Skip to main content

Percival Lafer Mp 41

Percival Lafer MP-41 Lounge Chairs for Craft Associates
By Percival Lafer, Craft Associates
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
Modern Specs: Walnut, leather These Percival Lafer MP-41 lounge chairs are expertly handcrafted and
Category

2010s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Walnut

Percival Lafer MP-41 Set Sofa Sessel Ottoman cognac Leder, Brasilien 1970er
By Percival Lafer
Located in Reutlingen, DE
Einzigartiges schönes Percival Lafer MP-41 Set bestehend aus einem 3-Sitzer Sofa, einem Hochlehner
Category

Vintage 1970s Brazilian Brutalist Living Room Sets

Materials

Leather, Glass, Wood

Percival Lafer MP-41 Loveseat in Suede
Located in Raleigh, NC
A Brazilian modern classic by Percival Lafer. Jacaranda Rosewood fame is newly refinished and the
Category

Vintage 1970s Loveseats

Materials

Suede, Jacaranda

Percival Lafer Garnitur Sessel Sofa Tisch Hocker Designersessel Ledersessel mp41
By Percival Lafer
Located in Garching a. d. Alz, DE
Percival Lafer MP 41 Garnitur bestehend aus einem Dreisitzer, Zweisitzer, zwei Sesseln einem Hocker
Category

20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Living Room Sets

Materials

Leather

Craft Lounge Chairs, Lafer Lounge Chairs, Brown Leather and Walnut, Modern
By Percival Lafer, Craft Associates
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
, leather These Percival Lafer MP-41 lounge chairs are expertly handcrafted and upholstered. The MP-41
Category

2010s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Walnut

Craft Lounge Chairs, Percival Lounge Chairs, Black Leather and Walnut
By Percival Lafer, Craft Associates
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
Modern Specs: Walnut, leather These Percival Lafer MP-41 lounge chairs are expertly handcrafted and
Category

2010s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Walnut

Sofa 'MP-41' in Hardwood, by Percival Lafer, Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Design
By Percival Lafer
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
The MP-41 sofa, a quintessential piece by the renowned designer Percival Lafer, is a masterstroke
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Set of Percival Lafer Cognac Leather MP-13 Armchairs and a Footstool
By Percival Lafer
Located in Madrid, ES
Set of armchairs, model MP-13, with a footstool from circa 1960-1970 by Brazilian designer Percival
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Leather, Wood

Craft Lounge Chair, Leather Lounge Chair, Black Leather and Walnut, Modern
By Percival Lafer, Craft Associates
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
, leather These Percival Lafer MP-41 lounge chairs are expertly handcrafted and upholstered. The MP-41
Category

2010s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Walnut

Wonderful Percival Lafer "S-1" Leather Brazilian Rosewood Lounge Chair
By Percival Lafer
Located in Pemberton, NJ
Wonderful Percival Lafer rosewood and leather S-1 lounge chair. Lafer's S-1 design features
Category

Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Rosewood

Wonderful Percival Lafer Rosewood 3 Seater Cognac leather "S-1" Sofa Mid-Century
By Percival Lafer
Located in Pemberton, NJ
Wonderful Percival Lafer rosewood and leather 3-seater S-1 sofa. The S-1 design features Brazilian
Category

Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Leather, Rosewood

People Also Browsed

Oscar Niemeyer Chaise Lounge Model Rio Prod. Fasem, Italy
By Oscar Niemeyer, Fasem International
Located in Milan, Italy
A sculptural rocking Rio chaise lounge, designed in 1978, contemporary edition. Base composed of three elements including supple ribbons of molded darkened ash laminate, cushions mai...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Chaise Longues

Materials

Leather, Ash

Pair of Park Night Stands in Oiled Walnut by Yaniv Chen for Lemon
By Lemon
Located in Amsterdam, NL
The Park nightstand is the epitome of exquisite craftsmanship, featuring meticulously proportioned dimensions and exceptional detailing that make it an ideal bedside companion. Our ...
Category

2010s South African Minimalist Night Stands

Materials

Wood

Percival Lafer Ottoman in Olive Green Leather and Mahogany
By Percival Lafer
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Percival Lafer, ottoman or stool, mahogany, leather, Brazil, 1970s Bulky and voluptuous pouf made in the 1970s by Percival Lafer. The olive green leather of the seat is tufted, whic...
Category

Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

1945s Set of Bedside Tables , Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- Made in Czechoslovakia. - Made of wood. - Good, original condition.
Category

Vintage 1940s Czech Mid-Century Modern Night Stands

Materials

Glass, Wood

1945s Set of Bedside Tables , Czechoslovakia
1945s Set of Bedside Tables , Czechoslovakia
H 22.45 in W 19.3 in D 14.57 in
'Teli' pendant lamp by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos, Italy
Located in Argelato, BO
A "Kd51/R Teli" hanging lamp by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni Varnished steel sheet, synthetic material, opaque chrome-plated steel Original Flos label. Bibliography: Domus ...
Category

Vintage 1950s Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Metal

Modern Wood Stool, The Dublin
By Bertu Furniture
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
Please scroll down to read IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT OUR STUMPS before purchase! Why buy BERTU HOME stumps? Kiln Dried Our stumps all go through a drying process in our kiln, s...
Category

2010s American Modern End Tables

Materials

Maple

Modern Wood Stool, The Dublin
Modern Wood Stool, The Dublin
H 18 in W 12 in D 12 in
Grand Repos Lounge Chair designed by Jean Prouve, Tecta Germany
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Offenburg, Baden Wurthemberg
This model Grand Repos lounge chair was designed by Jean Prouvé and produced by the German company Tecta. This model is out of production. It's also sometimes referred to as the m...
Category

Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Steel, Nickel

Large Chess and Checkers Wood Lathed Table
By Orfeo Quagliata
Located in Naucalpan, Edo de Mex
Chess table This Board Games edition presents classic games and decorative pieces like Backgammon, Chess and Tic Tac Toe, made out of wood and glass. Since 2000, Orfeo Quagliata off...
Category

2010s Mexican Game Boards

Materials

Art Glass, Wood

'Floatation' Japanese Paper Suspension Lamp for Ingo Maurer
By Ingo Maurer
Located in Glendale, CA
'Floatation' Japanese paper suspension lamp for Ingo Maurer. Designed and produced by Ingo Maurer, one of the most celebrated German lighting icons since 1966. With imagination, cre...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and ...

Materials

Metal, Iron

Pair of Brasiliana Armchairs by Jorge Zalszupin, 1965, Brazilian Midcentury
By Jorge Zalszupin
Located in New York, NY
The iconic Brasiliana is a series composed of a sofa and armchair designed by Jorge Zalszupin (1922-2020) in 1965 and produced by his company, L'atelier. These rare pieces have molde...
Category

Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Rosewood, Fabric

Percival Lafer Brazilian Modern Sofa and Ottoman
By Percival Lafer
Located in Raleigh, NC
A stunning and rare example designed by Percival Lafer. This sofa and ottoman have been fully restored with new leather and refinished Jacaranda frame. The leather straps are in go...
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Leather

Italian Modern LC4 chaise lounge, Le Corbusier Jeanneret Perriand, Cassina 1970s
By Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand, Pierre Jeanneret, Cassina
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern black leather and metal LC4 chaise longue by Le Corbusier, Jeanneret and Perriand for Cassina, 1970s. LC4 armchair or chaise longue, with black metal structure to sup...
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Chaise Longues

Materials

Metal, Steel

Gae Aulenti bed mod. ‘Tennis’ for Gavina, Italy 1972
By Gae Aulenti, Gavina
Located in Rotterdam, ZH
Large king size bed by Gae Aulenti mod. ‘Tennis’ for Gavina, Italy 1972. Unique and iconic bed from the ‘Tennis‘ series referring to the round shapes and the typical stitching patter...
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Materials

Leather, Wood

Brazilian Jangada Rosewood & Leather Sling Chair with Ottoman by Jean Gillon
By Jean Gillon, Sergio Rodrigues, Percival Lafer
Located in Chattanooga, TN
This Jean Gillon Jangada armchair and ottoman were completely disassembled and each piece of rosewood was stripped, sanded and refinished in multiple coats of hand-buffed finishing o...
Category

Vintage 1960s Brazilian Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Rosewood

Mid-Century Modern Armchair by Percival Lafer for Lafer MP, Brazil, 1960s
By Percival Lafer
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Armchair by Percival Lafer for Lafer MP, Wood and Leather, Brazil, 1960s - New Leather Upholstery
Category

Vintage 1960s Armchairs

Materials

Leather, Wood

Modernist Pencil Reed Modular Sofa, Comfort Designs, 1970s
By Comfort Designs, Inc.
Located in Jensen Beach, FL
Hypnotizing swirls of pencil reed adorn this versatile sofa in the inimitable style of Gabriella Crespi. Two slipper chairs and one right-angle end piece offer myriad possibilities f...
Category

Vintage 1970s Sofas

Materials

Reed, Wood

Recent Sales

Percival Lafer MP43 Lounge Chair with Headrest & Footstool.
By Percival Lafer
Located in BANGALOW, NSW
The MP-41 was designed by Percival Lafer in the 1960’s, Brazil. This chair features a solid dark
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Hardwood

Percival Lafer MP-41 Series Brazilian Leather Sofa
By Percival Lafer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Percival Lafer MP-41 series Brazilian leather sofa.
Category

Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Leather, Foam, Wood, Mahogany

Percival Lafer MP-41 Series Brazilian Leather Lounge Chairs
By Percival Lafer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Percival Lafer MP-41 series Brazilian leather lounge chairs.
Category

Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Percival Lafer MP-41 Chairs, a pair
By Percival Lafer
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1960s featuring restored cushions and new leather on the original hardwood frames. They are incredibly comfortable and will easily last another lifetime. The frames are in their o...
Category

Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Leather, Wood

Percival Lafer MP-41 Chairs, a pair
Percival Lafer MP-41 Chairs, a pair
H 27.5 in W 35.5 in D 37.5 in
Percival Lafer MP-41 sofa in cognac leather, Brazil 1970s
By Percival Lafer
Located in ABCOUDE, UT
Percival Lafer for MP Lafer, 1970s. The sofa has its original mark in the leather strap on the back, as
Category

Vintage 1970s Sofas

Materials

Leather, Wood

Percival Lafer "Mp-41" Couch Designed by Percival Lafer in Fresh Black Leather
By Percival Lafer
Located in San Diego, CA
comfortable sofa, nap couch and elegant from all angles. This Lafer "MP-41" couch designed by Percival Lafer
Category

Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Leather, Rosewood

Pair of Percival Lafer MP-41 Lounge Chairs in Cognac Leather, Brazil, 1970s
By Percival Lafer
Located in ABCOUDE, UT
by Percival Lafer for MP Lafer, 1970s. Both chairs have original mark in the leather strap on the
Category

Vintage 1970s Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather

Mp-41 Living Room Set by Percival Lafer for Percival Lafer, 1970s
By Percival Lafer
Located in Budapest, HU
The Percival Lafer MP-41 Set is a rare and iconic furniture collection from the 1970s, renowned for
Category

Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Rosewood

Brazilian Modernist Sofa in the Style of Percival Lafer, circa 1970s
By Percival Lafer
Located in Norwalk, CT
Percival Lafer's MP-41 series. As one of the world's leading producers of rosewood, the nation of
Category

Late 20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Leather, Wood

Brutalist 2-Seat Sofa - 'MP-41' - Percival Lafer
By Percival Lafer
Located in Antwerpen, BE
MP-41 two-seater sofa in orange/brown leather andsolid walnut frame, designed by Percival Lafer in
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Brutalist Sofas

Materials

Leather, Walnut

Brutalist 2-Seat Sofa - 'MP-41' - Percival Lafer
Brutalist 2-Seat Sofa - 'MP-41' - Percival Lafer
H 26.78 in W 57.09 in D 37.01 in
Rare "MP-41" Armchair, Percival Lafer, Brazilian Mid-Century Modern
By Percival Lafer
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
The rare MP-41 armchair, made of Jatobá wood is another great example of the imaginative and
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Wood

Percival Lafer Cognac Leather and Brazilian Rosewood Sofa MP-41 Series
By Percival Lafer
Located in Culver City, CA
This gorgeous sofa was designed by Percival Lafer in the 1970s and is a sling style sofa. This
Category

Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Leather, Rosewood

Brazilian Modern Sofa Mp-41 Designed by Percival Lafer in black leather
By Percival Lafer
Located in San Diego, CA
. Created in the 1960s in solid Pau Ferro wood by Lafer, the iconic Brazilian Designer, this model MP-41 has
Category

Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Metal

Pair of Rare "MP-41" Armchair, Percival Lafer, Brazilian Mid-Century Modern
By Percival Lafer
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
This beautiful pair of MP-41 armchairs, made of Jatobá wood, designed and produced in the 60s by
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Wood

Percival Lafer Lounge Chair MP 41 in Leather and Jacaranda Wood, Brazil, 1960s
By Percival Lafer
Located in Hellouw, NL
Percival Lafer lounge chair Model MP-41 with beautiful details from Brazil, 1960s. This lounge
Category

Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Jacaranda

Percival Lafer 'S-1' Rosewood and Leather Living Room Set, Brazil, 1976, Signed
By Percival Lafer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
and a three-seat sofa by Brazilian designer Percival Lafer for Lafer MP. This set was designed in
Category

Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Living Room Sets

Materials

Leather, Rosewood

Percival Lafer MP-41 Series Brazilian Leather Sofa
By Percival Lafer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Percival Lafer MP-41 series Brazilian leather sofa.
Category

Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Leather, Foam, Wood, Mahogany

Percival Lafer MP-41 Series Brazilian Leather Stool
By Percival Lafer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Percival Lafer MP-41 series Brazilian leather stool.
Category

Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Leather, Wood, Mahogany

Percival Lafer MP-41 Jacaranda Tufted Leather Lounge Chair & Ottoman, 1960
By Percival Lafer
Located in Chicago, IL
Percival Lafer MP-41 Brazilian Jacaranda Tufted Leather Lounge Chair & Ottoman, 1960. Beautiful
Category

Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather

Percival Lafer 'MP-41' Lounge Chair with Ottoman in Leather
By Percival Lafer
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Percival Lafer, 'MP-41' lounge chair with ottoman, leather, late 1970s Bulky and voluptuous
Category

Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Hardwood

Expertly Restored - Percival Lafer MP-41 Dark Olive Green Leather Chairs
By Percival Lafer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
MP-41 Lounge chairs designed and manufactured by Percival Lafer in Brazil circa 1970’s. These
Category

Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Foam, Mahogany

Percival Lafer MP-41 sofa in cognac leather, Brazil 1970s
By Maurice Percival
Located in Göteborg, SE
Percival Lafer for MP Lafer in the 70s. The sofa has its original mark in the leather strap on the back
Category

Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Leather, Wood

Brutalist 3 Seat Sofa - 'MP-41' - Percival - Lafer
By Percival Lafer
Located in Antwerpen, BE
MP-41 three-seater sofa in orange/brown leather and jacaranda wood frame, designed by Percival
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Brutalist Sofas

Materials

Leather, Jacaranda

MP41 2-Seater Sofa by Percival Lafer
By Percival Lafer
Located in New York, NY
Rare Model MP 41 settee designed by Percival Lafer in original dark brown leather and solid
Category

Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Leather, Rosewood

MP41 2-Seater Sofa by Percival Lafer
MP41 2-Seater Sofa by Percival Lafer
H 35 in W 55 in D 38.5 in
Percival Lafer 'S-1' Rosewood and Leather Lounge Chairs, Brazil, 1976, Signed
By Percival Lafer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Percival Lafer for Lafer MP. This set was designed in 1976 and was Lafer's concept of merging Brazilian
Category

Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Rosewood

Percival Lafer 'S-1' Rosewood and Leather Living Room Set, Brazil, 1976, Signed
By Percival Lafer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This gorgeous restored 'S-1' sofa by Brazilian designer Percival Lafer for Lafer MP. This sofa was
Category

Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Living Room Sets

Materials

Leather, Rosewood

Percival Lafer 'S-1' Rosewood and Leather Three Seat Sofa, Brazil, 1976, Signed
By Percival Lafer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This gorgeous restored 'S-1' sofa by Brazilian designer Percival Lafer for Lafer MP. This sofa was
Category

Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Living Room Sets

Materials

Leather, Rosewood

Percival Lafer MP-41 Lounge Chair
By Percival Lafer
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage lounge chair by Percival Lafer for Móveis Lafer, Brazil. Tufted mustard tone leather
Category

Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

Percival Lafer MP-41 Lounge Chair
Percival Lafer MP-41 Lounge Chair
H 27.5 in W 38 in D 27.8 in
Percival Lafer MP-41 Leather Tall Back Lounge Chair
By Lafer, Percival Lafer
Located in North Hollywood, CA
frame, in excellent condition, Brazil, 1960s. Model MP-41, produced by Lafer MP.
Category

Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather

Rare Percival Lafer MP-41 sofa in Black leather and Jacaranda, Brazil 1970s
By Percival Lafer, Lafer
Located in Mississauga, CA
was designed by Percival Lafer for MP Lafer, 1970s. As per photos, you can see the original mark in
Category

Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Leather, Wood, Cherry

MP-41 Sofa by Brazilian Designer Percival Lafer for Móveis Lafer
By Percival Lafer
Located in TORONTO, CA
Three seater sofa designed by Percival Lafer reupholstered at some point in it's life, identical
Category

Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Jacaranda

MP-41 Sofa by Brazilian Designer Percival Lafer for Móveis Lafer
By Percival Lafer
Located in TORONTO, CA
Three seater sofa designed by Percival Lafer reupholstered at some point in it's life, identical
Category

Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Jacaranda

MP-41 Lounge Chair by Brazilian Designer Percival Lafer for Móveis Lafer
By Percival Lafer
Located in TORONTO, CA
Lounge chair designed by Percival Lafer reupholstered at some point in it's life, identical and
Category

Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Jacaranda

Vintage Percival Lafer MP-41 Series Brazilian Leather Sofa
By Percival Lafer, Lafer
Located in Debrecen-Pallag, HU
Three-seat sofa, with solid rosewood frame and original leather upholstery, designed by Percival
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Leather

1'st Series Percival Lafer MP-41 Brazilian Leather Lounge Chair
By Percival Lafer, Lafer
Located in Debrecen-Pallag, HU
by Percival Lafer and manufactured by Lafer Furniture, Brazil, during the 1960s. Light wear and
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather

1st Series Percival Lafer model MP-41 Brazilian Leather Sofa
By Percival Lafer, Lafer
Located in Debrecen-Pallag, HU
Stunning Loveseat with solid jatobah frame and original leather upholstery, designed by Percival
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Leather

Pair of Rich Dark Brown Leather Percival Lafer High Back Lounge Chairs
By Percival Lafer, Lafer
Located in North Hollywood, CA
, model MP-41 with original tufted chocolate brown leather. Made by Lafer MP.
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather

Get Updated with New Arrivals
Save "Percival Lafer Mp 41", and we’ll notify you when there are new listings in this category.

Percival Lafer Mp 41 For Sale on 1stDibs

Choose from an assortment of styles, material and more with respect to the percival lafer mp 41 you’re looking for at 1stDibs. A percival lafer mp 41 — often made from wood, animal skin and leather — can elevate any home. If you’re shopping for a percival lafer mp 41, we have 10 options in-stock, while there are 1 modern editions to choose from as well. You’ve searched high and low for the perfect percival lafer mp 41 — we have versions that date back to the 20th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century are available. A percival lafer mp 41, designed in the Mid-Century Modern style, is generally a popular piece of furniture.

How Much is a Percival Lafer Mp 41?

A percival lafer mp 41 can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $9,500, while the lowest priced sells for $3,061 and the highest can go for as much as $22,000.

Percival Lafer for sale on 1stDibs

When it comes to mid-century furniture, the innovative work of the Brazilian Modernists has often been overlooked, including the designs of prolific maker Percival Lafer. Lafer studied architecture at São Paulo’s Universidade Mackenzie. After he graduated, his father passed away suddenly, leaving a furniture business that Lafer took over with his brothers.

Taking up the mantle, Lafer made the jump from architecture to furniture design in 1961, putting a focus on thoughtfully designed pieces available at affordable prices. That year, Lafer introduced his supremely popular MP-1 chair, a plush piece of furniture made with iron and wood that he has riffed on throughout his entire career.

The silhouettes of Lafer lounge chairs, armchairs and other seating were distinct from streamlined American and European mid-century modernism, taking on casual, puffed forms thanks to his use of polyurethane layers as padding. He combined such contemporary industrial materials with local natural ones, namely Brazilian hardwoods, which delighted customers around the world as Lafer became one of the country’s leading exporters of furniture.

Lafer has continued to design furniture throughout his career, branching into sofas, tables and lighting. He was at the forefront of mechanical furniture movements, debuting the MP-7 sofa, which could turn into a twin bed, in 1965, the first such piece on the market. One of his most intriguing projects was the MP Lafer, a two-seat fiberglass roadster designed to emulate British sports cars. Some 4,300 units were produced over its 16-year manufacturing run in the ’70s and ’80s, with several ending up in the collections of major car museums.

Still, Lafer’s biggest claim to fame is his seating, which he continues to design, drawing inspiration from modern shapes and local materials. In 2017, a retrospective of his work was organized as part of the São Paulo Design Weekend.

Find vintage Percival Lafer furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

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

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.

On the Origins of Brazil

More often than not, vintage mid-century Brazilian furniture designs, with their gleaming wood, soft leathers and inviting shapes, share a sensuous, unique quality that distinguishes them from the more rectilinear output of American and Scandinavian makers of the same era.

Commencing in the 1940s and '50s, a group of architects and designers transformed the local cultural landscape in Brazil, merging the modernist vernacular popular in Europe and the United States with the South American country's traditional techniques and indigenous materials.

Key mid-century influencers on Brazilian furniture design include natives Oscar NiemeyerSergio Rodrigues and José Zanine Caldas as well as such European immigrants as Joaquim TenreiroJean Gillon and Jorge Zalszupin. These creators frequently collaborated; for instance, Niemeyer, an internationally acclaimed architect, commissioned many of them to furnish his residential and institutional buildings.

The popularity of Brazilian modern furniture has made household names of these designers and other greats. Their particular brand of modernism is characterized by an émigré point of view (some were Lithuanian, German, Polish, Ukrainian, Portuguese, and Italian), a preference for highly figured indigenous Brazilian woods, a reverence for nature as an inspiration and an atelier or small-production mentality.

Hallmarks of Brazilian mid-century design include smooth, sculptural forms and the use of native woods like rosewoodjacaranda and pequi. The work of designers today exhibits many of the same qualities, though with a marked interest in exploring new materials (witness the Campana Brothers' stuffed-animal chairs) and an emphasis on looking inward rather than to other countries for inspiration.

Find a collection of vintage Brazilian furniture on 1stDibs that includes chairssofastables and more.

Finding the Right Seating for You

With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.

Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.

Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.

The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.

Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.

With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.

Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.

No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.