German industrial designer Dieter Rams is revered for the pared-down, intuitive electronics and consumer goods he created for Braun — where he worked from 1955 to 1997, most of that time as chief design officer — and his timeless furniture for Vitsœ, a company with which he continues to collaborate today.
Less well known are Rams’s longstanding focus on sustainability and uneasy relationship with contemporary technology, even as Silicon Valley designers like Apple’s Jonathan Ive follow in his rational footsteps.
During Germany’s postwar rebuilding period, Rams and his team of designers at Braun, inspired by the Bauhaus and the Ulm School of Design, focused on extreme simplicity and usability while conceiving products with a modern, forward-looking appearance.
Among Rams’s most iconic designs is the SK 4 phonograph and radio, created in 1956, which had a compact white metal case topped by a revolutionary-at-the-time transparent Plexiglas lid that revealed simple gray controls inside (it was nicknamed Snow White’s Coffin). But it is the T3 portable radio, from 1958, that gets design aficionados most excited today: A white rectangular box with a perforated square for the speaker and a circular-dial control, it bears an unmistakable resemblance to Apple’s original iPod. (Many people also note that the iPhone’s calculator app looks remarkably similar to the Braun ET 66 calculator, with its circular color-coded buttons.)
In the late 1970s, Rams laid out his widely studied 10 principles for good design: It is innovative, makes a product useful, is aesthetic, makes a product understandable, is unobtrusive, is honest, is long lasting, is thorough down to the last detail, is environmentally friendly and is as little design as possible.
One of Rams’s principles that hasn’t translated to our contemporary era is his emphasis on longevity. “The time of thoughtless design and thoughtless consumption is over,” he said in 1976, stressing the need to conserve natural resources — even as he was busy designing plastic products.
Rams has also expressed reservations about how electronics have evolved in recent decades from tools for improving life to time-sucking obsessions. “Every time he crosses a street and sees people glued to their phones, he just can’t conceive of how we got to this point,” says filmmaker Gary Hustwit, whose feature-length documentary on Rams debuted in 2018. “I think he’s a little bit saddened by all this work they did in the fifties and sixties, which had a very idealistic point of view, being a stepping stone to where we are now, and the current lust for technology.”
If digital devices sometimes seem to be making life more complicated, Rams’s precept remains the same as always: “Back to purity, back to simplicity.”
Find vintage Dieter Rams furniture on 1stDibs.
Dieter Rams Lounge Chair and Ottoman Model 602 by Vitsoe for Restoration
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
Located in München, BY
Very elegant Dieter Rams Lounge Chair with high backrest and Ottoman of the RZ 60 601/602 armchair range. This Model 602 was designed in 1961 and executed by Vitsoe. Chair and ottoma...
Aluminum
1960s Hi-Fi System, PS 600, CSV 251 & CE 300, Braun, Vintage
By Dieter Rams, Braun
Located in Neuss, NW
Legendary Hi-Fi system from Braun. The 1960s design by Dieter Rams consists of a classic PS 600 turntable with automatic changer, the renowned CSV 251 amplifier, and a precise CE 300...
Stainless Steel
606 Shelving System, Dieter Rams for Vitsœ, Vintage
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Neuss, NW
Modular 606 shelving system by Dieter Rams for Vitsœ from the 1960s. High-quality construction consisting of eight aluminum E-Tracks, eleven shelves and three containers with up and ...
Aluminum
Braun SK 61 Phonosuper Radiogram by Dieter Rams & Hans Gugelot, Germany, c. 1962
By Braun, Hans Gugelot, Dieter Rams
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Braun SK 61 Phonosuper Radiogram by Dieter Rams & Hans Gugelot, Germany, c. 1962 A rare and iconic Braun SK 61 Phonosuper Radiogram, designed by Diete...
Metal, Aluminum, Enamel
Sofa 620 by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Vienna, AT
Design Dieter Rams from 1962. Produced by Vitsoe Model 620 Two seat modular sofa which can be on request extended to 5 seat, price for the additional segment is 3300usd. Frame made o...
Velvet, Plastic
BRAUN Wall system, Dieter Rams, TS45, 1960s, Vintage
By Dieter Rams, Braun
Located in Neuss, NW
Unique wall system by Dieter Rams for Braun & Vitsœ from the 1960s. High-quality construction consisting of five aluminum E-profiles, two shelves, two L450 speakers, a TG60 tape reco...
Metal
Dieter Rams 620 Lounge Chair Swivel Base by Vitsœ black Leather 1962 Mid Century
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Munster, NRW
Lounge Chair from the chair program 620, designed by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe, Germany in 1962. The pictured lounge chair was purchased around 2000 and has since been in the second ho...
Leather
Mid-Century Lounge Sofa or Couch by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe, German Design, 1960s
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in München, Bavaria
Dimensions: Sofa: 218 × 75 × 69 × 42 cm (85.8" × 29.5" × 27.2" × 16.5") Armchair: 86 × 80 × 93 × 42 cm (33.9" × 31.5" × 36.6" × 16.5") Table: 65x 65 x 36 cm (25.6" × 25.6" × 14.2") W...
Suede, Upholstery, Fiberglass
BRAUN "RT 20", Tischradio, Dieter Rams
By Braun, Dieter Rams
Located in Neuss, NW
Design classic RT 20 by Dieter Rams for BRAUN from 1961. Table radio with veneered wooden corpus in ash and grey lacquered metal front. Made in Germany. The front has been repainted...
Wood
Dieter Rams RZ 62 High-back chair from the chair program 620
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
Located in Den Haag, NL
This beautiful high back chair from the 620 range was designed by Dieter Rams. for Vitsoe in the 1960s It has a black shell made of fiberglass reinforced plastic. It is covered with ...
Leather
Mid-Century Modern RZ62 Sofa Set by Dieter Rams For Vitsoe, 1962
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
Located in Rosendahl, DE
For sale is a seating group consisting of a three-seater sofa, a lounge chair, and a rare stool, designed by Dieter Rams in 1962 and produced by Vitsœ. Part of the modular 620 seat...
Fabric, Fiberglass, Down
606 wall unit by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe, 1960s Germany.
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
Located in Landgraaf, NL
606 wall unit by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe, 1960s Germany. The 606 is a well-known modular shelving system that became a benchmark of modernist design. The system is based on a simple a...
Aluminum
Mid-Century Lounge or Armchair by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe, German Design, 1960s
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in München, Bavaria
Dimensions: 86 × 80 × 69 × 42 cm (33.9" × 31.5" × 36.6" x 27.2" × 16.5") Width × Depth × Height × Seat Height This original mid-century armchair was designed by Dieter Rams in the 1...
Upholstery, Fiberglass, Suede
Mid-Century Lounge Sofa or Couch by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe, German Design, 1960s
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in München, Bavaria
Dimensions: Sofa: 218 × 75 × 69 × 42 cm (85.8" × 29.5" × 27.2" × 16.5") Width × Depth × Height × Seat Height This original mid-century sofa was designed by Dieter Rams in the 1960s ...
Upholstery, Fiberglass, Suede
Hight Back Swivel Easy Chairs 620 with Ottoman by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Vienna, AT
Designed by Dieter Rams in 1962. Produced by Vitsoe Model 620 Rare modular system. Frame made of grey-white lacquered, glass fibre reinforced plastic. Seat cushion and backrest with ...
Velvet, Plastic
$3,033
606 by Rams for DePadova
By DePadova 1, Dieter Rams
Located in Milano, IT
Designed by the iconic Dieter Rams in 1960 and produced under license by De Padova, this wall-mounted 606 Universal Shelving System drawer unit is a paragon of functionalist purity. ...
Aluminum
$7,525Sale Price|30% Off
DIETER RAMS 1973 Braum Cubism Desk Lighter In 18Kt Yellow Gold And Lapis
By Dieter Rams
Located in Miami, FL
Fabulous desk lighter designed by Dieter Rams for Braum. This is a fabulous ultra-modernist T3 Domino desk lighter, created in West Germany by the architect and designer Dieter Rams...
Lapis Lazuli, Gold
1980s Vintage Dieter Rams for Vitsoe 620 Red Leather and Black Lounge Chair
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a 620 Chair, originally designed by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe in 1962. This particular example was produced in the UK and dates back to the 1980s. The chair shells are made from...
Foam, Leather
Space Age Vintage Authentic Plastic Lounge Chair Dieter Rams 1960s Germany
By Dieter Rams
Located in Vienna, AT
Space Age vintage authentic lounge chair from plastic and leather in brown and ivory color tone by Dieter Rams, 1960s Germany. A fantastic and freestanding vintage lounge chair desig...
Ultrasuede, Plastic
Plexiglas Stands from Braun Electric by Dieter Rams, 1960s Germany
By Dieter Rams, Braun
Located in Nürnberg, Bayern
The buyer of this set gets the four alarm clocks for free. Most go, but are just free of charge and not to complain :). Thanks.
Acrylic
Dieter Rams e Dietrich Lubs design for Braun in 1976 DN 40 allarm clock 4967
By Dieter Rams, Braun
Located in Biella, IT
Dieter Rams e Dietrich Lubs design for Braun in 1976 DN 40 allarm clock 4967 in black
Plastic
Dieter Rams Lounge Chair + Ottoman Swivel Base by Vitsœ Leather 1962 Minimal
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
Located in Munster, NRW
Lounge Chair + Ottoman from the chair program 620 - designed by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe, Germany in 1962. The pictured Lounge Chair and its Ottoman were purchased around 2000 and ha...
Leather
Dieter Rams Wandregal 606 Vitsoe schwarz Sideboard Design Bauhaus
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten ein wunderschönes modulares Wandregalsystem von Vitsoe aus den 1960er Jahren zum Verkauf an. Das Design stammt von Dieter Rams, einem der einflussreichsten Möbeldesigner d...
Aluminum
1980s Vintage Dieter Rams for Vitsoe 620 Red Leather and Black Two Seat Settee
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a rare Dieter Rams for Vitsoe 620 two-seater loveseat with gorgeous red leather upholstery and black casing. This is a favorite of ours, ...
Leather
$2,650 / set
H 49.5 in W 73.5 in D 10 in
1960s Scandinavian Two Bay Wall Unit System Record Cabinet Cado Royal System
By Poul Cadovius
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your consideration, a Vintage Scandinavian Modern wall unit system 2 bay in walnut wood. Unmarked. Attribution Poul Cadovius for Roya...
Walnut
$410Sale Price / set|50% Off
H 11.42 in W 23.63 in D 6.7 in
Vintage 1960s Tomado Red Metal Coatrack and Hat Rack
By Tomado
Located in Markington, GB
Vintage 1960s Tomado red metal coatrack and hat rack Measurements each- H17cm, D29cm, W60cm.
Metal
$4,652Sale Price|50% Off
H 88.59 in W 102.76 in D 16.93 in
Modular Wall Mounted Storage System by Michel Ducaroy for Ligne Roset
By Michel Ducaroy
Located in Rochester, England
The Modular Wall Mounted Storage System by Michel Ducaroy for Ligne Roset is a versatile and modern storage solution. Designed by the renowned Mic...
Metal
Vintage Furgeri Mirror, Italy, 1960s
By Marco Furgeri
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Furgeri mirror is an original decorative mirror, realized in Italy in the 1960s. Beautiful and rare Italian mirror, made of glass and copper. Dimensions: cm 45 x 45 x 4.50 . In very fine conditions. The copper mirror is designed with delicate Egyptian forms and patterns. Including men and women with horses...
Copper
Vintage 1960s Tomado Red Metal Hat Rack
By Tomado
Located in Markington, GB
Vintage 1960s Tomado red metal hat rack Measurements - H 17cm, D 29cm, W 60cm.
Metal
$979
H 11.82 in W 15.36 in D 13.39 in
Franco Albini Midcentury Wall Shelf in Curved Rattan and Bamboo, Italy 1960s
By Franco Albini
Located in Roma, IT
Gorgeous Mid-Century wall shelf in curved rattan and bamboo. This stylish organic shelf was designed by Franco Albini in Italy during the 1960s. In amazing conditions and with a cha...
Bamboo, Cane, Rattan
1970s 2-Seater Maralunga Sofa by Vico Magistretti for Cassina
By Vico Magistretti, Cassina
Located in Grand Cayman, KY
Iconic Mid-Century Modern Italian "Maralunga" two-seater sofa / armchairs by Vico Magistretti for Cassina. This sofa features the original knitted wool upholstery in ivory. Head /...
Wool
A Gluon Lounge Chair & Ottoman by Marc Newson for Moroso
By Moroso, Marc Newson
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A set of futuristic and finely constructed swiveling Gluon lounge chairs designed by Marc Newson, each having chromed pedestal bases, seats and backs of steel covered with injected f...
Steel
$6,900
H 78.75 in W 96 in D 17.5 in
Vintage Kai Kristiansen's FM Reolsystem Shelving System in Rosewood 1960s
Located in Emeryville, CA
This exquisite vintage FM Reolsystem shelving system, designed by the renowned Danish designer Kai Kristiansen, is a true masterpiece of mid-century modern design. Crafted from richl...
Rosewood
Tomado modular shelving system Teak 1950s Holland
By Adriaan Dekker, Tomado
Located in Den Haag, NL
Tomado wall shelf from the 50s, it is made up of 2 black metal uprights dyed in the mass and stamped + 3 teak wood shelves with fixings included. The whole is in very good condition ...
Teak
Mid-Century Italian Three-Section Teak Shelving System
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Three-section freestanding teak shelving system features four round-section vertical uprights connected by open shelves across all bays, with distinctive circular disc brackets at ea...
Teak
$13,000
H 28.25 in W 48 in D 14.25 in
Vintage Stereo Phonograph/AM FM Tuner Console, Model: Brionvega rr126 Radiogram
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Brionvega
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Iconic design by the Castiglioni Studio for Brionvega first introduced in 1966. This later example produced circa 1970. This stereo phonograph/AM FM receiver console is fully functio...
Metal
Sold
H 91.74 in W 161.23 in D 15.16 in
Dieter Rams for Vitsoe Large Modular Wall Unit in Aluminum and Black Wood
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Dieter Rams for Vitsoe, wall unit model 606, aluminum, wood, Germany, design 1960 This grand wall unit is design by German product and furniture designer Dieter Rams. A sophistica...
Aluminum
Sold
H 27.56 in W 59.85 in D 29.93 in
DIETER RAMS for Vitsoe. black on black Sofa / two-seater 'RZ 62', 1960s
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in The Hague, NL
This elegant low-back two-seat sofa from the iconic 620 range was designed by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe in the 1960s. Exemplifying Rams’ timeless principles of clarity and functionality...
Leather, Fiberglass, Wood
Dieter Rams Wall unit for Vitsoe, 1970's
By Dieter Rams
Located in LYON, FR
The 606 universal shelving system is truly timeless. The bookcase is made of black satin laminate. Each element, whether a shelf or module, is screwed to aluminum plates that hold ...
Aluminum
Dieter Rams Black '606' Wall Mount Shelving Unit for Vitsoe
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A large, wall-mounted '606' shelving system by visionary German designer Dieter Rams for Vitsoe. This legendary system is known for its timeless minimalism and flawless functionality...
Aluminum
Dieter Rams Wall Mount 606 Shelving Unit for Vitsoe in Black
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large black "606" wall mount shelving system by the incomparable and highly influential Dieter Rams for Vitsoe, Germany. Stunning, timeless design features black laminate shelves wit...
Aluminum
Sold
H 78.75 in W 72.05 in D 15.75 in
Mid-Century Black Shelf System 2 By Dieter Rams Vitsoe, Model 606, 1960s
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Rosendahl, DE
The modular shelving system "606", designed by Dieter Rams in 1960 and manufactured by Vitsœ. This iconic design is in good vintage condition with light, age-appropriate signs of wea...
Aluminum
Sold
H 78.75 in W 72.05 in D 15.75 in
Mid-Century Black Shelf System By Dieter Rams Vitsoe, Model 606, 1960s
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Rosendahl, DE
The modular shelving system "606", designed by Dieter Rams in 1960 and manufactured by Vitsœ. This iconic design is in good vintage condition with light, age-appropriate signs of wea...
Aluminum
Sold
H 9.65 in W 23.04 in D 11.42 in
SK4/1 record player by Dieter Rams and Hans Gugelot for Braun, 1950s Germany.
By Hans Gugelot, Dieter Rams, Braun
Located in Landgraaf, NL
SK4/1 record player by Dieter Rams and Hans Gugelot for Braun, 1950s Germany. In the mid-20th century, the world of domestic audio equipment witnessed a revolutionary transformation with the introduction of the Braun SK...
Metal
Dieter Rams Wandregal 606 Vitsoe Holz schmal Design Bauhaus
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir beiten ein wunderschönes modulares Wandregalsystem von Vitsoe aus den 1960er Jahren zum Verkauf an. Das Design stammt von Dieter Rams, einem der einflussreichsten Möbeldesigner d...
Aluminum
Original Dieter Rams Wandregal 606 Vitsoe Holz Design Bauhaus
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten ein wunderschönes modulares Wandregalsystem von Vitsoe aus den 1960er Jahren zum Verkauf an. Das Design stammt von Dieter Rams, einem der einflussreichsten Möbeldesigner d...
Aluminum
Original Dieter Rams Wandregal 606 Vitsoe weiß Design Bauhaus
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten ein wunderschönes modulares Wandregalsystem von Vitsoe aus den 1960er Jahren zum Verkauf an. Das Design stammt von Dieter Rams, einem der einflussreichsten Möbeldesigner d...
Aluminum
Sold
H 35.5 in W 34 in D 30 in
Pair of Dieter Rams for Vitsoe 620 High Back Lounge Chairs, Cognac Leather 1962
By Dieter Rams, Niels Vitsoe
Located in Chicago, IL
Pair of Dieter Rams for Vitsoe 620 High Back Lounge Chairs in Cognac Leather, 1962 A classic example of Dieter Rams’ modernist design ethos, this pair of Model 620 lounge chairs feat...
Stainless Steel