De Sede Deep Tan Leather Patchwork Ottoman, 1970s Switzerland
By De Sede
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gorgeous deep tan-colored leather pouf/ottoman by Swiss designer De Sede with square patchwork. Handmade with wonderful faded patina. Gorgeous accent piece. Good vintage condition. W...
Leather
$495
H 15 in W 17 in D 21.5 in
Mid Century Wrought Iron and Upholstered Footstool Ottoman by Troy Sunshade Co
By Troy Sunshade Company
Located in New York, NY
Chic Mid Century footstool, ottoman having a vinyl upholstered pad top, mounted on a wrought iron base. The stool is in very good, clean, ready to use condition. The ottoman is solid...
Wrought Iron
$2,139 / item
H 17.33 in Dm 25.2 in
DOOQ Mid-Century Modern Pouf Ottoman with Rich Velvet, Silk Fringes La Folie
By DOOQ
Located in Lisbon, PT
With voluptuous curves and perfect poise, the Mid-Century Modern inspired La Folie Pouf Ottoman exalts passion and fantasy as if you were in a burlesque show at Moulin Rouge. Let you...
Silk, Velvet
$360
H 23.63 in W 13.78 in D 13.78 in
Mid-Century Style Orange Velvet Triangle Medium Stool, by Vintola Studio, Europe
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Comfortable and stabile triangle stool. They are contemporary stools inspired of 1960s style. They can be used as a bar stools. Stool was designed by Vintola Studio, a Polish brand...
Bouclé, Velvet, Wood
$601 / set
H 23.63 in W 13.78 in D 13.78 in
Two Mid-Century Style Orange Velvet Triangle Medium Stools, by Vintola, Poland
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Comfortable and stabile triangle stools. They are contemporary stools inspired of 1960s style. They can be used as a bar stools. Stool was designed by Vintola Studio, a Polish bran...
Bouclé, Velvet, Wood
Patchwork Saddle Leather Pouf, Morocco
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gorgeous new production brown leather pouf from Morocco. Square patchwork design in a thick saddle cowhide. Larger size making it perfect as a foot rest and comfortable seat as well....
Leather
$4,250
H 27 in W 35 in D 17.5 in
Raymond Loewy for Mengel Walnut, Iron and Orange Upholstery Telephone Bench
By Raymond Loewy
Located in Queens, NY
American Mid-Century oak telephone bench /table with a rust orange textured fabric upholstered seat next to a side table with a dark stained, geometrically incised drawer above an op...
Metal, Iron
$961 / set
H 15.75 in W 25.2 in D 14.97 in
Pair of 20th Century Orange Melange Vintage Footstools, Edmund Homa, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Stools from the turn of the 1960s. Beautiful bright orange high quality melange upholstery. The stools consists of an upholstered part, a seat and wooden legs narrowing downwards, ch...
Fabric
Mid Century Faux Fur Orange Vintage Stool, Denmark, 1960
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Stool from the turn of the 1960s. Beautiful high quality faux fur. The stool consists of an upholstered part, a seat and wooden legs narrowing downwards, characteristic of the 1960s ...
Fabric, Faux Leather, Beech
Raymond Loewy for Mengel Mid Century Iron Stool
By Mengel Furniture Co., Raymond Loewy
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Raymond Loewy for Mengel Mid Century iron stool This stool measures: 17.25 wide x 17.25 deep x 18 inches high All pieces of furniture can be had in what we call restored vintag...
Iron
Mid Century Orange Melange Vintage Stool, Edmund Homa, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Stool from the turn of the 1960s. Beautiful bright orange high quality melange upholstery. The stools consists of an upholstered part, a seat and wooden legs narrowing downwards, cha...
Fabric
$480 / item
H 15.75 in W 25.2 in D 14.97 in
Mid-Century Orange Velvet Vintage Stool, Edmund Homa, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Stool from the turn of the 1960s. The stool consist of an upholstered part, a seat and wooden legs narrowing downwards, characteristic of the 1960s style. Stool was designed by Ed...
Fabric, Velvet, Beech
$961 / set
H 15.75 in W 25.2 in D 14.97 in
Pair of 20th Century Orange Velvet Vintage Footstools, Edmund Homa, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Stools from the turn of the 1960s. Beautiful bright orange high quality velvet upholstery. The stools consists of an upholstered part, a seat and wooden legs narrowing downwards, cha...
Fabric
Pair of Vintage Modern Rolling Ottomans
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Stylish pair of vintage modern ottomans/footstools. Interestingly designed vintage upholstery, with a tuft in the center of the seat. 4 casters underneath allow for these footstools ...
Upholstery
Unavailable
H 32 in W 20 in D 22 in
1963 MCM Eero Saarinen Knoll Model 151 Tulip Swivel Lounge and Footstool, a Pair
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Elloree, SC
Own an authentic cream white tulip side chair, Model 151, and authentic matching 151 footstool by Eero Saarinen, c. 1956 (these two pieces were manufactured in and signed 1963, pleas...
Aluminum
Vintage Rattan Ottoman by Franco Albini, Italy, c. 1950
By Franco Albini
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Rattan Ottoman by Franco Albini, Italy, c. 1950 "Ottoman shows well overall and is sturdy but is missing some vertical rattan at two locations and the horizontal wicker in ...
Wicker, Rattan
Italia Orange leather pouf Luigi Massoni for Poltrona Frau
By Poltrona Frau
Located in Valladolid, ES
Outstanding and beautiful Orange Leather Pouf by Luigi Massoni for Poltrona Frau , Italy Great Pouf from the "Dilly Dally" series designed by Luigi Massoni for Poltrona Frau in 196...
Leather, Wood
Large footstool "PIG" by Dimitri Omersa. 1960s.
By Dimitri Omersa
Located in Köln, NW
Large footstool "PIG" by Dimitri Omersa. 1960s. The pig was one of Omersa´s first models after he took over the English company Liberty´s in London in 1958. The large pig is filled w...
Leather
Sold
H 14.18 in W 29.53 in D 21.66 in
Oxford Stool Made In Cognac Leather By Hans J. Wegner For Fredericia Møbelfabrik
By Fredericia Stolefabrik, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Lejre, DK
The Oxford stool, designed by the renowned Danish designer Hans J. Wegner and manufactured by Fredericia Møbelfabrik, is a masterpiece of mid-century modern furniture. This particula...
Aluminum
Sold
H 16.15 in W 21.86 in D 22.45 in
Italian mid-century Orange Footstools Locus Solus Gae Aulenti Poltronova, 1960s
By Poltronova, Gae Aulenti
Located in MIlano, IT
Beautiful and very rare Italian mid-century Orange Footstools Locus Solus by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova, 1960s Pair of footrests from the series Locus Solus in orange painted metal. ...
Metal
Pair of Vintage Orange Fringed Velvet Ottomans C1960s France
Located in Trensacq, FR
Gorgeous pair of mid-century French Ottomans. Glamorous footstools in vibrant orange velvet velour trimmed with long floor-length fringe. Round upholstered seat supported by four...
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood
Sold
H 14.5 in W 18 in D 14 in
Mid Century Modern Ottomans or Stools in Rope and Iron by Arthur Umanoff
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in Framingham, MA
Set of two Minimalist footrests or stools by Arthur Umanoff for Shaver Howard, 1950s. Made of papercord rope and iron. Original condition. Areas of wear on the rope and iron. These p...
Iron
Vintage Italian Brass Hexagon Stool
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This vintage 1970s tufted stool is in great condition, has a solid brass frame and has been newly upholstered in an orange velvet mohair fabric. The stool features a new tufted uphol...
Brass
De Sede Leather Armchair and Foot Stool Model DS49
By De Sede
Located in Paddock Wood, Kent
A De Sede leather armchair and foot stool model DS49 Original 1960s production of a DS-49 and foot stool in thick tan leather. Produced in Swizerland and is a Mid-Century Modern p...
Leather
Midcentury Danish Falcon Footstool by Sigurd Ressell
By Sigurd Ressell, Vatne Møbler
Located in Lisboa, Lisboa
Footstool matching the iconic Falcon chair by Sigurd Ressell for Vatne Møbler. Featuring a lacquered metal base with a brown leather seat supported by a suspended canvas attached by ...
Metal
Large Brass Plinth Souffle Ottoman in Dusty Rose Mohair
Located in Chicago, IL
A large 1980s “souffle” shaped pouf, used commonly as an ottoman. This features a brass plinth base with new dusty rose mohair upholstery.
Brass
Sold
H 35.5 in Dm 27.5 in
Midcentury Modern De Sede Style Cognac Leather Patchwork Bean Bag, 1970s, Italy
By De Sede
Located in Biebergemund, Hessen
Unique and decorative handmade Italian 1970s beanbag in the style of De Sede. The bag is in very good condition with lovely patina - very high seating comfort. Design period: 1950...
Leather
Pair of Ricardo Lynn Mid-Century Modern Chinese Stools
By Ricardo Lynn
Located in Rio Vista, CA
A pair of 1960s, Mid-Century Modern Chinese foot stools by famous designer Ricardo Lynn with a carved base and featuring traditional chow legs and a floating top panel. Orange tufted...
Wood
Pair of Square Leather Ottomans
Located in Waltham, MA
Pair of patchwork leather ottomans in the manner of the Swiss company De Sede and Brazilian company Lafer. Leather is a natural orange-brown and beautifully patinated.
Leather, Wood
$2,224 / set
H 11.82 in W 4.14 in D 5.32 in
Art Deco Tubular Opaline Glass & Brass Sconces, Germany 1930s
By J.T. Kalmar
Located in NUEMBRECHT, NRW
These beautiful wall lights were designed and manufactured in Germany during the Bauhaus period in the 1930s. They feature tube shaped cream colored opaline glass lampshades and bras...
Brass
$5,300 / set
H 28.75 in W 10 in D 5 in
Contemporary Italian Wall Lights in Brass White Blue Gray Layered Murano Glass
Located in New York, NY
A very elegant and refined Italian Mediterranean design in blown Murano glass worked with the technique scavo: the frosted glass has a finish similar to archaeological ancient Roman ...
Brass
Custom Coquillage Plaster Fixture
Located in New York, NY
Custom Coquillage plaster fixture. Please note this fixture can be customized in different sizes. Lead time is 10-12 weeks. Please inquire. NOTE: We highly recommend that our plas...
Plaster
Murano Hand Blown Chartreuse Green Glass Chandelier, in stock
Located in Miami, FL
Murano hand blown studio glass chandelier, in stock All different shaped chartreuse green discs with white details, rigadin technique Brass plated structure with 24 exposed brass reg...
Brass
Sparkle Pink Pouf with Copper Fringe
By Lorenza Bozzoli Design
Located in Milan, IT
As suggested by its name, this pouf from the Sparkle Collection will infuse glamour into a modern living room, bedroom, or private study. Inspired by the fashion of the Roaring '20s,...
Textile
$3,969 / item
H 28.35 in W 40.16 in D 34.65 in
"Pietra" Curved Armchair with Leather Arms Upholstered in Bouclé Fabric
By Studio Marta Manente
Located in Centro, RS
Pietra from Italian: Stone The designer Marta Manente is of Italian descent, her great-grandparents migrated from Italy over 100 years ago and lived in the region of Bento Gonçalves ...
Bouclé
Coffee Table by Mario Marenco for Mobilgirgi, Italy 1970s
By Mario Marenco
Located in Roma, IT
Coffee Table by Mario Marenco for Mobilgirgi, Italy 1970s. Cm 32,00 x 87,00 x 87,00. Walnut Wood. Good conditions!
Walnut
$1,155Sale Price / item|30% Off
H 16.1 in Dm 11.5 in
'Plissé White Edition' Pleated Textile Table Lamp by Folkform for Örsjö
By Örsjö Industri AB
Located in Glendale, CA
'Plissé White Edition' pleated textile table lamp by Folkform for Örsjö. This unique table lamp was awarded “Lighting of the Year 2022” by Residence Magazine Sweden, who called it “...
Textile
$6,373 / set
H 24.01 in Dm 13.78 in
Pair of Constant Night Stands in Iroko Wood by Master Studio for Lemon
By Lemon
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Neatly proportioned with exceptional detailing, the constant nightstand is your perfect bedside partner. In our furniture making, the IDEA is to create special pieces that you can bu...
Hardwood
Ensamble Pouf in Escondido Laredo 35
By Caterina Moretti
Located in Zapopan, Jalisco
The word "ensamble" means a set and comes from the French "ensemble," referring to one with another, together. From their own individuality, Peca (Guadalajara, 2007) and Studio84 (M...
Wood, Upholstery
Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin Mid Century Sofa
By Milo Baughman, Thayer Coggin
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin Mid Century Sofa This sofa measures: 98 wide x 30 deep x 30 inches high, with a seat height of 17 and arm height of 21 inches All pieces of furnitur...
Upholstery, Wood
$2,090
H 27.96 in W 17.72 in D 7.88 in
1950s Gio Ponti Era Mid-Century Modern Rectangular Italian Brass Wall Mirror
By Gio Ponti
Located in Grand Cayman, KY
Gio Ponti era Mid-Century Modern wall mirror in patinated brass. Made in Italy in 1950s. The shape of the mirror is a rectangle with straight brass sides and solid brass corner elem...
Brass
Early Marco Zanuso Lady Chair, Italy, 1960s, New Pure Mohair
By Marco Zanuso
Located in Lewes, East Sussex
An early, authentic Marco Zanuso lady chair, Arflex, Italy, 1960s. Newly reupholstered in a luxurious, premium, burnt orange / rust coloured 100% mohair fabric. Brass feet with nat...
Brass
Ondamarmo Vulcano Onyx Matte Polished Side Table
Located in AVENZA CARRARA, IT
The Ondamarmo series by Federica Elmo includes 6 objects: The extra large dining table, two smaller size tables, three shelves, and a tray designed as an evolution of the shapes of t...
Onyx
$1,803 / item
H 32.29 in W 18.12 in D 9.06 in
Murano Art Glass and Brass Pink Color Wall Light and Sconces, 2020
Located in Roma, Lazio
This charming wall lamp is entirely handmade in Murano. Each single leaf is handcrafted in high quality Murano blown glass; that's why each leaf is slightly different from the other....
Brass
$4,449 / item
H 56.11 in W 25.6 in D 19.1 in
Arcate sideboard, in Canaletto walnut by Accardibuccheri Medulum for Medulum
By Mauro Accardi & Silvia Buccheri
Located in Meolo, Venezia
Il settimanale Arcate fa parte di una collezione esclusiva che include comodini e comò, ideata dal rinomato studio milanese Accardi Buccheri per il brand MEDULUM. La scocca, realizza...
Walnut
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.
Antique and vintage footstools might add a dose of fun to your living room, but they’re also hard workers.
Even as they’ve morphed into objects with plenty of functions over time, the footstool has a royal past. In Ancient Egypt, a footstool was used to climb onto an elevated chair or placed under someone’s feet as he or she was seated in a temple or private residence. Footstools were also in use during the Ottoman Empire. In fact, the ottoman, an upholstered seat or small bench that initially had no back or arms, was the main seating furniture in a home. Ottomans were a way to merge floor seating with cushions and mats.
Poufs, which originated in France, are also thought of as convenient seating furniture as well as occasionally serving as a side table, if needed. (Although, a pouf is typically not as firm as an ottoman.)
Over the years, footstools have taken on varying purposes. They have been used as small portable chairs, for example.
During the 18th century, a footstool might have been long with a low profile, which rendered it perfect for fireside seating. Victorian footstools were small but not unassuming, as furniture makers of the era would upholster the pieces so that they paired with the nearby sofa or wingback chairs. Footstools have even become a storage solution at home, with designers outfitting them with compartments. Today, a footstool might be used to organize quilts and blankets or other textiles, especially if you’re trying to keep things uncluttered in a small apartment.
Footstools are now available in all sorts of provocative colors, upholstery and more. No one is going to put a velvet footstool out on the curb, right? When shopping for your own footstool, try to find one that meets the height of your sofa or other seating (or is a tad lower). It should also be sturdy but not a heavy, clunky piece that’s a chore to move around.
The footstool is both decorative and functional. Not unlike a good throw pillow, interior designers have found numerous uses for this versatile, vibrant furnishing. Find yours in the growing collection of antique and vintage footstools today on 1stDibs.
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
The enduring appeal of the Barcelona chair is in the details.
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.
Our feed is filled with the world's most beautiful spaces. See the rooms our followers have deemed the best of the best this month.
Our feed is filled with the world's most beautiful spaces. See the 10 our followers have deemed the best of the best this month.
There are many lessons to be learned from the lofts, apartments and townhouses of architects and decorators in Manhattan and beyond.
Having created extravagant homes for reality TV’s biggest stars, the designer is stepping into the spotlight with his first book.
The Louisiana-born and -bred architect talks to 1stdibs about the art of making timeless places that matter.