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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

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
Returnable Items Only
Midcentury Style Brass and Colored Murano Glass Bar Cabinet, 2020
Located in Rome, IT
Very fine handmade bar cabinet by a master artisan. Brass frame with handmade and handcut cobalt blue and white opaline Murano glass raised on spe...
Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Glass, Wood

Midcentury Chrome Bar Set
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage modern bar set with two stools. Polished chrome frame, suede cushion stools. Bar measures 40" H x 60" W x 20" D. Stools measure 26" h x 16" diameter....
Category

1960s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Chrome

Brutalist and MCM 1950s Design Style Wooden and Black Metal Bar Cabinet
Located in Tourcoing, FR
Brutalist style and 1950s design cabinet: An eyecatcher with geometrical and harmonious lines, composed of 2 graphic panels doors opening on shelves and airy black metal feet.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary European Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Metal, Steel

Mid Century Danish Teak Expanding Bar Cart
Located in Countryside, IL
Mid Century Danish teak expanding bar cart Bar cart measures: 30 wide x 19.25 deep x 23.5 inches high; when extended bar cart i...
Category

1970s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Brass

L.A. Studio Interiorismo Solid Wood and Cotton Velvet Upholstered Bar Counter
Located in Ibiza, Spain
A wonderful mid-century style Bar counter designed by L.A. Studio Interiorismo, made of solid wood covered with high gloss wood veneer in L-shape, ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Brass

Willy Rizzo Dry Bar Set, Italy, 1970s
Located in Brussels, BE
Bar with two pouf by Willy Rizzo. It had been made during the 1970s.
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Chrome

Mid-Century Modern Dry Bar-Counter in Solid Sycamore and Grissini Pattern- Italy
Located in Girona, ES
Dry bar counter, solid sycamore with "grissini" pattern, curved and beveled top with an original golden patina glass. One drawer, one shelf and two sma...
Category

1940s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Brass

Paolo Buffa Mid-Century Modern Italian Mahogany and Walnut Bar Cabinet, 1950s
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Superb bar cabinet designed by the famous architect Paolo Buffa, in walnut, mahogany and brass finishes, the inside of the cabinet is covered with decorated mirror squares, the top o...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Brass

Rare Rosewood Bar and Stools
Located in New York, NY
Rosewood bar and stools. The back has sliding doors with shelves. Bar has wheels for easy moving around. Stools measure: 31.25 H x 14 D x 18 W.
Category

1960s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Rosewood

Arched Top Wrought Iron Wine Rack after Umanoff
Located in New York, NY
Nice counter top scale wrought iron wine rack holds up to 15 bottles. Well constructed of heavy gage material, design after Arthur Umanoff.
Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Wrought Iron

Danish Viking Bar Cabinet
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A very unusual, hand painted bar cabinet, as a Danish Viking, made in Italy. Striking naive/modern style, humorous and direct. The back is finished and ...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Wood

Mediterranean Iron Wine Shelf / Rack
Located in Darmstadt, DE
Very nice wine rack in Mediterranean style. The shelf has space for 41 wine / champagne bottles. The door and the drawer in the bottom is made of braided bast. The top of the shelf ...
Category

20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Iron

Mid-Century Bar in the style of Guglielmo Ulrich by Arredamenti Casa, 1950s
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern bar in the style of Guglielmo Ulrich by Arredamenti Casa, 1950s Rare piece.
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Glass, Wood

Midcentury Danish Rosewood Bar Cabinet by Niels Erik Glasdam Jensen
Located in Oakland, CA
Niels Erik Glasdam Jensen expanding midcentury rosewood bar cabinet with two sections that slide out to reveal a stylish interior with...
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Rosewood

Mid-Century Modern Sculptural Cast Aluminum Wine Rack
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Simple, elegant and playful in the shape of a tall bottle. This cast aluminum wine rack can sit on the floor or on the bar. Holds 15 bottles of your...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Aluminum

Russell Woodard Woven Fiberglass Bar and Two Stools, Restored
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Midcentury woven and spun fiberglass bar and stools by Russell Woodard, Restored. Consisting of two-piece bar 51” wide x 25.5”deep 41.5” high, with...
Category

20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Fiberglass

Attributed to Paolo Buffa Mid-Century Modern Italian Walnut Round Table, 1950s
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Attributed to Paolo Buffa Round table with rounded poplar top, the top is covered in walnut with a herringbone pattern, central column in poplar covered in walnut with the same moti...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Brass

Elegant Wooden Bar Cart Serving Trolley, Italy, 1950s
Located in Antwerp, BE
Elegant Italian midcentury tea trolley or bar cart in the style of Ico Parisi. Including the original removable serving tray and the glass top.  
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Brass

Scandinavian Rosewood Cube Bar
Located in Asbury Park, NJ
Rosewood cube bar. This serves as both a bar and coffee table. Bar is on wheels and when opened give you ample storage for items inside as well as a ...
Category

1970s Scandinavian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Rosewood

Spanish Gilt Iron Drinks Stand / Planter, Foliage Design
Located in Barcelona, ES
Eye-catching planter or bottle stand standing on a tripod base. Manufactured at the Mid-Century Modern period, Spain, 1960s. This iron stand features a leafed top standing on a trip...
Category

20th Century Spanish Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Metal, Gold Leaf, Iron

Glenn of California Hostess Bar Cart in Walnut and White Formica
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A great Mid-Century Modern Glenn of California Drop Leaf / Expandable Hostess Bar Cart designed by John Kapel extended - 63 long x 20 1/2 deep. Lower shelf...
Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Walnut

Vittorio Dassi Mid-Century Modern Italian Mahogany Cabinet Bar, 1950s
Located in Puglia, Puglia
This bar cabinet was designed by the famous Italian design Vittorio Dassi, Italy, 1950. The cabinet is covered in herringbone mahogany with maple inlays and glass top, the central in...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Marble, Brass

Attributed Gio Ponti Mid-Century Italian Mahogany and Brass Bar Cabinet, 1950s
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Superb bar cabinet attributed to Gio Ponti, in mahogany and maple and brass inlays, the central glass has a mirror around it and a central engraving, which represents infinity, a typ...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Brass

Paul Evans Cityscape Bar Cart Pe 200 Series for Directional
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Beautiful signed Mid-Century Modern bar cabinet by Paul Evans for Directional. A wonderful patchwork design with a flip top and two cabinet doors below. Sleek case piece that looks g...
Category

1960s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Chrome

Wood, Glass, Parchment and Mirror Bar and Cabinet Set by Englander & Bonta, 1950
Located in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
Wood, glass, parchment and mirror bar and cabinet set by Englander & Bonta. Argentina, circa 1950. It comes with glass shelves.
Category

1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Glass, Mirror, Wood, Parchment Paper

Mid-Century Modern Bar Cabinet in Wood, Mirror and Glass, Italy, 1960s
Located in Rome, IT
Mid-Century Modern Italian bar cabinet in rosewood and glass with the peculiarity of being composed of two separate units. The larger one is a wall unit characterized at the top ...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Metal, Brass

Italian Goatskin Book Shaped Dry Bar Cabinet by Aldo Tura
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A glamorous 1950s Italian goatskin book shaped dry bar cabinet designed by Aldo Tura. The bar is constructed of wood covered with lacquered goatskin with a hand painted Renaissance S...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Brass

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

John Kapel Bar Cabinets for Glenn of California
Located in Los Angeles, CA
These are excellent John Kapel bar cabinets for Glenn of California. Made from beautifully selected walnut. Features pull-out Formica shelf and closed cabinet with adjustable shelf a...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Walnut

Bamboo Rattan Barrel Bar Cart Cabinet, Italy, 1960s
Located in Rome, IT
Barrel bar cart cabinet in bamboo and rattan, Italy, 1960s.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Formica, Bamboo, Wicker, Cane, Rattan

Wood, Glass, Parchment and Mirror Bar and Cabinet Set by Englander & Bonta, 1950
Located in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
Wood, glass, parchment and mirror bar and cabinet set by Englander & Bonta. Argentina, circa 1950. It comes with glass shelves.  
Category

1950s Argentine Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Parchment Paper, Glass, Mirror, Wood

Round Bar Trolley in Brass Curved Steel Italian Midcentury Design
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Round bar trolley in brass curved steel Italian midcentury design, curved steel color gunmetal.
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Brass, Steel

Vintage Swedish Mid-Century Modern Mahogany Cabinet Drop Leaf Desk Secretary
Located in Atlanta, GA
Good things do come in small packages! In a great size to fit almost anywhere, this multifunctional cabinet gives you shelf space, drawers and ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Mahogany

Bar Cabinet Go in Natural Oak Wood and Lacquered Details
Located in Lisbon, PT
Go bar cabinet is a high quality product by Mambo Unlimited Ideas, crafted in wood veneer structure, lacquered doors and plywood veneer applications. It features three dimensional de...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Wood, Plywood

Midcentury Bar Cabinet by Aldo Tura in Wood and Goatskin 'Parchment' 1950s
Located in Baambrugge, NL
Midcentury, Italian standing bar cabinet by Aldo Tura (1909-1963). In lacquered wood, stained goatskin (parchment) and brass, 1950s Italy. This Hollywood Regency cabinet has been fin...
Category

1940s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Brass

Bar Cabinet Samoa in Wood, Brass and Lacquer
Located in Lisbon, PT
Samoa bar cabinet is a high quality product by Mambo Unlimited Ideas, crafted in polished or matte wood veneer structure and feet, brass applications and lacquered doors. It features...
Category

2010s Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Brass

Restored Large 1940s Rattan and Mahogany Pumpkin Bar
Located in Van Nuys, CA
This large 1940s rattan "Pumpkin Bar" features a mahogany top, interior shelves and a drawer. The unit becomes a unique barrel or pumpkin shaped accent tab...
Category

1940s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Brass

Midcentury Teak, Enamelled Iron and Brass Italian Coffee Table, 1960s
Located in Roma, IT
Spectacular coffee table in teak, black enameled iron and brass. This wonderful object was produced in Italy in the 1960s. Everything in this article is classy: the materials, wit...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Brass, Iron

Italian Home Bar With Cabinet and Stools in Walnut
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Home bar with chairs and wall unit, walnut, wood, Italy, 1950s.  Elegant, playful private bar with matching wall unit and stools. A divine set from the heart of Italy in the vibrant...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Walnut

Pair of Lion in Frost St. Bar Stools
Located in Miami, FL
Lucite and brass pair of Lion in Frost St. Bar stools. Swiveling seat. Black ultra suede top seat. 10"H back
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Brass

Paolo Buffa Italian Mid-Century Parchment Sideboard
Located in New York, NY
Italian Mid-Century (1930s) sideboard / bar cabinet with parchment veneer & a drop front with wood inlaid cupid figures in chariots & a glass fi...
Category

Early 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Parchment Paper, Glass

Natural Organic Shape Thick Slab Top Rosewood Sides Cocktail Bar Liquor Cabinet
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-Century Modern studio made organic shape live edge heavy (possibly teak or walnut) slab of wood top liquor cabinet bar. Beautiful amber tone varnish finish. Unsigned. Nakashima s...
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Rosewood, Teak

Italian Bar or Refrigerator with Pair of Leather Stools by Stilglass Guzzini
By Stilglass
Located in New York, NY
Italian bar with built in refrigerator. The bar is black and white laminate. The refrigerator is in working order. Has a glass top. Has a wonderful modern look. Stools are black leat...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Chrome

Pair of Cabinet Bar Italian Mid-Century Modern Mahogany 1950 Silvio Cavatorta
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Pair of cabinet bar Italian geometric lines 1950s extraordinary design, the geometric lines make them captivating and of strong character, the style is very similar to that of the gr...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Brass

François Monnet French Dry Bar Cocktail Table Glass & Steel - Pair Available
Located in Miami, FL
Unique François Monnet French cocktail table with 2 round hidden bars in each coffee table. Swivel smoked glass top. Pair available, priced by item.
Category

1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Chrome, Steel

Highboard with Vitrine, Glossy Black Lacquer by Sormani, Italy, 1985
Located in Arosio, IT
A highboard of the fabulous 1980s with a smoked glass vitrine with a tilt door. The lower part has two doors and one inner shelf, the upper part with the vitrine has two side compar...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Smoked Glass, Wood

John Stuart Mid-Century Bar Cabinet
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This unique Mid-Century bar cabinet features an expandable formica top with raised edges, spacious storage shelves, and a wide drawer for organizin...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Wood

Mid-Century Modern Greek Key Design Mirrored Bar or Serving Cabinet
Located in Plainview, NY
A simply stunning Mid-Century Modern Greek key design all mirrored bar or serving station / cabinet. This fine hard to find bar or serving table depict...
Category

Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Mirror, Wood

Portable Bar in Perforated White Curved Metal French Design Midcentury, 1950s
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Portable bar in perforated white curved metal French design midcentury, 1950s.
Category

1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Metal

Bar Cart in Rosewood by Geraldo de Barros, 1960s
Located in New York, NY
A 1960s two-tier bar cart by Geraldo de Barros, made in Brazilian rosewood (Jacaranda), top tray is removable. Trays in white Formica. Good vintage condition.
Category

1960s Brazilian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Rosewood, Formica

Elegant Italian Midcentury Bar Cabinet in the Style of Paolo Buffa, 1950s
Located in Rome, IT
Italian Sideboard Bar Cabinet with four drawers and brass handles and sabots.
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Wood

Vintage Drop Front Dry Bar
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This unique vintage bar cabinet features a beautiful Mid-Century array of storage options complete with drop front laminate bar with mirrored back and glass shelf. Sculpted tapered l...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Glass, Walnut

Italian Mid-Century Modern Console, Bar and Sideboard in style of Willy Rizzo
Located in New York, NY
A Sober, Elegant French Mid-Century Modern Console in the style of Willy Rizzo that can function as a bar, sideboard, buffet, etagere, serving table, sofa table or small cupboard. The piece is composed of Chromed metal and black opaline glass and has a chic, narrow profile allowing it to easily fit anywhere including as a narrow hallway console...
Category

1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Chrome

Matsuoka Bar Designed by Serge de Troyer, Rosewood, 2012, Japan
Located in Miami, FL
Rare, only 5 made, rosewood bar. This gorgeous bar is the perfect accent to any bar, study, living or dining room. Handcrafted in Japan from rosewood. This heirloom piece will only i...
Category

2010s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Rosewood

Belgo Chrome Bar Cabinet, Copper and Brass, Belgium
Located in Antwerp, BE
Stunning Belgo Chrom bar cabinet. A large vintage design bar cabinet covered with red copper on metal base and brass feet. This stylish cabinet was m...
Category

Late 20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Metal, Brass, Copper

Mid-Century Modern Brass, Wood & Engraved Emerald Green Murano Glass Dry Bar
Located in Firenze, Tuscany
The wood and brass cabinet chassis has two hinged doors, one glass shelf in the middle and a mirror in the back of each side. The 57 cm. round Murano glass plate in the front of the ...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Brass

Midcentury Italian Entrance Wardrobe with Mirror by Umberto Mascagni
Located in Rome, IT
A very unique shallow entrance wardrobe designed in Italy by Umberto Mascagni .This piece features a grey colored vinyl doors with red and black dec...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Wood

1970s Bar Cabinet or Center Coffee Table, Doro Cundo Manner, Renaissance Style
By Doro Cundo
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Mid-Century Modern bar cabinet from a square coffee table in wood, Renaissance style, with central spring mechanism, operated with a lever under the toop, which elevates a bar cabine...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars

Materials

Iron

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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