is presented in excellent pre-owned condition, embodying the iconic modular design that has defined Swiss modernism since its creation in the 1960s. This ...
Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Materials
Steel, Chrome
Large Rosewood Executive Desk, Jens Risom, Y Pulls, 1960's
$6,600Sale Price|20% Off
Large Rosewood Executive Desk, Jens Risom, Y Pulls, 1960's
By Jens Risom
Located in Culver City, CA
This desk doesn’t whisper mid-century sophistication; it growls it through a cloud of cigar smoke and a well-poured glass of whisky. Designed by Jens Risom, this executive desk in ri...
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks
Materials
Steel
Mid Century Modular Rosewood sideboard, Circa 1960
Located in Pasadena, CA
Large mid century rosewood veneer with 4 pull out drawers in the middle of sideboard accompanied by a large lockable flip top area and two sliding doors on the left. Very versatile p...
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Materials
Rosewood
T. H. Robsjohn Gibbings for Widdicomb Black Lacquer Chest with Solid Brass Pulls
By Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings
Located in Dallas, TX
This is a classic and quite substantial piece, expertly black lacquered to highlight its mid-century sophistication. The pulls are solid brass, meticulously polished and sealed to en...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Brass
STANLEY WALNUT & Iron Hutch / DIVIDER / WALL UNIT. Spade HAND Pulls
By Distinctive Furniture By Stanley
Located in Buffalo, NY
Epic and rare two-tier Hutch credenza/ wall unit / bar cabinet from the Heritage Collection for Stanley Distinctive Furniture circa 1960s. Made of walnut with ebonized details throug...
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Materials
Brass, Iron
Set of 10 Paul Frankl “X” Metal Drawer Pulls Handles, Keeler Brass, 1950s
By Paul Frankl, Johnson Furniture Co.
Located in East Quogue, NY
Complete, documented sets of this size and provenance are increasingly scarce. Paul Frankl drawer pulls, Paul Frankl X hardware, Frankl Emissary dresser pulls, Keeler Brass K 7389, ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Metal
Modernist 6 Drawer Dresser with Sculpted Drawer Pulls by Edmond J. Spence
Located in Buffalo, NY
American modern lowboy dresser with six dovetailed drawers and sculpted pulls. A mid-century modern beauty with a distinctive profile by American designer Edmond J. Spence. Spence's ...
Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Birch
Pair of White Lacquer Brass Pulls High Chest Stands
By T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Very nice pair of small white lacquer bachelor chests.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Brass
- 1
Get Updated with New Arrivals
Save "Midcentury Cabinet Pulls", and we’ll notify you when there are new listings in this category.
Midcentury Cabinet Pulls For Sale on 1stDibs
An assortment of midcentury cabinet pulls is available at 1stDibs. Each of these unique midcentury cabinet pulls was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, metal and brass. Find 411 antique and vintage midcentury cabinet pulls at 1stDibs now, or shop our selection of 13 modern versions for a more contemporary example of this long-cherished furniture. Midcentury cabinet pulls have been made for many years, and versions that date back to the 18th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century. Mid-Century Modern, Scandinavian Modern and Art Deco midcentury cabinet pulls are consistently popular styles. Paul McCobb, Paul Frankl and Winchendon Furniture (Planner Group) each produced beautiful midcentury cabinet pulls that are worth considering.
How Much are Midcentury Cabinet Pulls?
Prices for midcentury cabinet pulls can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, midcentury cabinet pulls begin at $125 and can go as high as $28,000, while the average can fetch as much as $3,995.
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 Storage-case-pieces for You
Of all the vintage storage cabinets and antique case pieces that have become popular in modern interiors over the years, dressers, credenzas and cabinets have long been home staples, perfect for routine storage or protection of personal items.
In the mid-19th century, cabinetmakers would mimic styles originating in the Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI eras for their dressers, bookshelves and other structures, and, later, simpler, streamlined wood designs allowed these “case pieces” or “case goods” — any furnishing that is unupholstered and has some semblance of a storage component — to blend into the background of any interior.
Mid-century modern furniture enthusiasts will cite the tall modular wall units crafted in teak and other sought-after woods of the era by the likes of George Nelson, Poul Cadovius and Finn Juhl. For these highly customizable furnishings, designers of the day delivered an alternative to big, heavy bookcases by considering the use of space — and, in particular, walls — in new and innovative ways. Mid-century modern credenzas, which, long and low, evolved from tables that were built as early as the 14th century in Italy, typically have no legs or very short legs and have grown in popularity as an alluring storage option over time.
Although the name immediately invokes images of clothing, dressers were initially created in Europe for a much different purpose. This furnishing was initially a flat-surfaced, low-profile side table equipped with a few drawers — a common fixture used to dress and prepare meats in English kitchens throughout the Tudor period. The drawers served as perfect utensil storage. It wasn’t until the design made its way to North America that it became enlarged and equipped with enough space to hold clothing and cosmetics. The very history of case pieces is a testament to their versatility and well-earned place in any room.
In the spirit of positioning your case goods center stage, decluttering can now be design-minded.
A contemporary case piece with open shelving and painted wood details can prove functional as a storage unit as easily as it can a room divider. Alternatively, apothecary cabinets are charming case goods similar in size to early dressers or commodes but with uniquely sized shelving and (often numerous) drawers.
Whether you’re seeking a playful sideboard that features colored glass and metal details, an antique Italian hand-carved storage cabinet or a glass-door vitrine to store and show off your collectibles, there are options for you on 1stDibs.
More Ways To Browse
Black 6 Drawer Dresser
Blonde Mahogany Dresser
Brass Trimmed Dresser
Dyrlund Teak Dresser
Ficks Reed Desk
Mahogany 6 Drawer Dresser
Pyramid Dresser
Whitney Furniture Mid Century
X Shaped Drawer Pulls
Bow Front Bachelor Chest
Brutalist Drawer Pulls
Concave Dresser
George Nelson Drawer Pulls
John Keal For Brown Saltman Dresser
Maple Burl Wood Dresser
Tall 8 Drawer Dresser
Tall Bachelor Chest
Ackerman Pulls