Dieter Rams Furniture
German, b. 1932
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.
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Creator: Dieter Rams
Dieter Rams ‘606 Series’ Shelving System, Floating Cabinets for Vitsoe
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This rare, iconic "606 Series" unit, designed by the legendary Dieter Rams in his signature minimalist style for Vitsoe, is a wall mounted floating credenza, consisting of two out o...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Metal
Dieter Rams Designed System 606 Metal Wall Mount Shelving Unit by Vitsoe
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rare all metal shelving unit from the "606" series, made by Vitsoe and designed by the renowned German designer Dieter Rams in 1960. The "less, but better" mentality of German indust...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Metal
Dieter Rams for Braun Black Wall Mount Stereo System "Wandanlage"
By Dieter Rams
Located in Seattle, WA
The wall-mounted system is one of the most sought-after hi-fi systems from the 1960s. The combination of the amplifier with radio, reel-to-reel machine, matching speakers, and the re...
Category
1960s German Bauhaus Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Metal, Aluminum
SK4/1 record player by Dieter Rams and Hans Gugelot for Braun, 1950s Germany.
By Dieter Rams, Hans Gugelot, 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 ...
Category
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Metal
Dieter Rams for Braun Audio 310 Record Player and L60 floor speaker 1970s
By Braun, Dieter Rams
Located in Seattle, WA
Rare Classic Braun Audio 310 unit paired with L60 floor speaker designed by Dieter Rams, produced by Braun. The unit is fully functional, recently cosm...
Category
1970s German Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Steel
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...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Upholstery, Fiberglass, Suede
Hight Back Swivel Easy Chairs 620 by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Vienna, AT
Designed by Dieter Rams in 1962. Produced by Vitsoe Model 620
Modular system. Frame made of grey-white lacquered, glass fibre reinforced plastic on a swivel base. Seat cushion and ba...
Category
1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Velvet, Plastic
midcentury 606 modular wall shelving by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe 1960s
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
Located in Antwerpen, Antwerp
The 606 modular system was designed by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe in the early 1960s. Vitsœ was founded in 1959 by Niels Wiese Vitsø and Otto Zapf. Zapf introduced Rams to Vitsø, making ...
Category
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Metal
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...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Velvet, Plastic
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...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Fiberglass, Down
Braun PC3 Record Player by Wilhelm Wagenfeld and Dieter Rams
By Braun, Wilhelm Wagenfeld, Dieter Rams
Located in Vienna, AT
Record player Braun Pc3 Design in Germany in 1950s by Wilhelm Wagenfeld, Dieter Rams for Max Braun AG, Frankfurt a. M.,
Fully restored by a Brun specialist.
Category
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Steel
Dieter Rams 620 Lounge Chair Swivel Base by Vitsœ black Leather 1962 Mid Century
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
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...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
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...
Category
1960s German Space Age Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Ultrasuede, Plastic
Pair of Dieter Rams for Vitsoe 620 High Back Lounge Chairs, Cognac Leather 1962
By Niels Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
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...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Stainless Steel
$8,800 Sale Price / set
20% Off
Mid-Century Fiberglass Sofa Table Dieter Rams for Vitsoe, German Design, 1960s
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
Located in München, Bavaria
Dimensions ca. 65x 65 x 36 cm (WxDxHxSH)
This shapely coffee table was designed by German Designer Dieter Rams for Vitsoe in the 1960s in Germany. The table is part of the 620 serie...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Braun Audio 300 Record Player and L60 floor speaker designed by Dieter Rams
By Dieter Rams, Braun
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Braun Audio 300 and L60 floor speaker designed by Dieter Rams, 1960's/70's. Equip with AM/FM radio and record player. Fully functional and has been serviced by a technician.
Category
Late 20th Century German Industrial Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Metal
Mid-Century Lounge Sofa or Couch by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe, German Design, 1960s
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
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...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Suede, Upholstery, Fiberglass
606 Shelving system, Dieter Rams for Vitsœ
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 ten aluminum E-Tracks, nine shelves, three cabinets with sliding doors an...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Aluminum
Original Dieter Rams Wandregal 606 Vitsoe weiß Design Bauhaus
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
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...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Aluminum
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 ...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Leather
Braun Audio wall mounted audio system designed by Dieter Rams
By Braun, Dieter Rams
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Braun wall mounted audio system designed by Dieter Rams for Braun, 1960's/70's. Equip with Braun Audio 300/310, L46 wall speakers, and vintage Vitsoe ...
Category
Late 20th Century German Industrial Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Metal, Aluminum
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...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Wood
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...
Category
1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Lapis Lazuli, Gold
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 ...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Upholstery, Fiberglass, Suede
Original Dieter Rams Zweisitzer Sofa Vitsoe RZ 620 Bauhaus
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten einen wunderschönen Zweisitzer von Vitsoe aus den 1960er Jahren zum Verkauf an. Das Design stammt von Dieter Rams, einem der bekanntesten Designer der Bauhaus Epoche und w...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Leather, Fiberglass
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...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Leather
Braun SK 61 Phonosuper Radiogram by Dieter Rams & Hans Gugelot, Germany, c. 1962
By Hans Gugelot, Dieter Rams, Braun
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 Dieter Rams and Hans Gugelot for Bra...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Minimalist Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Metal, Aluminum, Enamel
1980s Vintage Dieter Rams for Vitsoe 620 Red Leather and Black Lounge Chair
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
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...
Category
1980s British Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Foam, Leather
Rare Vintage shelving Unit "606", Dieter Rams for Vitsœ, 1950s
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
Located in Gaggenau, DE
Rare Vintage shelving Unit "606", Dieter Rams for Vitsœ, 1950s
Design year: 195 0s
Very sustainable design of the 20th cenury, this 606 modular system by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe, original designed in 1959-1960. Perfect reductionist minimal design, the hallmark of the work of Rams. The 606 system...
Category
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Aluminum
Plexiglas Stands from Braun Electric by Dieter Rams, 1960s Germany
By Braun, Dieter Rams
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.
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Acrylic
620 Table, Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
Located in Neuss, NW
Coffee table by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe from the 1960s, originally designed for the 620 Chair Programme. High-quality frame made of glass fibre reinforced plastic in grey white.
Qual...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Mid-Century Lounge or Armchair by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe, German Design, 1960s
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
Located in München, Bavaria
Dimensions: 86 × 80 × 93 × 42 cm (33.9" × 31.5" × 36.6" × 16.5")
Width × Depth × Height × Seat Height
This original mid-century armchair was designed by Dieter Rams in the 1960s and...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Suede, Upholstery, Fiberglass
Mid-Century Modern "620" Easy Chair by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
Located in Doornspijk, NL
The seating system Dieter Rams designed in 1962 for Vitsoe is just as timeless as his famous Shelving System. The modular principle allows for extreme flexibility.
This chair has b...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Fiberglass
620 Table, Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Neuss, NW
Coffee table by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe from the 1960s, originally designed for the 620 Chair Programme. High-quality frame made of glass fibre reinforced plastic in grey white.
Qual...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Plastic
60s 70s Dieter Rams for Vitsoe Armchair Program 620 Design Couch Fabric
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Neuenkirchen, NI
60s 70s Dieter Rams for Vitsoe armchair program 620 design couch fabric
Object: 2-seater sofa
Manufacturer: Vitsoe
Condition: good - vintage
Age: around 1960-1970
Dime...
Category
1970s European Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Plastic
60s 70s Dieter Rams for Vitsoe Armchair Program 620 Design Couch Fabric Object
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Neuenkirchen, NI
60s 70s Dieter Rams for Vitsoe armchair program 620 design couch fabric
Object: 2-seater sofa
Manufacturer: Vitsoe
Condition: good - vintage
Age: around 1960-1970
Dime...
Category
1970s European Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Plastic
1980s Vintage Dieter Rams for Vitsoe 620 Red Leather and Black Two Seat Settee
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
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, ...
Category
1980s German Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Leather
Original Dieter Rams Wandregal 606 Vitsoe Holz Design Bauhaus
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
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...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Aluminum
Postmodern Coffee Grinder Designed by Dieter Rams for Braun Germany
By Braun, Dieter Rams
Located in San Diego, CA
This work was created under the supervision of Dieter Rams who was the head of design at Braun from 1961–1995. Great condition like new circa 1980's nice cream and purple colors.
Category
20th Century German Post-Modern Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Plastic
$220 Sale Price
20% Off
Dieter Rams Wandregal 606 Vitsoe Holz schmal Design Bauhaus
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
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...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Aluminum
2x Dieter Rams Midcentury Sessel RZ 62 Vitsoe 620 schwarz
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten zwei wunderschöne Sessel aus den späten 1960er Jahren von Vitsoe zum Verkauf an. Der Entwurf stammt von Dieter Rams, einem der einflussreichsten Möbeldesigner und Architek...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Leather, Plastic
Dieter Rams Hochlehner Midcentury Sessel RZ 62 Vitsoe 620
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten einen wunderschönen Hochlehner Sessel aus den späten 1960er Jahren von Vitsoe zum Verkauf an. Der Entwurf stammt von Dieter Rams, einem der einflussreichsten Möbeldesigner...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Leather, Plastic
Nesting Coffee Tables SDR+ 010 by Dieter Rams and Thomas Merkel, 2001
By Dieter Rams
Located in Wiesbaden, DE
Designed by the legendary Dieter Rams in collaboration with Thomas Merkel, these nesting coffee tables (Low Table Program 010) represent the epitome of minimalist design. Created in ...
Category
Early 2000s German Minimalist Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Aluminum
Dieter Rams Ottoman Midcentury Fußhocker RZ 62 Vitsoe 620
By Vitsoe, Dieter Rams
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten einen wunderschönen Fußhocker/ Ottoman aus den späten 1960er Jahren von Vitsoe zum Verkauf an. Der Entwurf stammt von Dieter Rams, einem der einflussreichsten Möbeldesigne...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Leather, Plastic
Dieter Rams Hochlehner Midcentury Sessel RZ 62 Vitsoe 620 II
By Dieter Rams, Vitsoe
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten einen wunderschönen Hochlehner Sessel aus den späten 1960er Jahren von Vitsoe zum Verkauf an. Der Entwurf stammt von Dieter Rams, einem der einflussreichsten Möbeldesigner...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Dieter Rams Furniture
Materials
Leather, Plastic
Dieter Rams furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Dieter Rams furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of plastic and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Dieter Rams furniture, although black editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Dieter Rams were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by COR, Elmar Flötotto, and Luigi Colani. Prices for Dieter Rams furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $275 and can go as high as $14,307, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $4,094.
Creators Similar to Dieter Rams
Questions About Dieter Rams Furniture
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Dieter Rams is known for his work as an industrial designer. The concept "less but better" guides his designs, and his thesis, “Ten Principles of Good Design,” influenced many of his contemporaries. On 1stDibs, find a selection of Dieter Rams furniture.