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
$537
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 Guzzini, Luigi Massoni
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
$1,136
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
$716
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
Guzzini Trolley with Removable Shelves by Luigi Massoni
By Guzzini, Luigi Massoni
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
Space Age Coffee Table 1970s
Located in Hellerup, DK
Vintage French "Space Age" chrome coffee table with smoke colored glass table top. The chic 1970s table has a "log" like base and is in very good condition with wear according to age...
Chrome
$336Sale Price|20% Off
H 1.18 in W 17.32 in D 13 in
Italian Serving Tray in Bamboo, Rattan, Wicker, Vintage 1970s Design
Located in Milano, IT
1970s Astonishing italian serving tray in bamboo, rattan and wicker. Made in Italy It's in excellent condition. Dimension: 17,32 x 13 x 1,18 inches cm 44 x cm 33 x cm 3 H
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
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
$1,052Sale Price|20% Off
H 24.81 in Dm 25.2 in
Luigi Massoni Italian Midcentury Trolley Bar for Guzzini, 1970's
By Guzzini, Luigi Massoni
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
$1,200
H 29.14 in W 22.84 in D 18.12 in
Orange Space Age Serving Trolley or Bar Cart, West Germany 1970s
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you can find an elegant, collapsible Space Age serving trolley or minibar in orange. It feature two-tier shelving and wheels, allowing you to move it around the space...
Metal
Stone Age Gueridon by Studio Superego, Italy
Located in Milan, Italy
Stone Age gueridon with a brass structure and base made of semi-precious stone Jasper from Madagascar, designed and produced by Studio Superego. With the possibility to choose differ...
Brass
$1,433 / set
H 29.93 in W 32.68 in D 32.68 in
Italian space age Plastic Dining table Stadio by Magistretti for Artemide, 1970s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian space age Dining table Stadio by Vico Magistretti for Artemide, 1970s Dining table mod. Stadio with square top and rounded corners, entirely in red ABS plastic. The legs have...
Plastic
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