An architect and designer, Alvar Aalto deserves an immense share of the credit for bringing Scandinavian modernism and Nordic design to a prominent place in the global arena. In both his buildings and his vintage furniture — which ranges from chairs, stools, tables and lighting to table- and glassware — Aalto’s sensitivity to the natural world and to organic forms and materials tempered the hardness of rationalist design.
Relatively few Aalto buildings exist outside Finland. (Just four exist in the United States, and only one — the sinuous 1945 Baker House dormitory at M.I.T. — is easily visited.) International attention came to Aalto, whose surname translates to English as “wave,” primarily through his furnishings.
Instead of the tubular metal framing favored by the Bauhaus designers and Le Corbusier, Aalto insisted on wood. His aesthetic is best represented by the Paimio armchair, developed with his wife, Aino Aalto, in 1930 as part of the overall design of a Finnish tuberculosis sanatorium.
Comfortable, yet light enough to be easily moved by patients, the Paimio chair’s frame is composed of two laminated birch loops; the seat and back are formed from a single sheet of plywood that scrolls under the headrest and beneath the knees, creating a sort of pillow effect. Aalto’s use of plywood had an enormous influence on Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen, Marcel Breuer and others who later came to the material.
Concerned with keeping up standards of quality in the production of his designs, Aalto formed the still-extant company Artek in 1935, along with Aino, whose glass designs were made by the firm. In the latter medium, in 1936 the Aaltos together created the iconic, undulating Savoy vase, so-called for the luxe Helsinki restaurant for which the piece was designed.
Artek also produced Aalto pendants and other lighting designs, many of which — such as the Angel’s Wing floor lamp and the Beehive pendant — incorporate a signature Aalto detail: shades made of concentric enameled-metal rings graduated down in diameter. The effect of the technique is essential Alvar Aalto: at once precise, simple, and somehow poetic.
Find a collection of vintage Alvar Aalto stools, vases, dining tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Bar Cart, La Permanente Mobili Cantù, Italy, Mid-20th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Mid-century bar cart on brass casters with two tiers. The top tray features a glass surface and brass side handles. Below is a secondary glass shelf, while the bottom tier includes i...
Brass
Vintage Brass Bar Cart with Smoked Glass Shelves, Modern Design, 1980s
Located in Greding, DE
Stylish bar cart from the 1980s featuring a polished brass frame and three smoked glass shelves. The rounded silhouette adds a sense of refined lightness, while the casters offer eas...
Brass
'Minerva' Side Table by Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, Denmark, 1950s
By Hvidt & Mølgaard
Located in Greding, DE
Rectangular side table on thin conical legs with two tiers. Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen designed the “Minerva” table for France & Son in 1957. La...
Wood
Side Table, Attributed to Jindrich Halabala, 1930s
Located in Greding, DE
Side table on four curved legs with brass inlay and square brass bases. The round table top also has brass accents.
Wood
Coffee Table, attr. Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler for Forma, Italy 1950s
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in Greding, DE
Rectangular coffee table with a practical magazine shelf and a drawer, supported by sleek tapered legs. The design is further enhanced by additional storage compartments above the dr...
Wood
Coffee Tables by Molteni, Italy, Late 20th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Pair of coffee tables on polished metal rod frames and round table tops. One table has a veneered wooden top, the other is laminated in dark green.
Metal
Model 901 Tea Cart, Alvar Aalto, Artek, Mid-20th Century
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Helsinki, Uusimaa
Model 901 tea cart, design Alvar Aalto, manufactured by Artek, Mid-20th Century. Birch frame with black linoleum table tops. Good vintage condition, patina consistent with age and us...
Birch
Alvar Aalto Model 901 Tea Trolley, 1950s
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Los Angeles, CA
wonderful Model 901 tea trolley designed 1930 by Alvar Aalto for Artek, white linoleum top with bentwood birch frame and white lacquered wood wheels with rubber rings. Good original ...
Rubber, Birch
Tea trolley 901, Alvar Aalto for Artek
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Paris, FR
Very nice vintage condition for this iconic tea trolley. Height 56 cm, 60x88 cm
Wood
Alvar Aalto Tea Cart Model 901, produced by Artek, circa 1980s
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Stockholm, SE
Produced during the 1980s by Artek.
Birch
Finnish Tea Trolley model 900 by Alvar Aalto, Artek, Finland
By Alvar Aalto, Artek
Located in Östermalm, Stockholms län
A true Finnish classic Tea trolley by Alvar Aalto, model number 900. Made from bentwood birch with a white tiled table top and a rattan basket for storage. The model can be seen in ...
Birch, Ceramic, Rattan
Authentic Tea Trolley 901 in Birch by Alvar Aalto & Artek
By Hella Jongerius, Alvar Aalto, Artek
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Authentic tea trolley 901 in birch and white laminate by Alvar Aalto & Artek. Alvar Aalto's tea trolleys serve as highly functional and distinctive a...
Birch
A power couple before the term existed, the influential pair made work that still resonates today.
Andrew Duncanson, founder of the Stockholm- and London-based gallery Modernity, weighs in on the masters of mid-century furniture and decorative arts.
