Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
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
- Emerged during the mid-20th century
- Informed by European modernism, Bauhaus, International style, Scandinavian modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture
- A heyday of innovation in postwar America
- Experimentation with new ideas, new materials and new forms flourished in Scandinavia, Italy, the former Czechoslovakia and elsewhere in Europe
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Simplicity, organic forms, clean lines
- A blend of neutral and bold Pop art colors
- Use of natural and man-made materials — alluring woods such as teak, rosewood and oak; steel, fiberglass and molded plywood
- Light-filled spaces with colorful upholstery
- Glass walls and an emphasis on the outdoors
- Promotion of functionality
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
- Charles and Ray Eames
- Eero Saarinen
- Milo Baughman
- Florence Knoll
- Harry Bertoia
- Isamu Noguchi
- George Nelson
- Danish modernists Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, whose emphasis on natural materials and craftsmanship influenced American designers and vice versa
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
- Eames lounge chair
- Nelson daybed
- Florence Knoll sofa
- Egg chair
- Womb chair
- Noguchi coffee table
- Barcelona chair
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
Mid-century modern pottery wall plaque with an abstract pattern, from Tilgmans
Located in Skarpnäck, SE
A unique and rather large ceramic wall plaque with an abstract pattern of a star and amazing colors from Tilgmans, Sweden. The amazing glazin...
Category
1960s Swedish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Italian Radiator Cover Midcentury in Perforated Iron Parts in Pure Gold, 1950s
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Italian radiator cover midcentury in perforated iron parts in pure gold 1950s.
Upper surface in mirror, truly original pieces of great elegance.
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Crystal, Metal, Gold Plate
Large Mid-Century Gold Leaf Painting with Gold Leaf Custom Frame
Located in Miami, FL
Large and remarkable painting with watercolor, charcoal, pastel crayon and gold leaf techniques. The custom hand made frame is gilt wood with lacquer. The piece is in very good condi...
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Giltwood
Åke Holm Swedish Höganäs Man with Flagon Ceramic Wall Plaque
By Ake Holm
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
Åke Holm (Swedish, 1900-80) was one of Sweden’s leading ceramic artists in the 20th century. He worked at the Höganäs factory in his early years before opening his own studio in the ...
Category
1960s Swedish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Stoneware
Set of 17 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 17 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of 12 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 12 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of 3 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 3 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of 4 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 4 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of 14 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 14 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of 4 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 4 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of 7 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 7 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of 7 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 7 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
K. Lee Manuel Framed Hand Painted Feather and Textile Wearable Necklace / Collar
By K. Lee Manuel
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautifully designed, decorative and stunning feather and fabric collar by famed fashion designer K. Lee Manuel. The piece has been professionally mounted and artfully framed in an acrylic box frame...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Nylon, Paint, Feathers, Leather
1950s Karl Drerup Enamel on Copper Frame Artwork
By Karl Drerup
Located in New York, NY
1950s modern enamel on copper frame artwork by American enamel artist Karl Drerup.
A rare collection of 5 pieces is available.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Copper, Enamel
Modern Screen Print Craig Ellwood
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1922-1992,
Craig Ellwood was an influential Los Angeles based architect.
His building designs were the quintessential post and beam structures that were part of the California modern...
Category
1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Paper
1950 Guerrino Tramonti INA CASA Italia Arti Decorative Ceramica Piastra
Located in Brescia, IT
Piastrella INA CASA
disegno di Guerrino Tramonti
Italia, 1950s
Ceramica smaltata a gran fuoco
Eccellenti condizioni, lievi difetti segnalati in foto
"INA-Ca...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Blue Expressionist Acrylic Abstract Painting by GM, 1998
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautiful abstract acrylic painting signed "GM '98". Excellent layered expressionist palette knife and brush work in blues and white with hints of green yellow, ochre, and pink peeki...
Category
1990s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Metal
Mid-Century Modernist Cubist Concrete Wall Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mid-Century Modernist Cubist Concrete Wall Art
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Concrete, Iron
Antique Matterhorn Framed Drawing, circa 1930
Located in Barcelona, ES
Early 20th Century Framed Drawing Matterhorn Artwork
By unknown artist, from France
In original condition, with minor wear consistent of age and use, preserving a beautiful patina
Category
1930s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Paper
Early 20th Century Framed Artwork, circa 1930
Located in Barcelona, ES
Early 20th Century Framed Artwork, circa 1930
By unknown manufacturer, France.
In original condition, with minor wear consistent of age and use, preserving a beautiful patina
Category
1930s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Paper
Set of 32 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 32 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of 48 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 48 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Flock Of Birds By Marianne Starck For Michael Andersen. Danish Wall Plaque
Located in Rothley, Leicestershire
Charming gathering of five small birds wall plaque, by Marianne Starck for Michael Andersen, Denmark
Muted blue glaze with brown highlights on stoneware
Stamped MS, Three Herrings ma...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Bornholm Town By Marianne Starck For Michael Andersen. Danish Wall Plaque
Located in Rothley, Leicestershire
Delightful Bornholm wall plaque by Marianne Starck for Michael Andersen, Denmark
Soft tones of blues and browns on hand crafted stoneware
Stamped MS, Three Herrings mark, Bornholm a...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Trio Of Birds By Marianne Starck For Michael Andersen. Danish Wall Plaque
Located in Rothley, Leicestershire
Trio of birds wall plaque, by Marianne Starck for Michael Andersen, Denmark
Amusing trio glazed with blue, green and brown over stoneware
Stamped MS, Three Herrings mark and #6267 o...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of 5 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 5 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Rooster By Marianne Starck For Michael Andersen. Danish Wall Plaque
Located in Rothley, Leicestershire
Bold rooster wall plaque by Marianne Starck for Michael Andersen, Denmark
Wonderfully hand crafted by the renowned Danish ceramicist
Stamped MS, Three Herrings mark, and #6071 on re...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of 50 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 50 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Rudolph Weisenborn (1879-1974) Abstract Oil on Canvas Circa 1957
Located in West Palm Beach, US
Rudolph Weisenborn (1879-1974) Colorful abstract painting in heavy impasto oil on canvas by renowned Chicago artist Rudolph Weisenborn. Signed on bottom right front Wesisenborn '57. ...
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Canvas, Paint
Bluebirds Trio By Marianne Starck For Michael Andersen. Danish Wall Plaque
Located in Rothley, Leicestershire
Bluebirds trio wall plaque, by Marianne Starck for Michael Andersen, Denmark
Engaging blue glazed birds on stoneware plaque
Stamped MS, Three Herrings mark and #6267 on reverse
Widt...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Mackerel Smoking Scene Marianne Starck, Michael Andersen, Persian Glaze Plaque
Located in Rothley, Leicestershire
Entertaining scene of a Bornholm mackerel smoker and his family
Beautifully created wall plaque with a complex Persian glaze, by renowned ceramicist Marianne Starck, for Michael A...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Girl With Braid By Marianne Starck For Michael Andersen. Danish Wall Plaque
Located in Rothley, Leicestershire
Girl with braided hair wall plaque, by Marianne Starck for Michael Andersen, Denmark
Serene image complimented by delicate pale blue glaze
Stamped MS, Three Herrings mark and #6056...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Abstract Wheels By Marianne Starck For Michael Andersen. Danish Wall Plaque
Located in Rothley, Leicestershire
Tactile, abstract wheels wall plaque by Marianne Starck for Michael Andersen, Denmark
Dark brown wheels with blue glaze pools over stoneware
Stamped MS, Three Herrings mark and #635...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Blue Ladies By Marianne Starck For Michael Andersen. Danish Wall Plaque
Located in Rothley, Leicestershire
Four Soulful Women In Blue wall plaque, by Marianne Starck for Michael Andersen, Denmark
Superb varying degrees of cobalt blue glaze over stoneware
Stamped MS, Three Herrings mark a...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of 25 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 25 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of 5 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 5 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of 9 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 9 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of 5 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 5 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of 12 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 12 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of 169 (3 Sqm) ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 169 tiles (around 3 Sqm) by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Vintage Dutch Canvas Postal Bag with Steel Loops and Red, White, Blue Stripe
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage canvas postal bag with steel loops. 'Dutch Postal Service' stamped in Dutch and French hints that this piece is likely associated with shipments to bilingual Belgium. This we...
Category
1960s Dutch Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Canvas
Set of 108 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 108 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of 38 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 38 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of 73 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 73 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of 30 ceramic tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s
By Roger Capron
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 30 tiles by Roger Capron, France - 1970s.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Mid-Century Modern Terracota Wind Chime Bell
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Condition:
Original Vintage Condition
Category
1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Terracotta
Karl Mann Mid Century Modernist Assemblage Collage Sculpture Chicago Art
Located in Sarasota, FL
Sculpture by Chicago artist Karl Mann.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Metal
Aqua Majolica Oyster Plate Gien, circa 1950
By Gien
Located in Austin, TX
Majolica oyster plate signed Gien, circa 1950.
Category
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
French Majolica Oyster Marcel Guillot, circa 1950
Located in Austin, TX
Large French Majolica oyster signed Marcel Guillot, circa 1950.
10.5 diameter.
Category
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
Aqua Majolica Oyster Plate Gien, circa 1950
By Gien
Located in Austin, TX
Majolica oyster plate signed Gien, circa 1950.
Category
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Mid Century Helmut Schaffenacker, Germany Pottery Wall Plaque Horses, c1960s
Located in Chino Hills, CA
Step back in time and infuse your living space with the allure of mid-century modern design with this exquisite vintage wall plaque by the renowned German ceramist, Helmut Schaffenac...
Category
1960s German Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Roger Capron Panel with 5 Ceramic Tiles - FISH 3
By Roger Capron
Located in Stratford, CT
Playful and whimsical, Capron’s art panels are the most sought after, as editions were small, and in some cases not more than a few, or by special commission. Some are rough and mat...
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
French Majolica Oyster Marcel Guillot, circa 1950
Located in Austin, TX
Large French Majolica oyster signed Marcel Guillot, circa 1950.
10.5 diameter.
Category
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
Roger Capron Panel with 5 Ceramic Tiles - BIRD
By Roger Capron
Located in Stratford, CT
Playful and whimsical, Capron’s art panels are the most sought after, as editions were small, and in some cases not more than a few, or by special commission. Some are rough and mat...
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Original Oil on Paper Painting by Alexander Gore, Dated 2012 and Certified
Located in Miami, FL
A stunning original oil on paper painting by Alexander Gore. The piece is dated 2012, painted in high relief. The artist works of art have been displayed around the world and to this...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Paper, Giltwood
Roger Capron Panel with 5 Ceramic Tiles - FISH 2
By Roger Capron
Located in Stratford, CT
Playful and whimsical, Capron’s art panels are the most sought after, as editions were small, and in some cases not more than a few, or by special commission. Some are rough and mat...
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Roger Capron Panel with 5 Ceramic Tiles - FISH
By Roger Capron
Located in Stratford, CT
Playful and whimsical, Capron’s art panels are the most sought after, as editions were small, and in some cases not more than a few, or by special commission. Some are rough and mat...
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Roger Capron Panel with 3 Ceramic Tiles - SUN
By Roger Capron
Located in Stratford, CT
Playful and whimsical, Capron’s art panels are the most sought after, as editions were small, and in some cases not more than a few, or by special commission. Some are rough and mat...
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Mid-century Modern decorative art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern decorative art 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 decorative art created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include wall decorations, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, decorative objects and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, ceramic and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern decorative art 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 decorative art, popular names associated with this style include Robert Picault, Curtis Jeré, Vallauris, and Daniel Clesse. 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 decorative art differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $50 and tops out at $406,322 while the average work can sell for $1,323.
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