The pioneers of modern furniture design in America in the mid-20th century all had their moments of flamboyance: Charles and Ray Eames produced the startling, biomorphic La Chaise; George Nelson’s firm created the Marshmallow sofa; Edward Wormley had his decadent Listen to Me chaise. But no designer of the day steadily offered works with more verve and dynamism than Vladimir Kagan. While others, it seems, designed with suburban households in mind, Kagan aimed to suit the tastes of young, sophisticated city-dwellers. With signature designs that feature sleekly curved frames and others that have dramatic out-thrust legs, Kagan made furniture sexy.
Kagan’s father was a Russian master cabinetmaker who took his family first to Germany (where Vladimir was born) and then to New York in 1938. After studying architecture at Columbia University, Kagan opened a design firm at age 22 and immediately made a splash with his long, low and sinuous Serpentine sofa. Furniture lines such as the Tri-symmetric group of glass-topped, three-legged tables and the vivacious Contours chairs soon followed.
Kagan’s choices of form and materials evolved through subsequent decades, embracing lucite, aluminum and burl-wood veneers. By the late 1960s, Kagan was designing austere, asymmetrical cabinets and his Omnibus group of modular sofas and chairs. For all his aesthetic élan, Kagan said that throughout his career, his touchstone was comfort. “A lot of modern furniture was not comfortable. And so comfort is: form follows function. The function was to make it comfortable,” he once commented. “I created what I called vessels for the human body.”
A diverse group of bodies have made themselves at home with Kagan designs. Among the famous names who commissioned and collected his designs are Marilyn Monroe, Gary Cooper, Andy Warhol, David Lynch, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, and firms such as Gucci and Giorgio Armani. His work is in numerous museum collections, including those of the Victoria & Albert and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Because of its idiosyncrasy, Kagan’s work did not lend itself to mass-production. Kagan never signed on with any of the major furniture-making corporations, and examples of his designs are relatively rare. As you will see from the offerings on 1stDibs, even decades after their conception, Kagan pieces still command the eye, with their freshness, energy, sensuality and wit.
$6,800Sale Price|20% Off
Early Walnut and Marble Curvy Coffee Table by Vladimir Kagan
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Atlanta, GA
An early and rare model of curvy coffee table by Vladimir Kagan for Kagan-Dreyfuss, Inc., circa 1950. Constructed from walnut and inset with a piec...
Marble
$3,178 / item
H 11.62 in Dm 37.01 in
“Triumph Arch Table” Black Marquina Marble and Glass Minimalist Coffee Table
By Josep Vila Capdevila
Located in Terrassa, Catalonia
The Arch Coffee Table explores the relationship between architectural form and material through a composition of sculptural simplicity. Three solid Marquina marble bases support a ci...
Marble
$3,850
H 18 in W 41.5 in D 41.5 in
Mid-Century Modern Sculptural Walnut Snail Cocktail Table by Vladimir Kagan 1970
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous design from the sixties by Vladimir Kagan and Associates. Snail walnut cocktail table with a choice of two different configurations, round or square. Round being 38" in diam...
Glass, Walnut
Mid-Century Modern Burl Wood and Lucite Coffee Table by Vladimir Kagan
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Designed by the legendary Vladimir Kagan and crafted in the United States during the 1970s, this striking mid-century coffee table exemplifies the sculptural elegance that made Kagan...
Glass, Lucite, Burl
Sculptural Walnut and Terrazzo Coffee Table by Harvey Probber
By Harvey Probber
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Iconic sculptural coffee table by American design master Harvey Probber. A substantial terrazzo stone top resists even the toughest coffee stains while Persian inspired cutouts help ...
Terrazzo, Wood, Hardwood, Walnut
Mid Century Vladimir Kagan “Snail” coffee table in Walnut and Glass
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in New York, NY
This Vladimir Kagan “Snail” coffee table is one of the most recognizable modern organic mid century designs. Originally produced in t...
Glass, Wood, Walnut
$4,019 / item
H 11.82 in W 37.01 in D 37.01 in
“Fit Table” Travertine Marble Coffee Table by Aparentment
By Josep Vila Capdevila
Located in Terrassa, Catalonia
The Fit Coffee Table is a sculptural centerpiece crafted from solid travertine. Composed of five precisely cut stone elements, its design explores balance, proportion, and structural...
Marble, Travertine
Vladimir Kagan Early and Rare Custom Tile Top Coffee Table, 1940s
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Coronado, CA
An early and exceptional custom coffee table designed and built by Vladimir Kagan in his New York City workshop in the late 1940s. This is the only example of this design we have seen outside of the Vladimir Kagan book...
Mahogany
Mid-Century Modern Coffee Table by Adrian Pearsall, Walnut, Circa 1950
By Craft Associates, Adrian Pearsall
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A round, vintage Mid-Century modern American coffee, sofa table made of hand crafted polished Walnut, designed by Adrian Pearsall and produced by Craft Associates in good condition. ...
Glass, Walnut
$2,839Sale Price / item|10% Off
H 11.62 in Dm 37.01 in
“ Triumph Arch Table” White Carrara Marble and Glass Minimalist Coffee Table
By Josep Vila Capdevila
Located in Terrassa, Catalonia
The **Arch Coffee Table** embodies a minimalist approach to form, combining sculptural simplicity with timeless materials. Three solid Carrara marble bases support a circular tempere...
Marble, Carrara Marble
Mid-Century Marble Round Coffee Table, 1960s
By Florence Knoll
Located in Antwerp, BE
Round Carrara marble coffee table in style of Florence Knoll for Knoll. This design is an architectural classic with the knife-edge b...
Marble, Chrome
$1,465Sale Price|20% Off
H 18.12 in W 42.13 in D 26.78 in
Italian Louis XIV Style Coffee Table, Solid Walnut, Early 20th Century
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
We offer this unique Italian coffee table from the early 20th century, crafted from solid walnut. This coffee table is inspired by the antique Louis XIV style. It features curved le...
Walnut
Vladimir Kagan Snail Coffee Table in Walnut w/Original Glass
By Vladimir Kagan, Selig
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Snail coffee table by Vladimir Kagan for Selig. Coffee table is all original including the glass which measures 42" wide, 42" deep. Walnut base measures 25.5” wide, 22.5” deep and ...
Glass, Wood, Walnut
$7,900 / item
H 10 in W 34 in D 34 in
Modern Coffee Table with Walnut Pedestals Base and Glass Top by Ercole Home
By Ercole Home
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This round edges square coffee table with ivory and cherry glass by Ercole Home sits on 4 walnut pedestals. This new bespoke coffee table design by Ercole Home is available today for your living space. A sleek table...
Art Glass, Cut Glass, Walnut
$4,160Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 16 in W 65 in D 22 in
Contemporary Coffee Table "Ballast" in Walnut by Casey Lurie
By Casey Lurie
Located in Chicago, IL
Ballast table, named for the two hefty uprights which form its structure, is a generously sized coffee table. Careful attention to proportion and the arr...
Wood
$5,500
H 18.5 in Dm 42 in
Vladimir Kagan Tic Tac Toe Expandable Cube Coffee Table in Walnut & Black 1960s
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Troy, MI
A rare "Tic Tac Toe" table designed by Vladimir Kagan Model 458 circa late 1960s Cylindrical base in Walnut and four brass hinged panels with matte black composite surface Expands f...
Walnut, Composite