The Michigan-based furniture maker Steelcase has a long and distinguished history, but collectors focus on its vintage office furniture and desk chairs from the 1950s to the ’70s, when, along with such companies as Knoll and Herman Miller, the firm helped define the aesthetics of American mid-century modernism.
Steelcase was founded in Grand Rapids in 1912 as the Metal Office Furniture Company, promoting steel desks and other furnishings as safer, fireproof alternatives to wooden pieces at a time when smoking in the workplace was common. Boston’s first skyscraper — the 32-story Customs House — was furnished by the company in 1915. Frank Lloyd Wright, an American architect and furniture designer whose work had a profound influence on the shape of modern life, turned to the firm in 1937 to fabricate the enameled metal chairs and desks for his Johnson Wax Headquarters in Racine, Wisconsin.
In the 1950s, when Steelcase formally adopted the name it still uses today, the company developed a sleek and functional style employing rectilinear chrome frames for glass-topped tables and upholstered seating pieces. The look is similar to that of the minimal, Bauhaus-inspired designs of Florence Knoll, another icon of furniture design who helped shape the ethos of the postwar business world.
By the 1970s, Steelcase had enlivened its styling, offering such pieces as chairs and side tables designed by Gardner Leaver, with circular bases and curving supports. As you will see on these pages, Steelcase designs offer a perfect foundation for a modernist decor, with a touch of flair.
Find vintage Steelcase furniture on 1stDibs.
Mid-Century Modern Chrome Frame Sofa
By Knoll
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Long sofa with simple Mid-Century Modern Knoll inspired design. Three seats on chrome frame. Please confirm location NY or NJ.
Chrome
Modernist Verve Sofa with Rich Metal Legs
Located in Freamunde, PT
Verve sofa makes a bold statement with its strong, geometric lines and minimalist design, showcasing a refined elegance that enhances any interior. Its clean, structured form and tai...
Upholstery, Velvet, Faux Leather, Wood
Vintage Chrome Frame Sofa After Le Corbusier
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This vintage chrome frame sofa exemplifies the timeless modernist aesthetic inspired by Le Corbusier, celebrated for his revolutionary approach to furniture and architecture. Execute...
Chrome
Sofa with a Brushed Steel Base in the Manner of Michel Boyer
By Michel Boyer
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Newly reupholstered sofa (foam and fabric) form the 1970s Second sofa available in smaller size (160 centimeters width).
Steel
Ico Parisi sofa, model 875 in steel and upholstered fabric
By Ico Parisi
Located in Milano, IT
COD-2183 Ico Parisi (1916-1996) Rare model 875 sofa in steel and upholstered fabric. Cassina 1960 manufacturing. Bibliography: R. Lietti, Ico Parisi. Design. Catalog raisonné 1936...
Steel
8 Foot Chrome Base Sofa
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This oversized contemporary modern sofa features Mid-Century style design with unique cutaway back and spacious upholstered seating area. Wonderfully comf...
Aluminum
Custom Mid-Century Modern Inspired Sofa
By Carrocel
Located in North York, ON
Custom Mid-Century Modern inspired sofa. Clean Mid-Century Modern design with thick back and seat cushions for comfort. Featuring a textured soft to the touch fabric in a silvery cha...
Fabric, Oak
$6,500
H 26 in W 86 in D 37 in
1980s Postmodern Chrome Frame Sofa by Bernhardt, Flair Line Milo Baughman Style
Located in Las Vegas, NV
A striking postmodern sofa from the coveted Flair Line collection by Bernhardt Furniture, circa 1980s. This piece exemplifies the era’s bold reinterpretation of mid-century modern de...
Chrome
Restored George Nelson Sofa
By George Nelson
Located in Pasadena, TX
Sofa designed by George Nelson for Herman Miller. Newly upholstered in a ticking striped fabric with chrome legs. Measures: 81". Arm height 21"
Fabric
Mid-Century Sofa by Arthur Elrod
By Arthur Elrod
Located in Pasadena, CA
Elegant and glamorous sofa designed by Arthur Elrod for the Cody House in Palm Springs, circa 1960s. Re-imagined in a chic metallic gray linen. A pair o...
Fabric
