Walter Lamb Sofas

American

Forward-looking architect Walter Lamb is best known for his revolutionary and widely loved patio furniture — he salvaged metal tubing from sunken ships in Pearl Harbor in the 1940s to create alluring chaise longues and other pieces for the backyard. His vintage furniture designs have been adorning patios worldwide for almost a century.

Trained as an architect at the University of California Berkeley campus, Lamb found himself in Hawaii during the 1940s. This period was a time of growth for furniture designers and manufacturers, as veterans were returning to the United States, getting married and starting families. These folks needed practical furniture for their new homes, and as the movement we now call mid-century modern took shape, imaginative architects and furniture makers would fill that need. Lamb was one such innovator.

Lamb worked the shaped tubing and fittings he’d gathered from battleship wreckage into proper frames and wrapped the structures in marine-grade cotton cording to create comfortable, element-proof outdoor furniture. Today his patio furniture has an esteemed place in the history of design. In fact, furniture enthusiasts are eager to restore and collect his iconic aged furniture rather than purchase reproductions.

Postwar California would become reputable as a manufacturing center for versatile furniture intended for both indoor and outdoor spaces. Seating, tables and other items — often made with rattan — produced by the likes of McGuire and Brown Jordan became a defining feature of organic modern living, a style that still characterizes many California interiors and influences innumerable design firms. Pasadena’s then-new Brown Jordan picked up Lamb’s designs, which eventually included dining tables, side tables and coffee and cocktail tables. And along with these furnishings, Lamb's sculptural vintage seating — his curvaceous lounge chairs and armchairs with cotton cord seats — while perfect for your fire pit, shouldn’t be relegated to outdoors-only settings.

Lamb received much acclaim for his work. The Museum of Modern Art in New York recognized his 1940s-era outdoor furniture for Brown Jordan with a design award.

On 1stDibs, find a noteworthy collection of vintage Walter Lamb furniture.

Creator: Walter Lamb

Walter Lamb Bronze Three-Seater Sofa for Brown Jordan, 1950s

$35,000

Walter Lamb Bronze Three-Seater Sofa for Brown Jordan, 1950s

By Brown Jordan, Walter Lamb

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Bronze three seater sofa by Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan. The sofa has a beautiful curved construction in tubular bronze with a patinated verdigris finish. The sofa has two rounded supports at the middle of the sofa and a stretcher that runs the length of the piece. The arm rests carry the same curved detail with double bronze tubing. This sofa retains its original vinyl cording...

Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Lamb Sofas

Materials

Bronze

Superb 1950's Rattan, Cane and Brass Sofa by John Wisner for Ficks Reed

$3,600Sale Price|20% Off

H 32 in W 69 in D 32 in

Superb 1950's Rattan, Cane and Brass Sofa by John Wisner for Ficks Reed

By Ficks Reed, John Wisner

Located in Southampton, NJ

1950's John Wisner Ficks Reed Far Horizons rattan sofa with new cushions in original vibrant Jack Lenor Larsen floral upholstery. Beautifully maintained cushions have always been sli...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Walter Lamb Sofas

Materials

Upholstery, Bamboo, Rattan

Restored Rare 14 Piece Méandre Outdoor Patio Set by Walter Lamb for Pacific Iron

$34,999Sale Price / set|30% Off

H 33.5 in W 25.5 in D 24.5 in

Restored Rare 14 Piece Méandre Outdoor Patio Set by Walter Lamb for Pacific Iron

By Walter Lamb, Pacific Iron

Located in Van Nuys, CA

Large 14-piece white steel/iron patio set by designer Walter Lamb for the Los Angeles based Pacific Iron Products Co furniture company features its icon wave along the base of each t...

Category

1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Lamb Sofas

Materials

Iron

Designed by Tadao Inouye, Kantan Chaise Lounges for Brown Jordan

$3,520 / set

H 33.75 in W 31.25 in D 69.25 in

By Brown Jordan, Tadao Inouye

Located in Denton, TX

Designed by Tadao Inouye, Kantan Aluminum exemplifies the breezy spirit of patio life. The frame is newly powder coated in Gray with new white lacing. ...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Walter Lamb Sofas

Materials

Aluminum

Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan Bronze 'Waikiki' Rocking Chaise Lounge, circa 1960s

$6,720Sale Price|20% Off

H 20.5 in W 22 in D 70 in

Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan Bronze 'Waikiki' Rocking Chaise Lounge, circa 1960s

By Walter Lamb, Brown Jordan

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Sculptural bronze 'Waikiki' rocking chaise lounge by Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan. These collectible examples of functional art features curvy tubular bronze frames and rewoven with ...

Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Lamb Sofas

Materials

Bronze

Brown Jordan Tamiami Lounge Chair & Ottoman

$775

H 30 in W 22 in D 22 in

Brown Jordan Tamiami Lounge Chair & Ottoman

By Brown Jordan

Located in Highland, IN

Brown Jordan "Tamiami" furniture is exceptional for several reasons. Brown Jordan has been know for their high quality outdoor furniture for decades. Using the best materials that wi...

Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Lamb Sofas

Materials

Aluminum

Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan Bronze 'Waikiki' Rocking Chaise, 1960s, New Canvas

$6,560Sale Price|20% Off

H 20.5 in W 22 in D 70 in

Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan Bronze 'Waikiki' Rocking Chaise, 1960s, New Canvas

By Brown Jordan, Walter Lamb

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Sculptural bronze 'Waikiki' rocking chaise lounge by Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan. These collectible examples of functional art features curvy tubular bronze frames and rewoven with ...

Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Lamb Sofas

Materials

Bronze

Brown Jordan Woven Wicker Havana Garden Sofa

$2,800

H 34 in W 84 in D 34 in

Brown Jordan Woven Wicker Havana Garden Sofa

By Brown Jordan

Located in Rio Vista, CA

Rare Brown Jordan patio and garden sofa from the Havana collection by Brown Jordan. The sofa features an aluminum frame wrapped with woven resin wicker in stylish earth toned shades....

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Walter Lamb Sofas

Materials

Aluminum

Richard Frinier for Brown Jordan Florentine Garden Dining Suite

$6,800Sale Price / set|22% Off

H 36 in W 23 in D 24 in

Richard Frinier for Brown Jordan Florentine Garden Dining Suite

By Brown Jordan

Located in Rio Vista, CA

Exceptional wrought aluminum patio and garden outdoor furniture dining suite designed by Richard Frinier for Brown Jordan. From the Fl...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Walter Lamb Sofas

Materials

Aluminum

Inouye, Kantan for Brown Jordan Lounge Chairs and Ottoman

$2,230 / set

H 12.75 in W 26.5 in D 28 in

Inouye, Kantan for Brown Jordan Lounge Chairs and Ottoman

By Tadao Inouye, Brown Jordan

Located in Denton, TX

Tadao Inouye, Kantan for Brown Jordan Lounge Chairs and Ottoman. The Japanese designer created his pivotal mid-century collection for Brown Jordan in 1956 using the latest lightweigh...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Walter Lamb Sofas

Materials

Aluminum

Brown Jordan Tamiami Rocking Chair

$650

H 43 in W 21.5 in D 30 in

Brown Jordan Tamiami Rocking Chair

By Brown Jordan

Located in Highland, IN

Brown Jordan "Tamiami" furniture is exceptional for several reasons. Brown Jordan has been know for their high quality outdoor furniture for decades. Using the best materials that wi...

Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Lamb Sofas

Materials

Aluminum

Designed by Tadao Inouye, Kantan Lounge Chairs for Brown Jordan

$2,360 / set

H 23 in W 26.5 in D 28 in

By Tadao Inouye, Brown Jordan

Located in Denton, TX

Designed by Tadao Inouye, Kantan Lounge Chairs for Brown Jordan.The Japanese designer created his pivotal mid-century collection for Brown Jordan in 1956 using the latest lightweight...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Walter Lamb Sofas

Materials

Aluminum

Orange Faux Bamboo Conservatory Chair, Brown Jordan

$857

H 34.26 in W 20.67 in D 19.69 in

Orange Faux Bamboo Conservatory Chair, Brown Jordan

By Brown Jordan

Located in Hastings, GB

A superb Brown Jordan Calcutta faux bamboo chair, inspired by Chippendale this chair dates to the 1960’s, it has been overpainted during it’s lifetime and the top colour is now a vib...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Walter Lamb Sofas

Materials

Metal

Walter Lamb sofas for sale on 1stDibs.

Walter Lamb sofas are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Walter Lamb sofas, although gold editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original sofas by Walter Lamb were created in the mid-century modern style in united states during the 1950s. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider sofas by Russell Woodard, Woodard Furniture Co., and Edward Wormley. Prices for Walter Lamb sofas can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $35,000 and can go as high as $35,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $35,000.