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.
$1,894Sale Price|20% Off
Surrealistic Oil Painting on Canvas, 1970s, Signed
Located in Antwerp, BE
Vintage framed oil painting on canvas, 1970. Depicts a woman with pill, standing in a moonlit landscape. Signed with R.Boutens, 70. Dimensions: 108 W x 88 H x 3.5 D cm.
Canvas, Paint
Fabric Board by Verner Panton for Mira Spectrum, 1970S
Located in bruxelles, BE
Fabric painting by Verner Panton with a wooden card. Signed Verner Panton. Wear due to time and age. For shipping, request us for receive the best price.
Fabric, Wood
Fabric Board by Verner Panton for Mira Spectrum, 1970S
Located in bruxelles, BE
Fabric board by Verner Panton in a wooden frame. Signed Verner Panton. Wear due to time and age. For shipping, request us for receive the best price.
Fabric, Wood
Fabric Boards by Verner Panton for Mira Spectrum, 1970S, set of 2
Located in bruxelles, BE
Pair of boards with fabric by Verner Panton in a wooden frame. Signed Verner Panton. Wear due to time and age of the boards. For shipping, request us for receive the best price.
Fabric, Wood
Fabric Board by Verner Panton for Mira Spectrum, 1970S
Located in bruxelles, BE
Fabric board by Verner Panton in a wooden frame. Signed Verner Panton. Wear due to time and age. For shipping, request us for receive the best price.
Fabric, Wood
Vintage 20th Century TV Tower Model Collection
Located in London, GB
A rare set of three vintage TV tower models. Made from brass and steel. Continental, most likely from Germany or the surrounding areas. Pati...
Brass, Steel
Italian Abstract artwork by Bruno Mancinotti, 1970s
Located in Varese, Lombardia
Abstract work made with mixed technique (painting and collage) by Bruno Mancinotti in the 70s. The work is presented in its original frame in aluminum and white painted wood (slight ...
Aluminum
$1,960
H 13.19 in W 16.54 in D 1.97 in
Unknown - Painting Fallow Deer with Doe in the Alps, Oil on Canvas 19th century
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Unknown - Painting Fallow Deer with Doe in the Alps, Oil on Canvas 19th century A lovely Biedermeier style oil painting depicting a fallow deer family in the alpine landscape. Oil on canvas 1st halve of the 19th century. Framed with antique gilded frame, stretcher frame replaced. A marvelous wall decoration for each rustig log cabin. The Biedermeier period runs parallel to the Romantic period and both are characterized by similar features. Domesticity, closeness to nature, folksiness and need for harmony are buzzwords of this time. The focus is on the simple, the conservative and the tried and tested. There is little experimentation and more observation and enjoyment. The art style is kept very realistic and shows great similarity to photography. Domestic idyllic representations, beautiful landscape and impressive portraits are the most popular topics for oil paintings...
Wood
Collection of 19th Century Wooden Bowls
Located in Los Angeles, CA
14 diameter x 4 high. These three butter bowls were found in New England and are all in fine condition. Sizes are as listed and sold as a collection of three. Measures: 10 diameter ...
Wood
Herbert Abrams Paint Palette Case, 1970s USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Amazing Herbert Abrams paint palette case from his time as a portrait artist. Abrams was most well known for his work as a commissioned portrait painter...
Metal
$3,495
H 20.25 in W 43.5 in D 21 in
Handpainted Folk Art Wedding Chest by Peter Hunt, Provincetown, D. 1948
By Peter Hunt
Located in Peabody, MA
A handpainted folk art wedding chest by the noted maker Peter Hunt of Provincetown, Massachusetts. Hunt was a charismatic figure who sold his colonial and Dutch revival decorated fou...
Wood, Paint
Luna Hand-Tufted Rug in Dark Yellow by Verner Panton
By Verner Panton, Verpan
Located in Horsens, DK
Eight colored rug with organic circle pattern designed by Verner Panton. Material: 100% New Zealand wool Hand tufted Color: Tone-in-tone dark yellow.
Wool
$1,750
H 34 in W 37 in D 22 in
Antique American Blanket Chest, circa 1900, Hand-Painted by Lew Hudnall
Located in Houston, TX
Antique Americana- style North American blanket chest with hinged lid, circa 1900. Hand-painted with a stylized Federal Eagle on the front. One talon grasping arrows and the other an...
Wood, Paint
$1,560Sale Price|20% Off
H 18.9 in W 34.85 in D 1.19 in
Midcentury Abstract Art Acrylic Oil On Canvas Painting Artwork 1960s 1970s
Located in Sherborne, Dorset
A striking, energetic piece of original abstract artwork dating from the 1960s/70s. Acrylic and oil have been used to create bold lines and brushwork on the canvas giving the piece a...
Canvas, Acrylic, Paint
$880
H 35.44 in W 33.86 in D 0.79 in
Large Oil on Canvas Painting, Unknown Artist, 1956, Danish Midcentury
Located in Odense, DK
Presenting an enigmatic oil on canvas painting created by an unknown Danish artist made in 1956. This captivating artwork showcases a woman bathing her feet in a bathroom, and it is ...
Canvas
Wave Hand-Tufted Rug in Orange by Verner Panton
By Verner Panton, Verpan
Located in Horsens, DK
Seven Colored rectangular rug with organic pattern designed by Verner Panton. Material: 100% New Zealand's Wool Hand-tufted Color: Orange.
Wool
Folk Art Painted Face Suitcase by Artist Ira Yeager
By Ira Yeager
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Whimsical folk art painted suitcase or valise featuring a striped canvas covered exterior with a painted face by artist Ira Yeager (American 1938-2022). The case is covered with vintage western European ports of call with a lovely aged, distressed patina. The interior has a green intact silk lining with pockets. Used as a prop in Yeager's Gallery studio in Calistoga, CA. Made by US manufacturer...
Metal
$2,672
H 58.27 in W 83.47 in D 1.19 in
Mid-Century Modern Italian Folding Four-Panel Decorated Screen by Enzo Strada
By Enzo Strada
Located in Prato, IT
Mid-Century Modern Italian folding four-panel screen with bucolic transfer painting. 1960s Each panel measures cm.53 x 3 x H 148.
Wood
$1,695
H 36 in W 30 in D 2 in
C1930 Impressionist Ashcan Original Painting of a Cafe Scene Oil on Canvas
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Impressionist view of a interior cafe with a chef and patrons. Colorful palette with a Ashcan style in the Painting created about 1930. Unsigned. Framed in what appears to be the ori...
Canvas, Hardwood, Paint
Fabric Board by Verner Panton for Mira Spectrum, 1970S
Located in bruxelles, BE
Fabric board by Verner Panton in a wooden frame. Signed Verner Panton. Wear due to time and age. For shipping, request us for receive the best price.
Fabric, Wood
Fabric Board by Verner Panton for Mira, 1970s
Located in bruxelles, BE
Fabric painting by Verner Panton with a wooden card. Signed Verner Panton. Wear due to time and age.
Fabric, Wood
Fabric Board by Verner Panton for Mira Spectrum, 1970S
Located in bruxelles, BE
Wooden frame containing a fabric board by Verner Panton. Signed Verner Panton. Wear due to time and age of the board.
Fabric, Wood
Vintage Solid Aluminum Space Age Fox Figure
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage solid aluminum space age fox figure Illegible Signature on the Bottom great patina with some discoloration and pitting.
Aluminum
Verner Panton Style Fabric Board, 1970s
Located in bruxelles, BE
Wooden frame containing a Verner Panton style fabric. Wear due to time and age of the frame.
Fabric, Wood
Verner Panton Style Fabric Board, 1970s Set 2
Located in bruxelles, BE
Wooden frame containing a Verner Panton style fabric. Wear due to time and age of the frame.
Fabric, Wood
Verner Panton Style Fabric Board, 1970s
Located in bruxelles, BE
Wooden frame containing a Verner Panton style fabric. Wear due to time and age of the frame.
Fabric, Wood
Space Age Metal Rocket Art Sculpture
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Metal space age rocket art sculpture titled VFR Zeta II by J. Bescant dated 10/2000. This extraordinary futuristic piece features a rocket leaving its launc...
Metal
Verner Panton Style Fabric Board, 1970s
Located in bruxelles, BE
Wooden frame containing a Verner Panton style fabric. Wear due to time and age of the frame.
Fabric, Wood
Vintage TV Tower Model Collection
Located in London, GB
A rare and collectable set of five midcentury TV tower models. Continental, 1960s-1970s. Formed from a variety of metals including brass. Th...
Metal