Mid Century Modern Corner Chair
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Metal
Late 20th Century Argentine Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Walnut
Late 20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
Upholstery, Elm
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets
Metal, Chrome
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Models and Miniatures
Wood
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Metal
Vintage 1950s Indian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Teak
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Mahogany
Vintage 1960s Indian Mid-Century Modern Tables
Teak
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Metal
Vintage 1930s French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Cane, Oak
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Upholstery, Velvet
Vintage 1960s Indian Mid-Century Modern Tables
Teak
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Cherry, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
Vintage 1950s Indian Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Teak
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
Fabric
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Oak
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Tables
Rosewood
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Tables
Steel
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Chrome
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
Fabric
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Laminate, Hardwood, Ash
Mid-20th Century Indian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
Teak
2010s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Stools
Leather, Oak
Vintage 1950s Indian Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Aluminum
Vintage 1960s Indian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
Glass, Teak
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Brass
Vintage 1960s Indian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
Teak
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Bouclé, Beech
Mid-20th Century Tibetan Modern Chinese and East Asian Rugs
Wool
Vintage 1950s Indian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Cane, Teak
Antique Mid-19th Century French Mid-Century Modern Paintings
Canvas
Mid-20th Century Post-Modern Dining Room Tables
Marble
Vintage 1940s Italian Armchairs
Wood, Beech
2010s Danish Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Steel
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Rattan
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Rattan, Mahogany
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Rattan
Mid-20th Century Chinese Art Deco Chinese and East Asian Rugs
Wool
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Rosewood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Benches
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Oak
Mid-20th Century Chinese Art Deco Chinese and East Asian Rugs
Wool
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Wood, Ceramic
Vintage 1950s Italian Modern Console Tables
Lacquer
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Bouclé, Oak
Mid-20th Century Chinese Art Deco Chinese and East Asian Rugs
Wool
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
Fabric
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
20th Century Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Glass, Wood
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Rattan
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Steel, Chrome, Metal
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Metal, Chrome
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Mid Century Modern Corner Chair For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Mid Century Modern Corner Chair?
A Close Look at Mid-century Modern Furniture
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 celebrated 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.
Generations turn over, and mid-century modern remains arguably the most popular style going. 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.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Yes, Wassily chairs are indeed considered mid-century modern. Although the chair was initially designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925, it was re-released in the 1960s. Shop a collection of mid-century modern goods from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023Some iconic chairs from the mid-century modern era include the Egg chair by Arne Jacobson, the La Chaise by Charles and Ray Eames and the Womb chair by Eero Saarinen. With their clean lines, organic shapes and simple details, these chairs reflect some of the key features of the style. Shop a variety of mid-century modern chairs on 1stDibs.
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Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair Shook Modernism and Charmed Hollywood
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Herman Miller Got Its Start in the Office, but Its Legacy Is in the Home
The brand that turned Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi and George Nelson into mid-century household names is just as relevant today as it was six decades ago.
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