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 âpost-and-beamâ 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.Â
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.Â
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 â as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients â 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.
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 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
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
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
1970s Brass Smoking Set by Pierre Cardin: Lighter & Ashtray
Located in Milano, IT
1970s Gorgeous smoking set by Pierre Cardin in brass and metal. This exceptional two-piece desk smoking set is an authentic testament to the 1970s avant-garde industrial design era o...
Metal, Brass
Flavio Poli Murano Sommerso Glass Table Lighter, Italy, 1960s Design
By Flavio Poli
Located in Milano, IT
1960 Stunning table lighter in Murano sommerso glass by Flavio Poli for Seguso. Made in italy. The item is in excellent condition and it works perfectly. Dimension: diam 4,33 x 3,93...
Murano Glass
Murano Sommerso Glass Table Lighter by Flavio Poli, Mid-Century Italy
By Flavio Poli
Located in Milano, IT
This 1960s mid-century modern table lighter, is a stunning example of Italian artistry. Handcrafted in Murano, Italy, this piece features the iconic sommerso technique by Flavio Poli...
Murano Glass
Mid-Century Modern Onyx Smoking Set with Lighter & Ashtray, Italy
Located in Milano, IT
1960s Gorgeous smoking set in onyx. The table lighter works perfectly. Made in Italy. The items are in excellent condition. Dimension: Table Lighter diameter 2,36 x 3,39 H inches di...
Onyx
Romano Bianchi Alabaster Smoking Set, Handmade, Italy, 1960s
Located in Milano, IT
1960s Stunning alabaster smoking set by Romano Bianchi with ashtray, cigarette box and table lighter, everything is handmade carved. Made in Italy. This smoking set is in excellent c...
Alabaster
1960's Chesterfield Lighter in Original Box w Paperwork by Continental Merch. Co
By Continental Merchandise Co.
Located in Red Lion, PA
1960s Chesterfield Cigarette Advertising Lighter in Original Box with Paperwork â Continental Merchandise Co. This rare 1960s Chesterfield advertising lighter was produced by the Co...
Metal, Chrome
Flavio Poli Murano Sommerso Glass Table Lighter, Italy, 1960s Design
By Flavio Poli
Located in Milano, IT
1960 Stunning table lighter in Murano sommerso glass by Flavio Poli for Seguso. Made in italy. The item is in excellent condition and it works perfectly. Dimension: diam 5,11 x 4,3...
Murano Glass
Midcentury Italian Ashtray in Wine-Red Leather and Crystal, Italy 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Stunning Mid-Century ashtray in a refined combination of wine-red leather and thick crystal glass. This elegant piece was produced in Italy during the 1970s. Fully original and in a...
Crystal
Collectible HOLIDAY GIFT Vintage SKRUF Bengt Edenfalk Smoking Set, Sweden, 1960s
By Bengt Edenfalk, Skruf
Located in Bochum, NRW
đ Holiday Gift Idea: A distinctive Christmas gift for design connoisseurs, vintage lovers, or those drawn to the quiet luxury of Scandinavian craftsmanship. A rare and refined Scan...
Glass, Wood
1970s Purple Murano Glass Smoking Set by Antonio Imperatore
By Cristallerie Antonio Imperatore
Located in Milano, IT
1970s Gorgeous purple smoking set by Antonio Imperatore in Murano glass. Made in Italy The items are in excellent condition. The table lighter works perfectly This smoking set is stu...
Murano Glass
TIFFANY & CO. 1982 Elsa Peretti Bean Petrol Pocket Lighter In Polished Solid
By Tiffany & Co., Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Located in Miami, FL
Pocket petrol lighter designed by Elsa Peretti (1940-2019) for Tiffany & Co. The bean is one of the most iconic Elsa Peretti's designs, that she created for the Tiffany Studios, back in the 1970's. This petrol pocket lighter is one of her creations, crafted with a sportive casual look in solid brass. Weight: 46.95 Grams, (30.09 Dwt). Measurements: 62 mm by 29 mm by 15 mm (2.44 x 1.14 x 0.59 Inch). Hallmarks: Stamped with the maker's mark and signed in full as follows, "©ELSA PERETTI 1982 TIFFANY & CO. BRASS". Elsa Peretti She was a very important and iconic American designer that joined Tiffany & Co in the 1974 and change the role of diamonds and color gemstones in fashion for the everyday wear and elevating the status of the sterling silver jewelry. Mostly using unusual gemstones and materials, all her creations are as modern today as ever. Collateral: This Elsa Peretti lighter...
Brass
Alabaster Smoking Set by Romano Bianchi, Handmade, Green, Italy, 1960s
Located in Milano, IT
A rare and visually arresting three-piece smoking set designed by the renowned Italian sculptor Romano Bianchi during the 1960s. This set is a masterclass in Mid-Century Modern Itali...
Alabaster
Mid-century Brass Spinning Music Box Globe Desktop Table Lighter by Windmill
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Flip open the globe to reveal a lighter. Twist the globe to wind the music box, which plays "Around The World in 80s Days" The globe comes with a zodiac ring circling the equator. Th...
Brass, Steel
Elegant Mid Century Modern Brass Pipe Holder By Carl Auböck, Austria 1950s
Located in MĂŒnchen, BY
Elegant midcentury brass pipe stand designed and manufactured by Carl Auböck, Austria circa 1950. The sculptural pipe stand is cast from solid brass. A great patina covers the bras...
Brass
Nova Tecno Midcentury Pleated Leather and Brass Floor Ashtray, Italy 1960s
Located in Roma, IT
Stunning floor-standing ashtray fully made from thick Italian sculpted leather, chromed metal, and completed with a stylish brass chain. This wonderful and unique piece was made by N...
Metal, Chrome, Brass
V. Nason & C. Aventurina Table Lighter Vintage Mid-Century Modern Design
By Seguso, Vincenzo Nason & Cie, Mandruzzato, Flavio Poli, Alessandro Mandruzzato
Located in Bad SĂ€ckingen, DE
A striking vintage table lighter by V. Nason & C., crafted in Murano, Italy, during the mid-20th century. This piece features the distinctive aventurina glass technique, where copper...
Metal
Italian Bronze Crab and Marble Ashtray
Located in New York, NY
Italian Bronze Crab and Marble Ashtray. Vintage life-size crab climbing on edge of solid carved grey Bardiglio vide poche/ashtray the perfect size for cigar smoker or for cigarettes....
Marble, Bronze
Antonio Imperatore Murano Glass Smoking Set, Italy, 1970s, Excellent
Located in Milano, IT
1970s Stunning smoking set by Antonio Imperatore in Murano Glass. Made in Italy The items are in excellent condition. The table lighter works perfectly. This smoking set is gorgeous ...
Murano Glass
Authentic Massive Brass Ashtray and Extinguisher by Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
In this listing you will find an extremely rare brass ashtray or pipe holder designed by Carl Auböck in 1948. It features beautiful and elegant lines, part of the exquisite craftsman...
Brass
McMurdo Aquarium Table Lighter
Located in Northampton, GB
McMurdo Pat 590598 Lighter From our Accessories collection, we are delighted to offer this McMurdo Aquarium Table Lighter. The lighter of typical half-...
Silver Plate
Perforated Metal Catch All Floor Ashtray by Richard Galef, USA, 1950s Design
Located in San Diego, CA
Floor Ashtray or Catch all by Richard Galef for Ravenware. Perforated metal, USA, 1950s.
Metal
Midcentury "Pipe" Tobacco Holder Box by Aldo Tura for Macabo, Italy 1950s
Mid-Century Modern Brass & Horn Lighter by WerkstÀtte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Carl Auböck Lighter, Austria 1960s.
Brass
Vintage Articulated Brass Crab Ashtray
Located in Charleston, SC
Vintage articulated brass crab ashtray. (life-size). Circa 1960. Made in India
Brass
Leather Cigar Case
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A leather cigar holder. The piece is all leather and ribbed to hold three cigars. The case pulls apart and back together to add and remove cig...
Leather
1970s Purple Murano Glass Smoking Set by Antonio Imperatore
By Cristallerie Antonio Imperatore
Located in Milano, IT
1970s Stunning purple smoking set by Antonio Imperatore in Murano glass. Made in Italy The items are in excellent condition. The table lighter works perfectly, This smoking set is go...
Murano Glass
Smoking set Knuth and manufactured Soldi & Scati
Located in Guazzora, IT
The original 1950s emerald green resin ashtray with lighter, designed by designer Knuth, is a charming piece of midcentury design. This period, known for its clean lines, innovative...
Steel
Rare WWII Vulcano "DĂ©marreur" Kickstarter Machined Aluminum Lighter, Africa
Located in Van Nuys, CA
The Vulcano Aluminum "DĂ©marreur" Lighter Made in Eritrea, Africa is a rare collectible from Wartime WWII production. It is crafted from machined aluminum with tortoiseshell cataline ...
Aluminum
A mid century modern glass table lighter, circa 1960
Located in View Park, CA
A mid century modern thick-cut glass table lighter, circa 1960. With original label to verso. Possibly Finnish mcm glass as it looks very much like the Iitalla line from that era.
Metal
Japanese Figural Kangaroo Tabletop Lighter, Cast Metal, circa 1960
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Japanese Figural Kangaroo Tabletop Lighter, Cast Metal, circa 1960s. A charming and collectible mid-century figural tabletop lighter, crafted in cast metal and modeled as a stylized ...
Metal
Alabaster Smoking Set by Romano Bianchi, Handmade, Italy, 1960s
Located in Milano, IT
1960s Gorgeous alabaster smoking set by Romano Bianchi with ashtray, box and table lighter, everything is handmade carved. Made in Italy. This smoking set is in excellent condition. ...
Alabaster
Holder for Set of Three Cigars
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A wonderful case for three cigars of your choice... cuban, hand rolled... you name it. Tin case is perfect place to stash three for the game, dance or long weekend. The piece lo...
Tin
Brutalist lighter by Art3, Bronze and aluminum, Spain, 1970's
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Beautiful brutalist lighter designed and crafted by the Spanish house Art3 in the 1970s. Handcrafted structure in bronze and aluminum. Delivered without gas. We specialize in vintag...
Aluminum, Bronze
MYLFLAM ENGLAND Dublin 1949 Compendium Lighter Case In .925 Sterling Silver
Located in Miami, FL
A compendium lighter cigarette case made in England. This is a very rare compendium cigarettes and lighter case, created in Dublin England during the post-war back in 1947. The enti...
Sterling Silver
Large Mid-Century Era Metal Cigarette Case with World Globe & Compass Decoration
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This large cigarette case was made by the well known Wadsworth's of Canada and dates to approximately 1970 and done in the period Mid-Century Modern style. The box is composed of eng...
Metal
1960s Artes De Mexico Metalwork Ashtray Lantern Smokestack Incense Burner Candle
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Pair of Banditos lantern / smokestack ashtrays. Many new uses, wonderful small objects. Relics from beyond the border. The stout copper one has a shadow of a label and is Dm 3.75 x H...
Brass, Copper
IMCO 6300 Primex 1953 Julius Franz Meister Petrol Lighter Chromed Steel In Box
Located in Miami, FL
Primex 6300 lighter designed by IMCO. This is a brilliantly engineered, unusual and quite ingenious semi-automatic pocket lighter designed by Julius Franz Meister in Austria, back i...
Steel, Chrome
1970s Hollywood Regency Lucite and Brass Smoking Set, Made in Italy
Located in Milano, IT
1970s Stunning Hollywood Regency smoking set with table lighter, ashtray and box in lucite and brass. The table lighter works perfectly. Made in Italy. This smoking set is in excelle...
Metal
Brass Crab Ashtray or 420 Holder
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A small Cancer Crab that serves as a decorative item or for use as an ashtray or 420 tray. The brass is patinated but can be shined to a brilliant gold. ...
Brass
Sommerso faceted Lighter by Seguso, Red & Yellow Murano Glass, Italy, 1970's
By Seguso
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Superb and rare sommerso lighter designed and manufactured for seguso in murano in the 1970s. Artisanal work of faceted glass according to the "sommerso" technique (superposition of ...
Murano Glass
Table lamp, pipe smoking accessories Aldo Tura inspired by Magritte, 1950s Italy
By Aldo Tura
Located in Wien, AT
A special table lamp representing a smoking set, designed by the famous Italian designer Aldo Tura, manufactured in the 1950s. Aldo Tura, the leading designer of Mid-Century Modern ...
Metal
Lion Head Table Lighter in Silvered Metal, Italy, 1960s
Located in Milan, IT
Lion head table lighter in silvered metal, Italy, 1960s.
Metal
1970s Black Lucite and Metal Smoking Set by Pierre Cardin, France
Located in Milano, IT
1970s Gorgeous black smoking set by Pierre Cardin in lucite and metal. Made in France The items are in excellent conditionand are signed. The table lighter works perfectly. This smok...
Lucite
Antonio Imperatore Murano Glass Smoking Set, Italy, 1970s, Excellent
By Cristallerie Antonio Imperatore
Located in Milano, IT
1970s Gorgeous smoking set by Antonio Imperatore in Murano glass. Made in Italy The items are in excellent condition. The table lighter works perfectly. This smoking set is stunning....
Murano Glass
1960s Italian Three Piece Orange Genuine Hand Carved Alabaster Smoking Set
Located in Haarlem, NL
Very decorative 1960s Italian hand carved orange alabaster smoking set by Romano Bianchi. Consists of a heavy ashtray, also very useful as trinket dish or vide-poche. A table lighter (which also fits a wax tea light candle). And a very pretty lidded hinged box, which originally would have held cigarettes but also could be used to keep jewellery or little treasures in. Cigarette sales peaked in the 20th century, people were allowed to smoke in the office, the cinema, at restaurants, indoors and outdoors. Once women were able to smoke freely, smoking became a social norm and in general it was considered an act of elegance and sophistication. Businessmen in the 1960s were rarely seen without a cigarette in their hand. So needles to say you needed pretty smoking accessories...
Alabaster
Nice Pipe Holder, 1960s
Located in Wien, Au
Nice pipe holder, 1960s. Original condition.
Metal
A modernist Solid Brass Sculpture / Ashtray, Mid-Century Italian
Located in London, Fitzrovia
A modernist Solid Brass table top Sculpture / ashtray, Mid-Century Italian
Brass
Set of lighter and ashtray in Ceramic Brass by Tommaso Barbi, Italy, 1960s
Located in Puglia, Puglia
A beautiful and rare smoking set, ashtray, and lighter, signed on the bottom and designed by Tommaso Barbi and made in Italy in the 1960s. In excellent condition, with no chips or cr...
Brass
Mid-century "Brilux" for Dunhill Brass Lift-Arm Table Lighter, Switzerland
By Dunhill
Located in Van Nuys, CA
This 1950s Brilux for Dunhill Swiss brass lift-arm table lighter combines timeless elegance with exceptional craftsmanship. Its solid brass body features a warm vintage patina, and t...
Brass
Design classic by Aldo Tura, ashtray, brass, goatskin, mid century, 1960s Italy
By Aldo Tura
Located in Wien, AT
This is an absolute design classic â an ashtray in the typical shape and craftsmanship of Aldo Tura, made in Italy around 1960. The basic shape is bulbous and round, with a mechanic...
Brass
1960s Modernist Teak Cigarette Lighter BV Norway
By Dansk
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1960s Decorative Table Cigarette Lighter Teakwood BV NORWAY Stamped by maker 3 diameter x 4.5 tall Unable to test, likely will need servicing and or fluid. Unrestored vintage conditi...
Teak
1950s Seguso Bubbling Pink Confection Murano Glass Bowl
Located in Miami, FL
Resembling a sea anemone, this blown glass vessel by Seguso is indeed a delight with its salmon pink color and wealth of interior bubbles. Heavy, thick and wonderfully obese and glob...
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
1960s Leather-Wrapped Humidor by WerkstÀtte Carl Auböck, Austria
Located in Berlin, DE
Humidor by WerkstÀtte Carl Auböck, Cylindrical leather-wrapped body with hand-stitched detail and a solid brass lid. Metal-lined interior with removable insert. Beautiful patina and ...
Aluminum, Brass
1970s Luxury Thuja Root Smoking Set with Lighter and Ashtray
Located in Milano, IT
1970s Stunning smoking set in luxury thuja root with table lighter, ashtray and box. The table lighter works perfectly. Made in Italy. This smoking set is in excellent condition. Di...
Wood
Fornasetti Rectangular Box with Smoking Motif
By Fornasetti
Located in Palm Desert, CA
Fornasetti long, rectangular, box with a charming illustration of three pipes. Hand colored Lithography on metal. Exterior metal box slides over a metal interior box, powder coated...
Tin
1960s St Dupont Lighter Silver Design Horizontal
By S.T. Dupont
Located in Biella, IT
S.T. Dupont France lighter sophisticated horizontal line1 first edit two tone silverplate and gold-rose color design in years '60 and is in good used vi...
Silver Plate