Midcentury Modern Furniture Designers
to
120
5,274
821
6,136
79
23
5,994
189
10
1
6
6,129
102
23
5,171
859
1
2
16
165
624
2,692
1,230
731
67
27
3,255
2,398
2,389
1,805
1,335
5,055
2,099
1,956
1,651
758
6,234
6,179
6,210
21
18
17
12
12
Sort By
Mahogany bookcase by Christian Hvidt
By Soborg Mobler, Christian Hvidt
Located in PARIS, FR
-century furniture designers.
Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Shelves
Materials
Mahogany
1970s Metropolitan Furniture Corporation Green Velvet Lounge Chairs
By Metropolitan, Jules Heumann
Located in Dallas, TX
Furniture Corporation (Metro) based in San Francisco. Heumann was an incredible American Mid-Century
Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Velvet, Wood
Mel Smilow Mid Century Modern Abstract Grid Oil on Canvas Assemblage 1988
By Mel Smilow
Located in Virginia Beach, VA
pine frame. Signed.
Mel Smilow, the famed mid century furniture designer, had a passion for art before
Category
Vintage 1980s American Modern Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic, Foam, Pine
Set of 6 Danish Razorblade Dining Chairs by Henning Kjærnulf, 1970s
By Henning Kjærnulf
Located in BERKEL EN RODENRIJS, NL
of Denmark’s well-known mid-century furniture designers. Crafted in solid oak, these chairs feature
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Textile, Oak
Vintage Niels Otto Møller Model 77
57 Teak Dining Chairs with Danish Papercord
By Neils O. Möller
Located in Emeryville, CA
-century furniture designers. His work is celebrated for its organic lines, seamless joinery, and harmony
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Papercord, Teak
Vintage Niels Otto Møller Model 85 Teak Dining Chairs in Danish Papercord
By Neils O. Möller
Located in Emeryville, CA
Denmark’s most respected mid-century furniture designers. His work is celebrated for its organic lines
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Teak
Mid-Century Wingback Armchair With Ottoman in the Style of Mogens Koch
By Mogens Koch
Located in New York, NY
Extraordinary custom-made Wingback Armchair, in the style of Mid-Century furniture designer Mogens
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Scandinavian Modern Wingback Chairs
Materials
Brass
Jens Risom: A Seat at the Table Vicky Lowry
By Phaidon
Located in New York, NY
furniture designer Jens Risom – an unsung hero of Mid-Century Modern design
Jens Risom, a key figure in
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Mid-Century Modern Books
Materials
Paper
$135 / item
Mid-Century Modern Italian Table Lamp by Designer, 1950s Glass
By Mid Century Antiques
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Italian table lamp, mid-century modern design, made of satin-finished glass.
Italy, circa 1950.
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Glass
Mid-Century Modern Table Lamp, Glass, Italy, 1950 by Designer
By Mid Century Antiques
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Mid-century modern table lamp, made of white glass with blue and green hues.
Italy, circa 1950.
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Glass
"Stora Eva" Armchair by Kerstin Hörlin-Holmquist for NK, Sweden 1950s
By Kerstin Horlin Holmquist, Nordiska Kompaniet
Located in Utrecht, NL
, she became one of Sweden’s most renowned mid-century furniture designers.
Hörlin-Holmquist once
Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Materials
Wood, Bouclé
Mid-Century Modern Acrylic Table Lamp by Designer, Italy, 1950
By Mid Century Antiques
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Acrilyc table lamp with a metal base. Acrylic wasn't yet as industrialized as it is now and was considered as something exotic.
Italy, CIRCA 1950.
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Acrylic
Pair of "Conseta" Lounge Chairs by Friedrich-Wilhelm Möller, Germany 1960s
By COR
Located in Utrecht, NL
architectural know-how of mid-century furniture designers. While the refined linearity defines the overall
Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Metal
Ernst Martin Dettinger Set of "6057" Ash Chairs, Germany 1950s
By Ernst Martin Dettinger
Located in Utrecht, NL
craftsmanship and the architectural know-how of mid-century furniture designers, such as Ernst Martin Dettinger
Category
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Set of 2 Model C140 "Playboy" Chairs Jens Risom, Jens Risom Design, USA, 1960
s
By Jens Risom
Located in Deland, FL
-Century furniture designers featuring Jens Risom standing next to the C140 the chair. These superb Model
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Walnut
Set of 6 Model C140 "Playboy" by Jens Risom for Jens Risom Design, USA, c. 1960s
By Jens Risom
Located in Deland, FL
was coined after a July 1961 Playboy article on influential Mid-Century furniture designers featuring
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Walnut
Colorful Mid-Century Modern Designer Club Chairs
Located in Brooklyn, NY
patterning. An interesting Mid-Century Modern design offers comfortable seating while brightening up any
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Club Chairs
Materials
Upholstery
$2,000 / set
Mid-Century Modern Designers
Located in New York, NY
furniture, glassware, ceramics and textiles
More than 50 years later, the fascination with mid-century
Category
2010s Chinese Books
Materials
Paper
$90 / item
Danish Mid-Century Modern Adjustable Wall Mirror with Shelf
By International Designers Group
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Nice Mid-Century teak modern wall mirror vanity.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
Mid-Century Modern Sofa Restored in Designer Velvet
Located in North York, ON
Vintage Mid-Century Modern sofa. Custom reupholstered with a designer velvet fabric. Classic
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Materials
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Armchair by Brazilian Designer, 1970s
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Mid-Century Modern Armchair by Brazilian Designer, 1970s
Armchair with solid wood legs, made by an
Category
Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Mid-Century Modern Center Table by Brazilian Designer, 1960s
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Mid-Century Modern Center Table by Brazilian Designer, 1960s
Coffee table from the 1960s, by an
Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Center Tables
Materials
Metal
DESiGNER VINTAGE MID CENTURY MODERN LE CORBUSIER CASSINA LC1 COW HIDE ARMCHAIR
By Pierre Jeanneret, Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
, highly collectable Mid Century Modern, Cassina LC1 Le Corbusier Cow Hide armchair with Chrome frame
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Materials
Chrome
Mid-Century Modern Dresser / Sideboard, Brass, American Designer
Located in Manhasset, NY
Mid-Century Modern Dresser / Sideboard, Brass, American Designer
Walnut Mid Cent Dresser or Chest
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Materials
Wood
Mid-Century Modern Center Table by Brazilian Designer, 1960s
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Mid-Century Modern Center Table by Brazilian Designer, 1970s
Center table structured with solid
Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Center Tables
Materials
Marble, Metal
Mid-Century Modern Dinning Table by Unknown Designer, 1960s
Located in New York, NY
Hidden among Brazil's modern furniture heritage are pieces whose origins remain a mystery. These
Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Materials
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Dinning Table by Unknown Designer, 1960s
Located in New York, NY
Hidden among Brazil's modern furniture heritage are pieces whose origins remain a mystery. These
Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Materials
Metal
Mid Century Modern Glass Centerpiece by Argentine Designer Alberto Churba
By Alberto Churba
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, AR
Mid-20th Century Modern Glass Centerpiece Salad Bowl by Argentine Designer Alberto Churba
Expertly
Category
Mid-20th Century Argentine Mid-Century Modern Glass
Materials
Glass
Sleek Danish Mid Century Modern Designer Secretary Desk
By Erling Torvits
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Danish Design Danish glossy veneer secretary attributed Erling Torvits for Klim Møbelfabrik. This secretary has a hinged leaf that drops down and becomes a sturdy desktop. Inside the...
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Secretaires
Materials
Wood
$2,200 Sale Price
20% Off
Mid Century Modern Designer X Base Ottomans/Benches Newly Reupholstered- Pair
Located in Chicago, IL
Mid Century Modern Designer X Base Ottomans/Benches Newly Reupholstered in a Kate Spade Bow-Tie
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Benches
Materials
Chenille
Mid-Century Modern Tea Cart by Brazilian Designer, 1960s
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Mid-Century Modern Tea Cart by Brazilian Designer, 1960s
Mid-Century Brazilian Tea Cart by
Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Materials
Glass, Wood
Mid Century Modern Glass Centerpiece by Argentine Designer Alberto Churba
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, AR
Mid-20th Century Modern Glass Centerpiece Salad Bowl by Argentine Designer Alberto Churba
Expertly
Category
Mid-20th Century Argentine Modern Glass
Materials
Blown Glass
Mid-Century Modern Pair of Armchairs by Unknown Designer, 1970s
Located in New York, NY
Hidden among Brazil's modern furniture heritage are pieces whose origins remain a mystery. These
Category
Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Materials
Aluminum
Mid Century Modern Glass Centerpiece by Argentine Designer Alberto Churba
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, AR
Mid-20th Century Modern Glass Centerpiece Salad Bowl by Argentine Designer Alberto Churba
Expertly
Category
Vintage 1950s Argentine Mid-Century Modern Glass
Materials
Blown Glass
Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs designer Melchiorre Bega attributed
By Melchiorre Bega
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Mid-Century Modern side chairs designer Melchiorre Bega attributed in beech wood and leatherette
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Leather, Beech
Mid-Century Modern Tea Cart by Brazilian Designer, 1960s
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Mid-Century Modern Tea Cart by Brazilian Designer, 1960s
This beautiful tea cart, manufactured by
Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Materials
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Magazine Rack by Brazilian Designer, 1950s
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Mid-Century Modern wood magazine rack by Unattributed Brazilian Designer.
Made of solid wood and
Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
Materials
Wood
Mid-Century Modern Magazine Rack by Brazilian Designer, 1960s
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Mid-Century Modern magazine rack by Brazilian Designer, 1960s
This magazine rack is a carefully
Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
Materials
Metal
PAIR OF ViNTAGE MID CENTURY MODERN DESIGNER GREEN LEATHER CONTEMPORARY ARMCHAIRS
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
1960-1970's Vintage Green leather Mid Century Modern designer armchairs
Please note the delivery fee
Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Materials
Leather
Mid-Century Modern "Cubo" Sofa by Brazilian Designer Jorge Zalszupin
By Jorge Zalszupin
Located in New York, NY
comfortable sofa carved in a cube.
Zalszupin's work as a designer, entrepreneur, and manager is an example
Category
Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Materials
Velvet, Wood
Lobby Armchair by Brazilian Designer Jorge Zalszupin, Mid-Century Modern Design
By Jorge Zalszupin
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
This gorgeous "Lobby" lounge chair is a true masterpiece of mid-century Brazilian design, created
Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Materials
Aluminum
Mid-Century Modern American Designer Black Lacquer Cabinets / Nightstands, Brass
Located in Manhasset, NY
Mid-Century Modern American designer black lacquer cabinets / nightstands, brass.
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Materials
Brass
Mid-Century Danish Teak Wall Mirror With Shelf, Circa 1960s
By International Designers Group
Located in Richmond, Surrey
Mid-Century Teak Wall Mirror With Shelf, Made by ‘IDG’ International Designers Group, Denmark
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
Materials
Teak
Unusual Scandinavian Teak Bentwood Designer Sofa Mid-Century Modern
By Niels Eilersen
Located in Pemberton, NJ
Unusual Scandinavian Bentwood sofa. We just love the bentwood arms and the way the sofa is upholstered with giant square buttons. This piece will need to be reupholstered as the orig...
Category
Vintage 1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
Materials
Upholstery, Rosewood
$4,200 Sale Price
20% Off
Mid-Century Modern Floor Shelf by Brazilian Designer, Brazil, 1960s
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Mid-Century Modern Floor Shelf by Brazilian Designer, Brazil, 1960s
Two-tier floor shelf with four
Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Shelves
Materials
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Wall lamp by Unattributed designer, Brazil, 1960s
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Mid-Century Modern Wall lamp by Unattributed designer, Brazil, 1960s
Pair of red wall lamps in a
Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Materials
Metal
Italian Designer Mid-Century Modern Brass Table Lamp, 1950s, Italy
By Stilnovo
Located in Biebergemund, Hessen
Iconic midcentury desk lamp with beautiful brass details. Minimalistic design from the 1950s
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
Pair Mid-Century Modern Slipper/Lounge Chairs, American Designer, Tufted, Suede
Located in Manhasset, NY
Pair Mid-Century Modern Slipper/Lounge Chairs, American Designer, Tufted, Suede. Each mid century
Category
Vintage 1980s Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs
Materials
Suede, Wood
Mid-Century Modern Pair of Armchairs by Brazilian Designer, Brazil, 1960s
By Liceu de Artes e Ofícios
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Mid-Century Modern Pair of Armchairs by Liceu de Artes e Ofícios, Brazil, 1960s
Armchair from the
Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Mid Century Modern Glass Centerpiece by Argentine Designer Alberto Churba
By Alberto Churba
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, AR
Mid-20th-century glass bowl by Argentine designer Alberto Churba
Masterfully cast by pioneering
Category
Vintage 1950s Argentine Modern Glass
Materials
Glass
Italian Designer Mid-Century Modern UFO Table Lamp, 1950s, Italy
By Stilnovo
Located in Biebergemund, Hessen
Iconic midcentury desk lamp in pistachio wrinkle paint with brass details. Minimalistic design from
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass, Iron
Mid-Century Modern "Oxford" Lounge Chair by Brazilian Designer Jorge Zalszupin
By Jorge Zalszupin
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
This is an outstanding lounge chair designed by Jorge Zalszupin during the Brazilian midcentury
Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Materials
Steel
Mid-Century Modern 801 Sofa by Brazilian Designer Jorge Zalszupin, 1959
By Jorge Zalszupin
Located in New York, NY
production.
Jorge Zalszupin designed the “801” sofa in the late 1950s for his Brazilian mid-century design
Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Materials
Rosewood, Fabric
Mid-Century Modern Cube Sofa by Brazilian Designer Jorge Zalszupin, 1970s
By Jorge Zalszupin, L
Atelier San Paulo
Located in New York, NY
.
Zalszupin's work as a designer, entrepreneur, and manager is an example of a transition process from the
Category
Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Materials
Fabric, Faux Leather, Wood
Mid-Century Modern Cube Armchairs by Brazilian Designer Jorge Zalszupin, 1970s
By Jorge Zalszupin
Located in New York, NY
the pieces.
Zalszupin's work as a designer, entrepreneur, and manager is an example of a transition
Category
Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Materials
Velvet, Wood
DESIGNER ViNTAGE MID CENTURY MODERN LE CORBUSIER CASSINA LC1 PONY HIDE ARMCHAIR
By Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand Cassina, Cassina
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
, highly collectable Mid Century Modern, Cassina LC1 Le Corbusier Pony Hide armchair with Chrome frame
Category
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Materials
Chrome
Mid-Century Modern Cube Sofa by Brazilian Designer Jorge Zalszupin, 1970s
By L
Atelier San Paulo, Jorge Zalszupin
Located in New York, NY
.
Zalszupin's work as a designer, entrepreneur, and manager is an example of a transition process from the
Category
Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Materials
Wood, Fabric, Faux Leather
- 1
- ...
Get Updated with New Arrivals
Save "Midcentury Modern Furniture Designers", and we’ll notify you when there are new listings in this category.
Midcentury Modern Furniture Designers For Sale on 1stDibs
There is a range of midcentury modern furniture designers for sale on 1stDibs. Each of these unique midcentury modern furniture designers was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, metal and brass. We have 720 antique and vintage midcentury modern furniture designers in-stock, while there are 18 modern editions to choose from as well. Midcentury modern furniture designers have been produced for many years, with earlier versions available from the 20th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 21st Century. Midcentury modern furniture designers bearing Mid-Century Modern or Scandinavian Modern hallmarks are very popular at 1stDibs. Folly Cove Designers, Katie Larmour Design and Siemon
Salazar each produced beautiful midcentury modern furniture designers that are worth considering.
How Much are Midcentury Modern Furniture Designers?
The average selling price for at 1stDibs is $2,583, while they’re typically $177 on the low end and $49,000 highest priced.
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.
Questions About Midcentury Modern Furniture Designers
- What is modern furniture design?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertAugust 8, 2024Modern furniture design is an overarching term for the new approach that designers began taking in the early 20th century. Many experts cite the Bauhaus movement as the start of the modern era. Its style was defined by the instructors and students at a progressive German art and design school founded by the architect Walter Gropius that operated from 1919 to 1933. In Bauhaus-style furniture, the school’s followers married industrial and natural materials in simple, geometric forms. The goal of the Bauhaus was to erase the distinction between art and craft while embracing the use of new technologies and materials. As the Bauhaus movement was emerging, so too was Art Deco. This iconic movement made an indelible mark on all fields of design throughout the 1920s and ’30s, celebrating society’s growing industrialization with refined elegance and stunning craftsmanship. Art Deco furniture makers respected the dark woods and modern metals with which they worked; they frequently incorporated decorative embellishments such as exotic animal hides as well as veneers in their seating, case pieces, living room sets and bedroom furniture. After World War II, modern design continued with the mid-century modern movement. The style 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. Historians typically say that the modern approach to furniture design ended in the mid-1960s or early 1970s. Pieces made after that time may be called postmodern or contemporary. Shop a large collection of modern furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 25, 2019
Some of the most famous mid-century modern furniture designers were Alvar Aalto, Charles and Ray Eames, Paul Evans, Poul Kjærholm, Florence Knoll, George Nakashima, Giò Ponti, Hans Wegner, Charlotte Perriand, Sergio Rodrigues and Eero Saarinen.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Marcel Breuer introduced the material of tubular steel to modern furniture design. He employed it in many of his chairs, tables and sofas, prizing the material because it minimized the weight of pieces without sacrificing their strength. Shop a range of Marcel Breuer furniture on 1stDibs.
Read More
A Basket-Weave Pattern Adds Country Charm to Paolo Buffa’s Elegant Cabinet
With its grid-like doors and wavy trim, the 1940s design feels as fresh as ever.
This Paavo Tynell Chandelier Is a Radiant Bouquet
The alluring pendant light exemplifies the designer’s winsome mid-career work.
End Your Quest for Fire with This Handmade Majolica Chimney
Prehistoric motifs give the mid-century Italian fireplace an elemental feel.
Who Were Guillerme et Chambron? French Veterans of WWII with a Knack for Clever, Quirky and Livable Furniture
Their charming solid-oak pieces offer homes utility and comfort.
39 Incredible Swimming Pools
It's hard to resist the allure of a beautiful pool. So, go ahead and daydream about whiling away your summer in paradise.
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
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.
More Ways To Browse
Australian Wood Lounge Chairs
Erling Torvits Secretary Desk
Jorge Zalszupin Oxford
Mail Slot Vintage
Mogens Koch Wingback Chair
Stilnovo Ufo Lamp
Fabric Miro
Howard Miller Lucite
Mushroom De Majo
Farfalla Chair
Howard Miller Lucite Clock
Topo Chairs
Roger Mclay Kone Chair
Dixie Chest Of Drawers
Dj Booth
Dodo Designs
Dog Tile
Dolph Lundgren