Midcentury Mobile
2010s Indian Mid-Century Modern Indian Rugs
Wool, Silk
2010s Nepalese Central Asian Rugs
Wool, Silk
2010s Nepalese Central Asian Rugs
Wool, Silk
2010s Nepalese Central Asian Rugs
Wool, Silk
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Steel
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Tin
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Plastic
Mid-20th Century French Modern Chairs
Elm
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Faux Leather, Beech
2010s Brazilian Minimalist Dry Bars
Brass
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Art Glass
Vintage 1950s Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vases
Pottery, Stoneware
Early 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Cupboards
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Iron
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Teak
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
Pottery, Stoneware
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Late 20th Century Brazilian Modern Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Granite, Copper
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
Vintage 1980s Mid-Century Modern Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Marble, Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Walnut
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Walnut
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Wood
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Wire
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Vintage 1980s Kinetic Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Brass
Vintage 1960s American Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Metal, Enamel
Vintage 1960s American Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Metal, Enamel
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Metal
Late 20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Wood
20th Century American Brutalist Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Wood
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Steel
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Brass, Chrome
Vintage 1920s American Art Deco Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Iron
Vintage 1920s American Art Deco Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Iron
Antique Mid-18th Century English George II Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Pottery
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Iron
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1960s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Commodes and Chests of Dr...
Teak
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Crystal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Brass
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Wood
Vintage 1960s American Space Age Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Brass, Copper, Steel
2010s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Metal
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Club Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Pottery
Pottery
Vintage 1960s Italian Space Age Carts and Bar Carts
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Mid-Century Modern Mobiles and Kin...
Steel
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Steel
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Sofas
Upholstery
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Metal
Mid-20th Century English Hollywood Regency Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Shell
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Midcentury Mobile For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Midcentury Mobile?
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.
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A Basket-Weave Pattern Adds Country Charm to Paolo Buffa’s Elegant Cabinet
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This Paavo Tynell Chandelier Is a Radiant Bouquet
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End Your Quest for Fire with This Handmade Majolica Chimney
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Who Were Guillerme et Chambron? French Veterans of WWII with a Knack for Clever, Quirky and Livable Furniture
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39 Incredible Swimming Pools
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The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
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Iconic Furniture Makes This 1958 Midwestern Home a True Mid-Century Gem
Designer Susan Yeley turned to 1stDibs to outfit an Indiana home with standout pieces that complement its modernist style.
The Ultimate Guide to Types of Tables for the Home
Whether you’re just moving in or ready to give your home a makeover, our guide will give you pointers on tables that are fitting for every room, nook and hallway.