Umanoff Wood Slatted Bench
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail T...
Iron
People Also Browsed
Vintage 1950s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Wicker
Vintage 1960s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Candelabras
Iron
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Baskets
Teak
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Benches
Iron
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Brass
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Candle Holders
Wrought Iron
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Travertine, Brass
Vintage 1950s American Organic Modern Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Sideboards
Brass
Vintage 1960s North American Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Iron
Vintage 1970s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Oak
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Animal Skin, Cowhide, Wool, Wood, Oak
Vintage 1970s Danish Armchairs
Fabric, Teak
Late 20th Century American Brutalist Sideboards
Metal
Recent Sales
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Benches
Wrought Iron
Vintage 1950s American Benches
Vintage 1950s American Benches
Iron
Vintage 1960s American Benches
Iron
Vintage 1960s American Benches
Iron
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Benches
Steel
Vintage 1950s American Benches
Iron
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Benches
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Benches
Wrought Iron
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wrought Iron
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Wrought Iron
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wrought Iron
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Benches
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Settees
Iron
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Benches
Iron
Arthur Umanoff for sale on 1stDibs
Though much of Arthur Umanoff’s furniture is marked by a no-frills simplicity common in American mid-century modern design, his work is anything but one-note. Over the course of a prolific career, Umanoff designed everything from case pieces to candleholders to dining chairs in iron, leather, walnut, wicker and more. With furnishings for a broad range of manufacturers throughout the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and early ’80s, Umanoff continued a thread of sculptural elegance and textural sensitivity through his designs.
After graduating from Pratt Institute in the early 1950s, Umanoff experimented mostly with wood furniture before landing a job at Post Modern Ltd, a New York manufacturer of wrought-iron furniture. There he produced furnishings that married wrought iron with wood and plastic, creating functional pieces free of utilitarian bulkiness. Umanoff continued his experimentation with mixed materials through a partnership with Shaver Howard, for whom he designed wine racks in combinations of iron, leather and wicker.
When Shaver Howard bought Boyeur Scott, Umanoff conceived several furniture designs for the brand, including the 1964 Granada collection, whose curlicue iron bases, visible through glass tops, stand out as some of his most ornate and decorative work. Indeed, much of Umanoff’s oeuvre is far more simplistic, like iron-and-pine armchairs for The Elton Co. or low-backed, slatted-seat barstools with slender iron legs for Raymor.
Umanoff was fluent, too, in the more sumptuous modernism of the era: In the mid-1960s, he designed the 2405 and 4449 armchairs for Madison Furniture Industries. Popular in offices, the walnut-framed, leather-upholstered seats, which could have been mistaken for the seductive Scandinavian modern seating of the era, were reportedly the jumping-off point for Captain Kirk’s iconic seat on Star Trek.
Even as he is among the mid-century modern designers you may not know, with work across such a range of styles and manufacturers (most no longer in business), Umanoff, who died in 1985, leaves a legacy that is fascinatingly diverse and at times enticingly elusive, making his work intriguing objects for collectors.
Find vintage Arthur Umanoff furniture today on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right benches for You
Don’t underestimate a good bench — antique and vintage benches are storage pieces, stylish accents and statement-making additional seating.
Today, benches are a great option to maximize seating in your house and outdoor space. The perfect option to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere in foyers and entryways, benches can also transform dining areas, making it possible to host a hungry family with limited space. Whether you’re sprucing up your entertaining with upholstered Empire-style benches or adding more options to a dining room that’s seen a farmhouse makeover, this humble furnishing has only become more versatile over the years. Designers have recognized the demand for a good bench, crafting the convenient seating alternative from a range of materials, including wood, iron and even concrete.
Mid-century modern benches from George Nakashima, Charlotte Perriand and the pared-down Platform bench by George Nelson for Herman Miller are classics of innovation, but maybe you’re looking for an unconventional design approach to your home's seating. Opt for something totally outside the box — an antique pine church-pew bench paired with a vintage wool throw and stationed under the mounted coatrack in your mudroom is a distinctive touch.
For your outdoor oasis, a wrought-iron patio bench is the obvious choice but not the only option. An enclosed back patio would do well to inherit a rattan bench with cushions, but it can be susceptible to weathering and should be covered or moved indoors when not in use.
Whatever your seating arrangement needs are, find vintage, new and antique benches for every space on 1stDibs.