$1,161 / item
Rare Thereca Modernist Chair Industrial Teak
By Thereca
Located in Munich, Bavaria
Thereca Chair in Teak, Metal and Faux Leather Industrial-style chair crafted from metal, teak wood, and faux leather, presented in its original condition. A beautifully designed pie...
Metal
Set of Two Rare Mid-Century Easy Chairs by Fritz Neth for Correcta Germany 1950s
By Fritz Neth, Correcta
Located in München, BY
Set of two extremely rare and lovely Mid-Century Modern lounge easy chairs.
Metal
Niels Koefoed Koefoeds Hornslet Mid Century, Rosewood with Cream Upholstery Rare
By Niels Koefoed
Located in Buchanan, MI
Niels Koefoed, Koefoeds Hornslet, circa 1970s, a set of six dining chairs, comprising two armchairs and four side chairs. Please confirm measurements. Great for a dining room, Great...
Rosewood
Mid-Century Modern FM05 Wire Chair by Cees Braakman, 1950s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Magnificent and rare Mid-Century Modern FM05 wire chair. Design by Cees Braakman for Pastoe.
Metal
$3,600Sale Price|34% Off
Rare Milo Baughman Slipper Chair
By Thayer Coggin, Milo Baughman
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A small-scale slipper chairs by Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin. Brass frames with hidden rollers. Original tag attached to seat. Priced individually.
Brass
pair of mid-century modern rattan and cane chairs, Italy
Located in Palermo, PA
Pair of Rattan and Cane Chairs, Made in Italy This rare pair of mid-century modern chairs, crafted from rattan and cane, represents the pinnacle of craftsmanship, a synthesis of tra...
Cane, Rattan
Rare Set of 8 Mid Century Modern “CH66" Dining Chairs by Nicos Zographos
By Nicos Zographos
Located in Shippensburg, PA
SET OF EIGHT DOUBLE-CANTILEVER BLACK LEATHER "CH66" DINING CHAIR BY NICOS ZOGRAPHOS United States, circa 1970s Item # 307GYP27X A rare set of eight "CH66" dining chairs by Nicos Zog...
Steel, Chrome
$2,879Sale Price / set|20% Off
Mid Century Douglas Heaslett Arne Norell Style Chairs, a Pair
By Arne Norell
Located in Basel, BS
These ones are upholstered in high quality brown colored faux leather (Naugahyde) and their seat backs adjust up and down at various angles. NOTE: These chairs are one-of-a-kind ...
Naugahyde, Oak
$8,359 / set
Rare pair of Mathieu Matégot chairs
By Mathieu Matégot
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Mathieu MATEGOT (1910-2001) Paire de chaises, circa 1951, à assise et dossier en tôle perforée laquée noir, disposés sur une structure tubulaire formant un piètement tubulaire joint ...
Metal
$835Sale Price|20% Off
Mid-Century Modern Rattan Lounge Chair, 1960s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Amazing and rare Mid-Century Modern lounge chair. Design in the style of Franco Albini.
Rattan
Mid-Century Finnish “Karhu” Adjustable Chair by Kirjopuu Oy
Located in Helsinki, FI
A rare Finnish mid-century “Karhu” chair manufactured by Kirjopuu Oy.
Steel
$7,600 / set
Rare pair of Gio Ponti chairs
By Gio Ponti
Located in Albany, NY
Item: pair of chairs Designer: Gio Ponti Manufacturer: I.S.A. Bergamo Demensions: 35.25” h x 16.25” w x22.5” d. 18” seat height Material: Mahogany, metal sabots and upholstery ...
Mahogany
Rare American Mid Century Modern solid Oak Spindle Back Armchair
By Dunbar Furniture
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful rare solid oak in walnut stain armchair with spindle back similar to Wormley Dunbar Designs excellent condition solid and sturdy , nice wool black fabric .
Wool, Oak
Rare Mid-Century Faux Bamboo Beechwood Dining Chairs – Set of 14, Circa 1960s
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
**Rare Mid-Century Faux Bamboo Beechwood Dining Chairs – Set of 14, Circa 1960s** This exceptional **set of 14 beechwood faux bamboo side chairs** from the **1960s** beautifully cap...
Beech
Set of Two Rare 20th Century Orange Shell Chairs, H. Lachert, 1960s
By Anna Lachert
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
This rare chairs for collectors was designed in 1956 by Hanna Lachert for the LAD Cooperative in Poland. They were made either in the late 1950s or in the 1960s. The furniture str...
Textile, Ash
$9,752Sale Price / set|30% Off
Ico & Luisa Parisi Rare Set of Six Mid-century Modern Velvet Dining Chairs, 50s
By Ico & Luisa Parisi, Ariberto Colombo
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Ico & Luisa Parisi for Ariberto Colombo, Cantù, set of six rare rosewood dining chairs. Sculptural structure with slightly curved butterfly-shaped padded back, padded seat suspended ...
Velvet, Walnut
Victorian Tavern Chair, Ash and Elm, Mid-19th Century, Unique Design
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
An extremely rare mid-19th century English country Tavern chair, or high clerks chair, having elegant Turned upright spindles to bowed back over Superbly figured saddle shaped sea...
Ash, Elm
$2,229Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Rare E66 Chairs by Alvar Aalto for Artek, Finland
By Alvar Aalto, Artek
Located in Karis, Nyland
A rare pair of Alvar Aalto model E66 chairs, designed in 1930s. Good vintage condition, patina consistent with age and use. The chairs are sold as a set. We can dismantle the chairs...
Birch, Bentwood
$6,000 / set
Rare Midcentury Tony Paul Chairs Set of Six
By Tony Paul
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
A rare set of six mid-century Tony Paul chairs, model No. 701.
Steel, Iron
Price Upon Request
Rare pair of "Curva" chairs by Joaquim Tenreiro
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in London, England
Rare pair of "Curva" chairs by Joaquim Tenreiro.
Glass, Hardwood
Rare R&Y Augousti JMF Style Shagreen Chair
By R & Y Augousti
Located in Pemberton, NJ
Fabulous Jean Miche Frank style chair fully covered in a natural color shagreen. This chairs was custom-made by R&Y Augousti from France. It measures 35.5"t x 16"w x 20"d with a ...
Shagreen, Wood
Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs with Spindle Arms, 1960s
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pair of rare mid-century modern arm chairs with spring rocking action.
Fabric, Wood
Rare George Nelson Pretzel Chair for ICF Italy
By George Nelson
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A sculptural bentwood Pretzel chair # 5890 with elegant, curved arms having a dark chocolate brown leather seat. Designed by George Nelson for Herman Miller in the early 1950's and p...
Leather, Bentwood
$76,626 / set
Rare set of chairs by Joaquim Tenreiro
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Jolie set de six chaises par Joaquim Tenreiro ( possibilité de douze) Tout est d’origine.
Faux Leather, Wood, Paint
Pierre Jeanneret, Authentic Rare Lounge Chair, Chandigarh, 1956
By Pierre Jeanneret
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Available individually or as a set, these chairs are a testament to Jeanneret's mid-century design excellence.
Cane, Teak
Rare wery old Chair Thonet Nr.4, 1860
By Michael Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
Very rare chair, the oldest industrially produced version of chair no.4. (Without the circle under the seat, which was invented later, as a strengthening of the structure) Very sens...
Beech, Bentwood
Very Rare 276s Chair by Verner Panton
Located in Munich, DE
Tri dimensional bent plywood with original white lacquer.
Plywood
Pair of Rare Folding Chairs Dabaya, Allibert, France, 1970s
Located in Praha, CZ
- rare type - practical - marked - outdoor and indoor
Plastic
Pierre Jeanneret, Rare Armless Easy Chair, Chandigarh, 1955
By Pierre Jeanneret
Located in Antwerp, BE
Pierre Jeanneret; Le Corbusier; Armless easy chair; India; Chandigarh; 1955; 1950s; Mid-Century Modern; cane; teak; wood; rattan; side chair; dining room chair; This very rare ar...
Cane, Wood, Teak
$5,194Sale Price / set|55% Off
Rare Set of Four Leather Chairs by William Katavolos
By William Katavolos
Located in London, GB
A Rare Set of Mid C20th Leather Chairs by Katalovos Iconic Sling Back T Chair The Leather Seat is Attached to the Crome Frame Very Stylish and Comfortable
Leather
Awesome and Rare Scandinavian Wooden Childs Chair, 1960s
Located in Nürnberg, Bayern
A shapely and expressive children's wooden chair brought from Scandinavia. We have only cleaned it, otherwise left in original condition with all its traces of use. We think that y...
Plywood
Rare Midcentury Scandinavian Dining Chairs Set of Four
By Gemla
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Beautiful sexy of 4 chairs boy Gemla Sweden. Warm patina throughout. They sit wonderfully stacked as a space saving feature. Sculpted black lacquered seats are as comfortable as they...
Wood, Lacquer
Pair of Midcentury Rare Design Chairs, Italy, 1970s
Located in Praha, CZ
- very confortable - extremely rare.
Chrome
Rare Early Hedstrom Iron Circle Chair
Located in Highland, IN
A striking mid-century design in wrought iron with a canvas sling seat, this easy chair by Hedstrom has a dynamic quality similar to the Hardoy butterfly chair. Particularly notewort...
Iron
Inger Klingenberg Rare set of 4 shaped chairs model 193
By Inger Klingenberg
Located in Milano, IT
COD-2047 Inger Klingenberg Rare set of 4 shaped chairs model 193 in wood and fabric. Prod. France & Daverkosen, 1960s. Original manufacturer label.
Fabric
Mid-Century Modern Sculptural Plywood Lounge Chair, The Netherlands 1970s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Magnificent and rare Mid-Century Modern sculptural lounge chair.
Cowhide, Plywood
Flemming Lassen – Rare Pair of Mahogany Chairs with Cane Backs
By Flemming Lassen
Located in Kastrup, DK
Flemming Lassen (Danish, 1902–1984) A rare pair of chairs crafted in Cuban mahogany, featuring French-woven cane backs and seats upholstered in original Niger leather. Designed by F...
Leather, Cane, Mahogany
Set of Three Rare Handcrafted Wooden Chairs, Europe ca 1950s
Located in Utrecht, NL
Working against the minimal shapes and ergonomic design of streamlined mid-century European furniture, the maker of these chairs moved away from highly polished factory uniformity an...
Wood
$11,145 / item
Rare set of 6 chairs by Claude De Moyen
By Pierre Chapo
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Jolie serie de chaises par Claude De Moyen
Elm
$1,149Sale Price|29% Off
Very Rare No.350 Chair by Arno Votteler
By Arno Votteler
Located in Munich, DE
Amazing construction of one! Bent piece of plywood. Made by knoll.
Bentwood
Mid-Century Modern Wenge Lounge Chairs with Bouclé Upholstery, 1970s
By Martin Visser
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Magnificent and rare pair of Mid-Century Modern lounge chairs. In the style of Martin Visser for 't Spectrum.
Bouclé, Wenge
Arne Jacobsen Swan Chair Rare Model 4325 for Fritz Hansen
By Arne Jacobsen, Fritz Hansen
Located in New York, NY
Arne Jacobsen Swan Chair Rare Model 4325 for Fritz Hansen. The teak wood leg model 4325 is scarce and rarely available. Manufactured on 04/1963. Chair is in excellent vintage condi...
Upholstery, Teak
Early and Rare Pretzel sIDE Chair by George Nelson
By George Nelson
Located in Buffalo, NY
Early and Rare Pretzel sIDE Chair by George Nelson, c 1952,,, gREAT EXAMPLE, Iconic Design. Becoming increasingly harder and harder to find..Nice original condition,, Age appropri...
Plywood
$1,383Sale Price|20% Off
Pair of RARE Design Fibreglass chairs / Czechoslovakia, 1960s
By Miroslav Navratil
Located in Praha, CZ
- Czechoslovakia - around 1960s - Original condition suitable for a new upholstery.
Fabric
20th Century, Giulio Minoletti & Gio Ponti for Breda Rare Red Chair
By Giulio Minoletti, Officine Breda
Located in Torino, Piemonte
Giulio Minoletti (1910-1981), a Milanese architect, was notable for his remarkable versatility, his flair for experimental research into forms, materials, polychromes and hybrids bet...
Metal
20th Century, Giulio Minoletti & Gio Ponti for Breda Rare Red Chair
By Giulio Minoletti, Officine Breda
Located in Torino, Piemonte
Giulio Minoletti (1910-1981), a Milanese architect, was notable for his remarkable versatility, his flair for experimental research into forms, materials, polychromes and hybrids bet...
Metal
$3,343Sale Price / set|24% Off
Thonet, Set of 6 Rare Design Black Wood Chairs
By Thonet
Located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France
This set of 6 design black wood chairs is stamped Thonet-Vienna-1993 and has the gold Thonet incrusted label. They have a nice design, are large and very comfortable with their carv...
Wood
Franco Legler rare set of two armchairs and four "basket" chairs
By Franco Legler
Located in Milano, IT
COD-S173 Franco Legler (1922-2015) Rare set of two armchairs and four "basket" chairs, curved metal and woven cane, in perfect condition. Legler & Co., Switzerland, 1951.
Rattan
Italian Design Icon: Rare 1950s Desk Chair with Armrests
Located in Rome, IT
Introducing a rare find from the 1950s, this desk chair embodies iconic Italian design. Crafted with a black lacquered iron frame and tapered legs featuring a unique compass opening,...
Iron
Mid-Century German Minimalist Safari Rocking Chair from Casala, 1960s
By Casala
Located in Hamburg, DE
Rare Mid Century rocking chair from Casala. A very straightforward designed design with rustic materiality.
Cotton, Wood
$7,360Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of rare Antler Parlor Chairs, France ca. 1860
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Pair of rare Antler Parlor Chairs, France ca. 1860 These two very rare antler parlor chairs are made of stag antlers with feet carved as lions claws. Made in France, ca. 1860 - the ...
Antler, Wood
$2,554 / set
Rare pair of Danish modern fumed oak side chairs
By Poul Jeppesens Møbelfabrik, Grete Jalk
Located in DK
This rarely seen pair of side chairs (model 3-1) in slightly fumed oak was designed ca. 1956 by Danish designer Grete Jalk (1920-2006). These examples were executed by Poul Jeppesen,...
Oak
$7,360Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Rare Antler Parlor Chairs, French, ca. 1860
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Pair of rare Antler Parlor chairs, French ca. 1860 The two very rare antler parlor chairs are made of stag antlers with feet carved as lions claws. French, ca. 1860 - covering renew...
Antler, Fur, Wood
Rare Rocking chair par Joaquim Tenreiro
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Rare rocking chair par Joaquim Tenreiro, vers 1947.
Leather, Rosewood
Pair of very beautiful rare original 1960s Italian bamboo chairs
Located in München, DE
A pair of beautiful, rare, original 1960s bamboo chairs. Beautiful design and very comfortable to sit on. Made in Italy. Made entirely of bamboo, with a great craftsmanship. The chai...
Bamboo
$8,500 / set
Pair of Rare Sable Horn Chairs by Arthur Court
By Arthur Court
Located in Pasadena, CA
Rare pair of cast aluminum Sable Horn Chairs by Arthur Court, 1950s. Created to mimic the horns of an African sable antelope these chairs have been newly restored in a metallic silve...
Aluminum
Rare to find children’s barber chair with horse head, Belgium ca 1950
Located in Meulebeke, BE
A delightful and imaginative children’s barber chair from Belgium, dating to the 1950s, designed to transform an ordinary haircut into a playful adventure. This vintage piece combine...
Metal
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
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
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.
With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.
Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.
Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.
The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.
Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.
With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.
Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.
No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.
Modern icons are showing up in gracefully layered dining nooks, living rooms and lounges — proof that great design only gets better with context.
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
The enduring appeal of the Barcelona chair is in the details.
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.
Our feed is filled with the world's most beautiful spaces. See the rooms our followers have deemed the best of the best this month.
Our feed is filled with the world's most beautiful spaces. See the 10 our followers have deemed the best of the best this month.
There are many lessons to be learned from the lofts, apartments and townhouses of architects and decorators in Manhattan and beyond.
Having created extravagant homes for reality TV’s biggest stars, the designer is stepping into the spotlight with his first book.