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
Zabihi Collection Worn Green Gray Vintage Turkish Runner
Located in New York, NY
a 3rd quarter of the 20th century predominantly gray tone Turkish Runner. 2'8'' x 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
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
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
$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
A Sacred Lattice: Vintage Beni Ourain Moroccan Masterpiece of Tribal Elegance
Located in Dallas, TX
78372 Vintage Moroccan Beni Ourain Rug, 06'05 x 10'10. Rooted in the highlands of Morocco and shaped by generations of Berber traditio...
Wool
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
$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
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
Vintage Moroccan Beni Ourain Rug
Located in Dallas, TX
78388 Vintage Moroccan Beni Ourain rug, 06'00 x 11'11. With its simplicity, plush pile, incredible detail and texture, this hand knotted wool vintage Beni Ourain Moroccan rug is a ca...
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
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
Mid-Century Modern Kelim Rug, Hand Woven Wool, Geometric Decoration, circa 1950
Located in Berlin, DE
Mid-Century Modern handwoven kelim rug with red and black geometric ornament. The simple geometric decoration of this rug, manufactured in Czechoslovakia in the 1950s, is stylistical...
Wool
$612Sale Price|30% 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
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
$2,800
Worn Turkish Deco Rug
Located in New York, NY
A worn circa mid-20th century rustic color Turkish Deco rug Measures: 6'11'' x 10'4”.
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
New Contemporary Berber Beni Mrirt Moroccan Carpet with Abstract Expressionism
By Josef Albers, Beni Mrirt, Berber Tribes of Morocco, Paul Klee
Located in Dallas, TX
79134 New Modern Beni Mrirt Moroccan Rug, 11'08 x 14'01. This modern hand-knotted wool Beni Mrirt Moroccan rug stands as a stunning testament to the vibrant and expressive nature of ...
Wool
Vintage Beni Ourain Moroccan Rug, Nomadic Charm Meets Midcentury Modern Style
Located in Dallas, TX
20656 Vintage Moroccan Beni Ourain Rug, 06'00 x 11'09. Originating from the Beni Ourain tribe, an integral part of the broader Berber ethnic group in Morocco, these Moroccan rugs are...
Wool
Colorful Vintage Persian Gabbeh Checkerboard Rug with Animal Motifs
Located in Dallas, TX
78847 Vintage Persian Gabbeh Rug, 06'11 x 09'02. Alive with nomadic soul and woven poetry, this hand-knotted wool vintage Persian Gabbeh rug radiates a rarefied charm that elevates i...
Wool
Vintage Warm Earth-Tone Turkish Tribal Kurdish Carpet, 03'00 x 13'06
Located in Dallas, TX
53907 Vintage Neutral Kurdish Rug Runner, 03'00 x 13'06. Handcrafted with meticulous precision and unwavering dedication by Kurdish Herki tribes in eastern Turkey, notably in the Hak...
Wool
$2,583Sale Price|30% Off
Handmade Carpet Antique Rugs Traditional Orange Wool Area Rug
Located in Wembley, GB
This wool rug is a great example of Bukhara rugs woven in the 1890s. The design features a repeating motif design woven on a rust-orange background with accents of beige, red and blu...
Wool, Cotton, Natural Fiber, Organic Material
Vintage Turkish Kars Rug with Mid-Century Modern Style
Located in Dallas, TX
53567 Vintage Turkish Kars Rug with Mid-Century Modern Style 06'02 x 09'07. With its warm hues and beguiling beauty, this hand-knotted wool vintage Turkish Kars rug will take on a cu...
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
Vintage 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' 5" x 10' 8".
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 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
$3,300Sale Price|20% Off
Hand-Knotted Lion Persian Tribal Animal Rug, 3' x 5'
Located in New York, NY
This 2016 Orley Shabahang signature carpet consists of a wool and silk pile and organic vegetable dyes. Created in Iran, in a village surrounding the city of Arak, formerly known as ...
Wool
Vintage Turkish Patchwork Kilim Rug with Mid-Century Modern Style, Kilim Rug
Located in Dallas, TX
74084, vintage Turkish Patchwork Kilim rug with Mid-Century Modern style, Kilim rug. Paneled rectangles of layers of warm earth-tone colors beautifully contrast with vertically strip...
Wool
Jaime Hayon 'Troupe' Rug for Nanimarquina
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
Vintage Tibetan Area Rug with Diamond Checkerboard Pattern, Harlequin Design Rug
Located in Dallas, TX
76665 Vintage Tibetan Area Rug with Diamond Checkerboard Pattern, Harlequin Design Rug 08'10 x 11'10. This hand-knotted wool and silk vintage Tibe...
Wool, Silk
Zabihi Collection Vintage Turkish Room Size Rug
Located in New York, NY
A mid-20th-century Turkish Rug with an all-over floral design in predominantly soft beige, cream, and green tones Details rug no. 29911 size 9' 5" x 13' 4" (287 x 406 cm
Wool
Vintage Warm Earth-Tone Turkish Kars Rug with Mid-Century Modern Style
Located in Dallas, TX
50016 Vintage Turkish Kars Rug with Mid-Century Modern Style 06'08 x 09'11. Characterized by the cozy simplicity of Mid-Century Modern style and effortless beauty, this hand-knotted ...
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
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
Large 'Tatami' Rug by Ariadna Miquel and Nani Marquina for Nanimarquina
By Ariadna Miquel, Nani Marquina, Nanimarquina
Located in Glendale, CA
Large 'Tatami' rug by Ariadna Miquel and Nani Marquina for Nanimarquina. These hand-loomed dhurrie rugs executed in 50% New Zealand wool and 50% jute draw their inspiration from tra...
Wool, Jute
Whispers of Earth and Air: A Vintage Greek Flokati Rug in Organic Modern Shibui
Located in Dallas, TX
53946 Vintage Greek Natural Flokati Rug, 05'10 x 06'10. An embodiment of tactile serenity and elemental elegance, this vintage Greek Flokati rug transcends...
Wool
$809Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Design Abstract Modernist Carpets / Rugs, 1960s
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1960s - Czechoslovakia - Original condition.
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
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
Empire’s Elegance: Earth-Tone Turkish Kars Masterpiece of Anatolian Reverie
Located in Dallas, TX
50043 Earth-Tone Vintage Turkish Kars Rug, 05’08 x 09’04. Behold the serene grandeur of this hand-knotted wool vintage Turkish Kars rug, a creation steeped in the proud heritage of A...
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
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
Zabihi Collection Modern Persian Kilim
Located in New York, NY
A one of a kind 21st century modern persian kilim flatweave Details rug no. j3598 size 11' 4" x 14' 8" (345 x 447 cm)
Wool
Boho-Mid Mod Moroccan Chalet Rug, Bohemian Meets Midcentury Modern
Located in Dallas, TX
80710 New Contemporary Moroccan Room Size rug 12'00 x 14'06. Displaying an expressive design with incredible detail and texture, this hand knotted wool contemporary Moroccan area rug...
Wool
Zabihi Collection Yellow Turkish Deco Rug
Located in New York, NY
Zeki Muren Turkish Deco style intermediate size rug. 7' x 10'2'' Zeki Muren was a famous Turkish musician back in the mid-20th century who studied...
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
$1,714Sale Price|20% Off
Midcentury Design Geometric Carpet or Rug
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1970s, Czechoslovakia - Multicolored - Nice and simple design - Very good and original condition - Bouclé.
Wool
Vintage Moroccan Beni Ourain Rug
Located in Dallas, TX
78374 Vintage Moroccan Beni Ourain Rug, 06'09 x 10'07. Handwoven by the Berber tribes of Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, this vintage Beni ...
Wool
Zabihi Collection Contemporary Persian Kilim Attributed by 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
Zabihi Collection Turkish Zeki Muren Deco Square Rug
By Zeki Müren
Located in New York, NY
One of a kind hand knotted Turkish Zeki Muren square-size rug Measures: 7' x 7'6" Zeki Muren was a famous Turkish musician back in the middle of the 20th century who studied decorative arts in Istanbul at the Fine Arts Academy while launching his musical career. Muren’s first album was issued in 1951, at which time he was a regular singer on Istanbul Radio. In 1955, he produced his first Gold...
Wool
Mid-Century Modern Style Circle Rug, Purple Gray Art Deco by Rug & Kilim
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
Rare Geometric Carpet by Antonin Kybal, 1948
Located in Praha, CZ
This stunning vintage carpet by Antonin Kybal made in 1948 combines bold geometric patterns with a warm and inviting color palette of deep reds, browns, yellows, and creams. The hand...
Wool
Vintage Moroccan Rug by Berber Tribes of Morocco
Located in Dallas, TX
21283 Vintage Berber Moroccan rug, 06'02 x 10'04. With its nomadic charm, incredible detail and texture, this hand knotted wool vintage Moroccan rug is a captivating vision of woven ...
Wool
The Sunbound Matriarch: Aït Ouaouzguite Moroccan Masterpiece of Ancestral Power
Located in Dallas, TX
78296 Vintage Taznakht Moroccan Rug, 11'09 x 17'09. Woven by the Berber tribes of southern Morocco, this extraordinary Aït Ouaouzguite rug is a living archive of lineage, ritual, and...
Wool
Zabihi Collection Vintage Turkish Kars Rug
Located in New York, NY
Turkish Kars featuring lime green accent cotton highlights on a neutral color field 6'2'' x 8'6''
Wool
Mid Century Design Organic Wool Carpet / Rug, 1950s
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1950s - Czechoslovakia - Very good original condition - Will be professionally cleansed.
Textile, Wool
Vintage Boujad Moroccan Rug, Midcentury Modern Meets Boho Chic
By Boujad Tribe, Berber Tribes of Morocco
Located in Dallas, TX
21733 Vintage Red Boujad Moroccan Rug, 03'09 x 04'04. Originating from Morocco's Boujad region, Boujad rugs are far more than simple floor coverings; they are intricate masterpieces ...
Wool