Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
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
- Emerged during the mid-20th century
- Informed by European modernism, Bauhaus, International style, Scandinavian modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture
- A heyday of innovation in postwar America
- Experimentation with new ideas, new materials and new forms flourished in Scandinavia, Italy, the former Czechoslovakia and elsewhere in Europe
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Simplicity, organic forms, clean lines
- A blend of neutral and bold Pop art colors
- Use of natural and man-made materials — alluring woods such as teak, rosewood and oak; steel, fiberglass and molded plywood
- Light-filled spaces with colorful upholstery
- Glass walls and an emphasis on the outdoors
- Promotion of functionality
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
- Charles and Ray Eames
- Eero Saarinen
- Milo Baughman
- Florence Knoll
- Harry Bertoia
- Isamu Noguchi
- George Nelson
- Danish modernists Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, whose emphasis on natural materials and craftsmanship influenced American designers and vice versa
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
- Eames lounge chair
- Nelson daybed
- Florence Knoll sofa
- Egg chair
- Womb chair
- Noguchi coffee table
- Barcelona chair
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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Item Ships From: Europe
Style: Mid-Century Modern
Handcrafted 1960s Brutalist Bar-Sideboard by De Coene Belgium
Located in Antwerp, BE
A beautiful original design of De Coene bar furniture from the 1960s, the combination of dark massive wood and white marble makes the furniture extra excl...
Category
1960s Belgian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Marble
Solid Wood And Colored Glass Bar Furniture, Italy 1950's
Located in Ibiza, Spain
Bar cabinet consisting of 2 doors with an original structure from the 1950s made of solid wood and covered with colored glass. Sculptural legs made of solid wood. Handles and profile...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Glass, Wood
Bar cabinet by Osvaldo Borsani for Atelier Borsani Varedo, 1950s
Located in HEVERLEE, BE
Exquisite bar cabinet designed by Osvaldo Borsani for Atelier Borsani Varedo.
This very elegant mid century italian bar cabinet is made of high quality mahogany wood and has brass t...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Brass
Aldo Tura Red Goatskin Parchment Brass Cabinet Bar, 1960s
By Aldo Tura
Located in Paris, IDF
A unique and timeless vintage piece, this Aldo Tura midcentury cabinet bar feels imposing and glamorous. The varnished goatskin parchment, in rich shades of red, makes this cabinet t...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Brass
Mobile bar vintage ad angolo
Located in Bastia Umbra, IT
Questo bel mobile bar risale all'anno 1950/1960 del XX secolo.
E' stato costruito in legno e laminato effetto mogano con bordature nere e oro; i fianchi sono rivestiti in velluto ro...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Wood
Midcentury Scarlet Lacquered Bar Cabinet
Located in London, GB
A striking Italian Mid-Century scarlet lacquered bar cabinet, with four angled drawers, two lower compartments and the bar, mirrored inside with ...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Brass
Tito Agnoli Wicker and Teak Circular Bar Cart for Bonacina, Italy 1960s
By Tito Agnoli, Bonacina
Located in Milan, IT
Tito Agnoli Wicker and Teak Circular Bar Cart for Bonacina, Italy 1960s
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Metal
Vintage Dry Bar Attributed to Pietro Chiesa for Fontana Arte
Located in Milano, IT
Step into the world of timeless elegance with this exquisite bar cabinet, attributed to the renowned Pietro Chiesa and crafted by Fontana Arte in the 1950s. Every aspect of this piec...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Brass
Mid-Century Modern Italian Bar, 1970s
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Italian Bar, 1970s
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Metal
Majestuoso carrello bar in ottone e legno intarsiato
Located in Cantù, IT
Majestuoso carrello bar in ottone e legno intarsiato private collection Domenico Rugiano anni 60s
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Brass
Vintage CART by Joe Colombo
By Joe Colombo
Located in Bastia Umbra, IT
ICON of Made in Italy design, the Boby trolley was designed by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast in 1970.
Joe Colombo received the SMAU award in 1971 for his design.
The Boby trolley is p...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Plastic
Midcentury Style Brass and Red Fantasy Murano Glass Bar Cabinet, 2020
Located in Rome, IT
Very fine handmade bar cabinet by a master artisan. Brass frame with handmade and hand-cut ruby red flower fantasy Murano glass ,raised on special brass legs.
Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Glass, Wood
Mid-Century Modern Dry Bar, Mahogany, Zebra Wood, Onyx, Glass, Brass - Italy
Located in Girona, ES
Important dry bar, solid wood and zebra wood veneer, "grissinis" decoration mahogany and solid bronze stands. Two doors with lightning system bar compartments. Back wooden panels wit...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Onyx, Brass
Mid-Century Italian Bar Cabinet 1950' Attributed to Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Rome, IT
Elegant and unusual bar cabinet.
Decorated front door with finely engraved bird figures. Door panels inside with mosaic mirror and brass and glass shelfs. Support with two pull-out d...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Wood
1950s Midcentury Rattan and Bamboo Tiki Bar with Two Stools
Located in Antwerp, BE
A very stylish and unusual vintage bar with two matching bar stools. This was made in France in the 1950-60’s. The top is black formica and the stools are also black steel.Very nice ...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Steel
Umberto Mascagni for Harrods London Midcentury Italian Bar Cabinet, 1950s
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Bar cabinet designed by Umberto Mascagni of Bologna in the 1950s. The main structure is made of solid European wood, covered in cream-colored vinyl with anodized aluminum, decorated ...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Aluminum
Vintage Italian Drinks Cabinet by Eugenio Gerli for Tecno
By Tecno, Eugenio Gerli
Located in London, GB
A very stylish and extremely rare vintage Italian drinks cabinet by Eugenio Gerli for Tecno. It was made in Italy, and dates from the 1960-70’s.
...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Steel
Bar Cabinet with Zodiac Etched Mirrored Glasses in the Style of Gio Ponti
By Gio Ponti
Located in Rome, IT
Rare Bar Cabinet, front doors decorated with a finely etched Zodiac motifs mirrored glasses.
Resting on four legs. Attributed to Gio Ponti.
Glasses in very good vintage condition.
Category
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Art Glass
1960's Danish Teak Drinks Cabinet / Bar by Dyrlund
By Dyrlund
Located in London, GB
A stylish and very practical vintage Danish drinks cabinet / dry bar. This was made by Dyrlund, it dates from the 1960’s.
It has a very clever...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Formica, Teak
Bookcase or Dry Bar in Rattan e Bamboo by Vivai Del Sud, Italy, 1960s
Located in Roma, IT
Lovely small bookcase or drybar in rattan and bamboo. This stunning piece was produced by Vivai del Sud in Italy in the 1960s.
This versatile piece features a gorgeous ladder-like s...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
Johannes Andersen Vintage Bar Cabinet Rosewood Sk 661
Located in OSS, NB
Vintage bar cabinet in rosewood veneer. Designed by Johannes Andersen for Skaaning & Søn , Model SK 661. Made in Denmark in the 1960s. A beautiful piece of craf...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Rosewood
20th Century Italian Design Central Bar Cabinet, 1950s / 1960s
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Beautiful and rare Italian design bar cabinet 1960s. Made of fine wood. This rare bar cabinet was made to be placed in the center of the room. On the front it is only decorative with...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Teak
1960's Bar cabinet in rattan and woven staraw
Located in Milano, IT
COD-2378
Bar cabinet in rattan and woven staraw, wooden top and compartments for bottles and glasses.
Italian manufacture, around 1950.
45 x 90 cm
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Rattan
Italian Mid-Century Mahogany Bar Cabinet Vittorio Dassi Style, 1950s
Located in Traversetolo, IT
Italian mid-century mahogany wetbar, designed in the style of Vittorio Dassi in the 1950s.
The cabinet hiding a glass shelf with mirror on the back and is equipped with an internal ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Mirror, Glass, Mahogany
Bamboo Wood and Cow Leather Buffet Dry Bar. Italy, 1970s
Located in SAINT-OUEN, FR
Mid-Century Modern Dry bar cabinet or buffet credenza in wood, bamboo, bamboo marquetry, doors decor with cow leather, glass shelf. Italian design attribute...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Wood, Bamboo, Glass
Brass and Glass Bar / Side Table, France, 1950s
Located in London, GB
An elegant brass and glass bar / side table, France, 1950s. In good original condition with some signs of use and wear relative to age. Fast shipping worldwide.
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Brass
Rotating Cabinet , unique piece with the Expertise of Fondazione Borsani Archive
Located in Milano, MI
Osvaldo Borsani Rotating Cabinet bar , unique piece with the Expertise of Fondazione Borsani Archive
In walnut, mirror glass, brass and parchment
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Brass
Mid Century Revolving Interior Dry Bar by Vittorio Dassi
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
This splendid mid century modern revolving drinks cabinet by Vittorio Dassi is a real "surprise cabinet" . Its exterior is all polished precio...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Art Glass
'Caori' Coffee Table by Vico Magistreti for Gavina with Concealed Storage
Located in London, GB
Iconic 'Caori' coffee table with storage. Italy c1962
Matt white lacquer and stainless steel
Ingenious coffee table with concealed storage
Contains two pull out drawers. Two...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Stainless Steel
Wooden Free-Standing Dry Bar with Flip-up Top
By Dyrlund
Located in Madrid, ES
A free-standing bar of hardwood with flip-up top and door that opens to reveal a bar inside. Top inlaid with black laminate. Interior with glass and bottle holders, ice bucket, drawe...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Metal
Rare Italian Walnut Bar Cabinet with Ico Parisi Style drawers and Door Gio ponti
By Ico Parisi
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Rare and Unique Italian Walnut Bar Cabinet with Ico Parisi Style drawers and Door Gio ponti
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Walnut
1950s Black Lacquer Trolley by Ico Parisi with Removable Serving Trays
By Ico Parisi
Located in London, GB
A 1950s cart trolley in black lacquer by Ico Parisi with the top two trays being removable serving trays with orignal castors.
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Wood, Lacquer
Midcentury Dry Bar/ Cabinet, Poland, 1960s
Located in Chorzów, PL
Dry bar, Bytom furniture factory, Poland, 1960s
Very good condition, after professional renovation.
Wood: walnut
Dimensions: Height 79 cm width 80 cm depth 42 cm.
Category
1960s Polish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Walnut
Italian mid-century Sideboard or bar cabinet in beige formica and wood, 1960s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century modern Sideboard or bar cabinet in beige formica and wood, 1960s
Sideboard or bar cabinet with rectangular base in wood and beige Formica. This highboard features...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Formica, Wood
Osvaldo Borsani Mid-Century Modern Italian Sideboard with Bar Cabinet, 1950s
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Sideboard with bar mobile Osvaldo Borsani for Furniture Varedo Borsani. The locker in the center has a limelight and four drawers, in the upper part 3 folding doors and inside the co...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Brass
Luigi Brusotti Mid-Century Modern Italian Bar Cabinet with Decorated Mirror, 40s
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Spectacular and rare bar cabinet or sideboard with mirror. Designed in Italy by Luigi Brusotti in the 1940s. The front is entirely covered with precious Murano glass. The tiles are d...
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Glass, Mirror, Walnut
Cocktail Bar in Stainless Steel & Brass, circa 1970
Located in London, GB
A beautiful demi-lune cocktail bar. The core is made out of stainless steel and brass, whereas the two tops are made of mirror. The internal side has an open space with a useful shelf.
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Brass
Vintage Danish Teak Bar Cabinet, 1960s
Located in Asaa, DK
Vintage Danish teak cocktail bar cabinet 1960s
Elegant Danish Mid-Century Modern dry bar cabinet with drop down door. Very good size and proportions...
Category
1960s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Formica, Teak
Vintage Metamorphic Cocktail Cabinet, Danish, Bar, Reno Wahl Iversen, Dyrlund
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is a vintage metamorphic cocktail cabinet. A Danish, rosewood and brass mid-century drinks bar by Reno Wahl Iversen for Dyrlund, circa 1960.
Superb mid-century modern living, w...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Brass
Italian 1970s Dry Bar Cocktail Cabinet Side Table
Located in Carimate, Como
Very elegant Italian 1970s drinks dry bar cabinet with beautiful wood and great designed wooden decor craftmanship. Its unique and typical design and shap...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Wood
Fantastic Italian Design Cocktail Bar Set 1970' Attributed to Willy Rizzo
By Willy Rizzo
Located in Rome, IT
Striking Willy Rizzo Italian Design burl birch wood and gilt brass Cocktail bar set .
Hollywood Regency cocktail bar includes a counter element a...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Wood
Midcentury Metamorphic Rolling Bar Cabinet, Cocktail Bar
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
midcentury Metamorphic Rolling Bar Cabinet, Cocktail Bar
A Stylish and Functional Piece, the cabinet is very heavy but set on wheels to make it ...
Category
1960s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Teak
Müller Bar Cabinet in Metal
Located in Tilburg, NL
Müller Bar Cabinet in Metal. Germany. Design 1998, current production. Available in every RAL-color.
A highlight for your office or your home: The cleverly designed bar cabinet KB 3...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary German Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Metal
Midcentury Style Brass and Red Fantasy Murano Glass Bar Cabinet, 2020
Located in Rome, IT
Very fine handmade bar cabinet by a master artisan. Brass frame with handmade and hand-cut ruby red flower fantasy Murano glass ,raised on special brass legs.
Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Glass, Wood
1960s French Guillerme and Chambron Design Modular Coffee Table With Bar Cabinet
Located in Tourcoing, FR
1960s French Guillerme and Chambron Design Modular Coffee Table Bar Cabinet: you can use it as a little coffee or cocktail table and with its sliding and flapping side system you can...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Oak, Fabric
1960s French Guillerme & Chambron Design Oak Wooden Bar Sideboard
Located in Tourcoing, FR
1960s French Guillerme & Chambron Design Oak Wooden Bar Cabinet composed of 4 drawers one side and a bar storage space tilting door opening system wit...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Leather, Oak
Claudio Salocchi for Sormani Italian Midcentury Dark Wood Sideboard 1960s
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Mid-Century Modern design credenza sideboard with bar cabinet that can be opened from above and free drawer that can be positioned as desired designed by Caludio Salocchi and manufac...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Italian Bar with 2 Stools, 1950s
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Italian Bar With 2 Stools, 1950s.
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Metal
Aldo Tura Ice Bucket Grey Brown Goatskin, 1960s
By Aldo Tura
Located in Munich, DE
Wonderful ice bucket by Aldo Tura in grey brown parchment and a glass inlay, in excellent vintage condition.
Along with artists like Piero Fornasetti and Carlo Bugatti, Aldo Tura (1...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Brass
Italian 1940s Cabinet by Paolo Buffa
By Paolo Buffa
Located in London, GB
A fine 1940s Italian cabinet by Paolo Buffa
Resting on slender tapered legs with deep brass sabot feet. This piece has wonderful four panelled...
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Wood
Space Age Dry Bar Cart Stainless Steel and Glass, Italy, 1970s
Located in SAINT-OUEN, FR
Dry bar cart cabinet in stainless steel, metal chrome, smoke glass. interior black lacquered, the bar is mounted on wheels. Famous design like Mario Sabo...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Stainless Steel, Metal, Chrome
Midcentury Style Brass and Blu Murano Glass Bar Cabinet, 2020
Located in Rome, IT
Very fine handmade bar cabinet by a master artisan. Brass frame with handmade and hand-cut cobalt blue and white opaline Murano glass raised on sp...
Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Glass, Wood
Willy Rizzo Midcentury Cubic Chromed Steel, Wood and Glass Dry Bar, Italy 1970s
By Willy Rizzo
Located in Roma, IT
Unique midcentury cubic dry bar in lacquered ash wood, mirrored steel and glass dry bar with hidden wheels. Willy Rizzo probably produced this incredible piece of barware in Italy during the 1970s.
The wheeled bar cart's four sides are in mirrored chromed steel, while the top is in dark smoked glass. It moves thanks to four hidden wheels, and the structure is veneered black lacquered oak.
A design masterpiece that will become a cult furniture element in a midcentury bar or living room.
Italian designer and photographer Willy Rizzo (1928-2013) first came to prominence in the 1960s as both a chronicler of and participant in La Dolce Vita, the glamorous, jet set lifestyle enjoyed by many international celebrities and socialites in the postwar era. While photography was Rizzo's first love, in the 1970s he developed a passion for interiors and launched a second successful career as a luxury furniture designer.
Rizzo was born in Naples in 1928 but moved to France early. After expressing an interest in photography at the age of 12, Rizzo's mother gifted him an Agfa Box camera; soon he was shooting portraits of his classmates at Paris's Istituto Statale Italiano Leonardo Da Vinci.
In the 1940s, Rizzo began his career as a photojournalist, working for several French publications, including Ciné Mondial, Point de Vue, and Image du Monde. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Rizzo notably covered the Nuremberg Trials and travelled to Tunisia for Point de Vue to photograph the conflict in North Africa, later published in Life Magazine. As his reputation grew, he was hired by France Dimanche to take portraits of the rich and famous at flashy events like the Cannes Film Festival. Rizzo's charm won the trust of royalty, dignitaries, and movie stars, allowing him to capture these public figures in unusually candid moments.
Hoping to advance his career further, Rizzo travelled to New York with Black Star Agency in 1947 to photograph American starlets. When he returned to Paris two years later, he was invited to join Jean Prouvost’s newest publication in colour, Paris Match, as head photographer—a position that he held for 20 years and, along the way, sparked a new culture of celebrity photographers who were as intriguing and fashionable as their subjects.
In 1959, he became the artistic director of Marie Claire and collaborated with other fashion magazines, such as Vogue.
Throughout his career, Rizzo photographed dozens of stars, including Brigitte Bardot, Maria Callas, Salvador Dalí, Marlene Dietrich, Jane Fonda, Gene Kelly, and Gregory Peck, as well as striking up close friendships with famous personalities like Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, and Jack Nicholson. In 1962, Rizzo famously captured some of the last moments of Marilyn Monroe’s life on film before tragically committing suicide a few weeks later.
In 1968, Rizzo married Italian actress Elsa Martinelli, and the pair relocated to Rome. It was here that Rizzo began his work in furniture design, starting with his newly-leased, run-down Roman apartment. Just for personal use (at first), Rizzo created a series one-of-a-kind pieces inspired by modernist icons, such as Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier. But as his glitterati friends—Rodolfo Parisi, Gigli Rizzi, Franco Rapetti, Salvador Dalí, Brigitte Bardot, and the like—became admirers of his work, Rizzo was flooded with design commissions.
Rizzo went on to furnish apartments for Italian aristocracy in the Palazzo Borghese and Palazzo Ruspoli that same year and quickly earned an international reputation as a designer to the rich and famous. In response to ever-growing demand, he launched his own Tivoli-based company dedicated to contemporary furniture design handmade in lux materials such as wood, marble, stainless steel, brass, and wild boar. Over time, his team of eight grew to 150, and he was able to open shops in France and throughout Europe, as well as in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles.
With an emphasis on clean lines and geometric forms, Rizzo's tables, chairs, and accessories combined contemporary shapes with traditional materials—in contrast to many of his contemporaries, like Ettore Sottsass and Vico Magistretti, who were popularizing plastic, foam, and other synthetics in furniture production. Rizzo's most successful designs are many low, box-like tables in granite, metal, glass, or burled wood, often embellished with brass or chrome accents or built-in liquor cabinets or trays. Two examples of his most celebrated designs include the Alveo Coffee Table (1970s) for Mario Sabot and the circular Yin Yang Coffee Table...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Steel, Metal, Chrome
Massimo Papiri Cocktail Table by Mario Sabot Italy, 1970
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
This iconic seventies cocktail table is designed by Massimo Papiri and manufactured by Mario Sabot, Italy 1970. If you want to feel like James Bond, this table is what you need. This cocktail table is amongst the most prolific and therefore most wanted objects of this Italian architect, Massimo Papiri. The cocktail table immediately draws all the attention towards it, because of the classy and glamorous appearance. The black high gloss painted melamine top matches the clean stainless-steel sides in a harmonic way. The table has the appearance to be closed as all the parts fit perfectly together, however on the inside of this cocktail table, you will find an illuminated dry bar, making this table glamorous, sculptural, and architectural at the same time. The middle part is made of blinded plexiglass so when the light is off, you will think there is nothing behind, however when you lit the inside, you will see the bottles and glasses stored in there which is an amazing feature of this tables design. The big round part on the side provides a stainless-steel bucket...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Stainless Steel
Mid-Century Borraz Dry Bar in Solid Oak and Oak Veneer - France
By Borraz
Located in Girona, ES
Borraz dry bar on wheels, solid oak and oak veneer, open pore finish. Pivoting door with an ivory stained space with glass and mirror shelves. Removable tray on top, two small ashtra...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Glass, Mirror, Oak
Amazing Mid-Century Italian Bar Cabinet 1940' Attributed to Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Rome, IT
Elegant and unusual bar cabinet.
Decorated front door with geometrical inlaid. Door panels inside with mosaic mirror and brass and glass shelfs. Support w...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Wood
Mid-Century Modern Walnut Chippendale Style Italian Bar Cabinet, 1940s
Located in Puglia, Puglia
This bar cabinet, produced in the 1940s, is made in the Chippendale style, in walnut,
walnut and screen-printed glass.
" If you like it please make your offer and we will evaluate i...
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Crystal
Italian Mid Century Modern Brass and Glass Tray Bart Cart Table by MB, 1970s
Located in Meda, MB
This unique tray table was produced in Italy in the 1970s.
It is composed by a gilt brass structure and a gilt brass bottle holder, with two glass shelv...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Materials
Brass
Mid-century Modern dry bars for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern dry bars 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 dry bars created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include case pieces and storage cabinets, tables, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern dry bars made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original dry bars, popular names associated with this style include Arthur Umanoff, Aldo Tura, Vittorio Dassi, and Osvaldo Borsani. 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 dry bars differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $360 and tops out at $95,000 while the average work can sell for $4,481.
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