Mid-Century Modern Leather Benches
20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Benches
Leather, Rosewood
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Benches
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Benches
Faux Leather, Beech, Cherry
Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Benches
Chrome
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Benches
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Benches
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Benches
Brass, Iron
2010s Turkish Mid-Century Modern Benches
Upholstery
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Benches
Aluminum
Vintage 1970s German Folk Art Benches
Leather, Wool, Birch
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Benches
Steel
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Footstools
Leather, Wood
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Leather, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues
Leather, Mahogany
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Leather, Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and P...
Sheepskin, Maple
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Footstools
Upholstery, Faux Leather, Hardwood
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Stools
Leather, Teak
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Wood
20th Century Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Leather, Teak
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Stools
Leather, Cherry
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Leather
Vintage 1970s American Post-Modern Stools
Lucite, Faux Leather, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century American Post-Modern Stools
Lucite, Leather
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Faux Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Stools
Wrought Iron
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Wrought Iron
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Metal, Chrome
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Metal, Chrome
20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Leather, Rope, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Stools
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Oak
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Daybeds
Metal, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Oak
Vintage 1970s Swedish Post-Modern Footstools
Chrome
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Modern Stools
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Israeli Mid-Century Modern Daybeds
Leather
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Loveseats
Leather, Elm
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Living Room Sets
Leather, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Daybeds
Brass, Nickel
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Faux Leather
Vintage 1970s European Mid-Century Modern Canapes
Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Chrome
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Suede
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
Chrome
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Stools
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Stools
Leather, Felt
2010s Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Canapes
Velvet, Wood
2010s Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Canapes
Velvet, Wood
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Stools
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Iron
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Leather, Velvet
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Daybeds
Steel
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Mid-Century Modern Leather Benches For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Mid-Century Modern Leather Benches?
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.
Finding the Right Benches for You
Don’t underestimate a good bench — antique and vintage benches are storage pieces, stylish accents and statement-making additional seating.
Today, benches are a great option to maximize seating in your house and outdoor space. The perfect option to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere in foyers and entryways, benches can also transform dining areas, making it possible to host a hungry family with limited space. Whether you’re sprucing up your entertaining with upholstered Empire-style benches or adding more options to a dining room that’s seen a farmhouse makeover, this humble furnishing has only become more versatile over the years. Designers have recognized the demand for a good bench, crafting the convenient seating alternative from a range of materials, including wood, iron and even concrete.
Mid-century modern benches from George Nakashima, Charlotte Perriand and the pared-down Platform bench by George Nelson for Herman Miller are classics of innovation, but maybe you’re looking for an unconventional design approach to your home's seating. Opt for something totally outside the box — an antique pine church-pew bench paired with a vintage wool throw and stationed under the mounted coatrack in your mudroom is a distinctive touch.
For your outdoor oasis, a wrought-iron patio bench is the obvious choice but not the only option. An enclosed back patio would do well to inherit a rattan bench with cushions, but it can be susceptible to weathering and should be covered or moved indoors when not in use.
Whatever your seating arrangement needs are, find vintage, new and antique benches for every space on 1stDibs.
Read More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair Shook Modernism and Charmed Hollywood
The enduring appeal of the Barcelona chair is in the details.
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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There are many lessons to be learned from the lofts, apartments and townhouses of architects and decorators in Manhattan and beyond.
Jeff Andrews Captures Old Hollywood Glamour in His Cinematic Spaces
Having created extravagant homes for reality TV’s biggest stars, the designer is stepping into the spotlight with his first book.
New Orleans’ Lee Ledbetter Makes Design Magic by Mixing Past and Present
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