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.
Mid-Century Modern Danish Space Age Red Ice Cooler Bucket Erik Magnussen Stelton
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Modern Danish Space Age Red Ice Cooler Bucket by Erik Magnussen for Stelton, 1970s
Metal
Victor Vasarely, Space age Op art metal tray, Limited ed. Metalgraf Italy 1970s
Located in Firenze, IT
Space age Op art metal tray Victor Vasarely, Metalgraf for Italsider Italy 1970s Limited edition Metal H 2 cm - 45 × 45 cm Conditions: very good consistent with age and use.
Metal
Space Age Dome Lid Smoke Lucite Ice Bucket
By Guzzini
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful and unique Space Age dome ice bucket, with white plastic removable insert for easy cleaning. Sleek and glamorous. Minimal in design and high in style.
Chrome
Space age red Ice Bucket, Guzzini Italy, ca. 1970s
By Guzzini
Located in Firenze, IT
Space age red plastic Ice Bucket Guzzini Italy, 1970s Manufacture's logo H 18.5 × 17.5 cm diam. Conditions: excellent consistent with age and use.
Plastic
$964
H 1.58 in W 23.23 in D 19.3 in
Dior Rectangular Tortoiseshell Effect Lucite Serving Tray, Italy 1970s
By Dior Home
Located in Roma, IT
Marvelous Mid-Century serving tray fully made of vibrant tortoiseshell Lucite with a chrome frame. This incredibly elegant piece was designed by Dior Home and produced in Italy durin...
Chrome
1970s Sensational Rosewood Service Tray
Located in Chula Vista, CA
Exotic Rosewood Sleek Service Tray Clean modern lines 17.88 long x 7.75 w x .63 h Preowned vintage Refer to images
Rosewood
$823
H 12.8 in W 16.74 in D 1.19 in
Midcentury Tortoiseshell Plexiglass Italian Serving Tray after Willy Rizzo 1970s
By Christian Dior, Willy Rizzo
Located in Roma, IT
Wonderful midcentury piece of serveware, produced in Italy during the 1970s. It is a rectangular design attributed to Willy Rizzo for a Christian Dior production. It is iconic tor...
Metal
$1,059
H 2.37 in W 18.51 in D 15.56 in
Willy Rizzo Tortoiseshell Lucite & Brass Italian Serving Tray, 1970s
By Willy Rizzo
Located in Roma, IT
Marvelous mid-century tray in a single piece of curved tortoiseshell-effect lucite and solid brass. This incredibly stylish piece was produced in Italy during the 1970s and its desig...
Brass
Stelton Fondue Lazy Susan Set by Peter Holmblad Denmark
By Stelton
Located in Cincinnati, OH
What a better way to bring family or friends together than a good fondue , this well designed 10 piece set has it all . Six bowls , large pot with lid and fork holder , drip tray , s...
Stainless Steel
$494
H 1.38 in W 9.85 in D 9.85 in
Dior Style Octagonal Tortoiseshell Effect Lucite Serving Tray, Italy, 1970s
By Guzzini
Located in Roma, IT
Stunning mid-century octagonal serving tray entirely crafted from a single piece of tortoiseshell-effect lucite. This elegant and unique piece was produced in Italy during the 1970s ...
Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass
Oval Wooden Tray, France, 1970s
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
An elegant wooden serving tray featuring stunning burl wood veneer; the rich, nuanced grain patterns create a particularly refined decorative effect. Its slightly raised rim ensures ...
Wood
$611
H 0.99 in W 13.39 in D 9.45 in
Serving Tray Lucite Tortoiseshell & Chrome Christian Dior Style, Italy, 1970s
By Christian Dior, Willy Rizzo
Located in Rome, IT
1970s Rectangular serving tray centerpiece in tortoiseshell-effect lucite and chrome borders in the style of Christian Dior Home, made in Italy 1970s.
Metal, Chrome
Space Age Dome Lid Smoke Lucite Ice Bucket
By Guzzini
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful and unique space-age dome ice bucket, with white plastic removable insert for easy cleaning.
Chrome
1970s Space Age Graphic Serving Tray Glass Metal Wood Europe
Located in San Benedetto Del Tronto, IT
This European Space Age serving tray from the 1970s combines functional design with a strong graphic identity, reflecting the period’s interest in geometry, contrast, and visual comp...
Metal
Vintage Woven Rattan Place Mats - Set of 10
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This exquisite set of ten vintage placemats is a masterwork of global artisanal craftsmanship, perfectly blending natural textures with a vibrant, ec...
Rattan
Space Age Kinetic "Amuse-Gueule" Appetizer tray by Yonel Lebovici, 1970s.
Located in Lille, FR
Space Age "Amuse-Gueule" Appetizer tray by Yonel Lebovici, 1970s.
Plastic
1970's Space Age Rare Food Warmer by Brabantia Chauffe-Plats
By Brabantia
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful design on this almost new in a box, food warmer by Brabantia circa 1970s enameled metal with beautiful graphic design and chrome grill, made by Brabantia.
Metal, Chrome
Sold
H 1.19 in Dm 10.24 in
Gio Ponti Tableware Complete Set White Blue Orange Ceramica Italiana Pozzi, 1967
By Gio Ponti
Located in Arosio, IT
Complete tableware set original 1967 by Gio Ponti. He designed this series for the Italian ceramic manufacturer Franco Pozzi. A mentor and friend of Luigi Sormani, owner of the Sorma...
Ceramic