Mid Century Modern Corner Chair
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Metal, Chrome
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Oak
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
Rattan
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Chinese Art Deco Chinese and East Asian Rugs
Wool
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Sofas
Rattan
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Aluminum, Steel
Vintage 1950s American Organic Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Rattan, Formica
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
Rattan
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Iron
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern End Tables
Rattan, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
Faux Leather, Hardwood
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Living Room Sets
Rattan
Vintage 1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Fiberglass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
Wicker, Rattan, Mirror
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Leather, Wood
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
Bronze, Iron
Vintage 1980s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Acrylic, Plexiglass, Lucite
Mid-20th Century Unknown Rustic Armchairs
Rattan, Wood
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
Bronze, Iron
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Crystal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Metal
Mid-20th Century Japanese Showa Benches
Beech, Plywood
Vintage 1950s Living Room Sets
Fabric, Rattan
Vintage 1950s Sofas
Rattan
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Sheepskin, Wood
Vintage 1940s American Beds and Bed Frames
Rattan
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Linen, Oak
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Brass
20th Century Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Teak
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues
Aluminum
20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
Vintage 1960s American Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Rattan, Mahogany
Vintage 1970s Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Teak
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Teak
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Beech
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Cane, Oak
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Walnut
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Brass, Other, Iron
Vintage 1970s Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Beech
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Upholstery, Leather, Suede
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Ash
Mid-20th Century Dutch Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
Leather, Teak
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Wood, Cherry, Fruitwood
2010s Brazilian Modern Armchairs
Lacquer, Leather, Fabric, Cane
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets
Marble, Chrome
Late 20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Rope, Bentwood
Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Birch
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Patio and Garden Furniture
Wrought Iron
1990s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Oak
Mid-20th Century Indian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fur, Teak
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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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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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