Dutch furniture company ‘t Spectrum — later Spectrum — was established in 1941 with a run of pieces that were spare and outwardly industrial in appearance. Its early armchairs and dining chairs were often framed in tubular metal, and boast clearly defined lines and minimal curves. The vintage ‘t Spectrum seating in the decades that followed, which was designed by the likes of Gerrit Rietveld and Wim van Gelderen, is characterized by the angular forms and Pop art-hued colors that we associate with the best of mid-century modernism.
‘t Spectrum emerged in 1941 as an offshoot of the Dutch fabric manufacturer De Ploeg. When a shortage of textiles and other materials took shape owing to the demands of the Second World War, De Ploeg director Piet Blijenburg changed gears, and sought to broaden the manufacturer’s offerings as well as prevent the company's employees from being forced into work for occupying military forces.
‘t Spectrum was a brand devoted to furniture and interiors — as well as goods and decor for the home such as coat racks, napkin rings and beds. Legendary modernist furniture designer Gerrit Rietveld — an integral part of the Dutch art and design movement of the early 20th century called De Stijl — was brought on in a supervisory role in its early days, and designer Martin Visser was installed to oversee the production of furniture.
The end of the war brought a greater availability of metals and other materials to ‘t Spectrum, which became more focused on creating affordable furniture for the era’s new homeowners. A new factory designed by Rietveld was built in Bergeijk in 1957. During the late 1960s, ‘t Spectrum offered a richer range of furnishings, incorporating alluring hardwoods and leathers as part of sophisticated lines of seating and other pieces designed in the mid-century modern style. Visser recruited the likes of Friso Kramer, Benno Premsela, Constant Nieuwenhuys and others to design for ‘t Spectrum over the years.
With competition for cheaper furniture on the rise in the 1970s, ‘t Spectrum liquidated in 1974. A group of employees acquired the designs and continued the company under the name of Arspect. The firm produced ‘t Spectrum designs and works from other designers.
Arspect closed its doors in 1986. A former employee bought the company and renewed it with the name Spectrum. Today, Spectrum operates in Eindhoven in the Netherlands, creating contemporary designs alongside pieces dating back to the look and feel of the products offered by the original manufacturer. The company is also reproducing original designs created by Visser and Rietveld.
On 1stDibs, browse a selection of vintage ‘t Spectrum Bergijk seating, tables, storage pieces and more.
Martin Visser SZ13 Three-Piece Leather Sectional Seating Group
By 't Spectrum Bergeijk, Martin Visser
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Produced by Dutch manufacturer 't Spectrum, the SZ13 seating system by Martin Visser pairs tubular chrome frames with thick sling-style leather seats and backrests. The three-piece g...
Chrome
Danish Three Piece Sectional "Dane" by Sofa Company
By COR
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Wonderful contemporary seat-scape modules 'Dane' by Sofa Company, Denmark, designed and produced in 2020 with 'Danny Dusty Blue' upholstery. The set consists of two corner modules an...
Upholstery
$28,000 / set
H 23.63 in W 43.31 in D 27.56 in
Seating as Minimalist Sculpture, 4 Elements by Uredat, 1969, Mohair Upholstery
By Klaus Uredat, COR
Located in bergen op zoom, NL
Amazing, museum quality, modular 'CORBI' seating set, composed of four elements, designed by Klaus Uredat for 'COR', Germany, 1969 complete with the original purchase invoice dated 1972. After receiving many requests to do so, we have carefully unpicked and removed the original custom order pop art upholstery and have now recovered the set in a more neutral, high quality mohair upholstery. A rare, beautiful and highly sculptural pure elemental design, the large dimensions of each .Corbi' seating element allow for them to be used equally as either individual lounge chairs or as a modular sofa. This particular set is a must for serious collectors, this set comes complete with the original German purchase invoice from 1972, which also confirms the additional expense of the custom order upholstery, we have carefully unpicked and kept the original upholstery fabric should the buyer wish to retain it for provenance (please see photos 14 and 15 which illustrate the set with it's original upholstery). The sculptural 'Corbi' modular lounge chair was designed in 1969 and only remained in limited scale production for a few years up to circa 1974. Today this super elegant design is both very popular and now extremely difficult to find due to the passage of time and the limited total production numbers so a large set of elements such as this, is really a rare opportunity. Each 'Corbi' element is composed of two independent Minimalist sculptural forms, one base element and one cylindrical seat back. With the base elements positioned end to end, day beds may...
Foam, Wood, Mohair
$3,977 / set
H 27.76 in W 27.96 in D 30.32 in
Set of 2 Easy Chairs by Martin Visser for 'T Spectrum, 1960s
By Dick van der Net, 't Spectrum Bergeijk, Martin Visser
Located in Steenwijk, NL
This is a beautiful set of 2 size 38/size 08 Martin Visser easy chairs for 't Spectrum in collaboration with designer Dick van der Net. This model has been produced by 't Spectrum fr...
Metal
$3,950
H 29.14 in W 23.63 in D 25.6 in
SZ01 Lounge Chair by Martin Visser, Rattan & Chrome, Bauhaus Style
By Martin Visser, 't Spectrum
Located in Toronto, CA
By Spectrum Designed By Martin Visser 1960 The SZ 01 armchair with a rattan seat was designed by Martin Visser in 1960. Visser’s signature is unmistakably all over its seemingly si...
Chrome
$11,750Sale Price / set|50% Off
H 31 in W 190 in D 32 in
1970s Adrian Pearsall Circular Three Piece Sectional
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
On offer on this occasion is one of the most stunning, rare sectional you could hope to find. Outstanding design is exhibited throughout. The beautiful sectional is statement piece w...
Upholstery, Wood
1 Steelcase Modular Seating Group Lounge
By Steelcase
Located in Pasadena, TX
Turnstone for Steelcase Jenny Collection Designed with posture and a better sitting experience in mind, Jenny Modular seating provides ultimate comfort...
Wood
Vintage Modern 6 Piece Sectional Sofa
Located in Chicago, IL
This vintage modern 6-piece sectional sofa offers a spacious and versatile seating arrangement, perfect for customization. Its clean lines and timeless mid-century-inspired design ma...
Wood
$16,850
H 29 in W 187 in D 97 in
Large Three Piece Sectional Sofa by Directional. Black/White Fabric. Signed.
By Directional
Located in Kansas City, MO
L shaped sectional sofa by Directional in a beautiful black and white patterned fabric with a snakeskin like appearance. This is from the original owner and was placed in a large, rarely used living...
Upholstery, Wood
Martin Visser SZ02 Easy Chairs Pair 't Spectrum, 1964
By Martin Visser
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Rare and amazing pair of easy chairs by Martin Visser for 't Spectrum, Holland, 1964. These chairs are model SZ02, documented in several books and catalogues by ‘t Spectrum as model ...
Stainless Steel
$4,211 / set
H 27.17 in W 23.63 in D 26.78 in
Pair of 'SZ01' Lounge Chairs by Martin Visser for 't Spectrum, 1960s
By Martin Visser, 't Spectrum
Located in Antwerpen, VAN
Beautiful pair of ‘SZ01’ lounge chairs designed by Martin Visser for ‘t Spectrum in 1960. The model number SZ01 refers to the wicker material in which these chairs are made. It’s a ...
Steel
Peter Hvidt "Minerva" Three Piece Sectional Sofa in Teak
By Peter Hvidt, France & Søn
Located in Berkeley, CA
Origin: Denmark Designer: Peter Hvidt + Orla Mølgaard Nielsen Manufacturer: France + Søn Era: 1958 Materials: Teak, Wool Measurements: Three Seat Sofa: 75″ wide x 30″” deep x 32.5″ t...
Wool, Teak
DellaRobbia Three Piece Sectional Sofa
By Della Robbia
Located in New York, NY
This modern sectional sofa was made by DellaRobbia. It consists of three modular pieces: two long rectangular seats and one square corner seat that come together to form an L-shaped ...
Chrome