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.
Black plastic & metal 70s Boby serving container by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast
Located in Varese, Lombardia
Low version of the Boby container designed by Joe Colombo in the 1960s. This is a black plastic container unit with 3 wheels and versatile storage compartments. Ideal for use as a be...
Metal
Space Age Vintage Bar Cart Serving Trolley Green Chromed Metal 1970s Germany
Located in Vienna, AT
Space Age vintage bar cart or serving trolley from green formica plates and chromed metal frame 1970s. Throughout its foldable parts on eac...
Metal
Space Age Vintage Red Orange Serving Table or Bar Cart 1960s Germany
Located in Vienna, AT
Space Age vintage serving cart or bar cart or gueridon in a happy making color tone red orange from laminate and metal. The bar cart shows a foldable feature. For a good mobility th...
Metal
Red Plastic Space Age Vintage Tray Bed Table Luigi Massoni Guzzini, 1970s, Italy
By Luigi Massoni, Guzzini
Located in Vienna, AT
Space Age red vintage tray or breakfast table Model pepito from plastic designed by Luigi Massoni Grafico Studio Zeto for Guzzini 1970s Italy. Perfect to use as foldable breakfast bed table or tray or as computer table...
Plastic
Space Age Red Plastic Tray Table or Gueridon Pepito Luigi Massoni for Guzzini
By Luigi Massoni, Guzzini
Located in Vienna, AT
Soace Age red vintage tray table, gueridon or serving table model Pepito from plastic by Luigi Massoni for Guzzin 1970s Italy. A bold colored pract...
Plastic
$1,408Sale Price|20% Off
Italian Space Age White Bar Cart on Wheels with Sliding Door, 1960s
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Rare 1960s Italian desgin space age bar cart. Characterized by a cylindrical shape, in white lacquered wood and a satin steel top. Equipped with a s...
Steel
Space Age Vintage Red Orange Plastic Bar Cart, 1970s, Germany
Located in Vienna, AT
Space Age vintage red orange plastic bar cart or serving table or side table 1970s Germany. A wonderful bar cart or serving table from plastic circu...
Plastic
Italian Mid-Century Bamboo and Rattan Serving Bar Cart or Trolley, 1970
Located in Morazzone, Varese
Italian Mid-Century Bamboo and Rattan Serving Bar Cart or Trolley, 1970 Gorgeous bar cart or trolley made of curved bamboo and rattan during the Italian mid-century in the 1960s. Th...
Bamboo, Rattan
Boby Art Trolley Cart by Joe Colombo for B-Line, Plastic, Italy, 1970
By B-Line, Joe Colombo
Located in Philadelphia, PA
'Boby' Art / Trolley Cart by Joe Colombo for B-Line, Designed in 1970, Italy "great color / six drawers" "Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale”...
Plastic
$1,599
H 3.15 in W 31.5 in D 23.63 in
Fine 19th Century Papier-Mâché Tray by Jennings & Bettridge, London Royal Makers
Located in Benington, Herts
A superb large hand painted papier-mâché shaped tray impressed to verso by the Royal Makers Jennens & Bettridge, London. English, circa 1830. Beautifully hand painted and gilt ...
Gold Leaf
Josef Frank Folding Bar Cart or Side Table by Svensk Tenn
By Josef Frank
Located in Munich, DE
Light and easy to store foldable table with a nice print by Josef Frank.
Formica
19th Century Mahogany Serving Tray
Located in San Francisco, CA
19th century mahogany serving tray Hand made serving tray from solid mahogany with brass hardware. The oval tray has four handles along four drop-down sides. The tray sits a...
Mahogany
$528
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
$2,441Sale Price|20% Off
H 32.29 in W 29.53 in D 20.28 in
Italian Smoked Glass & Metal Serving Trolley by Enzo Mari for Alessi, circa 1980
Elegant modern trolley designed by Enzo Mari for Alessi in 1989. Handlebar above a cylindrical shaft side support, on three wheels, stamped Alessi. Very hard to find, especially in t...
Faux Leather, Rattan
$3,295
H 29.14 in W 29.53 in D 18.31 in
George Coslin Rosewood and Chrome Serving Bar Cart with Drawers, Italy 1950s
By Bernini, George Coslin
Located in Roma, IT
Stunning Mid-Century Italian bar cart, fully made of rosewood, chrome-plated metal, and white laminate. This incredibly elegant and unique piece was designed by George Coslin and pro...
Metal, Chrome
$2,934
H 29.14 in W 29.93 in D 18.51 in
George Coslin Serving Bar Cart with Drawers in Rosewood and Chrome, Italy, 1950s
By George Coslin, Bernini
Located in Roma, IT
Marvelous Mid-Century Italian bar trolley crafted in a refined mix of rosewood, chrome-plated metal, and white laminate. This refined and distinctive piece was designed by George Cos...
Metal, Chrome
$1,936
H 25.4 in W 30.32 in D 18.71 in
Chrome, Brass, Smoked Glass and Mirror Bar Cart/Serving Table, Italy, 1970s
By Fontana Arte
Located in Roma, IT
Attributable to Fontana Arte Superb linear service trolley. On two levels. One in smoked glass, the other is a smoked mirror. The frame is tubular in brass and chrome, rectangular ...
Brass, Chrome
Campo e Graffi Bar Cart w/ Removable Tray in Teak and Brass, Italy 1960s
By Franco Campo & Carlo Graffi
Located in Roma, IT
Gorgeous triangular shaped serving bar cart with removable top tray in a beautiful combination of teak wood, brass, hand-woven wicker and white laminate. This incredibly unique and e...
Brass
$585
H 18.12 in W 15.75 in D 16.93 in
Midcentury Rare Side or Serving Table, Space Age Style, Italy, 1970s
Located in Praha, CZ
- very practical - rare type
Chrome
Mid Century Space Age Rotobar Bar Cart Table by Curver
By Curver
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Rare 1970s Space Age “Rotobar” Bar Cart or Table by Curver. 24.5w 19h
Metal
Sold
H 14.97 in W 15.75 in D 15.75 in
White Italian Space Age Plastic Trolley Dime by Marcello Siard for Coll. Longato
By Marcello Siard, Collezioni Longato
Located in Vienna, AT
This white Italian Space Age ABS plastic trolley was designed by Marcello Siard for Collezioni Longato Padova Italy and is marked on the underside, Model Name is Dime. Very nice orig...
Plastic
Sold
H 14.97 in W 15.75 in D 15.75 in
Brown Italian Space Age Plastic Trolley Dime by Marcello Siard for Coll, Longato
By Marcello Siard, Collezioni Longato
Located in Vienna, AT
This brown Italian Space Age ABS plastic trolley was designed by Marcello Siard for Collezioni Longato Padova Italy and is marked on the underside, Model Name is Dime. Very nice orig...
Plastic
Sold
H 14.97 in W 15.75 in D 15.75 in
White Italian Space Age Plastic Trolley Dime by Marcello Siard for Coll. Longato
By Marcello Siard, Collezioni Longato
Located in Vienna, AT
This white Italian Space Age ABS plastic trolley was designed by Marcello Siard for Collezioni Longato Padova Italy and is marked on the underside, Mod...
Plastic
Sold
H 27.56 in W 25.6 in D 32.29 in
Italian Space Age Platone Folding Table by G. Piretti for Anonima Castelli, 1970
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian space age white plastic and chromed steel Platone folding table by Giancarlo Piretti for Anonima Castelli, 1970s Platone fo...
Steel
Sold
H 20.48 in W 14.97 in D 14.97 in
Offwhite Square Componibili Trolley by Anna Castelli for Kartell, Italy, 1960s
By Anna Castelli Ferrieri, Kartell
Located in Vienna, AT
This square Componibili bar cart or serving trolley was designed by Anna Castelli in the late 60s and produced by Kartell in the 1970s. It is made of plastic and has four wheels and ...
Plastic
Sold
H 14.97 in W 15.75 in D 15.75 in
Red Italian Space Age Plastic Trolley Dime by Marcello Siard for Coll. Longato
By Marcello Siard, Collezioni Longato
Located in Vienna, AT
This red Italian Space Age ABS plastic trolley was designed by Marcello Siard for Collezioni Longato Padova Italy and is marked on the underside, Model...
Plastic
Sold
H 19.69 in W 20.48 in D 20.48 in
Space Age Orange and Black Vintage Plastic Bar Cart, Germany, 1960s
Located in Vienna, AT
A space age vintage bar cart, which was made of orange and black plastic and features three borders for bottles. With four wheels the bar c...
Plastic