Midcentury Modular
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
Leather
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Shelves
Oak
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Teak
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Living Room Sets
Faux Leather
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Cotton, Linen, Upholstery
Late 20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
Upholstery, Elm
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Shelves
Metal
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Daybeds
Steel
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Teak
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Shelves
Metal
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Metal, Chrome
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Wood
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Sofa Tables
Beech
Vintage 1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
Velvet, Elm
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs
Hide, Alpaca, Upholstery, Walnut
Late 20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Wood
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Metal, Aluminum
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Teak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Wood
20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Foam, Wood
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
PVC
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
Glass, Oak
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Leather, Fiberglass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Fabric, Wood
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
Wood, Walnut
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Velvet, Foam, Wood, Walnut
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
Steel
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Wool, Rattan, Teak
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Leather
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
Rattan, Wood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
Fabric, Wood, Walnut
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Shelves
Beech, Teak
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Teak
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Settees
Plastic, Rubber
Mid-20th Century Persian Kilim Persian Rugs
Wool
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Shelves
Metal
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Upholstery, Fiberglass, Suede
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Desks
Laminate
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Teak
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
Wool, Beech
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Living Room Sets
Fabric, Bamboo
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Cocobolo
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Suede, Upholstery, Fiberglass
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Plastic
Vintage 1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
Leather, Wood, Wenge
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Shelves
Aluminum
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Suede, Plastic
Vintage 1980s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
Leather
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
Fabric, Glass, Walnut
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Shelves
Brass, Iron
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Fiberglass, Suede
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Chrome
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Wall-mounted Sculptures
Metal
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Midcentury Modular For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Midcentury Modular?
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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This Paavo Tynell Chandelier Is a Radiant Bouquet
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