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Mid-Century Modern Stools

MID-CENTURY MODERN STYLE

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 legendary 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.

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.

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Style: Mid-Century Modern
Creator: Thonet
Mid Century Thonet Walnut and Boucle Swivel Barstools, set of 6
Located in Mckinney, TX
Introducing a stunning set of six Thonet swivel barstools, wonderfully maintained and boasting sleek walnut construction and brass foot rail accents. Revitalized with creamy off-whit...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Fabric, Wood, Walnut

Vintage Beech Bentwood Stool by Thonet Industries with Label
Located in San Diego, CA
A vintage beech bentwood stool by Thonet Industries with original label, circa 1940s. The stool is in good vaintage condition showing appropriate wear and patina. It measures 14.5"...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Bentwood, Beech

Low Bar Stool, designed by Thonet, 1970s
Located in Antwerp, BE
Midcentury modern design low bar stool by Thonet is based on the original design by Gebrüder Thonet from the 1880s. The legs of the stool are made from bentwood and a brass ring add...
Category

1970s Austrian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Leather, Bentwood

Vintage Pair of Anton Lorenz Thonet Chrome Barstools Bar Stools
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Vintage pair of Anton Lorenz Thonet chrome barstools bar stools. The chrome has been polished. The upholstery was as found. However, I do not see any damage to upholstery. Dimensions...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Chrome

Lovely Pair of Bentwood Thonet Bar Stools + Cast Iron Cocktail Bar Top Table
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely pair of Thonet Bentwood bar stools with tall cast iron bar table with gallery rail. A good lookin...
Category

20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Iron

Thonet Wicker stools model 4601 1960s Tjechie
Located in Den Haag, NL
2 Thonet bentwood stools , model 4601. 1960s Wicker seat . good condition .
Category

1960s Czech Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Wicker

Alvar Aalto Style Side Table or Stool by Thonet
By Alvar Andersson, Joe Atkinson, Thonet
Located in Ferndale, MI
This laminated wood stool or side table by Thonet, New York and attributed to Joe Atkinson as designer. A circular top and three bentwood legs made of plywood. Perfect mid-century mo...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Bentwood, Plywood

1950s Rare Thonet Swivel Piano Stool No.6, Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- Made of Beech Bentwood - Stamped by Producer - Maximum height is 60 cm - Original condition with minor signs of use
Category

1950s Czech Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Beech

Vintage 1980s Chrome Bar Stools by Anton Lorenz for Thonet
Located in San Antonio, TX
Designed by Anton Lorenz for Thonet, this beautiful pair of chrome bar stools feature Chiseled in Travertine upholstery by Knoll textiles, creating a unique and timeless design. Both...
Category

1980s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Chrome

Midcentury Footstool / Thonet, 1970s
Located in Praha, CZ
- Made in Czechoslovakia - Made of wood, fabric - Original upholstery - Good, original condition.
Category

1970s Czech Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Thonet Bentwood Stool, 1920s, Czechoslovakia
Located in Prague 8, CZ
A classic bentwood stool from the 1920s. The circular stool is made from beech, with a plywood seat top. Manufacturer’s mark stamped under the seat. In very good condition, after ren...
Category

Early 20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Wood, Beech, Plywood

Related Items
Four Black and Chrome Dining Chairs by Anton Lorenz for Thonet
Located in Dallas, TX
The Hungarian designer Anton Lorenz is famous for his timeless steel tube furniture. The original cantilevered chrome base and professionally uphols...
Category

1980s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

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Chrome

Danny Ho Fong stool in metal and wicker, USA - 1960s
Located in Berlin, DE
Danny Ho Fong stool in metal and wicker, USA - 1960s. Original fair condition.
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Metal

Thonet Bauhaus White Vinyl & Chrome Model SS33 Cantilever Barstool Anton Lorenz
Located in Topeka, KS
Fabulous vintage white vinyl & chrome tube barstool by Thonet Model SS33 Bauhaus cantilever chair by Anton Lorenz. This piece is tagged Thonet but has been attributed to Anton Lorenz based upon archived research including online sources, vintage documentation and catalogs, designer literature, and other materials. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that this is vintage and not new so will have signs of use and wear even if it has been refinished or restored. Specifically, there is a stain on the seat vinyl that we have tried many things to remove to no avail. Please see photos, zoom in for details, and see long description as they are part of the condition report. We attempt to portray any imperfections. Circa, 1980’s but designed circa 1930’s. Did someone say Thonet?? Yes, we sure did!! This is a fabulous labeled Thonet cantilever barstool circa 1980’s. It is in the style of the model SS33 Bauhaus cantilever chair designed in the 1930’s for Thonet by famed designer Anton Lorenz. The chair design was later adapted to create this wonderful barstool! It is comprised of a chrome tube cantilever frame, black block stabilizers on the base, and white vinyl seats and back rests. A simple, stunning, and oh-so-comfortable design! It is the perfect stool for your kitchen, bar, or rec room whether you live in a Bauhaus or mid-century modern home, an industrial loft, or Art Deco style home. It’s a classic, sleek style that has stood the test of time!! If you’ve been searching for a barstool or just the right extra seating, this stool is exactly what you’ve been looking for! Thonet was founded by Michael Thonet. Michael was born in 1796 and was apprenticed by his father to a cabinetmaker. Shortly after he married, Michael opened his one-man cabinetmaking shop creating furniture and cabinetry in the traditional manner by carving the needed parts and then joining them together. In 1830 he began experimenting with bending wood into curved shapes and thus began a successful furniture company that has remained continually in operation for nearly 200 years. Thonet’s early work was very Biedermeier in style and not made for the common man. Gradually his designs became more Art Nouveau. In 1951 his chairs for the Crystal Palace at the London World’s Fair won a prize medal and by the late 1950s he began to make his first “consumer” chair. In 1875, a year before Michael’s death, Thonet’s five factories made 620,000 chairs. Then in 1876 after his death the company became Gebruder Thonet. But all was not roses. In 1869 the Thonet patents lapsed and by 1893 there were 52 bentwood companies in Europe. However, Thonet persevered. They branched out. They merged. They added designs by Le Corbusier and Breuer and alternative materials such as tubular chrome in place of bentwood to their offerings. Business boomed and waned through the years and there was even a Thonet revival, so to speak, beginning in the 1940s on into the mid-20th century. Till today, in the 21st century, Thonet is still a furniture company to be reckoned with almost 200 years later. Anton Lorenz was known as the man behind the Bauhaus’ “machined aesthetic.” He was born in Budapest in 1891, became a teacher, and later married an opera singer, and entered a lock manufacturing business. They relocated to Berlin in the early 1920’s. in Berlin he met architects Marcel Breuer and Kalman Lengyel who were both associated with Bauhaus in Dessau. Breuer became the first designer to construct furniture out of tubular steel, joined forces with Lengyel and found a manufacturing company and Anton Lorenz became manager. He was business savvy and obtained patents to establish a network of rights for new tubular steel furniture and would go on to do the same for Desta and Thonet who dominated the industry. In 1939 Lorenz emigrated to the United States where he established the design technology for the well-known recliner. He developed his own design in 1940 called the BarcaLounger and later partnered with Morris Futorian...
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Chrome

Set of Ten Dining Chairs by Anton Lorenz for Thonet
Located in Dallas, TX
Set of ten armchairs designed by Anton Lorenz for Thonet. Each chair has tan upholstered backrest and seat with polished chrome tubular frames. Mid-Century Modern S-37 chairs were originally designed by Anton Lorenz in 1929 and later manufactured by Gebruder Thonet in the 1970s. In 1929 Anton Lorenz founded the firm Desta (Deutsche Stahlmobel) in Berlin making Anton Lorenz the first to manufacture tubular-steel furniture on a commercial scale.
Category

1980s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Chrome

Set of Six Mid-Century Modern Chrome and Vinyl Swivel Barstools
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This set of six vintage barstools features bar height chrome constructions with swivel vinyl seats. Textured designs in vinyl add to the Mid-Century ...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Chrome

1980's Anton Lorenz for Thonet Black and Chrome Cantilever Bar Stools, Set of 3
Located in Doylestown, PA
Later edition cantilever chrome bar stools designed by Anton Lorenz for Thonet in 1929. Stools feature black faux leather upholstered seat and backrest with chrome-plated tubular st...
Category

Late 20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Chrome

Mid-Century Set of 6 Hairpin Iron Swivel Barstools Frederick Weinberg, 1960s
Located in Philadelphia, PA
An amazing time capsule clean original set of swivel barstools retaining original finishes. Each retains original enamel on iron bases, black plastic feet, original red with black st...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Iron

1910s Vienna Weave Piano Stool Bentwood Thonet Design, Adjustable, by Fischel
Located in Andernach, DE
Impressive original 1900s to 1910s piano stool by D. G. Fischel, Austria. The original design had been made by Thonet. Dark Brown Bentwood with even darker varnish in a mahogany vibe...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Iron

Set of 3 Mid Century Danish Modern Eric Buch Teak Barstools
Located in Tulsa, OK
Set of 3 Mid Century Danish Modern Eric Buch Teak Barstools Sold as set of 3. Above average vintage condition and structurally sound. Has some expecte...
Category

20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Stools

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Teak

McGuire Mid Century Rattan Barstools - Set of 3
Located in Countryside, IL
McGuire Mid Century Rattan Barstools - Set of 3 Each barstool measures: 20.5 wide x 18 deep x 40.5 high, with a seat height of 31 and arm...
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1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Upholstery, Rattan

Four Thonet Style Bentwood Tall Kitchen Bar Stools with Elegant Frames 4
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this set of four vintage Thonet style bentwood bar stools. They very good looking and really quite comfortable, the timber grain and patina is q...
Category

20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Bentwood

Model 60 Stool, Alvar Aalto, Artek, 1950/1960s
Located in Helsinki, FI
Model 60 Stool, designed by Alvar Aalto, manufactured by Artek, 1950/1960s. Birch frame, rare color linoleum. Good vintage condition, patina and minor wear consistent with age and us...
Category

1960s Finnish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Birch

Previously Available Items
Set of Two Thonet Bentwood Cafe Bar Stools and Padded Leather Seat.
Located in Antwerp, BE
The Original no.18 bentwood barstool in solid beech wood that features reinforced joints and overall cutting edge construction and with a padded seat. This is a durable stool yet add...
Category

1960s Austrian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Leather, Wood

Rare 1930s Thonet Step Stool NYC Shoe Store Pedestal Retail Boutique Table Stand
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Rare Retail/Boutique Low Step Stool, c.1930s. Bentwood Thonet Pedestal with old Vulcanized Ribbed Rubber Mat on Top. Beautiful original condition, wi...
Category

1930s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Bentwood

Vintage Mid Century Modern Thonet Bentwood Cane Seat Round Stool (A)
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Mid Century Modern Thonet Bentwood Cane Seat Round Stool (A). Circa Mid 20th Century. Measurements: 16.5" H x 16.5" W x 16.5" D. *Listing i...
Category

Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Bentwood

Midcentury Vintage Cane Round Bar Height Stools by Thonet
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Midcentury cane round bar height stools by Thonet blonde bentwood with light cane. Seat height is 30” high. Great vintage condition. Cane is perfect on...
Category

Mid-20th Century Romanian Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Cane, Bentwood

1980s Anton Lorenz for Thonet Tubular Cantilever Bar Counter Stools, Set 4
Located in Farmington Hills, MI
We are very pleased to offer a modern set of four bar height stools designed by Anton Lorenz for Thonet circa the 1980s. Lorenz was a key figure in the rise of modern tubular steel f...
Category

1980s North American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

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Steel, Chrome

Swivel Piano Stool with Backrest in Oak, Thonet Design, Czechoslovakia, 1950s
Located in Zohor, SK
Original and unique piano stool produced with a backrest in Mid-Century Modern period of Czech design. Original design by Thonet, produced by TON in Czechoslovakia. The stool is made...
Category

1950s Czech Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Oak

Mid Century Vintage Cane Round Bar Height Stools by Thonet
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Mid century cane round bar height stools by Thonet blonde bentwood with light cane. Seat height is 30” high. Great vintage condition. Cane is perfect...
Category

Mid-20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Cane, Bentwood

Michael Thonet Stool Side Table in Cane and Bentwood, Austria, 1960s
Located in South Charleston, WV
Measures: 15.5" x 15.5" x 15.5" All original Thonet stool in all original condition and outstanding. Rattan woven cane top is all original and bl...
Category

1960s Austrian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Cane, Rattan, Bentwood

Thonet Stool
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Functional and very useful Thonet stool! Plastic Cast top with molded curved legs. Perfect to sit on or use as a small side table. Legs show wear, but top...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Plastic, Birch

Thonet Stool
Thonet Stool
H 18.5 in Dm 17 in
Four Vintage Bentwood Thonet Bar Stools Lovely Suite Very Comfortable X4
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer this lovely suite of four vintage Thonet bentwood with plywood seats bar stools These stools are very utilitarian and extremely comfortable, the design i...
Category

20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Bentwood

1970s Pair of Ton Armchairs and Stool, Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- Newly reupholstered - The beech wooden frames has been refurbished - Hight of seat 23 - Footstool: H 36, W 64, D 47.
Category

1970s Czech Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Fabric, Beech

Two Very Well-Preserved Original Midcentury Stools Made of Bent Wood and Vienne
Located in München, DE
Two very well-preserved original midcentury stools made of bent bentwood. Most likely made by Thonet. Unfortunately there is no longer a label left. Viennese wicker...
Category

1950s Austrian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Bentwood

Mid-century Modern stools for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern stools for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage stools created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating, tables, building and garden elements and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern stools made in a specific country, there are Europe, North America, and United States pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original stools, popular names associated with this style include Charlotte Perriand, Lawson-Fenning, Knoll, and Cassina. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for stools differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $132 and tops out at $133,498 while the average work can sell for $1,746.

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