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.
Italian Lotus Pattern Silk Velvet and Metallic Woven Bedcover 1970s
Located in Palermo, PA
An exceptional Italian bedcover dating from the 1970s, crafted from luxurious silk velvet with an elegant lotus flower pattern. The velvet is layered over a shimmering woven cotton g...
Metal
Large Italian Sculptural Cotton Bedspread with Raised Geometric Floral Motif, ci
Located in Palermo, PA
A striking Italian bedspread dating to the early 1970s, celebrated for its sculptural texture, generous proportions and understated elegance. Woven from a substantial yet beautifull...
Cotton
Mid-Century Modern Hand-Woven Welsh Blanket, Wool, 1950s UK
Located in London, GB
Traditional 1950's Welch blanket - Aur Cymru in Welsh, famous for its regional strong patterns, Caernarfon portcullis design, is hand woven Woven in a black weft and a cream and white warp with red details. Each Welch blanket is unique. The blanket is woven as a double cloth, resulting in a fully reversible blanket. Aur Cymru or Welsh Gold are a historic nicknames given to coal. This black & white wool blanket remembers when coal was 'king' in Wales. A beautiful and stylish addition to any room in your home. This Welsh blanket...
Wool
Italian Textured Velvet Bedspread with Oversized Embroidered Medallion 1970
Located in Palermo, PA
Crafted from richly textured eggshell colored cotton with silk velvet appliqué, the bedspread features a beautifully tactile surface with a softly puckered weave that adds character....
Cotton, Silk, Velvet
1950s Vintage Penny's All Wool Blanket Pendleton Style
Located in Chula Vista, CA
Vintage All Wool Blanket JC Penney's after Pendleton Off white, red, yellow and blue Retains original label. 72 x 88 Preowned original condition Refer to images
Wool
Italian Floral Cotton Silk Velvet Bedspread with Original Bed Skirt, circa 1970
Located in Palermo, PA
An exceptional Italian bedspread dating to the early 1970s, distinguished by its luxurious materials, generous proportions and remarkable craftsmanship. Crafted in sumptuous cotton ...
Cotton, Silk, Velvet
1943 Original Military Swiss Army Wool Blanket
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1940s Red Cross Brown Blanket Swiss Army 79.5 w x 60 Original vintage condition Refer to images
Wool
A Large Modernist Abstract Tapestry by Mathieu Mategot
Located in Atlanta, GA
A modernist wool woven tapestry designed by French artist and designer Mathieu Mategot (1910-2001) circa 1960s. The piece is signed with Matégot and monogrammed TMP fino (Manufactura...
Canvas, Wool
Italian Mid-Century Floral Linen and Cotton Bedcover with Bed Skirt, 1960s
Located in Palermo, PA
Italian vintage bedcover from the 1960s, crafted in a textured cotton and linen blend. With its warm brown base and floral pattern in shades of rust, terracotta, green and ochre, th...
Cotton, Linen
Pompallier, Hand Embroidered sweet blue Throw Blanket
Located in Middelburg, NL
Pompallier, a sweet blue throw blanket made of the finest New Zealand mohair. Characterized with a pink and yellow fringe border completely embroide...
Mohair
Italian Pink and Coral Floral Brocade Bedspread with Fringe 1970s
Located in Palermo, PA
A beautiful Italian bedspread from the 1970s, woven in an elegant floral brocade textile, likely composed of cotton with a wool blend. The richly textured weave gives the piece a won...
Wool, Cotton
Italian Reversible Geometric Woven Bedspread, circa 1970
Located in Palermo, PA
A striking Italian bedspread from the 1970s, featuring a bold geometric design in warm shades of beige, camel and chocolate brown. Woven from a subs...
Cotton, Linen
Italian Floral Cotton Bedspread with Pom-Pom Trim, circa 1970
Located in Palermo, PA
A wonderfully expressive Italian bedspread from the 1970s, featuring a vibrant floral print in soft shades of blue, violet, brown and ochre against a...
Cotton, Polyester
Large Vintage Uzbek Suzani Needlework Textile Blanket or Tapestry
Located in Antwerp, BE
Large vintage Suzani Uzbek Samarkand textile, Suzani means needlework and these embroideries are some of the most characteristic forms of tex...
Silk, Cotton
Mid-Century Modern Danish Decorative Linen Table Cloth Runner, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Modern Danish Decorative Linen Table Cloth Runner, 1960s
Linen
Signed, Victor Vasarely 1969 Op Art Silk Scarf Screen-Print
Located in New York, NY
Framed, color screen-print on silk scarf. Untitled. 138/150. Measures: 37" W x 36.5" H.
Silk
Russian Roller Printed Cotton Fabric Panel, Mid-20th Century or Earlier
Located in Istanbul, TR
These type of Russian prints that are also called 'trade cloth' since they were made for Central Asian markets. They were used to make blankets and dresses, and also used for the lin...
Cotton
Midcentury Vintage Textile Art Majestic Mexican Eagle Blanket
Located in Chula Vista, CA
Midcentury Vintage Textile Art Majestic Mexican Eagle Blanket 50 x 74 Original preowned vintage condition. Unrestored. Wear visible. See all images.
Textile
Midcentury Large Cloth, Fabric or Textile in Style of Panton Verner, 1960s
Located in Praha, CZ
- very rare cloth - perfect original condition - never used.
Textile
1950s Vintage All Wool Blanket Off White Center Blue Stripe Pendleton Style MCM
Located in Chula Vista, CA
Vintage Old Wool Blanket off white with blue line stripe 68 w x 92 Preowned original condition Refer to images
Wool
Vintage Pierre Cardin Leather Jacket, Men's Small or Women's Large
Located in Hanover, MA
Vintage brushed leather zippered motorcycle jacket with folding collar and tri-band decorative racing stripes across the breast and up and down the front sides. Brown satin lining. M...
Leather
Mink Fur Scarf, Black and White, 1960s Style, Chic Scarf by Area ID, New Skins
By Area ID
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful new mink scarf in a 1960s style, deigned by Area ID.
Fur
$3,600Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Karel Appel Curtains, 1963, Documented at Stedelijk Musem
By Karel Appel
Located in bergen op zoom, NL
Super rare and impressive pair of large cotton ''gordijnstof' curtains, designed in 1963 by world renowned Dutch painter and sculptor Karel Appel (1921-2006) for the textile company Hermann Hartman & Co of Amsterdam. This extremely rare, original repeat print textile is documented in the Stedelijk museum's textile collection under object nubmer KNA 1998, please see image 2. Each curtain measures 56.7" X 83.85" (144cm X 213cm). 'Gordijnstof' translates as "curtain fabric" confirming that this textile was originally designed by Appel specifically for use as curtains however being of such an impressive dimension these examples could equally be used as wall hangings ,as photographed, or mounted on both sides of a screen or mounted and framed as an art work in its own right , a practice which is becoming increasingly commonplace as high end textile designs by important artists are becoming increasingly valued , appreciated and sought after in the marketplace. Appel's paintings and sculptures can be found in the collections of some of the world's most prominent museums including the Museum of Modern art in New York and Tate Modern ,London. Each curtain is of a very impressive scale with each measuring 56.7 " (144 cm) X 83.85" (213cm). The curtains are signed on the banding KUNSTENAAR DESSIN ONTWERP Karel Appel, HARTMAN PRINT, AMSTERDAM. Another of Appel's designs for Hermann Hartman,Amsterdam can be found in the collection of the national textile museum in Holland. Please see image 9. Even a small sample of this 1963 textile in good condition would be hard to find today but to find two large scale Appel curtains intact and in beautiful unfaded condition with no staining or fraying must be next to unique today. This is a very rare find and certainly a unique opportunity. Image 10 shows Karel Appel in his atelier in New York in 1966. Provenance: These curtains come from the private collection of a retired Professor from Oxford,UK. Biography: Karel Appel was an Expressionist Dutch painter. He was a member of the famous Cobra, the European group of the late 1940s to early 1950s, which promoted spontaneous expressionism and abstract features in painting. Appel's paintings incorporate applications of vibrant, violent colors often possessing a primal, childlike quality or a schizophrenic innocence. Later in life, Appel turned to creating figurative sculptures. Examples of his work can be seen in the Museum of Modern Art, New York City, Boymans-Van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam, and other collections. Expressionist painter Karel Appel made a name for himself in the world of painting by creating a majestic collection of highly distinguishable work for which he became internationally renowned. From the start, art curators could not ignore Appel's work, which has been exhibited at major museums around the world, including New York's Museum of Modern Art, the Manhattan-based Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Tate Gallery in London. Though Appel is widely recognized as one of the best-known Dutch Expressionist painters of all time, he was also a passionate printmaker, sculptor, and ceramicist. Karel Appel’s childhood and early life Christiaan Karel Appel was born on April 25, 1921, in his parents’ house at 7 Dapperstraat, Amsterdam. His father, Jan Appel, owned a barbershop. His mother, born Johanna Chevalier, was a descendant of French Huguenots. Karel Appel had three brothers. He studied art from 1940 to 1943 at the Rejksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts during the German occupation and befriended young painter Corneille and, some years later, Constant. His parents opposed his choice to become an artist, leading him to leave home. This was also necessary to hide himself from the German police so that he would not be picked up and sent to Germany to work in the weapon industry. Appel produced his first real painting on canvas, which was a still life of a fruit basket at the age of fourteen. On his fifteenth birthday, his wealthy uncle Karel Chevalier gave him a paint set and an easel and some lessons on painting. Career. In 1946, his first solo show was held in Groningen, Netherlands. He also participated in the Jonge Schilders exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum of Amsterdam nd created a buzz in the art world, as it generated a huge scandal and many objections in the press and public. About this time, Appel was influenced first by Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, then by the French brute-art artist Jean Dubuffet. In 1947, he started sculpting with various used materials and painted them in bright colors such as white, red, yellow, blue and black. Karel Appel became the member of Nederlandse Experimentele Group in Holland along with the young Dutch painters Anton Rooskens...
Cotton
Suter, Hand Embroidered brown Throw Blanket
Located in Middelburg, NL
Suter, a graphic brown blanket made of the finest New Zealand mohair. This throw is embellished with bright blue embroidery done by hand. Nothing as pers...
Mohair
Mid-Century Modern Italian Vintage Silk Scarf Throw Pillow, 1970s
Located in Prato, IT
Mid-Century Modern Italian vintage silk scarf throw pillow, 1970s.
Cotton, Silk
$674Sale Price / set|62% Off
Bob Van Allen Holiday Bow Red & Green Oval Placemat Set of 5 & Napkin Set of 10
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bob Van Allen holiday bow red & green oval placemat set of 5 & napkin set of 10. Bob Van Allen holiday/christmas table linens, includes 5 foam backed p...
Foam
$103Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Embroidery Maroon Fabric
Located in Seattle, WA
Vintage Embroidery Maroon Fabric.Bright Colorful Stitching Abstract Pattern. Dimensions. 17 L ; 10 1/2 W
Fabric
Hand Loomed Textile from USA
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An exquisite hand-loomed textile of good scale incorporating an expressive and colorful array of tufted wool and variegated fabric elements.
Textile
$275 / item
Handwoven Merino Wool Pillow Cover 20" x 20"
Located in Conshohocken, PA
An elevated accent piece crafted with extra weft weaving, this cushion cover celebrates traditional textile artistry through subtle pattern and tactile detail. Sku: CC38 Dry clean o...
Wool
Mid-Century Modern Vintage Souvenir Silk Scarf Throw Pillow from 1970s
Located in Prato, IT
Mid-Century Modern vintage souvenir silk scarf throw pillow with cashmere wool back.
Wool, Silk