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 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 — 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.
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.
Charlotte Perriand Nuage Shelving Unit, Wood and Aluminium by Cassina
By Cassina, Charlotte Perriand
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shelving unit model nuage designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Authenticity and avant-garde characterise Char...
Aluminum
Scandinavian Modern Chest of Drawers in Birch, Finland 1950s
Located in Helsinki, FI
A 1950s Modernist Finnish chest of drawers in solid birch and veneer. The design is simple and reflects the modernist movement that took over the Finnish Design school from the 1940s...
Birch
Monumental Italian Walnut and Bookmatched Rosewood Display Cabinet
Located in Dronten, NL
An Architectural Masterpiece: Monumental Italian Walnut and Bookmatched Rosewood Display Cabinet. A One-Off Commission by an Interior Architect for a Southern Italian Villa, circa 19...
Glass, Rosewood, Walnut
Charlotte Perriand Nuage Shelving Unit, Wood and Aluminium by Cassina
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shelving Unit model Nuage designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Authenticity and avant-garde characterise ...
Aluminum
Charlotte Perriand 513 Riflesso Storage Unit by Cassina
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
The Charlotte Perriand 513 Riflesso storage unit, reissued by Cassina, is a true work of art that reflects the designer's impeccable taste and sense of st...
Aluminum
Charlotte Perriand Mid-Century Modern Nuage Shelving Unit by Cassina
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mid Centruy Modern Shelving Unit model Nuage designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Authenticity and avant-...
Aluminum
Charlotte Perriand 513 Riflesso Storage Unit by Cassina
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Storage unit designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1939. Relaunched in 2014. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Part of the Cassina collection since 2004, the Riflesso storage unit cr...
Aluminum
Pine Sports Locker, Equipment Cupboard A good piece
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Pine Sports Locker, Equipment Cupboard A good piece, this piece could be used for any sport or as Shop Display. It is a row of 5 changing or equipment locker, the doors are numbered...
Pine
De Coene Minimalist Highboard in Brushed Aluminum and Ash
Located in Waalwijk, NL
De Coene, cabinet, lacquered ash, brushed aluminum, Belgium, 1970s. This Postmodern cabinet, crafted by De Coene, features a striking design with aluminium doors and handles. The ca...
Aluminum
Vintage 1970s Illuminated Carved Wood China Hutch Bookcase Glass Display Cabinet
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This vintage display cabinet or china hutch, circa 1970s, offers a classic traditional aesthetic with generous storage and display functionality. Crafted in warm-toned wood with a ri...
Glass, Wood
Charlotte Perriand Nuage Shelving Unit, Wood and Aluminium by Cassina
By Cassina, Charlotte Perriand
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shelving Unit designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Authenticity and avant-garde characterise Charlotte Perriand’s Nuage...
Aluminum
Kartell Componibili 2-Tier Modern Storage Cabinet, Hot Pink, Italy
By Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Rare Componibili storage unit components in vibrant hot pink. Will come with 2 “body” units and 1 “top” The Componibili Storage Unit (1969) takes its name from componibile, Italian ...
Plastic, Acrylic
Mid-Century Modern Pine Cabinet/Cupboard By Charlotte Perriand for Les Arcs 1970
By Les Arcs, Charlotte Perriand
Located in Almelo, NL
Mid-Century Modern cabinet/cupboard by Charlotte Perriand for Les Arcs. With two pull-out drawers. The doors open to a shelf with two spaces for storage. It is...
Pine
Charlotte Perriand Nuage À Plots, Wood and Aluminium by Cassina
By Cassina, Charlotte Perriand
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shelving Unit designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Nuage à Plots by Charlotte Perriand belongs to a select gro...
Aluminum
Charlotte Perriand Nuage Shelving Unit, Wood and Aluminium by Cassina
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shelving Unit designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Authenticity and avant-garde characterise Charlotte Perria...
Aluminum
Luciano Frigerio Mid-Century Modern Italian Brass and Walnut Wardrobe, 1970s
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Designed by Luciano Frigerio, wardrobe with eleven doors in brass and walnut wood, Macassar ebony is a precious essence that is widely used in cabinet making, fine carpentry, turning...
Brass
Charlotte Perriand Nuage Shelving Unit, Wood and Aluminium by Cassina
By Cassina, Charlotte Perriand
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shelving unit model nuage designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Authenticity and avant-garde characterise ...
Aluminum
Italian Mid-Century Modern Bar Cabinet, Birdseye Maple, 1950s
Located in Berlin, DE
Italian Cabinet in Birdseye Maple, 1950s and mirrored interior and inside lighting. The shapes and form language so as the hardware is very unique and well made. I would consider thi...
Brass
Charlotte Perriand 513 Riflesso Storage Unit for Cassina, Italy, new
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Berlin, DE
Prices vary dependent on the material/finish. Available in anodized aluminum, black painted anodized aluminum and mahogany. The Riflesso storage unit, created in 1958 by Charlotte ...
Aluminum
Art Deco Kitchen Cabinet, 1920s
Located in Neuss, NW
Wonderful two-part Art Deco kitchen cabinet from the 1920s. High-quality corpus made of blockboard with eight doors, two glass doors, six shelves, three drawers and period-typical fe...
Glass, Wood
Charlotte Perriand 513 Riflesso Storage Unit by Cassina
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Storage unit designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1939. Relaunched in 2014. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Part of the Cassina collection since 2004, the Riflesso storage unit cr...
Aluminum
Tall Teak Cupboard / Bar by A. Younger Ltd.
Located in Berkeley, CA
Origin: England Designer: Unknown Manufacturer: A. Younger Ltd Era: 1960s Materials: Teak, Afromosia Measurements: 33″ wide x 18″ deep x 51″ tall
Teak
Mid Century Danish Modern Teak Storage Cabinet, 1960, Minimalist Style
Located in Detroit, MI
This vintage mid century Danish modern teak storage cabinet or bar cabinet was made in Denmark circa 1960. The classic Scandinavian design has clean, minimalist lines and an elegant,...
Brass
Cabinet Made in Teak and Cane Panels Attributed to Augusto Romano -Turin School
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
Exceptional Italian Midcentury cabinet with a carved teak frame and cane panels. This is an unique piece made in the 1950s by a Turin cabinetmaker on a private commission. The designer is unknown but the overall lines, details and the craftmanship point to a drawing of Augusto Romano, one of the most influential exponents of the school of Turin...
Cane, Teak
Murano Italian white Cabinet Ninety Jewelry Available Justfurnituress Designer
Located in Guazzora, IT
This exquisite cabinet is a true masterpiece of Italian craftsmanship, handmade with meticulous attention to detail. The solid birchwood frame provides a sturdy foundation. But the ...
Brass
Charlotte Perriand Nuage Shelving Unit, Wood and Aluminium by Cassina
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shelving Unit midel Nuage designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Authenticit...
Aluminum
Mid-Century Modern Bamboo and Rattan Cabinet Cupboard, Spain, circa 1970
Located in London, GB
A Mid-Century Modern bamboo and rattan cabinet / cupboard with a removable original Smoked glass top, Spain, circa 1970. In very good vintage condition commensurate of age.
Bamboo, Rattan, Smoked Glass
Vintage Danish 1960s Modern Oak Cabinet in the style of Henning Kjærnulf
Located in Store Heddinge, DK
A Danish cabinet made from Nordic oak and in the style of renowned Danish designer Henning/Henry Kjærnulf. Kjærnulf is globally recognized for his unique fusion of Scandinavian Moder...
Brass
Armadio con specchio di Umberto Mascagni, Italia del Medioevo 1950
Located in Palermo, IT
Un guardaroba ad ingresso basso davvero unico, disegnato in Italia da Umberto Mascagni. Questo pezzo è caratterizzato da porte in pelle vinile grigio con maniglie decorate in verde...
Leather, Mirror, Wood, Bentwood
Charlotte Perriand Nuage Shelving Unit, Wood and Aluminium by Cassina
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shelving Unit model Nuage designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Authenticity and avant-garde characterise Char...
Aluminum
Charlotte Perriand Nuage Shelving Unit, Wood and Aluminium by Cassina
By Cassina, Charlotte Perriand
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shelving Unit designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Authenticity and avant-garde characterise Charlotte Perria...
Aluminum
Charlotte Perriand Nuage Shelving Unit, Wood and Aluminium by Cassina
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shelving Unit model Nuage designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Authenticity and avant-garde characterise ...
Aluminum
Charlotte Perriand 513 Riflesso Storage Unit by Cassina
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Storage unit designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1939. Relaunched in 2014. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Part of the Cassina collection since 2004, the Riflesso storage unit cr...
Aluminum
Charlotte Perriand Nuage Shelving Unit, Wood and Aluminium by Cassina
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shelving Unit model Nuage designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Authenticity and avant-garde characterise Char...
Aluminum
Charlotte Perriand 513 Riflesso Storage Unit by Cassina
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Storage unit designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1939. Relaunched in 2014. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Part of the Cassina collection since 2004, the Riflesso storage unit creat...
Aluminum
Charlotte Perriand Nuage Shelving Unit, Wood and Aluminium by Cassina
By Cassina, Charlotte Perriand
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shelving Unit designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Authenticity and avant-garde characterise Charlotte Perria...
Aluminum
Fine Mid-Century Trumeau Bar Cabinet Attr. to Paolo Buffa, 1950
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Rome, IT
Dry bar, walnut, Italy, 1940s Elegant Italian bar cabinet in walnut and ebonized wood, inside with Mosaic mirrored glass attributed to Paolo Buffa, 1940. Lower part with two drawers...
Brass
Charlotte Perriand Nuage Shelving Unit, Wood and Aluminium by Cassina
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shelving Unit midel Nuage designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Authenticity and avant-garde characterise ...
Aluminum
Art Deco Kitchen Cabinet, 1920s
Located in Neuss, NW
Unique two-part Art deco kitchen cabinet from the 1920s. High-quality corpus made of blockboard with two doors, two glass doors, four internal drawers and two shelves. Designed and m...
Glass, Wood
1970s Bronze Wall Cabinet Wood Tambour Door Vintage Modern Kitchen Storage
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Super cool and compact anodized bronzed aluminum box with vertically retractable door. Clean and minimal. Taken off the wall from a Washington DC Georgetown Estate. Door works wel...
Aluminum
Modernist Cupboard by Willy Van Der Meeren for Tubax – Belgian Design Icon, 1950
By Tubax, Jean Prouvé, Willy Van Der Meeren
Located in Dronten, NL
An exceptional example of European mid-century modernism, this cupboard by Willy Van Der Meeren for Tubax was designed in the early 1950s and remains one of the most celebrated piece...
Steel
Mid-Century Modern Wall Unit "Made to Measure" by Cees Braakman for Pastoe
Located in Doornspijk, NL
Wall-filling 'Made to Measure' storage unit designed by Cees Braakman for Pastoe. The 'Made to Measure' series is called like that because it completely dismountable and could be mad...
Wood
Original 1960s Italian Coat Stand Design in Walnut and Beech with Umbrella Stand
Located in Buggiano, IT
Original 1960s coat stand in walnut and beech with umbrella stand Finishes in light wood Very elegant Special design. Comes from an old country house in the Pisa area of Tuscany. The...
Beech, Walnut
Floral Wardrobe and Armoire in White Bronze Clad, Handcrafted in India
By Stephanie Odegard Collection
Located in New York, NY
Antique wardrobe and armoire in floral white bronze clad, handcrafted in India is Inspired by the floral motifs used in the paintings of palaces of Rajasthan. One of the bestselling ...
Metal, Sheet Metal
Oak Cabinet by René Gabriel, France, Late 1940s
By Rene Gabriel
Located in La Teste-de-Buch, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Rare cabinet by french designer René Gabriel. Solid oakwood and oak veneer. The cabinet features 6 drawers on the lower part and 2 doors on the top part with functional keys and lo...
Oak
Charlotte Perriand Berger Wood Stool by Cassina, Mid-Century Modern
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Stool model Berger designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1953-61. Relaunched by Cassina in 2011. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Reclaiming simple materials and basic shapes, with an eye to architecture and mountain life...
Aluminum
Charlotte Perriand Nuage À Plots, Wood and Aluminium by Cassina
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shelving Unit designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Nuage à Plots by Charlotte Perriand belongs to a select gro...
Aluminum
Charlotte Perriand Nuage Shelving Unit, Wood and Aluminium by Cassina
By Cassina, Charlotte Perriand
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shelving unit model Nuage designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Authenticity and avant-garde characterise Char...
Aluminum
Charlotte Perriand 513 Riflesso Storage Unit by Cassina
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Storage unit designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1939. Relaunched in 2014. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Part of the Cassina collection since 2004, the Riflesso storage unit creat...
Aluminum
Charlotte Perriand Nuage Shelving Unit, Wood and Aluminium by Cassina
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shelving Unit model Nuage designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Authenticity and avant-garde characterise Char...
Aluminum
Finnish Mid-Century Chest of Drawers, Lahden Puujalostus Oy, c. 1950s
Located in Helsinki, FI
A typical 1950s Finnish chest of drawers in solid birch and veneer. This size is suitable for any room really, being it a bedroom, kitchen, corridor, a hallway or a dining room. Fi...
Birch
A Mid-20th-Century Moroccan Wall-Mounted Cupboard, Fez, Dated 1951
Located in Henley-on Thames, Oxfordshire
Mid-century painted wooden wall cupboard with sliding pierced doors and open shelving, inscribed to the reverse “1951 – Fez, Morocco.” The cupboard’s simple geometric form, elongated...
Wood, Paint
Charlotte Perriand Nuage Shelving Unit, Wood and Aluminium by Cassina
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shelving Unit model Nuage designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-1956. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Authenticity and avant-garde characterise Ch...
Aluminum
Mid-Century Modern Spanish Walnut Wood and Mirror Bar Cabinet, 1940s
Located in Miami, FL
Mid-Century Modern walnut wood and mirror Spanish bar cabinet, 1940s. Very elegant Mid-Century Modern Spanish drinks cabinet with beautiful walnut wood, two side doors and two cent...
Mirror, Walnut
Blond Wood Dome Shape Top Two Doors 54" Cupboard Breakfront Cabinet Shelf MINT
By Baker Furniture Company, Thomasville, Heritage-Henredon
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Blond Wood Dome Shape Top Two Doors 54" Cupboard Breakfront Cabinet Shelf MINT!
Glass, Oak, Walnut
Mid-Century style wooden bedside table, 1960s
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Mid-Century style wooden bedside table, 1960s
Glass, Wood
Charlotte Perriand Nuage Shelving Unit, Wood and Aluminum by Cassina
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shelving Unit model Nuage designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-1956. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Authenticity and avant-garde characterise Charlotte Perriand’s Nuage...
Aluminum
Charlotte Perriand Nuage Shelving Unit, Wood and Green, Yellow Aluminium
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shelving Unit model Nuage designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-1956. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Authenticity and avant-garde characterise Charlotte Perriand’s Nuage...
Aluminum
Mastercraft Solid Pine Hand Painted Storage Cabinet
By Mastercraft
Located in Germantown, MD
Vintage hand painted storage cabinet from S J Bailey and Sons Mascraft unfinished furniture. The cabinet features two large storage drawers with...
Hardwood
Charlotte Perriand Berger Wood Stool by Cassina, Mid-Century Modern
By Cassina, Charlotte Perriand
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Stool model Berger designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1953-61. Relaunched by Cassina in 2011. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Reclaiming simple materials and basic shapes, with an eye to architecture and mountain life, led to the creation of two historic design low table-stools inspired respectively by the milking stool used by mountain shepherds in the French town much loved by the author. Placed individually or in lively arrangements, the two low tables bring the pleasing lightness of solid wood to indoor settings emphasized by the continuity of the grain between the top and the edges and the countless natural variations in the wood. Each piece is made of unique solid wood, so every piece will be different from one another and not exactly as the one on the photos. Both pieces are inspired by the mountains. While the latter takes its name from the milking-stool used by alpine shepherds, the former is inspired by the French locality much loved by designer and architect Charlotte Perriand. These furnishing accessories stand out for the honesty of their simple shapes and for the concrete expression of their materials and function. The turned seat meets the stylised legs both in the Tabouret...
Aluminum