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.
Zabihi Collection Eclectic Turkish Deco Zeki Muren Rug
By Zeki Müren
Located in New York, NY
a mid 20th Century Turkish Deco Rug in browns and peach Details rug no. j4585 size 6' 8" x 9' 5" (203 x 287 cm) Zeki Muren was a famous Turkish musician back in the middle of the 2...
Wool
$3,800Sale Price|20% Off
Turkish Deco Rug
Located in New York, NY
Mid-Century handmade Turkish Deco rug. Earth Toned colors with a small repetitive diamond-shaped motif. Measures: 6'3'' x 9'8''.
Wool
$3,359Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Moroccan Beni Ourain Rug
Located in Dallas, TX
78379 Vintage Moroccan Beni Ourain Rug, 06'03 x 09'00. Woven in the lofty Atlas Mountains, this vintage Beni Ourain Moroccan rug is more than an artifact of design—it is an heirloom ...
Wool
Vintage Moroccan Beni Ourain Rug
Located in Dallas, TX
78384 Vintage Moroccan Beni Ourain rug, 06'05 x 09'09. With its simplicity, plush pile, incredible detail and texture, this hand knott...
Wool
$2,800Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Red Talsint Moroccan Rug, Cozy Boho Chic Meets Maximalist Style
Located in Dallas, TX
20263 Vintage Talsint Moroccan Rug, 05'02 x 09'02. Delight in the craftsmanship of this hand-knotted wool vintage Talsint Moroccan rug, originating from the Figuig region in northeas...
Wool
Zabihi Collection Eclectic Funky Turkish Kars Rug
Located in New York, NY
One-of-a-kind Turkish Kars rug with a combination of funky colors and motifs. Dated 1989 Measures: 7'1" x 10'1".
Wool
$2,100Sale Price|20% Off
Mid-20th Century Handmade Turkish Flat-Weave Kilim Accent Rug
Located in New York, NY
A vintage Turkish flat-weave Kilim accent rug handmade during the mid-20th century. Measures: 6' 8" x 8' 3".
Wool
$900Sale Price|20% Off
Brown and Black Italian Leather Checkerboard Rug
Located in New York, NY
A vintage Italian Art Deco rug from the mid-20th century. A true oddity. Brown and black leather squares alternate in a chessboard (checkerboard) ...
Leather
$522Sale Price|40% Off
Traditional Chinese Area Rug, Pink Wool Carpet Rug Small Handwoven
Located in Wembley, GB
This elegant handmade carpet was constructed in the 1990s in China. The central design has been woven on a pink field with peach, purple and green accent colours that make up the flo...
Wool, Cotton, Natural Fiber, Organic Material
$1,280Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Moroccan Azilal Rug with Rustic Bohemian Tribal Style
Located in Dallas, TX
74705 Vintage Moroccan Azilal Rug with Rustic Bohemian Tribal Style. This hand-knotted wool vintage Moroccan Azilal rug features tribal motifs and diamond symbols throughout its comp...
Wool
The Sultan’s Reverie: Vintage Zeki Müren Sivas Masterpiece of Courtly Modernism
By Zeki Müren
Located in Dallas, TX
54078 Vintage Turkish Sivas Rug, 06'10 x 09'11. The Sultan’s Reverie: A Zeki Müren Sivas Masterpiece of Courtly Modernism. This hand knotted wool Zeki Müren vintage Turkish Sivas rug...
Wool
1970's Zeki Muren Turkish Sivas Carpet with Modern Style
By Zeki Müren
Located in Dallas, TX
53299 Zeki Muren Vintage Turkish Sivas Rug, 05'01 x 09'00. This hand-knotted wool Zeki Muren distressed Turkish Sivas rug is a mesmerizing fusion of artistic vision and traditional c...
Wool
Zabihi Collection Small Vintage Turkish Floral Rug
Located in New York, NY
A mid-20th-century small Turkish Konya Rug Details rug no. 29483 size 2' 8" x 4' 4" (81 x 132 cm)
Wool
Vintage Scandinavian EGE Art Line Robert Jacobsen Rug.8 ft 2 in x 11 ft
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful and extremely artistic vintage Scandinavian EGE Art Line Robert Jacobsen rug, country of origin / rug type: Scandinavia, date circa mid-20th...
Wool
Zabihi Collection Vintage Turkish Striped Kilim
Located in New York, NY
20th century Turkish Kilim with a striped motif in orange, pinks, reds, yellows, teal and brown. 6'3'' x 9'1''
Wool
Zabihi Collection Square Vintage Turkish Deco Rug
By Zeki Müren
Located in New York, NY
A Mid-20th-century Turkish deco square Anatolian rug Details rug no. r4693 size 3'11" x 4'2"
Wool
Zabihi Collection Vintage Inspired Turkish Kars Rug
Located in New York, NY
One of a Kind 21st-century Turkish rug inspired by mid-20th-century Kars carpets rug no. j3073 size 10' 4" x 13' 2" (315 x 401 cm).
Wool
Rug & Kilim's Midcentury Style Rug in Gray/Multi-Color Atomic Age Pattern
By Rug & Kilim
Located in Long Island City, NY
Hand knotted in a unique blend of New Zealand wool, all-natural silk, and exotic yarns, this 8x10 rug hails from the latest prized additions to their acclaimed Mid-Century Modern rug...
Wool, Silk, Yarn
Rug & Kilim's Mid-Century Modern Style Square Rug in Blue Geometric Pattern
By Rug & Kilim
Located in Long Island City, NY
Hand-knotted in wool and all-natural silk, this 6×6 square rug is a new addition to the Mid-Century Modern rug collection by Rug & Kilim. This collection ...
Wool, Silk, Yarn
Zabihi Collection Worn Yellow Field Turkish Deco Rug
Located in New York, NY
Zeki Muren Turkish Deco style, intermediate size rug. 6'9'' x 9'10'' Zeki Muren was a famous Turkish musician back in the mid-20th century who stu...
Wool
Happy Jewel Tone Color Vintage English Art Moderne Tufted Carpet by Ron Nixon
Located in New York, NY
Wool pile on a cotton canvas ground, jute lining. This borderless English carpet is stamped on the jute verso lining “Designed and made by Ron Nixon”. The ab...
Wool
Zabihi Collection Vintage Turkish Floral Small Rug
Located in New York, NY
a mid-20th Century Turkish Anatolian Floral Rug Details rug no. 31755 size 2' 2" x 3' 8" (66 x 112 cm)
Wool
$3,480Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Taznakht Moroccan Rug, Midcentury Modern Meets Tribal Enchantment
Located in Dallas, TX
20708 Vintage Red Taznakht Moroccan Rug, 06'04 x 12'03. Embark on a journey into the rich legacy of the Taznakht Tribe, where skilled hands in the High Atlas Mountains of southern Mo...
Wool
Vintage Moroccan Beni Ourain Rug
Located in Dallas, TX
78413 Vintage Moroccan Beni Ourain Rug, 06'04 x 10'00. Woven high in the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, this vintage Beni Ourain Moroccan rug embodies the soul of tribal artistry, a tr...
Wool
The Sunlit Aegean: A Vintage Greek Flokati Masterpiece of Midcentury Opulence
Located in Dallas, TX
79469 Vintage Greek Flokati Rug, 06'02 x 07'08. This hand-knotted wool vintage Greek flokati rug is a study in elemental luxury—an object shaped by l...
Wool
Zabihi Collection Vintage Turkish Deco Rug
By Zeki Müren
Located in New York, NY
a mid 20th century Turkish Deco Rug Details rug no. r5484 size 4' 6" x 6' 2" (137 x 188 cm)
Wool
The Desert Reverie: A Vintage Dhurrie Masterpiece of Southwest Modern Elegance
Located in Dallas, TX
79608 Vintage Indian Dhurrie Rug, 09'08 x 12'09. The Desert Reverie: A Vintage Dhurrie Masterpiece of Southwest Modern Elegance. There is an unmistakable sense of grounded luxury in ...
Wool, Cotton
Rug & Kilim's Mid-Century Modern Style Rug in Multi-Color Geometric Pattern
By Rug & Kilim
Located in Long Island City, NY
Hand knotted in a unique blend of New Zealand wool, all-natural silk, and exotic yarns, this 8 x 10 rug hails from the latest prized additions to their acclaimed Mid-Century Modern r...
Wool, Silk, Yarn
Jaime Hayon 'Troupe' Hand-Tufted Rug for Nanimarquina, 200x300cm
Located in Tilburg, NL
Jaime Hayon 'Troupe' Rug for Nanimarquina. New, current production. 170 x 240cm. Crazy, dreamlike and with a sense of humor, resembling a party: such is Jaime Hayon's new collecti...
Wool
Zabihi Collection Modern Persian Gabbeh Animal Ram Rug
Located in New York, NY
A 21st Century Persian Gabbeh rug with a 5 adult sheep rams on a neutral colored ground size 3' 5" x 5' 10"
Wool
$1,750Sale Price|22% Off
Feminine Vintage Turkish Deco Rug
Located in New York, NY
Vintage Turkish Deco rug with an all-over repetitive design in feminine colors. 5'2'' x 8'6''
Wool
The Golden Reverie: A Vintage Zeki Müren Sivas Masterpiece of Modernist Elegance
By Zeki Müren
Located in Dallas, TX
54073 Zeki Muren Vintage Turkish Sivas Rug, 04'07 x 06'00. The Golden Reverie: A Vintage Zeki Müren Sivas Masterpiece of Modernist Elegance. Bathed in a luminous field that radiates ...
Wool
Rug & Kilim's Mid-Century Modern Style Rug in Silver Gray Geometric Pattern
By Rug & Kilim
Located in Long Island City, NY
Hand knotted in wool and silk, this custom rug design hails from the Mid-Century Modern rug collection by Rug & Kilim, a bold new line recapturing an underrepresented, iconic per...
Wool, Silk
The Celestial Mosaic: Vintage Zeki Müren Sivas Masterpiece of Harmonic Opulence
By Zeki Müren
Located in Dallas, TX
54082 Zeki Muren Vintage Turkish Sivas Rug, 05'05 x 09'06. The Celestial Mosaic: A Zeki Müren Sivas Masterpiece of Harmonic Opulence. This hand knotted wool Zeki Müren vintage Turkis...
Wool
Rug & Kilim's Mid-Century Modern Style Circle Rug, Purple Gray Art Deco
By Rug & Kilim
Located in Long Island City, NY
Hand knotted with a bend of New Zealand wool, natural silk, and exotic yarns, this 6 x 6 circle rug hails from the Mid-Century Modern rug collection by Rug & Kilim, a bold explor...
Wool, Silk
$792Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Design Abstract Modernist Carpets / Rugs, 1960s
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1960s - Czechoslovakia - Original condition.
Wool
Zabihi Collection Vintage Turkish Deco Rug
By Zeki Müren
Located in New York, NY
A mid-century turkish deco rug Details rug no. r5017 size 7' 2" x 10' 5" (218 x 318 cm)
Wool
The Courtly Reverie: A Vintage Turkish Overdyed Sivas Masterpiece of Distinction
By Zeki Müren
Located in Dallas, TX
54060 Vintage Turkish Overdyed Sivas Rug, 03'09 x 06'09. The Courtly Reverie: A Vintage Turkish Overdyed Sivas Masterpiece of Distinction. A study in transformation and quiet opulenc...
Wool
Rug & Kilim’s Mid-Century Modern Style Circle Rug in Green-Gray All Over Pattern
By Rug & Kilim
Located in Long Island City, NY
An 8’ circle rug from the latest additions to Rug & Kilim’s Mid-Century Modern rug collection—an unprecedented approach in scale, color, refined texture, and material quality to ...
Wool
Rare Geometric Carpet by Antonin Kybal, 1948s
Located in Praha, CZ
Rare wool carpet designed by the icon of Czech textil designer Antonin Kybal. One of the largest versions of this type. Carpet has heavy traces of liquid and few damage places all vi...
Wool
Rustic Turkish Kilim
Located in New York, NY
Geometric mid-20th century Turkish Kilim in green, red, and orange 2'8'' x 4'9'' circa mid-20th century.
Wool
$4,750
Turkish Kilim
Located in New York, NY
Room square size Turkish Kilim from the middle of the 20th century in warm colors Measures: 9'10'' x 11'
Wool
Zabihi Collection Contemporary Persian Kilim Attributed to Antony Gormley
Located in New York, NY
a 21st-century Figurative one of a kind hand-made Persian Kilim attributed by the work of Antony Gormley 5'4'' x 8'
Wool
$8,796Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Turkish Oushak Palace Size Rug with Biophilia Artisan and MCM Style
Located in Dallas, TX
77123, vintage Turkish Oushak Palace size rug with Biophilia Artisan and Mid-Century Modern style. With architectural biophilia elements combined naturalistic forms, this hand knotte...
Wool
$3,840Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Brown Moroccan Beni Ourain Rug
Located in Dallas, TX
78368 Vintage Moroccan Beni Ourain rug. ?With its simplicity, plush pile, incredible detail and texture, this hand knotted wool vintage Beni Ourain Moroccan rug is a captivating visi...
Wool
Jaime Hayon 'Troupe' Rug for Nanimarquina 170x240
Located in Tilburg, NL
Jaime Hayon 'Troupe' Rug for Nanimarquina. New, current production. 170 x 240cm. Crazy, dreamlike and with a sense of humor, resembling a party: such is Jaime Hayon's new collecti...
Wool
Rug & Kilim’s French Style Art Deco Rug In Silver-Gray And Brown Geometric Patte
By Rug & Kilim
Located in Long Island City, NY
Hand-knotted in wool and all-natural silk, this 5×9 rug is a new addition to the Art Deco rug collection by Rug & Kilim. Further on the Design: Connoisseurs may further admire...
Wool
1950's Mid-Century Berber Moroccan Beni Ourain Carpet, 05'05 x 08'11
Located in Dallas, TX
21764 Vintage Moroccan Beni Ourain Rug, 05'05 x 08'11. Hailing from the esteemed Beni Ourain tribe in Morocco, these finely crafted rugs pay homage to tradition with meticulous atten...
Wool
Vintage Italian Design Rug by Lyda Levi, Milan 1960s
Located in Milan, IT
Lyda Levi (1922-2011) was a leading figure of the post World War II Milanese design movement. In 1946 she collaborated in organising the prestigious 8th edition of Milan’s Triennale ...
Wool
$1,071Sale Price|20% Off
Zeki Muren Vintage Turkish Sivas Rug
By Zeki Müren
Located in Dallas, TX
53283 Zeki Muren Distressed Vintage Turkish Sivas Rug, 03'10 x 07'02. Nestled within the tranquil landscapes of Turkey's Sivas region, Zeki Muren Turkish Sivas rugs pay tribute to th...
Wool
$1,559Sale Price|20% Off
Zeki Muren Vintage Turkish Sivas Rug
By Zeki Müren
Located in Dallas, TX
53308 Distressed Zeki Muren Vintage Turkish Sivas Rug, 05'01 x 07'08. Nestled within the tranquil landscapes of Turkey's Sivas region, Zeki Muren Turkish Sivas rugs honor the legacy ...
Wool
Zabihi Collection Antique Turkish Oushak Small Rug
Located in New York, NY
an early 20th Century Antique Turkish Oushak scatter size Rug Details rug no. j4227 size 2' 8" x 4' 5" (81 x 135 cm)
Wool
Vintage Ege Tæpper Rya Carpet
By Ege Rya
Located in Dallas, TX
78352 Vintage Danish Ege Rya Rug, 07'06 x 11'10. Ege Rya rugs are a distinctive type of Danish rug from the mid-20th century, known for their deep pile and modernist, often abstract ...
Wool
Zabihi Collection Small Vintage Turkish Floral Rug
Located in New York, NY
A Throw Size Turkish Floral Anatolian Rug from the middle of the 20th Century Details rug no. 31261 size 3' 5" x 5' (104 x 152 cm)
Wool
$5,130Sale Price|20% Off
Extra Large Original Scandinavian High Pile Rya Rug by Ege Taepper, 1970s
By Ege Tæpper, Ege Rya
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: xxl High pile Rya rug Decade: 1970s Producer: EGE RYA de luxe Taepper, Denmark (see original label) Material: 100% pure new wool pile This ...
Cotton
Patterned carpet by Hojer Eksport Wilton, 1970s
Located in bruxelles, BE
Wool carpet in white, red and burgundy with patterns Hojer Eksport Wilton, Denmark 1970s. Wear due to time and age of carpet FOR SHIPPING, REQUEST US FOR RECEIVE THE BEST PRICE
Wool
Shabby Chic Turkish Deco Minimalist Runner, Mid-20th Century
Located in New York, NY
Midcentury one of a kind Turkish Anatolian deco style runner. Very slick! Measures: 2' x 4'5".
Wool
Zabihi Collection Vintage Turkish Art Deco Runner, 3'10'' x 8'3''
Located in New York, NY
A vintage Turkish deco rug with an all-over borderless design in rustic tones. Measures: 3'10'' x 8'3''.
Wool
Zabihi Collection Stunning late 19th Century Blue Antique Oversize Rug
Located in New York, NY
Highly collectible quality oversize blue color all-over field 19th century Bakshaish rug. The harmonious colors, skillful geometry and weavers craftsmanship make this rug an absolut...
Wool
Vintage Moroccan Beni Ourain Rug
Located in Dallas, TX
78391 Vintage Moroccan Beni Ourain rug, 05'10 x 08'02. With its simplicity, plush pile, incredible detail and texture, this hand knott...
Wool