Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe mid-century modern American 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.
Postwar American architects and designers were animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist “International Style” architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the ’30s 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, respectively, pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair. George Nelson and his design team created Bubble lamp shades using a new translucent polymer skin. Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were re-purposed: the Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs that used surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century 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, blonde-wood furniture — and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
As the collection of vintage mid-century modern American furniture on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Bouclé, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Chenille, Silk
1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Faux Leather, Beech, Bentwood
2010s Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Velvet, Cane, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Elm
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Brass, Metal
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Velvet, Wood
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Walnut, Velvet, Rattan
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Wrought Iron
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Ash
2010s Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Bouclé, Cane, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Brass
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Bouclé, Oak
1970s English Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Velvet, Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Ash
1970s Central American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Aluminum
1990s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Bouclé
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Upholstery, Hardwood
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Wood
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Cedar
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Brass
1950s Austrian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Beech, Plywood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Brass
2010s Hungarian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Silk, Velvet
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Horn, Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Brass
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Brass
1950s Austrian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Walnut
1960s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Cane, Oak
1960s Brazilian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Cowhide, Leather, Hardwood
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Metal, Aluminum
1960s Swedish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Synthetic, Faux Leather
Late 20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Textile, Walnut
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Chenille, Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Steel
1950s Brazilian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Iron
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Chrome
2010s Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Stainless Steel
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Velvet, Wood
2010s European Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Rattan
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fiberglass
1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Chrome
1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Fiberglass
1950s Czech Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Bentwood
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Rattan
1980s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather
1960s Swiss Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Metal
1950s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Teak
1960s Scandinavian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Canvas