Midcentury Modern Atomic Age
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces
Metal
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Nautical Objects
Brass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Fiberglass
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Iron
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Brass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Aluminum
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Fireplace Tools and Chimney Pots
Brass, Iron
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Naugahyde, Walnut
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
Metal
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Chrome, Iron
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern More Candle Holders
Metal
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Barware
Glass
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Chrome
Vintage 1970s American Space Age Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Brass
2010s Indian Mid-Century Modern Indian Rugs
Wool, Silk, Yarn
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures
Steel, Iron
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Chrome
Vintage 1960s American Futurist Table Lamps
Ceramic
20th Century English Mid-Century Modern End Tables
Marble, Chrome
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
Palmwood
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Metal, Chrome
2010s Indian Mid-Century Modern Indian Rugs
Wool, Silk
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Brass
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Chrome
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Wrought Iron
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Brass, Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Brass
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Brass
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century German Space Age Chandeliers and Pendants
Chrome
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Upholstery, Rattan, Wood, Hardwood, Oak
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Baskets
Metal
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Grandfather Clocks and Longcase Clocks
Steel, Chrome
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Brass
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal
Vintage 1960s American Space Age Floor Lamps
Chrome
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Candlesticks
Wood
20th Century Philippine Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
Wood
Mid-20th Century Table Lamps
Fiberglass, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal
Vintage 1950s American Collectible Jewelry
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
Metal
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
Beech, Walnut
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Baskets
Iron
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Chandeliers and Pendants
Steel
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Midcentury Modern Atomic Age For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Midcentury Modern Atomic Age?
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 legendary 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.
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.
Read More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Iconic Furniture Makes This 1958 Midwestern Home a True Mid-Century Gem
Designer Susan Yeley turned to 1stDibs to outfit an Indiana home with standout pieces that complement its modernist style.
The Ultimate Guide to Types of Tables for the Home
Whether you’re just moving in or ready to give your home a makeover, our guide will give you pointers on tables that are fitting for every room, nook and hallway.
Why Is Italy Such a Hotbed of Cool Design?
Patrizio Chiarparini of Brooklyn’s Duplex gallery sheds light on the lasting legacy of Italy’s postwar furniture boom.
Welcome Back to Designer Russel Wright’s Mid-Century Hudson Valley Home
The industrial designer was known for his sleek, modern dinnerware, but his 1961 house and the landscape around it may be his most astonishing creation.
Cara Greenberg Wrote the Book on Mid-Century Modern Furniture. Here Are Her Auction Finds
The author and design expert was among the first to define the style and coined its alliterative name. She shares her favorite pieces on 1stDibs Auctions — including some steals.
Jochum Rodgers Has Long Brought the Best of 20th-Century Design to Berlin and Beyond
Opened by Hans-Peter Jochum some 40 years ago, the pioneering gallery specializes in mid-century gems but also spotlights contemporary pieces by European artists and makers.
A Guide to Herman Miller’s Most Iconic Furniture
The prolific manufacturer has partnered with many of the world’s top designers since opening its doors in 1923. Here are some of the company’s greatest hits, which helped transform the American home and office.