Vintage Space Age furniture captured post–World War II optimism with swooping shapes, bowed lines and experimentation with new materials including plastic and fiberglass.
From the launch of the Sputnik 1 satellite in 1957 to the landing of Apollo 11 astronauts on the moon in 1969, the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States propelled advancements in technology that transformed culture. Space Age design encompassed fashion, architecture, cars, furniture and objects for the home, bringing wonder and hope for the future into everyday life.
Coinciding with Pop art, Space Age style featured bold colors and forms. Eero Aarnio’s Ball chair, which debuted in 1966, used molded fiberglass for a capsule-like space while Verner Panton’s 1959 Panton chair was a single piece of molded plastic for a gravity-defying S shape. Red versions of Olivier Mourgue’s 1964 Djinn chair were futuristic enough to appear on the space station in Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Today, Joe Colombo is revered as a master of modern Italian design thanks to the provocative modular furniture pieces he created, such as the Tube chair and the Elda armchair, both of which embody the future-forward spirit of the Space Age.
The Space Age spirit extended to home building too. The futuristic Case Study Houses, which were designed by the likes of Pierre Koenig, Charles and Ray Eames, Richard Neutra and Whitney R. Smith, are considered a high point of modernism and the Southern California lifestyle.
Sometimes the nods to space exploration were more literal, like moon and star motifs or the 1965 Eclisse lamp by Vico Magistretti that saw the mid-century Italian designer integrating a movable inner shade to “eclipse” the light source. Alongside the pioneering moon missions, JVC manufactured the Videosphere portable television reminiscent of the Apollo 11 space helmets.
Although the style faded in the 1970s — with the 1975 joining of the Apollo and Soyuz spacecrafts signaling a new era of cooperation and the global oil crisis impacting the availability of plastics — the era’s innovations influenced designers into the 21st century such as Zaha Hadid and Djivan Schapira.
Find a collection of vintage Space Age seating, tables, lighting and other furniture on 1stDibs.
$275Sale Price / item|20% Off
Vintage Cristal 1960s Vase Mod. 3586 by T. Wirkkala for Karhula- Iittala
Located in Varese, Lombardia
Vintage cristal vase mod. 3586 designed by T. Wirkkala for Karhula- Iittala. Good condition: alone slightly opaque at the edge.
Glass
$904
H 3.94 in Dm 5.91 in
Tapio Wirkkala Velvet Art Glass Vase "Jäkälä" model 3516, Iittala 1950s Finland
Located in Helsinki, FI
A beautiful art glass vase model 3516, designed by Tapio Wirkkala and manufactured by Iittala in Finland in the 1950s. In the manufacturing process the glass is blown in to a special...
Art Glass
Tapio Wirkkala Glass Iittala Finland Liqueur Cocktail Glass
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your consideration, a Tapio Wirkkala liqueur cocktail glass for Iittala, Finland . Dimensions: 4" H x 3.25" diameter. Please visit take a look at our listings, we have an ama...
Glass
Vintage Vase "Orkidea" by Timo Sarpaneva for Iittala, 1953
Located in Berghuelen, DE
A vintage "Orkidea" (Orchid) vase designed by Timo Sarpameva for Iittala in 1953. Marked with incised signature 'timo sarpaneva 3586' on the base. An authentic piece of Finnish glass...
Art Glass
$200
H 7.09 in W 5.52 in D 2.76 in
Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala, Vase in Clear Art Glass, Finnish Design, 1960s
Located in København, Copenhagen
Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala. Vase in clear art glass. Finnish design, 1960s. In very good condition. Measures: 18 x 14 cm. Sticker.
Art Glass
$280Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 3 in Dm 2.38 in
Set of 4 1970s Icicle Art Aslak Whiskey Glasses by Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala
Located in Chicago, IL
Set of 4 Icicle Art Aslak Whiskey Glasses designed by Tapio Wirkkala for renowned Finnish glass company Iittala. These are small and could also be shot or aperitif glasses. Perfect ...
Glass, Art Glass
7 DESSERT BOWLS iittala ultima thule tapio wirkkala 1960s
Located in Mannheim, DE
7 'Ultima Thule' dessert bowls designed by Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala in 1968. Dimensions in cm: Height 5 cm, diameter 11.5 cm. Dimensions in inches: Height 1.96", diameter 4.52"....
Glass
Vintage Art Glass Vase by Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala 1967
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Vintage Art glass vase by Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala 1967 A large vintage art glass vase designed by Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala Glassworks in ...
Art Glass
$1,925
H 6.89 in W 11.82 in D 11.42 in
Tapio Wirkkala Melting Ice Vase, Miracus Model 3433, Iittala 1970s Finland
Located in Helsinki, FI
A beautiful art glass vase "Miracus", model 3433, designed by Tapio Wirkkala and manufactured by Iittala in Finland in the 1970s. The vase is mouth blown into an engraved wooden mold...
Art Glass
Tapio Wirkkala Line-engraved Vase Model 3327, Iittala 1950s Finland
Located in Helsinki, FI
A beautiful Line-engraved art glass vase model 3327, designed by Tapio Wirkkala and manufactured by Iittala in Finland in the 1950s. in the manufacturing process the glass is blown i...
Art Glass
$1,008 / set
H 6.89 in W 3.55 in D 2.96 in
Set of Four Blown Art Glass Vases by Iittala, Finland, 1959
Located in La Teste-de-Buch, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Set of four blown art glass vases by Karhula-Iittala. Löytö serie. Designed and made in Finland in 1959. Heights: 17.5 cm, 14 cm, 8.5 cm and 8 cm Literature: Iittala catalogues...
Art Glass, Blown Glass
$700 / set
H 8.67 in W 6.3 in D 3.55 in
Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala, Three Vases in Art Glass, Finnish Design 1960s
Located in København, Copenhagen
Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala. Three vases in art glass. Finnish design, 1960s. In very good condition. Largest measures: 22 x 16.5 cm. Smallest measures: 16.5 x 8 cm. Sticker.
Art Glass
Ice Glass Bowl "Lunaria" by Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala 1972
Located in Berghuelen, DE
A vintage "Lunaria" bowl designed by Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala Glassworks in 1972. Marked with etched signature 'TAPIO WIRKKALA' on the rim. Iittala model number 3449. An authentic ...
Art Glass