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.
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
Vintage Sicilian Hand-Painted Ceramic Plate Set, Tomato-Red Glaze
Located in Coral Gables, FL
A striking vintage Sicilian hand-painted ceramic dinner and salad plate set, finished in a rich tomato-red glaze with darker tonal variations and a sculptural octagonal form. The bol...
Ceramic
$600Sale Price|20% Off
Walter Bosse Monkey Salt and Pepper Shakers Set, Herta Baller, Austria, 1950s
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming Austrian midcentury shaker set from the 1950s, displaying a cute monkey holding salt and pepper shakers. A humorous design by Walter Bosse, manufactured by Hertha Baller i...
Glass
Vintage Rosewood and Brass Flatware - 43 piece
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
A chic rosewood and brass flatware set! The design and palette feel architectural and high-style! A handsome serving set that makes you want to entertain! The dinner set could be pai...
Brass
Buccellati Tahiti Sterling Silver & Bamboo Luau Dinner Set
By Buccellati, Ilario Pradella 1
Located in New York, NY
Tahiti dinner set. Made by Buccellati in Italy. This set comprises 47 pieces (dimensions in inches): Forks: 8 dinner forks (9) and 8 salad forks (6 7/8); Spoons: 8 oval soup spoons (...
Sterling Silver
$1,520Sale Price|20% Off
Boxed Helmut Alder Amboss 2050 Flatware Cutlery for Six, 30 pcs., Austria, 1950s
By Amboss Austria, Helmut Alder
Located in Vienna, AT
Beautiful Mid-century flatware, 2050 series, designed by Helmut Alder, executed by Amboss Austria in the 1950s. High-quality flatware, made of solid, brushed and polished stainless steel. Comes in its original award-winning handmade wooden box...
Stainless Steel
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
Hocking Glass Old Colony Pink Depression Glass Dessert Service, 1935
Located in Coral Gables, FL
A beautiful Pink Depression Glass dessert service by Hocking Glass in the Old Colony pattern, also known as Lace Edge or Open Lace. Produced betw...
Glass
Pink Majolica Ceramic Dessert / Breakfast Service Set for Four
By Secla
Located in Barcelona, ES
A lovely Majolica pink glazed ceramic set of 12 pieces: four large plates, four small plates and four serving bowls. This eye-caching set has a lovely pale pink color with details i...
Majolica, Pottery, Ceramic
$2,000Sale Price / set|20% Off
Rörstrand KOKA Porcelain Set by Hertha Bengtsson, 77 Pieces, 1960s
By rorstrand studio, Bengtsson, Rörstrand, Herta Bengtson, Hertha Bengtson
Located in Round Top, TX
Rare, mint condition, twelve place settings of KOKA porcelain designed by Hertha Bengtsson. Hertha Bengtson designed "Koka Blå” (Cook Blue) in 1953 during the golden age of Swedish...
Porcelain
Vintage 1970s Highball Glass Set with Bamboo Caddy, Colorful Accents
Located in Coral Gables, FL
A charming vintage 1970s highball glass set featuring colorful painted reed or bamboo-style decoration in soft pink, yellow, turquoise, white, and metallic gold accents. The set incl...
Glass
Rosewood & Brass Desert Demitasse Spoons Set of 6
Located in Clifton Forge, VA
Here is a wonderful set of 6 brass demitasse spoons with rosewood handles that will brighten your afternoon coffee or your desert table for holiday celebrations. They measure 4 inche...
Brass
Hermès Paris Set of 4 Stirrup Napkin Rings in Solid Silver & Vermeil circa 1970
By Hermès
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
Elegant and very rare set of four Hermès Paris stirrup-shaped napkin rings, comprising two examples in solid silver and two in vermeil. The design is a direct reference to the histor...
Vermeil, Silver
Sterling Silver Decorative Minimalistic Pepper and Salt shakers, 1970's
By Gerrit Rietveld, De Stijl, Bauhaus
Located in Den Haag, NL
Sterling Silver Decorative Minimalistic Pepper and Salt shakers, The Netherlands 1970's
Sterling Silver
$173Sale Price|46% Off
Fruit Knives with Bakelite Stand by Otto Hammesfahr
Located in Wien, Au
Fruit knives with stand by Otto Hammesfahr. Original condition. Six pieces of knives one stand.
Stainless Steel
Dior Set of Six Charger Plates in Tortoiseshell Effect Lucite, Italy 1970s
By Dior Home
Located in Roma, IT
Marvelous set of six octagonal charger plates in vibrant tortoiseshell effect lucite. This incredibly stylish and unique set is attributed to a Dior Home production and was produced ...
Lucite, Plexiglass
$472Sale Price / set|20% Off
Bormioli Rocco 1980-1990 colored Murano glass crystal glasses set.
Located in Palermo, IT
Immerse yourself in timeless elegance with this exquisite crystal glass set by Rocco Bormioli, an icon of Italian design between the 1980s and 1990s. Each piece in this set catches t...
Crystal
Gabriella Crespi Sculptural Buffalo’s Head Box in Silvered Brass, Italy, 1970s
Located in Milan, IT
Rare sculptural box by Gabriella Crespi, Italy, circa 1970s. Executed in silvered brass, the piece takes the striking form of a Buffalo’s head, with dramatically curved horns and ri...
Brass
$7,999Sale Price|20% Off
Extensive 159 Piece Richard Ginori Contessa Porcelain Dinner and Tea Service
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Contessa Brown by RICHARD GINORI 1735 An exceptional and comprehensive porcelain dinner and tea service by Richard Ginori 1735, in the elegant and now-discontinued “Contessa Brown”...
Gold
Mid-Century Modern Danish Bottle Opener in Teak, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Modern Danish Bottle Opener in Teak, 1960s
Metal
75 Pc. Georg Jensen Caravel Sterling Silver Flatware Dinner Service for 12
By Georg Jensen
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A very fine 75-piece Georg Jensen sterling silver flatware set. Designed by Henning Koppel. In the Caravel pattern. Set comprises: 12 Dinner Forks (7 3/8") 12 Salad Forks (6 1/2") 12 Tea Spoons (5 15/16") 12 Place Spoons...
Sterling Silver
Max Meder, Hand Carved Wooden Squirrel Brush & Pan, France, 1950s
By Max Meder
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
This large Mid-Century Modern wooden squirrel brush and crumb pan was designed by Max Méder in Paris, France, during the 1950s. Both decorative and practical, the set transforms an e...
Wood
Twenty-Two Piece Set of Sterling Silver and Ebony "Contrast" Flatware by Lunt
By Lunt Silver
Located in San Diego, CA
Gorgeous twenty-two piece set of sterling silver and ebony nylon "Contrast" flatware by Lunt Silver Co.., circa 1950s. The set is in very good vintage condition and is stamped on the...
Sterling Silver
Matched Set of 7 Midcentury Roger Capron Ceramic Coasters
By Roger Capron
Located in Henley-on Thames, Oxfordshire
A matched set of earthenware drinks coasters by Roger Capron with incised and coloured decoration depicting trees and fishes. Stamped signatures to the reverse Vallauris, Fran...
Earthenware
$2,940Sale Price|40% Off
Carl Auböck 2060 Flatware, 42 pcs., Complete For 6 Persons, Amboss Austria, 1950
By Neuzeughammer, Amboss Austria, Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A comprehensive set of midcentury flatware from the 1950s, the award-winning model 2060, designed by Carl Aubock and executed by Amboss Neuzeug Au...
Stainless Steel
Set of Six Straw Coasters with Brass Holder by Werkstätte Carl Auböck , 1960s
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of six handwoven straw coasters with matching brass stand. The coasters are made from tightly braided natural fiber arranged in a spiral pattern, each with a small open center de...
Brass
Richard Ginori Burnt Orange Contessa Extensive Dinnerware Service Of 141 Pieces
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Richard Ginori extensive dinnerware service Contessa rust red pattern dinnerware service . Pattern having a burnt orange and double gilt gold and black trim decorated design on white...
Gold
$294Sale Price|40% Off
Walter Bosse Brass Dinner Bell Displaying a Cat by Herta Baller, Austria, 1950
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming midcentury table bell displaying a cat. A humorous design by Walter Bosse, executed by Herta Baller Austria in the 1950s. Made of brass, in very good condition.
Brass
Federal Glass Madrid Yellow Depression Dinnerware Set, 12 Pieces
Located in Coral Gables, FL
A beautiful 12-piece American Depression glass dinnerware set by Federal Glass in the highly collectible Madrid pattern, also known as Spoke, produced between 1933 and 1937. The set includes four dinner plates, four salad plates, and four bowls in the sought-after yellow colorway, featuring the pattern’s distinctive radiating design and softly molded details that exemplify the elegance of American Depression-era glass. Manufactured by the Federal Glass Company...
Glass
Tiffany Midcentury Modern Dinner Set for 12 in Exotic Bamboo
Located in New York, NY
Bamboo-pattern sterling silver dinner set. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. This set comprises 72 pieces (dimensions in inches): Forks: 12 dinner forks (7 3/8) and 12 salad forks (...
Sterling Silver
Walter Bosse Rooster Dinner Bell, 1950s
Located in Wien, Au
Walter Bosse Rooster dinner bell, 1950s Original condition.
Brass
Mid Century Dalia Spain "Picasso" Flatware Set, 82 Pieces
Located in Brooklyn, NY
82 piece set of mid-century flatware from the "Picasso" collection by Dalia Spain. Set includes: - 13 Dinner Forks - 11 Salad Forks - 12 Dinner Spoons - 25 Dessert Spoons - 11 Lunch...
Stainless Steel
Tiffany Midcentury Modern 148-Piece Dinner Set in Exotic Bamboo
Located in New York, NY
Bamboo sterling silver dinner set. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. This set comprises 148 pieces: Forks: 13 dinner forks (7 1/4), 26 salad forks (6 3/4), and 8 ice cream forks...
Sterling Silver
Mid Century 20 Piece Dinnerware Set of California Ivy Poppy Trail by Metlox
By Metlox Manufacturing Company
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A 20-piece ceramic dinnerware set by Metlox. This twenty-piece set includes seven dinner plates, eight small plates, two serving bowls, and three tea cups. Each piece is glazed in a ...
Ceramic
Set of ( 10 ) "Piruett" Cocktail Forks by P. Forssell for Gense, Sweden, 1955
By Gense, Pierre Forssell
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Set of 10 Vintage "Piruett" Cocktail / Dessert Forks Pierre Forssell for Gense, Sweden 1955 plastic handles and stainless steel "in good vintage as found condition with some dings...
Stainless Steel
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
Pablo Picasso "Face" Bowls and Plate Great Wall Mounted Modern Art
Located in Atlanta, GA
Set of Five Ceramic Pieces, after Pablo Picasso's art of the 1960s, these are from an authorized collection put out by Picasso's family in the 1990s. They would look great mounted on...
Ceramic
Mancioli Italian Modernist Op Art China Set 1960s
Located in Atlanta, GA
Italian Modernist china set by Mancioli, Italy, circa 1960s. 40 pieces total, comprising of (8) coffee cups measuring 3"H x 5"W. (10) saucers measuring 6.5" diameter. (10) small plat...
Ceramic
Coin Tray by Auböck around 1950s
Located in Wien, Au
Coin Tray by Auböck around 1950s Original condition
Brass
Set of Six Indiana Glass Loganberry Plates, Green Uranium Glass, 1930s
Located in Coral Gables, FL
An exceptional set of six Loganberry divided grill plates produced by Indiana Glass, one of the most recognizable American glass manufacturers of the twentieth century. Crafted in vi...
Glass
Abalone shell salt & pepper shakers with tray, Alpaca Mexico, 1970s
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Superb salt & pepper shakers with tray designed and produced in Mexico during the 1970's. This artisanal set with abalone mother-of-pearl and alpaca, is a true work of art. A bea...
Shell, Abalone, Alpaca
$252Sale Price|40% Off
Werkstätte Hagenauer Brass Card Holder Coaster Stand, Mid-Century Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Hagenauer Wien, Karl Hagenauer
Located in Vienna, AT
A stunning Mid-Century brass coaster holder dating back to the 1950s, crafted from polished brass by the renowned Werkstätte workshop Hagenauer in Vienna, Austria. This beautiful pie...
Brass
Amber Depression Glass Cordial Set, Art Deco Style, 1930s, USA
Located in Coral Gables, FL
A beautiful amber Depression Glass cordial set dating to the 1930s, composed of a sculptural round pitcher and six matching footed glasses. The set h...
Glass
Set of Six Vintage Peach Lustre Glass Cloche Bells, Mid-Century, circa 1950s
Located in Coral Gables, FL
Distintivo set de seis campanas vintage de vidrio, cada una realizada con una elegante silueta acampanada y realzada por un luminoso acabado Peach Lustre. Su cálida tonalidad albaric...
Luster, Glass
Set of 4 Blue Wicker Ceramic Dinner Plates Made in Italy
Located in ROCCAVIVARA CB, IT
Enhance your table setting with the charming Handpainted Ceramic Wicker Plates, skillfully crafted and beautifully painted by artisans in Italy. Featuring an intricate wicker-inspire...
Ceramic
$1,440Sale Price / set|20% Off
Vintage 144 pc. Set of Thai Nickel Bronze Flatware in Teak case
Located in Pasadena, TX
This is nice set of flatware from Thailand .The set is made of nickel bronze. It's 144 pieces and is service for 12. The flatware was made in the mid century period. The flatware ser...
Bronze, Nickel
$294Sale Price|40% Off
Walter Bosse Donkey Salt and Pepper Shaker Set, Herta Baller, Austria, 1950s
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming Austrian Mid-Century shaker set, displaying a donkey. A very humorous design by Walter Bosse, executed by Hertha Baller Austria in the 1950s. Made of metal and wood. In go...
Metal
Pink Cabbage Glazed Ceramic Small Tureen or Bowl, Portugal, 1960s
Located in Barcelona, ES
A lovely hand painted Majolica ceramic pink cabbage small tureen, sugar bowl or sauceboat with lid. Manufactured by Bordallo Pinheiro. Portugal, 1960s This eye-catching small cabbage tureen...
Majolica, Pottery, Ceramic
Set of 6 Natural Capiz Shell and Cork Round Placemat Chargers With Brass Rims
Located in New York, NY
Set of 6 natural capiz shell round placemat chargers with brass rims and natural cork bottoms. Made by hand in the Phillipine islands.
Shell
Set of Four Vintage Smoke Brown Glass Goblets, Mid-Century Design
Located in Coral Gables, FL
A refined set of four vintage smoke brown glass goblets with elegantly proportioned pedestal stems and gently flared bowls. Their restrained silhouette and warm amber-smoke tone refl...
Glass
Mid-century Modern Chrome Metal Nutcracker in the Shape of a Woman's Legs, 70s
Located in Roma, IT
In Italy, it’s traditional to end Christmas lunches with a table set with dried fruit and mandarins. While we continue chatting—often loudly debating events that happened centuries a...
Metal, Chrome
Federal Glass Yellow Madrid Dessert Set, Four Compotes & Plates, circa 1935
Located in Coral Gables, FL
A charming set of four Federal Glass sherbet or dessert cups in the celebrated Madrid pattern, produced during the American Depression Glass era between 1933 and 1937. Rendered in the sought-after yellow colorway, each piece features the pattern’s distinctive radiating Art Deco motif, creating beautiful reflections of light and a warm golden presence on the table. Manufactured by the Federal Glass Company...
Glass
Set of 4 Ceramic Bamboo Dinner Plates - Made in Italy
Located in ROCCAVIVARA CB, IT
Bring the beauty of nature to your table with our Set of 4 bamboo ceramic plates, made in Italy. Each plate showcases intricate hand painted bamboo detailing, combining artisanal cra...
Ceramic
Rosewood & Brass Individual Butter Cream Desert Knives Set of 4
Located in Clifton Forge, VA
This is a very sweet set of 4 individual butter or desert cream knives made of brass with rosewood handles. They have a nice curved shape to the blades and are in good condition with...
Brass
Swedish Mid-Century Cutlery Set Viktor by Gense, 1970s, Set of 47
Located in Esbjerg, DK
'Victor' flatware cutlery set consisting of: 12 dinner knives, 12 dinner forks, 12 soup spoons, 6 tea spoons and 5 dessert spoons. Beautiful wide bodies executed in stainless steel w...
Brass, Stainless Steel
Tjorn by Dansk Sterling Silver Flatware Set 8 Service 50 Pieces Mid-Century Mod
By Dansk
Located in Big Bend, WI
The innovative and highly desirable flatware pattern "Tjorn" by Dansk was designed by Danish artist and designer Jens Quistgaard in 1959. It features striking Scandinavian modern des...
Sterling Silver
Set 12 Blown Bubble Glass Mid-Century Modern Drinking Glasses Glassware, Italy
Located in Miami, FL
Set of 12 Mid-Century Modern heavy blown bubble glass drinking glasses, glassware, stemware made in Italy. In excellent condition. A-976-335
Blown Glass
Onedia Mid-Century South Seas Silverplate Flatware Set for Community
By Community
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A 58 piece set of silverplated sculptural south seas pattern styled flatware with 8 serving pieces, with five pieces for each place setting salad, dinner fork, tea, soup spoon and knife. There are eight severing pieces butter, cake knife, slotted, large severing and condiment spoon...
Silver Plate
Swan Lake by International Sterling Silver Flatware Set for 12 Service 66 Pieces
Located in Big Bend, WI
Modern design Swan Lake by International, circa 1960, sterling silver flatware set, 66 pieces. This set includes: 12 Knives, 9" 12 Forks, 7 1/4" 12 Salad Forks, 6 5/8" 12 Teasp...
Sterling Silver
1930s American Depression Glass Bowl, Yellow Starburst, Three Feet
Located in Coral Gables, FL
A charming American Depression Glass bowl in a soft yellow hue, featuring a delicate starburst pattern molded throughout the body and raised on three applied ball feet. Produced duri...
Glass