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Umbo Unit

Umbo Modular Shelving Unit by Kay LeRoy Ruggles for Directional
Umbo Modular Shelving Unit by Kay LeRoy Ruggles for Directional

Umbo Modular Shelving Unit by Kay LeRoy Ruggles for Directional

By Kay Leroy Ruggles, Directional

Located in Chicago, IL

c. 1970s. USA. Modular shelving unit with gorgeous sun fading.

Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Umbo Modular Shelving Unit by Kay LeRoy Ruggles for Directional
Umbo Modular Shelving Unit by Kay LeRoy Ruggles for Directional

Umbo Modular Shelving Unit by Kay LeRoy Ruggles for Directional

By Kay Leroy Ruggles, Directional

Located in Chicago, IL

c. 1970s. USA. Modular shelving unit with gorgeous sun fading.

Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Plastic

1970s Umbo Modular Shelving Unit by Kay LeRoy Ruggles for Directional 26 Pieces
1970s Umbo Modular Shelving Unit by Kay LeRoy Ruggles for Directional 26 Pieces

1970s Umbo Modular Shelving Unit by Kay LeRoy Ruggles for Directional 26 Pieces

By Kay Leroy Ruggles

Located in Monrovia, CA

1970s UMBO Modular Shelving Unit Designed by Kay LeRoy Ruggles For Directional, Made In The USA, 26

Category

Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Recent Sales

Set of 8 Palaset Stackable Modular Wall Unit Cabinets, Ristomatti Ratia, 1970's
Set of 8 Palaset Stackable Modular Wall Unit Cabinets, Ristomatti Ratia, 1970's

Set of 8 Palaset Stackable Modular Wall Unit Cabinets, Ristomatti Ratia, 1970's

By Palaset, Ristomatti Ratia

Located in Culver City, CA

contemporary home. These stackable cubes are a much bolder statement than say an Umbo unit designed by Leroy

Category

Vintage 1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Cabinets

Materials

Stainless Steel

Massive "Umbo" Shelving Unit by Kay Leroy Ruggles
Massive "Umbo" Shelving Unit by Kay Leroy Ruggles

Massive "Umbo" Shelving Unit by Kay Leroy Ruggles

By Kay Leroy Ruggles

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Four-tiered plastic bookcase/shelving unit by Kay Leroy Ruggles. Modular unit includes 34

Category

Vintage 1970s American Bookcases

Materials

Plastic

Kay Leroy Ruggles Modular Umbo Console Shelf Unit Bookcase
Kay Leroy Ruggles Modular Umbo Console Shelf Unit Bookcase

Kay Leroy Ruggles Modular Umbo Console Shelf Unit Bookcase

By Kay Leroy Ruggles

Located in Brooklyn, NY

White, molded ABS plastic, modular "Umbo" shelf unit, bookcase in a console configuration by Kay

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Umbo Corner Unit, Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, 1970s USA
Umbo Corner Unit, Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, 1970s USA

Umbo Corner Unit, Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, 1970s USA

By Kay Leroy Ruggles

Located in Las Vegas, NV

Rare 18-piece Umbo corner unit by legendary American designer Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional. 75

Category

Vintage 1970s American Space Age Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Umbo Modular Shelving Unit Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, 1970s, USA
Umbo Modular Shelving Unit Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, 1970s, USA

Umbo Modular Shelving Unit Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, 1970s, USA

By Kay Leroy Ruggles

Located in Las Vegas, NV

Modular Umbo storage unit by Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional, USA 1970s. Breaks down for shipping

Category

Vintage 1970s American Space Age Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Umbo by Joe Colombo
Umbo by Joe Colombo

Umbo by Joe Colombo

Sold

H 72 in W 116.5 in D 12 in

Umbo by Joe Colombo

Located in Norwalk, CT

A very large set of Umbo shelving units designed by Joe Colombo for Directional in the early 1970s

Category

Vintage 1970s American Shelves

Joe Colombo designed for Directional "Umbo" shelf
Joe Colombo designed for Directional "Umbo" shelf

Joe Colombo designed for Directional "Umbo" shelf

Located in Ferndale, MI

Joe Colombo designed for Directional "Umbo" shelf - white plastic Wall Unit can be assembled in

Category

Vintage 1960s Shelves

UMBO Modular Bookcase by Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional
UMBO Modular Bookcase by Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional

UMBO Modular Bookcase by Kay Leroy Ruggles for Directional

By Directional

Located in Chattanooga, TN

your 12" vinyl collection. 1970's white and ivory, molded ABS plastic, modular "Umbo" shelf unit

Category

Vintage 1970s American Space Age Bookcases

Materials

Plastic

Modular Shelving Unit by Directional
Modular Shelving Unit by Directional

Modular Shelving Unit by Directional

Sold

H 57 in W 49.5 in D 12 in

Modular Shelving Unit by Directional

Located in Dallas, TX

Rare modular "UMBO" shelving unit produced by Directional and attributed to designer Joe Colombo

Category

Vintage 1960s Italian Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Large Kay Leroy Ruggles Umbo Shelving Unit
Large Kay Leroy Ruggles Umbo Shelving Unit

Large Kay Leroy Ruggles Umbo Shelving Unit

Sold

H 72.5 in W 98 in D 12 in

Large Kay Leroy Ruggles Umbo Shelving Unit

By Kay Leroy Ruggles

Located in Middlesex, NJ

Large Kay Leroy Ruggles Umbo Shelving Unit Unit can be taken apart for transport.

Category

Early 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookcases

Materials

Plastic

Kay Leroy Ruggles Modular Umbo Shelf Unit Bookcase
Kay Leroy Ruggles Modular Umbo Shelf Unit Bookcase

Kay Leroy Ruggles Modular Umbo Shelf Unit Bookcase

By Kay Leroy Ruggles

Located in Brooklyn, NY

White, molded ABS plastic, modular "Umbo" shelf unit, bookcase by Kay Leroy Ruggles is made up of

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Kay Leroy Ruggles Umbo Corner Shelving Unit, Directional, Ivory Cream, 1972
Kay Leroy Ruggles Umbo Corner Shelving Unit, Directional, Ivory Cream, 1972

Kay Leroy Ruggles Umbo Corner Shelving Unit, Directional, Ivory Cream, 1972

By Kay Leroy Ruggles, Directional

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Kay Leroy Ruggles Umbo corner shelving unit, directional, ivory cream, 1972 UMBO was published in

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bookcases

Materials

Plastic

Space Age Umbo Modular Shelving Unit by Kay Ruggles for Directional
Space Age Umbo Modular Shelving Unit by Kay Ruggles for Directional

Space Age Umbo Modular Shelving Unit by Kay Ruggles for Directional

By Directional

Located in Cincinnati, OH

A Umbo Space Age modular shelving unit in a molded yellow ABS styled plastic containing 28 pieces

Category

Mid-20th Century American Space Age Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Umbo Shelving Unit Bookcase by Kay Leroy Ruggles Brown Plastic After Joe Colombo
Umbo Shelving Unit Bookcase by Kay Leroy Ruggles Brown Plastic After Joe Colombo

Umbo Shelving Unit Bookcase by Kay Leroy Ruggles Brown Plastic After Joe Colombo

By Kay Leroy Ruggles

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Vintage Mid-Century Modern brown molded plastic umbo shelving unit bookcase by Kay Leroy Ruggles in

Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Bookcases

Materials

Plastic

Umbo System Wall Unit Designed by Joe Colombo
Umbo System Wall Unit Designed by Joe Colombo

Umbo System Wall Unit Designed by Joe Colombo

Located in Tarrytown, NY

Umbo system bookcase in orange plastic designed by Joe Colombo. Striking design.

Category

Vintage 1960s American Bookcases

Materials

Plastic

Kay Leroy Ruggles Brown "UMBO" Modular Shelf Unit for Directional
Kay Leroy Ruggles Brown "UMBO" Modular Shelf Unit for Directional

Kay Leroy Ruggles Brown "UMBO" Modular Shelf Unit for Directional

By Kay Leroy Ruggles

Located in Salt Lake City, UT

the dowels are original This unit can be re arranged in many different sizes and shapes or

Category

Vintage 1960s Shelves

Materials

Plastic

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1958 Danish Teak Royal Cado Wall Unit by Poul Cadovius
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Afra and Tobia Scarpa Coffee Table in Walnut and Glass, Italy, 1960's
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JENNY Large Wall Light or Sconce in Enamel & Brass by Blueprint Lighting
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Category

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Mid-Century Large Veined Beige Cocoon Pendant by Castiglioni, Italy 1960s
Mid-Century Large Veined Beige Cocoon Pendant by Castiglioni, Italy 1960s

Mid-Century Large Veined Beige Cocoon Pendant by Castiglioni, Italy 1960s

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French 18th Century Louis XV Painted & Gilt Queen Bed
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Achille Castiglioni Mid-Century Beige "Cocoon" Round Pendant, Italy 1960s
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George Nakashima Straight Chair for Knoll
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H 30 in W 22 in D 19.5 in

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Tahiti Table Lamp 'EU VERSION 220v', by Ettore Sottsass from Memphis, Milano
Tahiti Table Lamp 'EU VERSION 220v', by Ettore Sottsass from Memphis, Milano

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By Memphis Group, Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass

Located in La Morra, Cuneo

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Located in New York, NY

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Category

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Bruno Rey for Kush and Co, 1971, ICONIC Dining Room Chair, Model 3300
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Umbo Unit For Sale on 1stDibs

With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the umbo unit you’re looking for. Each umbo unit for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using plastic. There are many kinds of the umbo unit you’re looking for, from those produced as long ago as the 20th Century to those made as recently as the 20th Century. Each umbo unit bearing Mid-Century Modern hallmarks is very popular. You’ll likely find more than one umbo unit that is appealing in its simplicity, but Kay Leroy Ruggles and Directional produced versions that are worth a look.

How Much is a Umbo Unit?

Prices for a umbo unit can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, they begin at $1,600 and can go as high as $22,700, while the average can fetch as much as $3,500.

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 Shelves for You

From valuable historical memorabilia to rare architectural models to priceless family photos, there’s no shortage of collectibles and curiosities worthy of adorning your home. Why not take the time to find the ideal antique, new or vintage shelves for your treasured trinkets?

For every space and object, there’s sure to be a wall-mounted or sturdy floor solution that matches your shelving needs on 1stDibs. And while shelves should technically stick out from your wall, they shouldn’t from the rest of your decor.

Because you can find shelves made with a wide variety of materials today, everything from teak to brass, your shelving can seamlessly support your existing color scheme and design style. An arrangement of shelves from floor to ceiling can turn your wall into a proud storage space for displaying artwork, decorative objects and books. Options abound with regard to shelving for the latter, as furniture designers know that literature creates an inviting atmosphere in any room, and one of the simplest ways to integrate books into an interior design is with the right shelves or bookcase.

Elegant shelving is a must for a happy home office or library, but a sharp shelving system can freshen up virtually any room in your home. Proudly display your vintage dinner plates and other tableware with open shelving in the kitchen or tuck away linens in big baskets on shelves in your bathroom if you’re navigating life without a proper linen closet.

On 1stDibs, find a wide range of shelves that includes everything from mid-century modern floating shelves to decorative Chinese shelves dating from the 18th century to contemporary statement-making structures that are as provocative as they are convenient.

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