Vintage Space Age furniture captured post–World War II optimism with swooping shapes, bowed lines and experimentation with new materials including plastic and fiberglass.
From the launch of the Sputnik 1 satellite in 1957 to the landing of Apollo 11 astronauts on the moon in 1969, the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States propelled advancements in technology that transformed culture. Space Age design encompassed fashion, architecture, cars, furniture and objects for the home, bringing wonder and hope for the future into everyday life.
Coinciding with Pop art, Space Age style featured bold colors and forms. Eero Aarnio’s Ball chair, which debuted in 1966, used molded fiberglass for a capsule-like space while Verner Panton’s 1959 Panton chair was a single piece of molded plastic for a gravity-defying S shape. Red versions of Olivier Mourgue’s 1964 Djinn chair were futuristic enough to appear on the space station in Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Today, Joe Colombo is revered as a master of modern Italian design thanks to the provocative modular furniture pieces he created, such as the Tube chair and the Elda armchair, both of which embody the future-forward spirit of the Space Age.
The Space Age spirit extended to home building too. The futuristic Case Study Houses, which were designed by the likes of Pierre Koenig, Charles and Ray Eames, Richard Neutra and Whitney R. Smith, are considered a high point of modernism and the Southern California lifestyle.
Sometimes the nods to space exploration were more literal, like moon and star motifs or the 1965 Eclisse lamp by Vico Magistretti that saw the mid-century Italian designer integrating a movable inner shade to “eclipse” the light source. Alongside the pioneering moon missions, JVC manufactured the Videosphere portable television reminiscent of the Apollo 11 space helmets.
Although the style faded in the 1970s — with the 1975 joining of the Apollo and Soyuz spacecrafts signaling a new era of cooperation and the global oil crisis impacting the availability of plastics — the era’s innovations influenced designers into the 21st century such as Zaha Hadid and Djivan Schapira.
Find a collection of vintage Space Age seating, tables, lighting and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Space Age Vintage Foldable Ivory Plastic Table Luigi Massoni Guzzini 1970s Italy
By Guzzini
Located in Vienna, AT
Space Age vintage ivory foldable tray or table from plastic designed by Luigi Massoni Grafico Studio Zeto for Guzzini 1970s Italy. This foldable tray table is very useful as a breakf...
Plastic
Space Age Vintage Red Plastic Traytable Gueridon Luigi Massoni Guzzini Italy
By Guzzini
Located in Vienna, AT
Space Age vintage plastic tray table or gueridon or foldable breakfast table model Pepito designed by Luigi Massoni Grafico Studio Zeto for Guzzi...
Plastic
$542
H 9.06 in W 24.02 in D 13.78 in
Luigi Massoni Minimalist Plastic White Bed Tray Element by Guzzini, Italy, 1980s
By Luigi Massoni, Guzzini
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: Plastic tray Design: Luigi Massoni Producer: Guzzini, Italy Decade: 1980s Description: This tray table was designed by Luigi Massoni and produced by Guzzini in Italy in the 1980s. It is made from white-colored plastic and is in very good vintage condition, and would be ideal to serve breakfast in bed. It still features the original Guzzini box...
Plastic
Space Age Cooffe Table 1970s
Located in Čelinac, BA
Space Age Cooffe Table 1970s
Chrome
$1,145
H 22.45 in W 25.2 in D 19.3 in
French Midcentury Bamboo Folding Tray Table, Lacquered Wood, 1970s
Located in Morazzone, Varese
French Midcentury Bamboo Folding Tray Table, Lacquered Wood, 1970s Beautiful side table with removable tray, made in France in the 1950s. The tray and table legs are made of lacquer...
Bamboo, Wicker
$747
H 15.75 in W 15.36 in D 15.36 in
1970s Italian Space Age White Artemide Giano Vano Plastic Side Table
By Artemide, Emma Gismondi Schweinberger
Located in San Benedetto Del Tronto, IT
The Artemide Giano Vano side table represents one of the most playful and functional designs of the Italian 1970s. Made from molded plastic and recently repainted in satin white, thi...
Plastic
$1,061Sale Price|20% Off
H 24.81 in Dm 25.2 in
Luigi Massoni Italian Midcentury Trolley Bar for Guzzini, 1970's
By Luigi Massoni, Guzzini
Located in Lisboa, PT
This trolley was designed by Luigi Massoni for Guzzini, in Italy during the 1970's. The trolley features two trays, made of off-white plastic. The two removable circular trays sit within the triangular structures with white wheels. The trays have a diameter of 56 centimeters. One wheel...
Plastic
$723
H 20.87 in W 18.51 in D 18.51 in
Space Age Orange Plastic Mobile Bar Trolley Table Made in Italy, 1970s
Located in San Benedetto Del Tronto, IT
A charming blend of form and function, this vintage bar cart from the 1970s stands as a testament to Italy’s renowned design legacy. Fashioned from a beautiful warm-toned orange pla...
Plastic
Stone Age Gueridon by Studio Superego, Italy
Located in Milan, Italy
Stone Age gueridon with brass structure and base in semi-precious stone Malachite designed by Studio Superego for Superego Editions. Biography Superego editions was born in 2006, pe...
Malachite, Brass
Guzzini Trolley with Removable Shelves by Luigi Massoni
By Luigi Massoni, Guzzini
Located in Toronto, CA
The 1970s had no shortage of fun, and this trolley rolled right into the middle of it. Designed by Luigi Massoni for Guzzini, its removable shelves and geometric flair made it as rea...
Metal, Chrome
$2,411 / set
H 9.06 in W 17.72 in D 17.72 in
Italian space age Plastic coffee table Demetrio 45 by Magistretti Artemide 1970s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian space age Stackable plastic coffee table Demetrio 45 by Vico Magistretti for Artemide, 1970s Set of 6 coffee tables mod. Demetrio 45 in ABS plastic, 3 in white and 3 in red. ...
Plastic
Italian Gueridon Marquetry Tripod Table
Located in Bradenton, FL
An exceptionally nice Walnut octagon marquetry tripod table. The Marquetry design on the top, base, and legs are constructed of mixed hardwoods. The original surface has a great age...
Wood
Fiberglass and plastic coffee table, space age style, 1970s
Located in Milano, IT
Fiberglass and plastic coffee table, space age, 1970s. Low space age style coffee table made of resin glass and plastic, the base is orange and top is white. Good condition Defects o...
Plastic
$687
H 24.02 in W 21.26 in D 21.26 in
Space Age Orange Plastic Mobile Bar Trolley Table Dal Vera Made in Italy, 1970s
By Dal Vera
Located in San Benedetto Del Tronto, IT
Elevate your interior with this vintage orange bar cart by Dal Vera, an iconic creation of 1970s Italian design. Its striking orange trays and collapsi...
Metal
Space Age Red Vintage Side Table by Opal, Germany, 1970
Located in Vienna, AT
A round shaped two-tiered red vintage side table made of dark red lacquered plywood, which shows 2 round glass plates and 4 wheels. The vintage condition is very good with signs of ...
Glass, Plywood