Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.
ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.
Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.
Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer.
Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by celebrated manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.
Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
Generations turn over, and mid-century modern remains arguably the most popular style going. As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.
Aldo Tura Style Coasters in Lucite burl wood, set of 6, Italy, Circa 1970's
By Aldo Tura
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Beautiful set of 6 lucite burl wood coasters designed in Italy, 1970's. This unique set in the style Aldo Tura, will add a touch of elegance to your bar and dining room. Ideal for se...
Lucite, Burl
Set of 8 Hand-Blown Murano Latticino Blue & Chartreuse Wine Glasses W/ 24K Gold
Located in New York, NY
This stunning set of eight hand-blown Murano wine glasses embodies mid-20th century Venetian artistry, crafted in Murano, Italy circa 1950. Utilizing the latticino technique, each gl...
Gold
Mid-20th Century French Silver Plate Lido Cabaret Champagne Bucket, Ice Bucket
Located in Fayetteville, AR
Originally from the Lido cabaret in Paris, this mid twentieth century French silver plate champagne bucket features scrolling acanthus leaf handles on each side and a footed base. Th...
Silver Plate
Red Fat Lava Ashtray or Snack Bowl by PAN, Pelican, German Art Ceramic, ca. 1960
By Goebel Company, PAN Keramik
Located in Andernach, DE
Mid-century German Fat Lava pelican in a fiery glossy red with its beak wide open to either serve as an ashtray or a bowl for snacks, jewellery or other small spacial things. German ...
Ceramic
Set of 12 Mid-Century Modernist Gilt Rimmed Water Glasses By Dorothy Thorpe
Located in New York, NY
This set of 12 Mid-Century Modernist gilt-rimmed water glasses, designed by the iconic American glassware designer Dorothy Thorpe and dating to circa 1940, is a perfect embodiment of...
Gold
Brutalist "Puzzle" Ashtray by David Marshall, Spain, 1980's
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Beautiful brutalist ashtray or viche-poches designed and sculpted by the artist david marshall in the 80s in spain. Bronze and aluminum structure taking the shape of a puzzle piece. ...
Aluminum, Bronze
Mid-Century Modern Cocktail Set by Culver Ltd., Glass & Gold Clover, Circa 1960
By Culver Ltd.
Located in Fairfield, CA
A 5 piece mid century cocktail set by Culver. Each piece is wrapped in a 22 kt gold clover pattern. The set includes 1 tall double spout pitcher and 4 footed cordial glasses. The pit...
Glass
Mid-Century Brass Lily Flower Sculpture Figurine Ashtray
Located in Poperinge, BE
A beautiful, large mid-century brass lily flower sculpture or figurine—a vintage Hollywood Regency-style ashtray shaped like a flower. It features six detachable petals and was craft...
Brass
Millefiori Glass Paperweight by Perthshire, Crieff Scotland, circa 1970's
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is a beautiful handmade Millefiori collectors Paperweight, made by the Scottish maker, Perthshire of Crieff, Circa 1970's. This paperweight is handmade with a mixed Millefiori...
Glass
Vintage Toledo Cocktail or Olive Sword Skewers, Spain 1970s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A Spanish Souvenir or novelty item from the 1970s in the shape of this sword skewer set. 8 swords in a matching stand. Made from steel, brass and enamel. Suitable for cocktails, oliv...
Brass, Steel
Piero Fornasetti Porcelain Plate Tema e Variazioni No. 224, Lina Cavalieri
Located in Downingtown, PA
Piero Fornasetti Porcelain Plate, Tema e Variazioni No. 224, Lina Cavalieri 1980s This Piero Fornasetti porcelain plate from the Tema e Variazioni series presents the face of the It...
Porcelain
1960s Mid-Century Modern Italian Onyx Smoking Set with Table Lighter & Ashtray
Located in Milano, IT
Mid-Century Modern smoking set, meticulously crafted in Italy during the 1960s. The two-piece collection showcases the organic beauty of genuine onyx stone, celebrated for its striki...
Onyx
1960s Stunning Blue Table Lighter in Murano Sommerso Glass By Flavio Poli
By Flavio Poli
Located in Milano, IT
Mid-Century Modern table lighter designed by the renowned Flavio Poli, crafted in Murano, Italy, during the 1960s. This exquisite piece beautifully showcases the masterful sommerso (...
Murano Glass
Italian Murano Art Glass Bowl Green, Organic Modern, Circa Mid-20th Century
By Angelo Seguso, Seguso
Located in New York, NY
A sculptural Italian Murano art glass bowl in a saturated green hue, executed with a controlled bubble interior and an Organic Modern silhouette, circa mid‑20th century, Italy. The f...
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Aldo Londi Rimini Blue Water Jug for Bitossi, Italy, 1950's
By Aldo Londi, Bitossi
Located in Bern, CH
Late 1950’s - early 1960’s Aldo Londi Rimini Blue Water Jug for Bitossi, Italy. Decorated with the typical geometric pattern with a turquoise and cobalt blue colouring. Numbered on b...
Ceramic
Dodie Thayer Lettuce Ware Tureen, Cover and Stand, Jupiter, Florida, 1987
By Dodie Thayer
Located in Downingtown, PA
Dodie Thayer Lettuce Ware Tureen, Cover and Stand, Jupiter, Florida, 1987 The tureen, cover and conforming stand are naturalistically modeled as a head of lettuce, hand-built in gla...
Ceramic, Earthenware
Flavio Poli, Murano Glass Ashtray, Italy, 1960, Mid-Century Modern
By Flavio Poli, Seguso
Located in Palermo, IT
A large vintage Murano glass ashtray made using the "sommerso" technique, attributed to designer Flavio Poli for the Seguso glassworks in the 1960s. It has a faceted geometric shape ...
Murano Glass
Olive Wood Coaster Set - Mid-Century Modern Carved Wood Coasters - France 1970s
Located in ROUEN, Normandie
Olive Wood Coaster Set - Mid-Century Modern Carved Wood Coasters - France 1970s Rare set of 6 coasters and their gouged storage box. The set is hand-carved in a beautiful olive woo...
Wood, Fruitwood, Olive
Small Italian Florentine Wood Painted Vanity Trinket Tray, Birds and Gold Leaves
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Charming Florentine paper mache tray featuring green birds and gold leaves from the 1960’s. These highly collectable pieces are both form and function. These look wonderful sitting a...
Wood, Paper
1960s Green Alabaster Smoking Set by Romano Bianchi, Handmade, Italy
Located in Milano, IT
Elevate your interior with this exceptionally rare and striking three-piece smoking set, handcrafted in Italy during the 1960s by the renowned master artisan Romano Bianchi. Sculpted...
Alabaster
Articulated Abalone shell and Brass Fish Bottle Opener, Mexico, 1980's, 17 cm
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Superb articulated fish designed and produced in Mexico during the 1980's. This artisanal bottle opener, crafted with abalone mother-of-pearl, is a true work of art. A beautiful item...
Brass
Flavio Poli Murano Glass Ashtray, Green, Sculptural Design, 1960s
By Flavio Poli
Located in Milano, IT
1960s Gorgeous green ashtray or catchall by Flavio Poli for Seguso in Murano sommerso glass. Made in Italy. So rare to find it in this color. The item is in excellent condition witho...
Murano Glass
1960s Mid-Century Modern Italian Alabaster Smoking Set by Romano Bianchi
Located in Milano, IT
Authentic three-piece smoking set designed by the celebrated Italian artisan Romano Bianchi during the 1960s. Masterfully hand-carved in Volterra, Italy, this brutalist-style set inc...
Alabaster
Mid Century Bluerina Footed Tumblers by Denby, Set of 5, 1960s
Located in Fairfield, CA
A set of 5 gorgeous mid century "Bluerina" footed tumblers, made in collaboration with Denby and England and Krosno Glass of Poland. Each glass has a cyli...
Glass
Italian Two-Tiered Drinks Cart by Aldo Tura
By Aldo Tura
Located in Austin, TX
A fine Italian bar cart or drinks trolley from the Mid-Century Modern era, designed by Aldo Tura featuring two oval trays sheathed in lacquered goatskin (pergamena) with polished bra...
Metal, Brass
Vintage Danish Modern Brass & Teak Cutlery Set by Carl Cohr, 1960s, 12 persons
By Carl M. Cohr
Located in Esbjerg, DK
This dining/lunch set by Carl Cohr was manufactured and designed in Denmark during the 1960s. The set consists of 10 dinner/lunch knives, 10 dinner/lunch forks, 10 dinner/lunch spoon...
Brass
Mid-Century Modern Era Italian Silver Individual Au Jus Sauce Boats, Set of Six
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A set of six Mid-Century Era individual mini sauce or dressing boats, Alpacca Nickel Silver, Italy, circa 1960s. Each small boat has a loop handle, a spout, and sits on three ball f...
Silver
Abalone and Brass Fish Bottle Opener in the Style of Los Castillo
By Los Castillo
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Mexican Mid-Century abalone and brass bottle opener in the style of Los Castillo. All of the abalone is in good condition which is often rare. A true mid century iconic piece that wi...
Brass
1960s Mid-century Pink Ashtray or Catchall in Bullicante Murano Glass by Flavio
By Flavio Poli
Located in Milano, IT
1960s Mid-century Pink Ashtray or Catchall in Bullicante Murano Glass by Flavio Poli. This hand-blown glass piece radiates in a vivid pink palette, elevated by the complex bullicante...
Murano Glass
Rosolio Italia 1950 in Solid Tanzanian Green Onyx: Glass Tray and Bottle
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Tray with Glasses and a Rosolio Bottle, Made of Solid Green Onyx from Tanzania, Italy, 1950.
Onyx
Archimede Seguso Murano Sommerso Opal Pink Alabastro Glass Bowl, Italy 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Eye-catching hand blown Murano Sommerso pink and opalescent white glass flower bowl with folded rim. Design Attributed to Archimede Seguso for the Seguso Factory. Italy, 1950s. This ...
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Sommerso
Set of 4 Vintage Amber Glass Wine Goblets, Mid-Century Modern
Located in Fairfield, CA
A set of 4 gorgeous wine goblets in amber glass. Lovely simple modern shape with glass that thickens towards the base of the glass. Each measures 2.5"Dia x 4.5"H
Glass
Bottle opener around 1950s
Located in Wien, Au
Bottle opener around 1950s Original condition
Brass
Christofle Silver-Plated Sully Champagne & Ice Bucket (Gallia Collection) 1950s
By Christofle
Located in Milano, IT
Elegant mid-century silver-plated champagne or ice bucket by the venerable French silversmith Christofle. Dating to the 1950s, this large and striking piece belongs to the prestigiou...
Silver Plate
Mid century modern triangular ceramic glazed ashtray, circa 1960
Located in View Park, CA
A large mid century modern ceramic triangular ashtray circa 1960. In faux-bois with a magnificent teal and key-lime glaze interior, as well as four rivulets in the center. Each side ...
Ceramic, Felt
Mid-century Modern Brass Metal Nutcracker in the Shape of a Woman's Legs, 70s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Classic early 1970s nutcracker in the playful form of elegant lady legs, a whimsical piece of vintage barware that blends humor, design, and function. Crafted with a sculptural silho...
Brass, Bronze
Sommerso pink and purple Murano glass tray by Flavio Poli
By Flavio Poli
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Beautiful purple and pink sommerso ashtray or pocket emptier designed and manufactured by flavio poli for seguso in murano in the 1970s. Handcrafted glass using the sommerso techniqu...
Murano Glass
$525Sale Price|25% Off
Fratelli Toso Murano Millefiori Flower Star Mosaic Italian Art Glass Pitcher
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown multi-color Millefiori flower and star mosaic Italian art glass pitcher / vase. The piece is documented to the Fratell...
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Murrine
$1,320Sale Price / set|20% Off
Italian Burl Wood Ice Bucket, Carafe, & Tray Bar Set, in Milo Baughman Style
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Mid-Century era Italian burl wood Bar set Fashioned after the work of designer Milo Baughman with each piece features a rich burl wood body complemented by brass plated hardware. The...
Brass
Majolica Oyster Plate Sarreguemines Circa 1950
Located in Austin, TX
Majolica oyster plate signed Sarreguemines, circa 1950.
Ceramic, Faience
Brutalist Ashtray by David Marshall, Bronze & Aluminum, Spain, 1970s
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Beautiful brutalist ashtray or viche-poches designed and sculpted by the artist david marshall in the 70s in spain. Bronze and aluminum structure with a biomorphic shape. collectible...
Aluminum, Bronze
Murano Sommerso Glass Table Lighter by Flavio Poli, Mid-Century Italy
By Flavio Poli
Located in Milano, IT
1960 Stunning table lighter in Murano sommerso glass by Flavio Poli for Seguso. Made in italy. Handcrafted in Italy using the iconic Murano sommerso glass technique, it features a d...
Murano Glass
Sommerso ashtray by seguso, murano glass, italy, 1970's
By Seguso
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Beautiful and rare rectangular Sommerso ashtray designed and manufactured for Seguso in Murano in the 1970s. Handcrafted work of faceted glass using the "sommerso" technique (superpo...
Murano Glass
Italian Murano Red White Champagne Coupes Glasses by Carlo Moretti, Mid-20th C
Located in New York, NY
A chic set of five (5) vintage red and white Italian Murano Champagne coupes or cocktail glasses, by designer Carlo Moretti, Midcentury Modern Design period, Italy, circa mid-20th century. These Carlo Moretti Champagne...
Murano Glass
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
Flavio Poli Murano Glass Ashtray, Red & Yellow, 1960s Italy
By Flavio Poli
Located in Milano, IT
1960s Gorgeous red and yellow ashtray or catchall by Flavio Poli for Seguso in Murano sommerso glass. Made in Italy. So rare to find it in this color. The item is in excellent condit...
Murano Glass
Rare Aldo Londi Bitossi Italian Ceramic Bottle Vase with Orange Geometric Glaze
By Aldo Londi, Raymor, Bitossi
Located in Troy, MI
Rare vessel designed by Aldo Londi for Bitossi Distributed by Raymor Italy circa 1960s Architectural bottle form in textured earthenware with vertical geometric resist design in ora...
Ceramic, Pottery
Set of Six Vintage Fire-King Jadeite Coffee Mugs, 1940s
Located in Coral Gables, FL
A classic set of six vintage Fire-King Jadeite coffee mugs by Anchor Hocking, one of the most iconic names in twentieth-century American glassmaking. Produced in the signature soft j...
Glass
Rare Carl Auböck Brass Standing Floor Ashtray, Smoking Stand, Austria, 1950s
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful vintage and authentic minimalist standing ashtray / smoking stand from the 1950s, designed and crafted by Werkstätte Carl Auböck in Vienna, Austria. This sculptural piece...
Brass
Fornasetti Tema e Variazioni Plate No. 89, Lina Cavalieri, Circa 1980
Located in Downingtown, PA
This porcelain plate is number 89 in Piero Fornasetti’s Tema e Variazioni, the series he built across his career from a single borrowed face, that of the opera singer Lina Cavalieri. Here the face is shown half-immersed. Only the brow and the eyes rise above the surface of a still lake, the lower part of the face lying below the waterline, and the eyes appear a second time in the water as a soft reflection, so that four eyes look out of the plate at once. A stand of rushes crosses the foreground at the lower edge. The image is printed in black by lithographic transfer on a white ground, the whole worked in the fine engraved hatching and stipple that Fornasetti used throughout the series, with the horizontal ripple of the water set against the dotted modeling of the face. The device is characteristically economical: a single unbroken horizontal line converts a portrait into a landscape, and the viewer supplies the rest. Piero Fornasetti (1913–1988) found the face in a nineteenth-century French illustrated magazine and was held by it for the rest of his working life. He was drawn not to Cavalieri’s celebrity but to the formal character of the image, a face he described as archetypal, as classic as a Greek statue and as enigmatic as the Gioconda, and therefore able to carry any idea he brought to it. He produced more than three hundred and fifty variations under the title Tema e Variazioni, almost all of them on plates, and the series has been continued since his death by his son Barnaba under the Atelier Fornasetti name. Patrick Mauriès observes that for Fornasetti a single product never exhausted the possibilities of an idea, and that much of his work therefore takes the form of variations on a theme; among the recurring subjects he lists the sun, playing cards, the harlequin, and hands, but above all this face, which appears through the series as a moon, a flower, a lake, a mask, a mosaic, a clock, and a single disembodied eye. The present plate is the lake. The porcelain blanks were bought in and decorated at the Milan studio, and the green Arzberg mark beneath the black Fornasetti stamp records the German factory that supplied this one. Hung on its own or grouped with other plates from the series, it holds a wall far beyond its size. Dimensions Diameter: 10 inches (25.4 cm) Marks Printed to the reverse with the Fornasetti eye...
Porcelain
Design ice bucket, Guy Degrenne, stainless steel, bareware, 1980s, France
Located in Wien, AT
This object is a beautiful ice bucket, an elaborate design manufactured in France, in the 1980s. Guy Degrenne is a well-known French manufacturer of high-quality tableware. The ice...
Stainless Steel
Romano Bianchi Green Alabaster Ashtray, Italy, 1970s, Elegant Design
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Exquisite large green alabaster ashtray, designed and handcrafted by Romano Bianchi in Italy during the 1970s. This striking piece, with its rich patina, blends artistry and elegance...
Alabaster
Vintage Mid Century Ice Bucket, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Every good party needs cold ice and this is just the bucket to keep it that way! This beauty fits in with any decor. Mid Century sleek. Perfect for your next soiree or party of one! ...
Metal
Vintage Mid-Century Modern Coral Pink Russell Wright Steubenville Serving Dish
Located in East Quogue, NY
Vintage mid-century modern Russell Wright Steubenville oval ceramic serving dish. Modern design with soft cures and simple glazing. Size: 10 wide x 7.5 deep x 2.5 inches tall The m...
Ceramic, Pottery
1970s Mikasa "Tampa" Dinnerware Set, 12 Place Settings, Avocado Green & Yellow
By Mikasa
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A complete 12-place setting set of vintage Mikasa "Tampa" pattern stoneware, produced in the 1970s. Each setting includes a dinner plate, salad plate, cup and saucer, and coordinatin...
Ceramic
Archimede Seguso Murano Blue Sommerso Glass Bowl
By Seguso Vetri d'Arte, Archimede Seguso
Located in Barcelona, ES
Hand blown Murano glass Sommerso bowl / ashtray in blue color with a cased rim in dark blue glass. Design attributed to Archimede Seguso for Seguso Factory, Italy, 1960s. A highly de...
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Sommerso
Arnold Krog - Royal Copenhagen Blue Fluted Musselmalet - 4 Luncheon Plates 1085
By Arnold Krog, Royal Copenhagen
Located in Stockholm, SE
4 Luncheon Plates of model Royal Copenhagen Blue Fluted designed by Arnold Krog. The plates are 23 cm in diameter and in excellent condition except from a few minor scratches. These ...
Porcelain
Set of 4 Midcentury Stackable Solid Brass Austrian Ashtrays After Adnet, 1950s
Located in Roma, IT
Wonderful and unique set of four stackable ashtrays in solid brass. This stylish and versatile set was produced in Austria during the 1950s after Jacques Adnet. Fully original and i...
Brass
$384Sale Price / set|20% Off
1970s Italian Crystal Glass Smoking Set by Antonio Imperatore.
By Cristallerie Antonio Imperatore
Located in Milano, IT
Stunning, ultra-chic vintage smoking set designed by Antonio Imperatore during the 1970s. Expertly crafted in Italy, this two-piece set perfectly captures the bold, geometric, and gl...
Rock Crystal
Green Coupe Cocktail Glasses by Indiana Glass, Mid-Century - Set of 6, 1970s
Located in Fairfield, CA
A set of 6 vintage coupe glasses with a cubist design in green glass. Made in the Whitehall pattern by Indiana Glass. Perfect for wine or champagne. Smooth interiors.
Glass
Smoking might have fallen out of fashion, but these ashtrays have enduring design appeal.
The Finnish talent created nature-inspired pieces, from furniture to jewelry, with phenomenal staying power.