$5,381 / set
H 30.71 in W 25.6 in D 27.17 in
Mid Century Modern Vintage Green Beech Sculptural Lounge Chairs Austria 1950s
By SW Möbel
Located in Vienna, AT
Wohnkultur, SW, 1950s Vienna. A wonderful and sculptural pair of lounge chairs from beech and soft green
Upholstery, Beech
SW Möbel Bookcase, Vienna, 1950s
By SW Möbel, Oskar Payer
Located in Vienna, Vienna
SW Möbel bookcase, Vienna, 1950s. SW Möbel sideboard, chest of drawers, bookcase collection, Vienna
Beech
SW Möbel Sideboard Vienna, 1950s
By SW Möbel, Oskar Payer
Located in Vienna, Vienna
SW Möbel sideboard Vienna, SW Möbel sideboard, chest of drawers, bookcase collection, Vienna, 1950s
Beech
SW Möbel Credenza Vienna, 1950s
By SW Möbel, Oskar Payer
Located in Vienna, Vienna
SW Möbel credenza Vienna, 1950s. SW Möbel (Soziale Wohnkultur) was a furniture brand of the 1950s
Beech
SW Möbel Chest of Drawers, Vienna, 1950s
By SW Möbel, Oskar Payer
Located in Vienna, Vienna
SW Möbel Chest of Drawers Vienna, 1950s. SW Möbel (Soziale Wohnkultur) was a furniture brand of the
Beech
Unavailable
H 29.14 in W 39.38 in D 16.93 in
SW Möbel Sideboard, Chest of Drawers, Bookcase Collection, Vienna, 1950s
By SW Möbel, Oskar Payer
Located in Vienna, Vienna
SW Möbel sideboard, chest of drawers, bookcase collection, Vienna, 1950s. SW Möbel (Soziale
Beech
Eight Kai Lyngfeldt Larsen for SW Mobler Side/Dining Chairs
By SW Möbel, Kai Lyngfeldt Larsen
Located in Norwalk, CT
Eight attractive Danish mid-century dining or side chairs designed by Kai Lyngfeldt Larsen for SW
Leather
Midcentury, Teak Sideboard from SW BBx/WG, 1950s
By SW Möbel
Located in Odense, Denmark
SW BBX/WG.
Mirror, Teak
$14,350 / item
H 33.08 in W 115.36 in D 61.82 in
1950's Style Curved Velvet Sofa in Custom Velvet Colors
Located in NEW YORK, NY
The Sofa inspires itself nature where green is the predominant element and where valleys and hills prevail. The item’s details allow it to be the perfect statement piece for any cont...
Velvet, Walnut
Murano Sputnik Spherical Green Glass and Brass Chandelier
Located in Roma, Lazio
A fantastic emerald green sputnik, with a surprising design and for its very low height, which allows it to fit in both high and low ceilings. Very elegant, it will furnish and decor...
Brass
Vintage brutalist wooden T chair
By Olavi Hanninen
Located in AIGNAN, FR
Brutalist T chair in solid wood, in the style of the chairs designed by designer Olavi Hanninen, dating from the 60s. Aesthetic and trendy, the chair will be perfect in a refined, ...
Wood
$1,275 / item
H 15 in W 13.5 in D 6 in
JENNY Large Wall Light or Sconce in Enamel & Brass by Blueprint Lighting
By Blueprint Lighting, Mathieu Matégot, Stilnovo
Located in New York, NY
Introducing Jenny, the latest vintage-inspired fixture from Blueprint Lighting. Named for multi-hyphenate Jenny Mollen; NYT best-selling author, actress, design enthusiast, mom of ...
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
Custom Made Oak and Velvet Bench by Kai Kristiansen
Located in London, England
Bench designed by Danish master Kai Kristiansen in the 1950s and now produced under license by Dagmar. Hand-made to order, this upholstered bench has a fumed and oiled oak frame. Th...
Mohair, Oak
$14,750 / item
H 13 in W 36 in D 52 in
Circular Coffee/Side Table Organic Black Modern Contemporary Blackened Steel
By J.M. Szymanski
Located in Bronx, NY
TABLE NO. 15 - COFFEE TABLE J.M. Szymanski d. 2019 This Noguchi-inspired coffee table is handcrafted in 3/8” thick steel, with a natural black patina and wax finish, to create an u...
Steel, Iron
$9,593
H 13 in W 51.19 in D 24.41 in
Roger Capron Signed Ceramic Coffee Table, Moribana decor, circa 1974, France.
By Roger Capron
Located in Brussels, BE
Beautiful Roger Capron Tk1 coffee table, Moribana decor, circa 1974, France. 4 cylindrical oak feet plywood and enameled white and brown ceramic tiles, leaf and herb decor. Signed R...
Sandstone
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
$2,098 / set
H 24.81 in W 23.63 in D 13.78 in
French Pair of Nightstands Side Cabinets Bedside Tables Brutalist Style, 2022
Located in Labrit, Landes
Pair of oak nightstands "Pyrénées" signed by Sébastien Lamarre. This french side cabinets were made by Sébastien Lamarre for Maison Marie Anne. The creator chose for the Pyrénées mo...
Oak
$24,500 / set
H 37.41 in W 34.06 in D 39.38 in
Giampiero Vitelli for Rossi di Albizzate Pair of 'Minore' Easy Chairs
By Rossi di Albizzate, Giampiero Vitelli
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Giampiero Vitelli for Rossi di Albizzate, pair of 'Minore' lounge chairs, leather, plywood, Italy, 1961 A truly magnificent piece that scores highly on every design aspect: executio...
Leather, Plywood
Danish Lounge Chair in Teak
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Lounge chair, fabric, teak, Denmark, 1960s Sculptural egg-shaped lounge chair made in Denmark in the 1960s. This wingback chair is a wonderful example of Scandinavian design, featur...
Fabric, Teak
Craft Associates Modern Lounge Chair, 2002, the Parallax
By Craft Associates
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
Designer: Laura Trenchard Manufacturer: Craft Associates Modern Furniture Period/Model: Mid-Century Modern Specs: Walnut, Mohair Yardage: 6 yards, 5.5 meters condition Craft Asso...
Mohair, Walnut
Donbar Faceted Fireplace in Patinated Iron
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Donbar fireplace, iron, Belgium, 1970s A 1970s fireplace by Donbar made in Belgium in the 1970s. Crafted from patinated black iron, this fireplace embraces a mesmerizing interplay o...
Iron
770 Armchairs by J.A Motte for Steiner, France 1950's
By Joseph-André Motte
Located in New York, NY
Andre Motte for Steiner 770 large lounge chairs, extremely comfortable and lightweight, ideal entertainment chair A second pair available for COM.
Brass
2 parts sofa in stainless steel by Studio Glustin
By Glustin Creation
Located in Saint-Ouen (PARIS), FR
2 parts sofa in stainless steel with seating upholstered with a fabric by Dédar. Creation by Studio Glustin. France, 2023.
Stainless Steel
Off White Tree Chandelier SM
By Lumfardo Luminaires
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This organic inspired chandelier is a smaller version of the Off White Tree Chandelier. These fixtures combine geometry with botanical aspects. This smaller inspiration has 4 top ope...
Aluminum, Brass
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.