More often than not, vintage mid-century Brazilian furniture designs, with their gleaming wood, soft leathers and inviting shapes, share a sensuous, unique quality that distinguishes them from the more rectilinear output of American and Scandinavian makers of the same era.
Commencing in the 1940s and '50s, a group of architects and designers transformed the local cultural landscape in Brazil, merging the modernist vernacular popular in Europe and the United States with the South American country's traditional techniques and indigenous materials.
Key mid-century influencers on Brazilian furniture design include natives Oscar Niemeyer, Sergio Rodrigues and José Zanine Caldas as well as such European immigrants as Joaquim Tenreiro, Jean Gillon and Jorge Zalszupin. These creators frequently collaborated; for instance, Niemeyer, an internationally acclaimed architect, commissioned many of them to furnish his residential and institutional buildings.
The popularity of Brazilian modern furniture has made household names of these designers and other greats. Their particular brand of modernism is characterized by an émigré point of view (some were Lithuanian, German, Polish, Ukrainian, Portuguese, and Italian), a preference for highly figured indigenous Brazilian woods, a reverence for nature as an inspiration and an atelier or small-production mentality.
Hallmarks of Brazilian mid-century design include smooth, sculptural forms and the use of native woods like rosewood, jacaranda and pequi. The work of designers today exhibits many of the same qualities, though with a marked interest in exploring new materials (witness the Campana Brothers' stuffed-animal chairs) and an emphasis on looking inward rather than to other countries for inspiration.
Find a collection of vintage Brazilian furniture on 1stDibs that includes chairs, sofas, tables and more.
Geraldo de Barros Vanity desk, 1955
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in Barcelona, ES
Vanity Desk by Geraldo de Barros Manufactured by Unilabor Brasil, 1955 Iron, jacaranda, mirror Measurements 128 cm x 43 cm x 83h cm (149h cm mirror included) 50,39 in x 16,92 in x ...
Iron
50's Dressing table with drawers, Móveis Cimo, Brazilian Mid-Century Design
By Sergio Rodrigues
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
This exquisite chest of dressing table was expertly crafted in the 1950s by the esteemed Brazilian manufacturer, Móveis Cimo. Renowned for their meticulous attention to detail and ex...
Wood
Price Upon Request
Brazilian Three-Drawer Vanity
Located in New York, NY
Rare three-drawer vanity in rosewood with reverse-painted glass top and mirror. Brazil. (Tabletop: 27.5")
Glass, Mirror, Wood
Vintage Oval Wicker Dressing Table with Stool, 20th Century Design
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Vintage wicker dressing table / writing table with stool. It is oval shaped with a raised galleried back. There is one center drawer. This very ...
Wicker
$495
H 5.625 in W 31.75 in D 12 in
1950s Retro Wall Mounted Salon Vanity with Mirror and Wooden Shelf with Drawer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Wall-mounted salon vanity set from the 1950s comprising a frameless mirror and a coordinating wooden shelf with drawer. The mirror features scalloped concave notches at each corner, ...
Mirror, Wood
$3,250
H 70.5 in W 45 in D 19 in
Antique Dressing Table/ Chest of Drawers with Gustavian Grey Paint & Oval Mirror
Located in INTERLAKEN, NY
A late 19th century pine chest of drawers or dressing table with newly-painted Gustavian grey/white or driftwood color paint. Offers an oval dressing mirror that pivots and rests over a table surface that is flanked on each side by a pedestal housing a drawer for toiletries, below which are two long...
Mirror, Pine
$1,347Sale Price|36% Off
H 64.57 in W 37.01 in D 16.93 in
French Midcentury Oak Marble Dressing Table Vanity Unit with Three Panel Mirror
Located in Labrit, Landes
Vanity dressing table with three-sided mirror and little two-doors cabinet circa 1960 Adornated floral motif, very stylish Height of the marble-top: 30.71 in. (78 cm) Good vintage c...
Marble, Chrome
$5,692
H 30.32 in W 33.47 in D 17.72 in
Mid Century Modern 'Positano 1306' Dressing Table by Ico & Luisa Parisi, 1950s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid Century Modern 'Positano 1306' Dressing Table by Ico & Luisa Parisi, 1958.
Wood
$1,541
H 47.25 in W 35.44 in D 14.97 in
Mid-Century Modern Glass and Steel Dressing Table with Oval Mirror, 1960s
Located in Milano, IT
Mid-Century Modern Glass and Steel Dressing Table, 1960s, with Oval Mirror Elegant dressing table from the 1960s, featuring a sleek metal structure with a refined black opal glass t...
Metal
Teak Vanity Table / Desk, Denmark, 1960s
Located in Nørre Aaby, DK
Elegant teak vanity table produced in Denmark during the 1960s. Featuring two drawers and a central mirror, this versatile piece works beautifully as both a dressing table and a comp...
Teak
$1,660 / set
H 37.41 in W 28.75 in D 17.33 in
Dressing table with chair in Art Deco style, Poland, mid-20th century.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Art Deco dressing table with chair from the 1950s. A dressing table in a geometric form characteristic of the Art Deco style. The furniture has one small drawer, a spacious top idea...
Walnut
$18,750
H 29.75 in W 39.5 in D 18.25 in
French Mid-Century Pecan Wood Dressing Table with Parquetry, 1940s
Located in Queens, NY
French Mid-Century (1940s) pecan wood dressing table with a parquetry top and mirror (20" high) over a drawer centered by 2 open side shelves.
Nutwood
Danish Design Teak Dressing Table, 1960s
Located in Breda, Netherlands
Danish Design Dressing Table What a showpiece! This Danish dressing table is made of teak and is in very good vintage condition. Expertly crafted from high-quality teak and designed ...
Teak
$16,000
H 30 in W 71 in D 31 in
Brazilian Modern Six-Drawer Rosewood & Iron Desk by Geraldo de Barros, 1950s
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in New York, NY
A structurally confident Brazilian Modern desk attributed to Geraldo de Barros, executed in solid rosewood and veneer with a minimalist black iron frame. The rectangular top floats a...
Hardwood
$15,000
H 28 in W 44.5 in D 19 in
Osvaldo Borsani Att. Wood and Rose Gold Glass Desk or Vanity, circa 1955
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in New York, NY
An Osvaldo Borsani attributed desk or vanity table in an elegant kidney shape design. The desk in maple wood with a carved apron consisting of two drawers with brass knobs that swin...
Brass
Sold
H 32.3 in W 73.6 in D 25.2 in
Midcentury Modern Desk in Hardwood & White Top by Jorge Zalszupin, 1970
By Jorge Zalszupin
Located in New York, NY
Available today, this Brazilian Modern desk in Light hardwood designed by Jorge Zalszupin for L’Atelier, is gorgeous! The desk is made of Caviuna hardwood and Formica finishes. It has 6 floating drawers and 2 more in the left side. The top of the desk is very spacious as well as the drawers. It has been refinished and besides the marks of age, the piece is in wonderful condition. The last images showcase the desk in L’Atelier’s product catalogue and spec sheet. This piece belonged to the Hotel...
Formica, Hardwood
Set of Three Nesting Tables by Geraldo de Barros, Brazil, 1955
By Unilabor, Geraldo de Barros
Located in Barcelona, ES
Geraldo de Barros (1923-1998) Dressing table Manufactured by Unilabor Brasil, 1956 Black painted metal, formica, jacaranda, brass details Measurements 155cm x 40 cm x 77h c...
Brass
To make a bathroom feel warm, serene and composed, adding feminine elements is the way to go. Featuring furry furniture, pops of pink and curated antiques, these sumptuous spaces are idyllic retreats in which to while away a few hours.
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