Rare large abstract mid-century modern plexiglass wall lamp
Located in München, BY
Rare large Mid-Century Modern wall lamp made of beige plexiglass.
Category
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Materials
Plexiglass
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Italian Table Lamp Attributed Stilnovo
$780Sale Price|35% Off
Italian Table Lamp Attributed Stilnovo
By Stilnovo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Copper and perforated plexiglass shade, nickel base.
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
20th Century, Franco Albini & Franca Helg Table Lamp mod. 524 for Arteluce
By Arteluce, Franco Albini and Franca Helg
Located in Turin, Turin
Franco Albini lived in Milan where he studied Architecture at the Politecnico. He started his career at Gio Ponti's studio, with whom he collaborated before getting in touch with som...
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
20th Century, Gino Sarfatti for Arteluce Pair of Table Lamps mod. 540/P
By Arteluce, Gino Sarfatti
Located in Turin, Turin
Gino Sarfatti was an Italian designer and businessman born in 1912 in Venice. After studying aeronaval engineering in Genoa, he founded the Arteluce company in 1939 in Milan. Its pur...
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Mid-century Green Plexi Conic Shade Pendant Lamp, 1960s, Germany
Located in Hagenbach, DE
Mid-century Green Plexi Conic Shade Pendant Lamp, 1960s, Germany Very elegant and Minimalist ceiling lamp.
Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Materials
Plexiglass
Mid-Century Brass and Plexi Glass Wall Lamp, Italy, 1960s
By Stilnovo
Located in Hagenbach, DE
This striking Mid-Century wall lamp from Italy, dating to the 1960s, showcases the refined design sensibility of the era.
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Materials
Brass
Midcentury Cello Table Lamp
Located in Beirut, LB
A charming Cello in plexiglass table lamp, providing a beautiful ambiance once lit, fixed on a square glass base with a 250 cm chord. W11.5 D11.5 H33.5 cm , Weight : 0.1 kgs.
Category
Mid-20th Century French Table Lamps
Materials
Plexiglass
1950s Italian Mid-Century Pendant Lamp in Green & White Plexiglass
By Stilnovo
Located in Argelato, BO
Italian Mid-Century Suspension, in the style of Stilnovo.
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Materials
Plexiglass
Quadrilobe Nickeled Lamp
$1,440Sale Price|40% Off
Quadrilobe Nickeled Lamp
Located in Brooklyn, NY
beautiful lamp from the 1970's in chrome and white perspex.
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Plexiglass
Mezzanotte floor lamp by Roberto Matta Paradisoterrestre Edition
By Paradisoterrestre, Roberto Matta
Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT
Designed in the early 1970s - Paradisoterrestre Edition 2026 Materials: aluminium, PVC shade, plexiglass base Born in the early 1970s from the multifaceted imagination of surrealis...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Materials
Aluminum
Chimera Floor Lamp By Vico Magistretti, Italy, 1970s
By Vico Magistretti
Located in Charmes, FR
Very good condition for this 1st edition with neon of the iconic Chimera floor lamp designed by Vico Magistretti for Artemide and produced in Italy in the 1960s. Metal base with obvi...
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Materials
Plexiglass
Space age lucite table lamp, France 1960s
By Joe Colombo, Michel Dumas
Located in ECHT, NL
Space age table lamp. The lamps is made from 4 thick pieces of plexiglass that are mounted around the Edison screw socket. By removing one of the lucite pieces, the bulb can be chang...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Space Age Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
French Perspex Table Lamps
$325 / set
French Perspex Table Lamps
Located in Montréal, QC
French perspex lamps. Coloured perspex shades on black molded plastic base. 40 watt E-14 (European bulb) or higher if LED/CFL. Minor scratches, scuffs and/or patination as largely s...
Category
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Plexiglass
1970s Italian Table Lamp by Stilux
By Stilux
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautiful Italian table lamp by Stilux Milano. The lamp is made with plexiglass shade , brass adjustable arms and chrome base.
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Floor Lamp, Design by Goffredo Reggiani.
By Gioffredo Reggiani
Located in Wolfurt, AT
Sculptural floor lamp by Goffredo Reggiani circa 1960. Crafted from satin steel, copper, and white plexiglass, atop a marble base. Features European plug compatibility. The lamp com...
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Materials
Marble, Chrome, Copper
Mid-Century Stilux Plexiglass Pendant Ceiling Lamp, 1960s, Milan, Italy
By Stilux
Located in Saarbruecken, DE
Stilux modern hanging dish pendant ceiling light fixture made in Milan, Italy, circa 1960s. Two tone molded plexiglass white and translucent orange with chrome hardware. 3 bulbs. rew...
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Materials
Lucite, Plexiglass
Stilnovo floor lamp 2020 variant made in Italy 1955
By Bruno Gatta, Stilnovo
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
A striking example of mid-century Italian lighting, this piece showcases Stilnovo’s signature blend of minimalism, innovation, and refined detailing.
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Materials
Marble, Metal
Mid Century Modern Leather-look Plexiglass Small Ceiling Lamp, 1960s, Germany
Located in Hagenbach, DE
Mid Century Modern Leather-look Plexiglass Small Ceiling Lamp, 1960s, Germany Lampshade is in very good vintage condition.
Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Materials
Plexiglass
Esperia Angelo Brotto floor lamp
By Angelo Brotto
Located in Cerignola, IT
Beautiful and very rare floor lamp by Angelo Brotto for Esperia Completely original , with 7 interior lights , pedal ignition.
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
Stilux Articulating Table Lamp
By Stilux
Located in Hanover, MA
A 1950 Italian table lamp from Stilux Milano with Carrera marble base with switch and purple plexi dome reflector which can be playfully positioned from the articulating arm which ha...
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Aluminum, Brass
FORNASETTI Pair of L'Immaginario Table Lamps
$1,199Sale Price / set|20% Off
FORNASETTI Pair of L'Immaginario Table Lamps
By Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage "L'Immaginario" table lamp composed of a flat plexiglass sheet photostatic printed with newspaper motif, assembled by folding the sheet into a cylindrical form / designed by ...
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Plexiglass
Floor Lamp Model 12628 “Siluro” by Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce, Italy
Located in New York, NY
Large biconical floor lamp in metal with a two-tone plexi glass shade in yellow and white. Designed circa 1957 by Angelo Lelli for the Italian lighting manufacturer Arredoluce. Illus...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Floor Lamps
Materials
Metal
Maison Jansen Table Lamp France circa 1950
$12,800 / item
Maison Jansen Table Lamp France circa 1950
Located in New York, NY
A fine tall desk lamp designed by Maison Jansen from France circa 1950. Nickel plated steel with the original black plexiglass and brass shade. Wired for the U.S. market.
Category
Mid-20th Century French Table Lamps
Materials
Brass, Nickel
Table lamp Cobra by Harvey Guzzini Italy 1960s
By Harvey Guzzini
Located in Miklavž Pri Taboru, SI
The piece is made of plexiglass, a material that is iconic for Guzzini’s style and represents mid-century Italian design perfectly.
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Plexiglass
Tommaso Barbi “Flamingo” Table Lamp, 1970
$2,650 / item
Tommaso Barbi “Flamingo” Table Lamp, 1970
By Tommaso Barbi
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Tommaso Barbi “Flamingo” Brass Table Lamp, Italy, 1970 Tommaso Barbi, the renowned Italian designer for brass lighting, conceived the “Flamingo” lamp in 1970. This table lamp is a d...
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce 'Siluro' Floor Lamp
By Arredoluce, Angelo Lelii
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce, floor lamp 'Siluro', model '12628', Carrara marble, coated steel, brass, plexiglass, Italy, circa 1957 This floor lamp, designed by Angelo Lelii for Arr...
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Materials
Carrara Marble, Brass, Steel
Tommaso Barbi “Flamingo” Table Lamp, 1970
$2,650 / item
Tommaso Barbi “Flamingo” Table Lamp, 1970
By Tommaso Barbi
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Tommaso Barbi “Flamingo” Brass Table Lamp, Italy, 1970 Tommaso Barbi, the renowned Italian designer for brass lighting, conceived the “Flamingo” lamp in 1970. This table lamp is a d...
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
1970s Modernist Clear Lucite and Brown Plastic Italian Desk Lamp
By Fase
Located in Aci Castello, IT
This Modernist Clear Lucite and Brown Plastic Italian Desk Lamp is a notable example of mid-century modern design. it's in in working order and in very good conditions overall. The ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Lucite, Plexiglass
Monumental “Ponte” Arc Floor Lamp by Duccio Trassinelli for Sormani
By Sormani
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
An iconic and architectural “Ponte” floor lamp designed by Duccio Trassinelli and produced by Sormani in Italy in the early 1970s. Conceived within the experimental framework of Stud...
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Materials
Marble, Steel
Italian Desk Lamp by Martinelli Luce
$1,440Sale Price|40% Off
Italian Desk Lamp by Martinelli Luce
By Elio Martinelli
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Elio Martinelli rear desk table lamp in opal white plexiglass. Desk lamp is adjustable up-down and left-right.
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Roger Fatus Lamp 1021 for Disderot
$1,150 / item
Roger Fatus Lamp 1021 for Disderot
By Disderot, Roger Fatus
Located in Glendale, CA
Roger Fatus lamp 1021 for Disderot. This Minimalist, ultra-light lamp reflects the avant-garde design created by Roger Fatus in the 1960s. The Fatus design from 1960 creates a perfec...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Ore Tre Table Lamp by Roberto Matta Paradisoterrestre Edition
By Paradisoterrestre, Roberto Matta
Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT
Designed in the early 1970s - Paradisoterrestre Edition 2026 Materials: aluminium, PVC shade, plexiglass base Born in the early 1970s from the multifaceted imagination of surrealis...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Aluminum
"1103" Table Lamp by Luxus Sweden
By Luxus of Sweden, Luxus Vittsjö
Located in Mortsel, BE
Introducing a captivating Mid-century table light crafted by "Luxus," a renowned Swedish company known for their exceptional designs. This exquisite lighting piece embodies the timel...
Category
Late 20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Plexiglass, Oak
Table Lamp Bauletto by Gabriela Crespi, Italy, 1973 - Signed
By Gabriella Crespi
Located in Brussels, BE
Table Lamp Bauletto by Gabriela Crespi, Italy, 1973 - Signed New lampshade C. Cunacchia, Gabriella Crespi, Il segno e lo spirito, p. Mondadori, Electa, 2011 Introduced in 1973 as ...
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Vintage Lamp Luci Illuminazione di Interni
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Vintage lamp Luci Illuminazione di interni, Italy from 1970.
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Plexiglass
'Porcospino' Table Lamp by Marzio Cecchi
By Marzio Cecchi
Located in Los Angeles, CA
'Porcospino' Table Lamp by Marzio Cecchi. Designed and manufactured in Italy, circa the 1970s. A nucleus style lamp comprising of plexiglass cylinders nestled 360° degrees throughout...
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Steel
Table Lamp 1950 Stilux Milan
By Stilux
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Table lamp 1950 Stilux Milan.
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Marble, Brass
French Télé-ambiance table lamp, 1950's
Located in Montréal, QC
Two-faced plexiglass lamp made in Italy and attributed to Arredoluce. Yellow and white moulded plexiglass panel shades held by enameled brass pins. Black enameled steel mesh, black e...
Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Steel
Italian Cylinder Table Lamp with Chromed Steel Base, 1960
Located in Barcelona, ES
Space Age design acrylic and chrome table lamp, Italy, 1960-1970. This Mid-20th century table lamp features a white plexiglass cylindric shade standing up on a chromed steel base.
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Steel, Chrome, Metal
Lucite and Brass Desk Lamp by Sandro Petti, 1970s
By Sandro Petti
Located in Brussels, BE
Lucite and Brass Desk Lamp by Sandro Petti, 1970s
Category
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
Pierre Giraudon Resin Suspension Shell Desk Lamp France 1960's
By Pierre Giraudon
Located in Hastings, GB
A Pierre Giraudon resin suspension desk lamp comprising a white shell held within a rectangular piece of resin or plexi-glass as it is more commonly referred to in France Dating fro...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Plexiglass
Italian Enamelled Brass Floor Lamp by Angelo Brotto for Esperia, 1960s
By Esperia, Angelo Brotto
Located in Puglia, Puglia
This design reflects Angelo Brotto's distinctive approach, balancing artisanal experimentation with modernist clarity, and stands as a refined example of mid-century Italian lighting...
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass, Enamel
Pair of Delord & Garrault Floor to Ceiling Lamps
$28,590 / set
Pair of Delord & Garrault Floor to Ceiling Lamps
By Garrault-Delord
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Pair of rare "Sol au plafond" (floor to ceiling) lamps, made of different section of metal tubes holding an enlightnen plexi globe. Adjustable height both at the top and bottom thank...
Category
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Portable Floor Lamp, Metalarte, Enrique Franch, Spain
$1,506Sale Price|20% Off
Portable Floor Lamp, Metalarte, Enrique Franch, Spain
By Enrique Franch Miret, Metalarte
Located in Mortsel, BE
Introducing the Portable Floor Lamp by Metalarte, a remarkable lighting piece designed by Enrique Franch and crafted in Spain. This floor lamp showcases a sleek and modern design, wi...
Category
Vintage 1970s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Materials
Metal
Floor Lamp by Harco Loor, the Netherlands, 1980's
By Harco Loor 1
Located in Steenwijk, NL
This beautiful floor lamp was made by Harco Loor Haarlem in the 1980's. A beautiful design. The base is made of a perspex tube with a visable wiring inside standing on a round plexig...
Category
Vintage 1980s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Materials
Acrylic, Plexiglass
Étienne Fermigier F170 Table Lamp for Disderot
$1,600 / item
Étienne Fermigier F170 Table Lamp for Disderot
By Disderot, Etienne Fermigier
Located in Glendale, CA
Étienne Fermigier F170 table lamp for Disderot Originally designed in 1970, the model F170 exemplifies the anti-conformist and futuristic design of the era, during which the materia...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Aluminum
1970's Mod 'Town Hall' Floor Lamp with Marble Base
$1,650 / item
1970's Mod 'Town Hall' Floor Lamp with Marble Base
By Guzzini
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Awesome 1970's modern floor lamp with tubular chrome frame, heavy marble base and plexiglass shade. In original condition with visible wear, including scratching and some chipping to...
Category
Vintage 1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Materials
Marble, Chrome
Italian Chimera Floor Lamp by Vico Magistretti for Artemide First Edition, 1969
By Vico Magistretti, Artemide
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
Designer: Vico Magistretti Manufacturer: Artemide Place of Origin: Italy Date of Manufacture: 1969 In Style: Mid Century Modern Materials and Techniques: Plexiglass, Metal Condition:...
Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Materials
Plexiglass
Table Lamp by Tito Agnoli, Oluce 1960
By Tito Agnoli, Oluce
Located in Berlin, DE
Table lamp, model 25 Construction made of cast iron and brass, with a shade of green plexiglass. Dimensions: H 46 cm, ø c.a. 35 cm cf. Catalogo di produzione Oluce.
Category
Antique 1660s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass, Iron
Vico Magistretti, Chimera Floor Lamp for Artemide, Italy, 1960s (Old Edition)
By Artemide, Vico Magistretti
Located in Argelato, BO
Iconic and unusual lamp designed by the great Italian architect and designer Vico Magistretti. This is one of the first versions, coming from an important hotel in Romagna (Italy) ...
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Materials
Metal
Floor Lamp 12628 "Siluro"by Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce, Italy, 1957
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Brussels, BE
Floor Lamp 12628 "Siluro"by Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce, Italy, 1957 Designer : Paolo Angelo Lelii (1911-1979) for Arredoluce Paolo Angelo Lelii was born in Ancona, Italy. After his...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Materials
Marble, Brass
Pair of Georges Frydman Table Lamps for EFA
$9,913 / set
Pair of Georges Frydman Table Lamps for EFA
By Georges Frydman
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
The lamps are made of a black metal structure, brass hardware and cylindrical white plexiglass shades.
Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
Giuseppe Ostuni Renato Forti 3306 floor lamp Oluce 1955
By Giuseppe Ostuni, Renato Forti
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Rare collectible floor lamp model 3306 designed by Giuseppe Ostuni and Renato Forti and manufactured by Oluce, Italy 1955. This minimalistic floor lamp has a matt nickel-plated frame...
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Materials
Nickel
Elio Martinelli Style “Bolla” Table Lamp, Italy, 1965
By Elio Martinelli
Located in Weesp, NL
A striking sculptural table lamp, reminiscent of the iconic “Bolla” series designed by Elio Martinelli for Martinelli Luce in 1965. This rare piece combines organic, space-age aesthe...
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Acrylic, Plexiglass
ABN Lamp by Aldo van den Nieuwelaar
By Aldo van den Nieuwelaar
Located in Doornspijk, NL
Aldo van den Nieuwelaar, best known for his Amsterdammer cupboard series, was commissioned by ABN Bank to design a table lamp. He came up with this marvellous light and transparent d...
Category
Vintage 1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Plastic, Plexiglass
Pair of Rare Mid-Century Modern Wall Lamps with Pink Plexiglass Shades
Located in München, BY
A pair of rare Mid-Century Modern wall lamps featuring rolled pink Plexiglass shades.
Category
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Materials
Brass
Italian Ciaro Table Lamp by Boccato Gigante Zambusi Architetti, 1970s
By Boccato Gigante Zambusi
Located in Hamburg, DE
Additional information: Materials: Plexiglass Color: Black Period: 1970s Styles: Memphis, Mid-Century Modern Country of Origin: Italy Item Type: Vintage, Antique or Pre-owned Dimensi...
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Plexiglass
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Plexiglass Lamp Mid Century For Sale on 1stDibs
At 1stDibs, there are many versions of the ideal plexiglass lamp mid century for your home. Frequently made of plastic, plexiglass and metal, every plexiglass lamp mid century was constructed with great care. There are 483 variations of the antique or vintage plexiglass lamp mid century you’re looking for, while we also have 10 modern editions of this piece to choose from as well. Your living room may not be complete without a plexiglass lamp mid century — find older editions for sale from the 19th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 21st Century. A plexiglass lamp mid century, designed in the Mid-Century Modern, Scandinavian Modern or Art Deco style, is generally a popular piece of furniture. A well-made plexiglass lamp mid century has long been a part of the offerings for many furniture designers and manufacturers, but those produced by Stilux, Stilnovo and RAAK are consistently popular.
How Much is a Plexiglass Lamp Mid Century?
The average selling price for a plexiglass lamp mid century at 1stDibs is $2,004, while they’re typically $295 on the low end and $36,782 for the highest priced.
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
- Emerged during the mid-20th century
- Informed by European modernism, Bauhaus, International style, Scandinavian modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture
- A heyday of innovation in postwar America
- Experimentation with new ideas, new materials and new forms flourished in Scandinavia, Italy, the former Czechoslovakia and elsewhere in Europe
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Simplicity, organic forms, clean lines
- A blend of neutral and bold Pop art colors
- Use of natural and man-made materials — alluring woods such as teak, rosewood and oak; steel, fiberglass and molded plywood
- Light-filled spaces with colorful upholstery
- Glass walls and an emphasis on the outdoors
- Promotion of functionality
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
- Charles and Ray Eames
- Eero Saarinen
- Milo Baughman
- Florence Knoll
- Harry Bertoia
- Isamu Noguchi
- George Nelson
- Danish modernists Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, whose emphasis on natural materials and craftsmanship influenced American designers and vice versa
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
- Eames lounge chair
- Nelson daybed
- Florence Knoll sofa
- Egg chair
- Womb chair
- Noguchi coffee table
- Barcelona chair
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.
Materials: Plastic Furniture
Arguably the world’s most ubiquitous man-made material, plastic has impacted nearly every industry. In contemporary spaces, new and vintage plastic furniture is quite popular and its use pairs well with a range of design styles.
From the Italian lighting artisans at Fontana Arte to venturesome Scandinavian modernists such as Verner Panton, who created groundbreaking interiors as much as he did seating — see his revolutionary Panton chair — to contemporary multidisciplinary artists like Faye Toogood, furniture designers have been pushing the boundaries of plastic forever.
When The Graduate's Mr. McGuire proclaimed, “There’s a great future in plastics,” it was more than a laugh line. The iconic quote is an allusion both to society’s reliance on and its love affair with plastic. Before the material became an integral part of our lives — used in everything from clothing to storage to beauty and beyond — people relied on earthly elements for manufacturing, a process as time-consuming as it was costly.
Soon after American inventor John Wesley Hyatt created celluloid, which could mimic luxury products like tortoiseshell and ivory, production hit fever pitch, and the floodgates opened for others to explore plastic’s full potential. The material altered the history of design — mid-century modern legends Charles and Ray Eames, Joe Colombo and Eero Saarinen regularly experimented with plastics in the development of tables and chairs, and today plastic furnishings and decorative objects are seen as often indoors as they are outside.
Find vintage plastic lounge chairs, outdoor furniture, lighting and more on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right Lighting for You
The right table lamp, outwardly sculptural chandelier or understated wall pendant can work wonders for your home. While we’re indebted to thinkers like Thomas Edison for critically important advancements in lighting and electricity, we’re still finding new ways to customize illumination to fit our personal spaces all these years later. A wide range of antique and vintage lighting can be found on 1stDibs.
Today, lighting designers like the self-taught Bec Brittain have used the flexible structure of LEDs to craft glamorous solutions by working with what is typically considered a harsh lighting source. By integrating glass and mirrors, reflection can be used to soften the glow from LEDs and warmly welcome light into any space.
Although contemporary innovators continue to impress, some of the classics can’t be beat.
Just as gazing at the stars allows you to glimpse the universe’s past, vintage chandeliers like those designed by Gino Sarfatti and J. & L. Lobmeyr, for example, put on a similarly stunning show, each with a rich story to tell.
As dazzling as it is, the Arco lamp, on the other hand, prioritizes functionality — it’s wholly mobile, no drilling required. Designed in 1962 by architect-product designers Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, the piece takes the traditional form of a streetlamp and creates an elegant, arching floor fixture for at-home use.
There is no shortage of modernist lighting similarly prized by collectors and casual enthusiasts alike — there are Art Deco table lamps created in a universally appreciated style, the Tripod floor lamp by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Greta Magnusson Grossman's sleek and minimalist Grasshopper lamps and, of course, the wealth of mid-century experimental lighting that emerged from Italian artisans at Arredoluce, FLOS and many more are hallmarks in illumination innovation.
With decades of design evolution behind it, home lighting is no longer just practical. Crystalline shaping by designers like Gabriel Scott turns every lighting apparatus into a luxury accessory. A new installation doesn’t merely showcase a space; carefully chosen ceiling lights, table lamps and floor lamps can create a mood, spotlight a favorite piece or highlight your unique personality.
The sparkle that your space has been missing is waiting for you amid the growing collection of antique, vintage and contemporary lighting for sale on 1stDibs.
Questions About Plexiglass Lamp Mid Century
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2023To identify mid-century lamps, look for a manufacturer's label or stamp on the base or the shade. You can use trusted online resources to determine when the company or artisan was active. Some lamps may also have a date stamp that you can use for identification purposes. Pieces dating from the late 1950s through the early 1970s are mid-century in terms of their age. A mid-century modern lamp will show off hallmarks of the design style, such as curvy hourglass or globe forms. A certified appraiser or experienced antiques dealer may also be able to help with the identification. Find a range of mid-century lamps on 1stDibs.
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More Ways To Browse
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Totem Memphis
Lawrin Lamps Mid Century
Radio Table 1950
Tiffany Blue Belts
Torlasco 553
Tri Leg Table Lamp
Tulip Roger Rougier
Turquoise Drip Glaze Midcentury Lamps
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Ufo Desk Lamp
Unique Lamp Company
Valenti Medusa
Vieux Moulin Vallauris
Viking Lamp
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