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.
Glass Top Octagonal Shape Lucite Base Dining Conference Table Mint!
Located in Rockaway, NJ
A large glass top octagonal shape lucite base dining conference table mint! Glass is 3/4 inch thickness.
Brass
$4,791Sale Price|20% Off
Luxurious Coffee Table Made in Italy Brass and Glass Justfurnituress Design
Located in Guazzora, IT
The flying saucer by JustFurnituress Designer (tailor-made, handmade project in Italy) Concept and presence A piece-sculpture that stands as the visual fulcrum of a contemporary int...
Brass
Walnut Wood Cast Iron Amicalola Pedestal Base by Alabama Sawyer 60" Round
Located in Birmingham, AL
The Amicalola base captures the room set against a round or oval table top. This pedestal base is hand cast by the artisans at Sloss Furnaces historic foundry in Birmingham to look b...
Steel
Vintage Round Turned Onyx Pedestal Stand
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Vintage round turned onyx pedestal stand.
Marble, Onyx
Danish Mid-Century Modern Rectangle Coffee Table on Chrome Cylinder Legs
By Fritz Hansen, Poul Kjærholm
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-Century Modern rectangle teak coffee table on chrome cylinder legs with solid teak cone shape leg tips. Made in Holland.
Chrome
Peter Draenert "Klassik" Model 1022 Glass Coffee Table with Square Chrome Base
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rare Mid-Century 'Klassik' Model 1022 coffee table. Thick glass top and square chrome base. Designed by Dr. Peter Draenert, a philosopher and art historian, this table meshes a sleek...
Chrome
$2,918Sale Price / item|20% Off
Round Red Travertine Side Table, in the Style of 1970 Angelo Mangiarotti
Located in Amsterdam, Holland
This minimalist table is crafted from Red Travertine, featuring a circular tabletop that rests securely and effortlessly on its column base through its own weight. It is also picture...
Travertine, Marble
Cerused Oak Coffee Table, France, 1950s
Located in New York, NY
Cerused oak coffee table with contrasting trim, France, 1950s. Dimensions: 36 x 20 x 19.5 H.
Oak
Renato Polidori for Skipper "Faraone" coffee table in Mondragone marble, Italy 1980s
By Skipper
Located in Naples, IT
Table mod. Faraone by Renato Polidori for Skipper Italia 1980, in brushed steel, Mondragone marble supports, and beveled crystal top.
Marble
ICO PARISI - coffee table magazine rack - 1950s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Milano, IT
ICO PARISI - A refined coffee table with magazine rack designed by ll' architect ICO PARISI, in the 1950s, of solid beech wood , with glass top and brass magazine rack rods. Very ni...
Brass
Knut Hesterberg ‘Snake’ Coffee Table, Cast Aluminum & Glass, Germany, 1960s
By Ronald Schmitt, Knut Hesterberg
Located in Voorburg, NL
A rare and sculptural "Snake" coffee table designed by celebrated German sculptor Knut Hesterberg for Ronald Schmitt in the 1960s. This piece exemplifies the fluid biomorphic aesthet...
Aluminum
$14,080Sale Price|20% Off
Extendable Beechwood Dining Table, Attributed to Gio Ponti, Italy
By Gio Ponti
Located in Miami, FL
Italian Mid-Century Marvel: Extendable Dining Table Attributed to Gio Ponti A Statement Piece for Grand Gatherings: This captivating extendable dining table, attributed to the le...
Brass
Henredon Six-Legged 2-Tier Coffee Table
By Henredon
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-Century Modern mahogany bronze base / legs two-tier coffee table by Henredon. Very heavy and sturdy design table standing 25" tall for those who like to seat higher. Beveled glas...
Mahogany
Vintage Marquetry Octagonal Wood Table
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This octagonal table is an exquisite example of vintage marquetry, crafted from richly patinated wood with an intricate starburst inlay at the tabletop's center surrounded by concent...
Wood
Mid-Century Modern Center table by Bertomeu & Cia, 1960s
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Mid-Century Modern Center table by Bertomeu & Cia, 1960s Rectangular coffee table with curved edges, a nested glass top and hollow side cut-outs.
Glass, Wood, Plywood
Midcentury Geometric Sculptural Black Lacquer Coffee Table
Located in Van Nuys, CA
A rare find from the 1950s, this original black lacquer coffee table boasts a Cubist-inspired geometric design. Crafted by renowned designer Gail Fury, its sculptural form and lipped...
Wood
Maison Jansen Style Mid-Century Brass and Chrome Bicolor Vitrine Coffee Table
Located in Landau an der Isar, Bayern
Stunning square vitrine coffee table in polished brass and chrome with sliding glass tabletop and acrylic / Lucite side walls in the style of Maison Jan...
Metal, Brass, Chrome
Cream Travertine Round Dining Table, in the Style Peter Draenert, 1970s
Located in Amsterdam, Holland
This Minimalist table is made from solid light travertine, featuring a colon, cone shaped foot and a thick circular travertine tabletop that balanc...
Travertine
Borsani-Gerli by Tekno Round Glass and Metal Dinning Room Table, 1960
Located in Roma, Lazio
Elegant and essential glass table, with Italian design from the first half of the last century. Table of Tecno mod. T69, designed by Osvaldo Borsani and Eugenio Gerli. Table with gl...
Metal
Pedestal Dining Table White Oak on Cast Iron Amicalola Base by Alabama Sawyer
Located in Birmingham, AL
The Amicalola base captures the room set against a racetrack-shaped top. This pedestal base is hand cast by the artisans at Sloss Furnaces historic foundry in Birmingham to look beautiful and function out of the way of diner's feet. Rich with Mid-Century Modern inspiration, we conceived the name while hiking the 600 steel stairs that scale the face of Amicalola Falls, the gateway to the Appalachian Trail...
Steel
Medium to Large Black Granite Rectangular Mid-Century Modern Coffee Table
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Black granite not marble Mid-Century Modern rectangular coffee table. Measures: 51 x 28.
Granite
Scarce dining table by Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Rare table à jeu ou table à dîner par Joaquim Tenreiro
Glass, Imbuia, Paint
Square Walnut Mid Century Modern "Floating" Top Coffee Center Table Risom Style
By Jens Risom
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Square Walnut Mid Century Modern "Floating" Top Coffee Center Table Risom Style
Walnut
Italian Brass and Chrome Center or Dining Table
Located in Atlanta, GA
Elegant Italian Brass and Chrome Center or Dining Table, Italy, circa 1960s. The table base measures 27.5"H x 35.25"W.
Metal
White Oak Round Amicalola Base Clear Finish by Alabama Sawyer
Located in Birmingham, AL
The Amicalola base captures the room set against a round or oval table top. This pedestal base is hand cast by the artisans at Sloss Furnaces historic foundry in Birmingham to look b...
Iron
$7,083Sale Price|30% Off
Rare Maple and Brass Round Center Table by I.S.A. Bergamo 1950
Located in Rome, IT
Stunning maple and brass center table. previously thought to be designed by Gio Ponti the table is manufactured by I.S.A Bergamo . ISA produced many famous pieces designed by some o...
Brass
Rectangular Single Marble Pedestal and Top Dining Conference Table Deep Green
By Knoll
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-Century Modern simple lined single rectangle marble pedestal and top dining conference table. The color is very dark emerald green almo...
Marble
Patricia Urquiola Vidalenta Outdoor Coffee Metal and Marble Table for Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
VIDALENTA COFFEE TABLE DESIGN BY PATRICIA URQUIOLA, 2025 TABLE MODEL Square table 120x120 cm h.30 cm BASE-FRAME Cream embossed painted metal structure TOP Marble TOP COLOUR Traverti...
Marble, Metal
Patricia Urquiola Vidalenta Cream White Outdoor Coffee Table for Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
VIDALENTA COFFEE TABLE DESIGN BY PATRICIA URQUIOLA, 2025 TABLE MODEL Square table 37x37cm, h.48 cm BASE-FRAME Cream embossed painted metal structure TOP Glass TOP COLOUR Cream whit...
Metal
Octagonal Center Table by Romeo Rega, Brass & Smoked Glass, Circa 1970
By Romeo Rega
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Huge and elegant octagonal center or dining table attributed to Romeo Rega. Octagonal mirrored base with smoked glass top. Excellent condition.
Mirror
Modern Minimalist Round White Marble Dining Table with Hexagon Base
Located in Amsterdam, Holland
This Minimalist table is made from white marble, featuring a hexagon shaped foot and a circular travertine tabletop that balances perfectly and sec...
Marble
French Mid-Century Ebonized Center Table with Gilt Glass Top
Located in Queens, NY
French Mid-Century-style ebonized center table with a fluted & tapered pedestal over a triparte base having brass sabots all supporting a round gilt glass inset top (Copy of orig...
Brass
Solid Bronze Base Thick Square Solid Travertine Top Coffee Center Table Mint!
By Angelo Mangiarotti, Karl Springer
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Solid bronze base 2" thick square solid Travertine top coffee center table mint!
Travertine, Brass
Organic Free Form Molded Bent Glass Wave Pattern Large Console Table Glass Top
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Very unusual studio piece free-form molded glass console table with thick glass top.
Glass
Karl Springer Goatskin Coffee Table, 1970
Located in Chicago, IL
Karl Springer Goatskin coffee table, 1970. Original.
Goatskin, Glass
Mid-Century Modern Paolo Piva Glass Top and Metal Base Italian Coffee Table
By B&B Italia, Paolo Piva
Located in Madrid, ES
Rectangular coffee table designed by Paolo Piva for B&B, Italy, 1970s. Made of black lacquered metal structure geometric base and glass top. Paolo Piva: Born in Adria in 1950, he be...
Metal
Rattan Round or Center Table with Glass Top - Attributed to McGuire
Located in Austin, TX
A fine rattan round table or center table, featuring a large circular glass top over a stylish design of spiral bound bundle of rattan, attributed ...
Glass, Wood, Rattan
Italian mid century modern white iron round garden table with flower decor, 1960
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid century modern white iron round garden table with flower decor, 1960. Dining table in white painted iron with a perforated round top, under which there is a second smalle...
Iron
Angelo Mangiarotti for Skipper 'Eros' Round Dining Table in Marquina Marble
By Angelo Mangiarotti, Skipper
Located in Almelo, NL
Angelo Mangiarotti for Skipper 'Eros' round dining table in Marquina Marble, Italy 1970s. Angelo Mangiarotti created it for Skipper from the 'Eros' series, an iconic round dining ...
Marble
Round Travertine Side Table, in the style of 1970 Mario Bellini
Located in Amsterdam, Holland
This minimalist table is made from solid travertine, featuring a circular table top that elegantly and securely sits on three cylindrical columns. Drawing inspiration from the vint...
Travertine
$1,513Sale Price|30% Off
Mid-century Modern Italian Chromed Steel and Smoked Glass Console, 1970s
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Italian console in smoked glass and steel, 1970s. Chromed steel structure, with two round pedestals and two smoked glass tops.
Steel, Chrome
Vine Round Wicker Cane Center Table Brass Tips Legs MINT
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Vine Round Wicker Cane Center Table Brass Tips Legs MINT
Cane
Viola Veined Violet Round Marble Dining Table in the Style of 1970 Mangiarotti
Located in Amsterdam, Holland
This minimalist table is crafted from striking Viola-veined marble, featuring a circular tabletop that balances securely and effortlessly through its own weight. Inspired by the ico...
Travertine, Marble
Square Coffee Table with Thick Cruciform Base Made with Beautiful Oak Veneer
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Coffee table made with a top quality mdf structure with a beautiful wood veneer finish. All the pieces are coated with polyurethane with a semi-matt finish. — NONO is a Mexican desig...
Oak
Unique Heinz Lilienthal Agate Coffe Table
Located in Munich, DE
Until now unknown version of the famous E8 coffee table by Heinz Lilienthal. Custom made for a private client or a prototype - signed by the artist, who also worked for Aristoteles Onassis und Stavros...
Agate
$8,472Sale Price|20% Off
Italian 1950s Circular Dining table Att. to Ico Parisi
By Ico Parisi
Located in Milan, IT
Italian 1950s Circular dining table att. to Ico Parisi. Cream under painted glass top.
Glass, Wood
Square Oak Center Table With Scrolled Stretcher, France 1940's
By René Drouet
Located in New York, NY
Light Oak square table with tapered legs joined by a scrolled wrought iron stretched held by a gilt ring.
Wrought Iron
Rectangular Coffee Table Made of Solid Oak Wood by Nono Furniture
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Coffee table made of solid oak wood. All the pieces are coated with polyurethane with a semi-matt finish. — NONO is a Mexican design brand with more than 10 years of experience dedic...
Hardwood, Oak
Kazuhide Takahama Set of 3 Marcel T Coffee Tables, Chrome Steel Modern
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Kazuhide Takahama Set of Three Marcel T Coffee Tables For Cassina The Marcel T stackable design low tables form a triptych of graceful stackable shapes made of chrome-plated tubular...
Chrome
Modern Rosewood Westnofa Coffee Table
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
Designer: Unknown. Manufacturer: Westnofa. Period/Model: Mid-Century Modern. Specs: Rosewood Condition: This modern rosewood Westnofa coffee table is in excellent restored c...
Rosewood
Mid Century Modern Large Oversize Square Chrome Stainless Steel Coffee Table
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-Century Modern large chrome polished stainless steel glass top square coffee table. Measure: 54".
Stainless Steel, Chrome
Solid Walnut Wood Coffee Table, Fishes Series 5 by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Fishes is a series of sculptural coffee tables inspired by the famous Fish (1930) sculpture of Rumanian artist Constantin Brancusi. Brancusi's work has been widely regarded as a masterpiece of modern art, and his fish sculpture remain an iconic symbol of his artistic vision. The Fishes coffee tables...
Wood, Hardwood, Walnut
Mid-Century Modern Vintage Glass Metal Dining Table Osvaldo Borsani Tecno, Italy
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno
Located in Vienna, AT
Mid-Century Modern vintage dining table, which was designed by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, Italy, 1963. A timeless design icon, which will never be out of time. The base with curved l...
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Italian Walnut Center Table with Star Inlay, 1930s
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A vintage Mid-Century modern Italian salon table made of hand crafted shellac polished, partly veneered Walnut in good condition. The center table ...
Walnut
$9,240Sale Price|20% Off
Coffee Table in Caviuna wood, Giuseppe Scapinelli, Brazilian Mid-Century Modern
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
Discover the breathtaking beauty and elegance of the Giuseppe Scapinelli coffee table, a true masterpiece designed by the master Italian-Brazilian designer during the 1960s. This rem...
Glass, Wood
Gold Gilt Rectangle Frame Thick Glass Top Coffee Table
By Walter Lamb
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Heavy welded frame gold finish thick glass top coffee table.
Steel
Bamboo Base Square White Lime Stone Top Mid-Century Modern Coffee Table Mint
By McGuire, Ficks Reed
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Bamboo base square white lime stone top Mid-Century Modern coffee table mint.
Travertine
Teak Cube & Brass X Base Danish Modern Bronze Smoked Square Glass Coffee Table
By Artedi, Durland
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Teak cube & brass x base danish modern bronze smoked square glass coffee table.
Brass
Mid-Century Modern Milo Baughman Style Round Chrome & Glass Dining Center Table
Located in Lambertville, NJ
1970s Mid-Century Modern chrome and glass dining or center table in the style of Milo Baughman. Sculptural polished chrome base features a flat bar octagon design. Existing round cle...
Chrome