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Mid-Century Modern Shelves

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
Period: 1980s
Pair of Pine Wood Shelves by Maison Regain, France 1980s
Located in Chicago, IL
A pair of handsomely crafted pine shelf units by Maison Regain. The pair can function both as stand alone shelving on the floor or alternatively are also designed to be wall mounted....
Category

1980s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Wood

Dowel system tiered shelving unit
Located in Los Angeles, CA
W17 D17 H42 BETWEEN SHELVES 11 Fully restored solid oak shelving unit. Shelving units consists of solid oak pieces that can be fully disassembled but come together tightly with dowe...
Category

1980s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Oak

Henry Link Wicker Bookcase Etagere Etegere With Drawers
Located in West Hartford, CT
Henry Link wicker wrapped bookcase etagere with a whitewashed finish. Top has glass shelves. Bottom part has three drawers. See our other listings fo...
Category

1980s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Wicker, Glass, Wood

Henry Link Wicker wrapped Bookcase Etagere With Drawers
Located in West Hartford, CT
Henry Link wicker wrapped bookcase etagere with a whitewashed finish. Top has glass shelves. Bottom part has three drawers. See our other listings fo...
Category

1980s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Wicker, Glass, Wood

Henry Link Wicker and Glass Illuminated Bookshelves Etagere Etegere
Located in West Hartford, CT
Henry Link wicker wrapped etagere with glass shelves on top. Has light at top to illuminate your collectibles from above. See our other listings for ...
Category

1980s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Wicker, Glass, Wood

Restored Mid-Century Modern Walnut Bookcase
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Indulge in the charm of vintage design with our expertly restored mid-century modern bookcase, skillfully crafted by our team of professional craftsmen...
Category

1980s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Metal

1980s Pair of Brass Etageres in the Style of Milo Baughman
Located in Chicago, IL
Beautiful pair of brass Etageres in the style of Milo Baughman with 5 glass shelves. The brass and glass shelves are in very good condition.
Category

1980s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Brass

Mid-Century Modern Walnut Bookcase: Vintage Elegance Restored
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Dive into the charm of the 1960s with our exquisitely restored mid-century modern bookcase. Our expert craftsmen have taken this vintage wall unit and ...
Category

1980s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Metal

Matteo Grassi Modern Italian Leather Wall-Mounted Console
Located in Roma, IT
Sleek wall-mounted console table of green leather with 2 drawers by Matteo Grassi. Original Italian wall hung green leather clad console table with black interiors. Totally upholste...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Leather, Wood

Pierre Sala '1948-1989 "Pencil" Shelf, circa 1980
Located in Mouscron, WHT
Pierre Sala (1948-1989) small "pencil" shelf, circa 1980 wear and stains.
Category

1980s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Wood

Pair of Fritz Haller & Paul Schärer Style Etageres with Faux Marble Shelves
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of vintage chrome étagères or bookshelves with faux marble shelves. There is visible scratching to the tops and some of the shelves. All over signs of wear are present, consiste...
Category

1980s Dutch Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Chrome

Vintage Custom Etagere/Shelving Unit in Lucite and Brass by Charles Hollis Jones
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Stunning vintage custom etagere/shelving unit in lucite and brass by Charles Hollis Jones and manufactured in the United States, circa 1980s. Jones was ...
Category

1980s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Brass

Ancient Display Shelf in Oak, Metal and Card, circa 1980s
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Ancient display shelf in oak, metal and card, circa 1980s. Fully dismantled.   
Category

1980s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Brass and Stainless Steel Wall Shelf
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Introducing the Brass and Stainless Steel Wall Shelf in the style of Karl Springer - the perfect blend of functionality and style. Crafted f...
Category

1980s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Brass, Stainless Steel

Pair Display Shelves in Red Tubular Enameled Steel Frames with 3/8 Inch Glass
Located in Kansas City, MO
Two display / storage shelves with 3/8 inch polished edge glass and red enameled tubular frames. Very good condition. Price is for each. These would work well in any mid century, pos...
Category

1980s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Glass

Rare Freestanding Black Metal with Primair Colors Desk Folding Book System
Located in Antwerp, BE
Very typical rare eighties Italian designed book shelf with five shelves which one shelve can also move to pull forward to use as desktop, the othe...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Metal

Design Institute of America (DIA) Chrome Plated Steel Etagere
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Design Institute of America (DIA) chrome plated steel Etagere with new tempered glass shelves. Etagere has label which is dated 1983. Chrome i...
Category

1980s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Steel

Vintage Shelve at Cost Price
Located in Saint-Ouen (PARIS), FR
Beautiful decorative shelve in "bamboo" style brass with 4 glass tops. Italy, 1980s.
Category

1980s European Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Brass

Midcentury Cream and Gold Metal Shelving Units, Italian, 1980s
Located in Richmond, Surrey
Midcentury cream and gold metal shelving units, Italian, 1980s A midcentury Italian powder coated metal shelving unit, off white with brass a...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Metal

Warren Platner Marble and Brass Wall-Mount Console
Located in Chicago, IL
WARREN PLATNER (1919 – 2006) Custom curvilinear console in Rosso Alicante marble, raised on a trio of lacquered brass wall-mount brackets. Execu...
Category

1980s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Milo Baughman Style Henredon Scene Two Burl Wood Three Cabinet TV Wall Unit
Located in Pemberton, NJ
Stunning three-piece set of Henredon scene two wall units. Set includes three olive wood burl wood wall units with one tall four drawer TV cabinet ...
Category

1980s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Glass, Burl

Related Items
Free standing Mid century modular unit shelving system by Staples Ladderax
Located in Gaggenau, DE
Free standing Mid century vintage modular unit shelving system by Staples Ladderax, London, 1960s Designed by Staples and C.O.LTD London, Marked Modular -- The individual units an...
Category

1960s English Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Metal

Pair of Hanging Bedside Tables in Solid Elm, House Regain, France, 1970s
Located in VILLERS-SUR-MER, FR
These original hanging tables are very interesting in a small bed room because of their size and fixing system. They can also be used as shells, they ar...
Category

1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Elm

Italian Mid-Century Modern Teak and Brass Modular Wall Bookcase, 1960s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian Mid-Century Modern teak and brass modular wall bookcase with cabinets, 1960s Wall bookcase, modular, completely in teak. Composed of three wall panels, two of which painted ...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Teak

Mid-Century Modern Chrome Smoked Glass Étagère Bookcase Shelf Baughman Style
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Mid-Century Modern chrome and smoked glass étagère bookcase shelf. Item features sleek chrome metal frame, five smoked glass shelves, clean modernist lines, circa 1970s. Meas...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Chrome

Mid-Century Triangular Bamboo and Rattan Italian Corner Bookcase, 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Amazing mid-century bamboo and Rattan triangular corner bookshelf. Franco Albini inspired the design of this piece, produced in Italy during the 1970s. This piece is fantastic thank...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Cane, Wicker, Bamboo, Wood, Rattan

Mid-Century Modern Rattan and Wicker Étagère Corner Shelf, France, circa 1960
Located in London, GB
Vintage midcentury vintage rattan and wicker étagère. Freestanding corner rattan shelves in the manner of the ‘Emmanuelle’ chair, featuring f...
Category

1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Wicker, Rattan

Brass and Glass Etagere / Display Shelves
Located in Kansas City, MO
Brass and glass etagere / storage / display shelves. Signs of wear and loss of brass finish. Overall a very nice vintage appearance.
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Brass

Brass and Glass Etagere / Display Shelves
Brass and Glass Etagere / Display Shelves
H 71.5 in W 30.25 in D 14 in
Mid-Century Modern Bookcase by Ico Parisi for MIM Rome
Located in Albano Laziale, Rome/Lazio
Wall unit designed by Ico Parisi 1958 for MiM, Rome. All shelves are adjustable in height and also has moveable stands for books which are adjustable. The unit is designed to lean on...
Category

20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Aluminum

Shelving System / Wall Unit by Nisse Strinning for String Design AB Sweden, 1960
Located in Schagen, NL
This exceptional three section shelving system was manufactured in pinewood, circa the 1960s By String Design AB in Sweden. Design: Nils Nisse Strinning. It remains in a good vintage...
Category

1960s Swedish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Metal

Mid-Century Modern Architectural X-Form Bookcases or Étagères, Pair Available
Located in St. Louis, MO
Mid-Century Modern architectural X-form bookcases or étagères., priced individually. These bookcases are architectural or Industrial style, with Classic Mid-Century lines, circa 1970...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Brass, Iron

Retro 1950s Tall String Wall System Shelving Unit
Located in Markington, GB
Retro 1950s tall string wall system shelving unit. Early string wall system in very good vintage condition. The string wall system was designed i...
Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Metal

1960s Poul Cadovius Modular Teak 3-Bay Danish Royal System Wall Unit Shelving
Located in Sherborne, Dorset
This highly versatile and functional “Royal System” was originally designed by Poul Cadovius in 1948. This three-bay teak shelving system offers a wide variety of storage and display...
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Metal

Previously Available Items
Vintage Enetri Shelf by Niels Gammelgaard for Ikea, 1980s, String Shelving Unit
Located in Zagreb, HR
The famous Ikea shelf designed by Niels Gammelgaard in the 1980s, first introduced as the 'Moment' shelf, and later changing its name to 'Enetri' and 'Guide...
Category

1980s Swedish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Metal

Steel and Beech Freestanding Shelving
Located in London, GB
Modernist piece that takes design notes from Charotte Perriand. With four thick beech shelves and steel black sheet metal brackets. Free standing and...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Steel

Steel and Beech Freestanding Shelving
Steel and Beech Freestanding Shelving
H 47.25 in W 63 in D 12.21 in
Pair of Peter Ghyczy Pioneer 'R07' Glass and Brass Shelves
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Peter Ghyczy Pioneer 'R07' glass and brass shelves. Each shelf has two small wall mounted pieces and a clear glass piece. In original condition with visible wear, including s...
Category

1980s Dutch Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Brass

Mid-Century Modern Maple Wood Bookcase, Mendini Style, Italy, 1980s
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern maple wood bookcase, Mendini style, Italy, 1980s.
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Wood

Italian Postmodern Design Book Shelf “Ran” by Carlo Forcolini for Alias, 1980s
Located in Renens, CH
A 1980s book shelf designed by Carlo Forcolini for Alias, inspired by temple doors in Japan and China. This version is no longer in production. The Ran bookcase consists of five perforated black metal shelves...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Metal

Aksel Kjersgaard Wall Unit of Rosewood with 2 Drawers Made in Denmark 1980s
Located in Aarhus C, DK
Wall hanging unit made of rosewood by the Danish master cabinetmaker Aksel Kjersgaard manufactured by Aksel Kjersgaard, Odder, Demark. The wall unit has an open shelf and two dra...
Category

1980s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Rosewood

Versatile Brass Faux Bamboo Etagere with 5 Glass Shelves
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Great looking versatile 5 shelf etagere having a stylish faux bamboo brass structure and glass inset shelves. Each shelf is 12.5 square.
Category

1980s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Brass

Swiss Design Classic Fächermann by S. & U. Berger for Röthlisberger, 1980s
Located in Renens, CH
The Fächermann, or Compartment Man, was designed in 1977 by Susi and Ueli Berger for the Röthlisberger woodworking shop in Switzerland. It cons...
Category

1980s Swiss Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Plywood

Italian Mid-Century Modern Cylindrical Pedestal with Marble, 1980s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian Mid-Century Modern cylindrical pedestal with marble, 1980s Cylindrical pedestal composed of a chromed steel structure alternating with green, white and black marble tops, 19...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Marble, Metal, Chrome

Pair Karl Springer Gunmetal Over Brass Etageres
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Pair of large gunmetal finish over solid brass rails etageres by Karl Springer. With original smoked glass shelving.
Category

1980s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Brass

Derk Jan de Vries Modular Wooden Wall Unit, 1980s
Located in Brussels, BE
Derk Jan de Vries Modular Wooden Wall Unit, 1980s Dimensions : 76 x 38 x 38cm 38 x 38 x 38cm.
Category

1980s European Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Wood

Pair of Brass and Smoked Glass Etageres
Located in Redding, CT
Pair of brass and smoked glass etageres. Post Modern 1980's Hollywood Regency style. Missing one smoked glass shelf in photos t...
Category

1980s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Brass

Pair of Brass and Smoked Glass Etageres
Pair of Brass and Smoked Glass Etageres
H 70 in W 34.25 in D 16.25 in

Mid-century Modern shelves for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern shelves 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 shelves created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include case pieces and storage cabinets, wall decorations, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern shelves 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 shelves, popular names associated with this style include Cassina, Charlotte Perriand, Poul Cadovius, and Mathieu Matégot. 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 shelves differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $65 and tops out at $120,000 while the average work can sell for $2,886.

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