Paul Mccobb Squirm
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Naugahyde
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Velvet
Recent Sales
Vintage 1950s American Modern Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Synthetic
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Maple
Vintage 1950s American Modern Lounge Chairs
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
Vintage 1950s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Fabric
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Naugahyde, Maple
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Upholstery, Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Cotton, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Bouclé, Walnut
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Lounge Chairs
Vintage 1950s American Lounge Chairs
Birch
Vintage 1950s American Armchairs
Mahogany, Upholstery
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Vintage 1950s American Lounge Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
Paul Mccobb Squirm For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Paul Mccobb Squirm?
Paul McCobb for sale on 1stDibs
The single aesthetic attribute of vintage Paul McCobb furniture is that the designer completely forsook ornament — his pieces have no flourishes. And yet, because they are honest — McCobb’s chairs, desks and dining tables are made of solid wood, usually maple or birch, often paired with frames and legs of wrought iron; the cabinets are traditionally scaled; the seating pieces have historic antecedents such as the Windsor chair — his mid-century modern work has warmth and presence.
You could call the Massachusetts-born McCobb a man of parts. As a furniture designer, his work combined the attributes of many of his now better-known peers.
Like the work of Bauhaus designers such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer, McCobb's furniture had purity of form and line. Like the designs of Florence Knoll and George Nelson and his associates, McCobb’s work was efficient and purposeful. And even like George Nakashima, he was adept at interpreting traditional forms, in particular those of chairs, for the 20th century.
More than any other designer besides Russel Wright, with his ubiquitous ceramic tableware, McCobb was arguably responsible for the introduction of modern design into middle-class American households — if for no other reason than that he designed the 1952 set for the original Today show.
McCobb, a repeat recipient of the Good Design Award from the Museum of Modern Art, also designed cohesive lines of furnishings, such as his best-known Planner Group, that gave homes an instant “look.” He designed for several companies, most notably Directional, which was home to McCobb’s Origami chair.
In 1949, in partnership with New York furniture salesman B.G. Mesberg, McCobb set up the Directional Furniture Company, a brand known to vintage mid-century modern furniture collectors everywhere. Directional opened its doors after McCobb created the high-end Directional Modern line of sofas distributed by the New York-based Modernage Company. Directional also produced designs by other legends such as Paul Evans and Vladimir Kagan.
As you can see from the offerings on 1stDibs, McCobb designs are the pin-striped suit, or the little black dress, of a decor: an essential.
Find vintage Paul McCobb credenzas, bookcases, nightstands and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right Lounge-chairs for You
While this specific seating is known to all for its comfort and familiar form, the history of how your favorite antique or vintage lounge chair came to be is slightly more ambiguous.
Although there are rare armchairs dating back as far as the 17th century, some believe that the origins of the first official “lounge chair” are tied to Hungarian modernist designer-architect Marcel Breuer. Sure, Breuer wasn’t exactly reinventing the wheel when he introduced the Wassily lounge chair in 1925, but his seat was indeed revolutionary for its integration of bent tubular steel.
Officially, a lounge chair is simply defined as a “comfortable armchair,” which allows for the shape and material of the furnishings to be extremely diverse. Whether or not chaise longues make the cut for this category is a matter of frequent debate.
The Eames lounge chair, on the other hand, has come to define somewhat of a universal perception of what a lounge chair can be. Introduced in 1956, the Eames lounger (and its partner in cozy, the ottoman) quickly became staples in television shows, prestigious office buildings and sumptuous living rooms. Venerable American mid-century modern designers Charles and Ray Eames intended for it to be the peak of luxury, which they knew meant taking furniture to the next level of style and comfort. Their chair inspired many modern interpretations of the lounge — as well as numerous copies.
On 1stDibs, find a broad range of unique lounge chairs that includes everything from antique Victorian-era seating to vintage mid-century modern lounge chairs by craftspersons such as Hans Wegner to contemporary choices from today’s innovative designers.