Vintage Space Age furniture captured post–World War II optimism with swooping shapes, bowed lines and experimentation with new materials including plastic and fiberglass.
From the launch of the Sputnik 1 satellite in 1957 to the landing of Apollo 11 astronauts on the moon in 1969, the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States propelled advancements in technology that transformed culture. Space Age design encompassed fashion, architecture, cars, furniture and objects for the home, bringing wonder and hope for the future into everyday life.
Coinciding with Pop art, Space Age style featured bold colors and forms. Eero Aarnio’s Ball chair, which debuted in 1966, used molded fiberglass for a capsule-like space while Verner Panton’s 1959 Panton chair was a single piece of molded plastic for a gravity-defying S shape. Red versions of Olivier Mourgue’s 1964 Djinn chair were futuristic enough to appear on the space station in Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Today, Joe Colombo is revered as a master of modern Italian design thanks to the provocative modular furniture pieces he created, such as the Tube chair and the Elda armchair, both of which embody the future-forward spirit of the Space Age.
The Space Age spirit extended to home building too. The futuristic Case Study Houses, which were designed by the likes of Pierre Koenig, Charles and Ray Eames, Richard Neutra and Whitney R. Smith, are considered a high point of modernism and the Southern California lifestyle.
Sometimes the nods to space exploration were more literal, like moon and star motifs or the 1965 Eclisse lamp by Vico Magistretti that saw the mid-century Italian designer integrating a movable inner shade to “eclipse” the light source. Alongside the pioneering moon missions, JVC manufactured the Videosphere portable television reminiscent of the Apollo 11 space helmets.
Although the style faded in the 1970s — with the 1975 joining of the Apollo and Soyuz spacecrafts signaling a new era of cooperation and the global oil crisis impacting the availability of plastics — the era’s innovations influenced designers into the 21st century such as Zaha Hadid and Djivan Schapira.
Find a collection of vintage Space Age seating, tables, lighting and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Original Woolen Rug Designed by Verner Panton for Desso, Holland 1970s
By Desso, Verner Panton
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find an original vintage rug design by Verner Panton for Desso in the mid 1970s. The rug is part of the Romatica collect...
Wool
exceptional 1970s vintage RUG carpet psychedelic pop design
Located in Mannheim, DE
A very beautiful and decorative hand-knotted 1970s rug. Fantastic and typical 1970s combination of colors: different shades of orange and green combined with dark blue. Made of wool....
Fabric
Mid Century Modern hand-tufted rug in various shades of orange, ivory and yellow
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a spectacular XXL Space Age rug in vibrant shades of orange, yellow and ivory wool. This vintage rug is likely a Verner Panton design for the Dutch comp...
Wool
Geometric Space-Age Wool Rug, 1970's
Located in Antwerp, Antwerp
A very large and impressive 1970's geometrical rug crafted from thick, weighty wool. Impeccable handmade quality and craftsmanship with a very decorative design. Labeled on the back ...
Wool
Michael Young yellow rug 90s space age Y2K style
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
This is the rug named " Accent Wool Rug" designed by Michael Young for E&Y. Designed in 1995. Really good references of Mid 90s century modern that Michael Young told in those days. ...
Wool
$1,370Sale Price|20% Off
Space age woven wall hanging, Germany 1970s
By Desso
Located in ECHT, NL
Space age wall hanging. Hand woven in the 1970s. The colors are still bright and livid. Made from poly-acrylic fibers. Amazing piece that will draw attention and bring color and a ...
Machiche
Large 1970s rug in wool and geometric patterns
Located in SAN PIETRO MOSEZZO, NO
Large 1970s long pile wool rug with geometric shapes. The color tones are typical of the Space Age period, yellow brown and dark orange. The carpet is in good overall condition and...
Wool
Grande tappeto in lana a pelo lungo, produzione Desso, anni '70
By Desso
Located in SAN PIETRO MOSEZZO, NO
Grande tappeto degli anni '70 realizzato con una tecnica di tessitura di alta qualità dalla Desso nei Paesi Bassi. Purtroppo l'etichetta per via degli anni passati e probabilmente d...
Wool
Italian space age long pile geometric carpet in wool with beehive design 1970s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian space age Long pile geometric carpet in wool with beehive design, 1970s Long pile rectangular rug. The material is pure wool in the colors white, yellow and brown. The geomet...
Wool
Italian space age White, yellow and brown long pile carpet, 1970s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian space age White, yellow and brown long pile carpet, 1970s Rectangular long pile carpet in white, yellow and brown. The rug has a geometric design with shaded lines. 1970s. Go...
Fabric
Round wool rug with 1970s modern design (Italy) vintage
Located in Firenze, FI
Round rug, made in Italy in the 1970s, has a diameter of 182 cm and is made entirely of wool. The base of the rug is a warm, soft white, which brings out the geometric pattern of cir...
Wool
$981Sale Price|53% Off
W 55.12 in L 78.75 in
Interwoven Hand Tufted Wool Rug by Tisca, Modern Design, 1990s
Located in Debrecen, HU
Elevate your interior design with the Interwoven Artistic Hand Tufted Rug by Tisca France. Made from 100% New Zealand wool, this 1990s rug (size: 140x200cm) offers a perfect blend of...
Wool
cc-tapis Invader Rug Kazak Space Shifter
By cc-tapis
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Hand knotted in the cc-tapis atelier in Kathmandu, Nepal. The rug is made with a cotton weave, a Himalayan wool and pure silk, coming from the areas surrounding the atelier. 152.000 ...
Wool
Beautiful New Modern Design Hand Tufted Rug
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Very beautiful new modern rug with nice Art Deco design and beautiful colors, entirely hand tufted with wool velvet on cotton foundation Custom sizes can be made.
Wool
Vintage Spanish Handmade Geometric Beige Wool Rug
Located in Norwalk, CT
Beautiful vintage Spanish hand-knotted wool rug with the beige and goldenrod field. This Spanish rug has green and red accents in an all-over geometric pattern design. This rug m...
Wool
$495Sale Price|19% Off
W 51.58 in L 77.56 in
Scandinavian Modern Danish Orange and Yellow Wool Rya Rug
Located in Vienna, AT
This Scandinavian high pile rug has been designed and produced in Denmark 1960s. Charming and very decorative graphic design carpet in wonderful shades of orange and yellow. Looks fa...
Wool
$4,470
W 66.93 in L 94.49 in
Rug Blue Modern geometric Carpet Grey Turquoise Brown Geometrical Wool handmade
By Carpets CC
Located in Dubai, Dubai
Design Title: "Interior Blue" This carpet is hand-knotted from 100% New Zealand wool in geometrical shapes. It has dark brown triangles that point into...
Wool
Tisca Hand-Tufted Wool Rug, Modern Design, France, 1980s, 240x170 cm
Located in Debrecen, HU
This distinctive Tisca wool rug was produced in the French Tisca workshops during the 1980s, a period when the company supplied high-quality architectural textiles for modern interio...
Wool
Vintage 1970s rya rug in wool, Denmark
By Ege Denmark
Located in Firenze, FI
This vintage rug is made using the Rya weaving technique in Denmark, by the company Ege carpets, completely from pure wool. The modern design represents a set of overlapping circles ...
Wool
$1,075Sale Price|30% Off
Dm 76.78 in
Round green rug with a modern design, made of pure wool, 1970s Desso
Located in Firenze, FI
This rug, produced by Desso in the 1970s, is of Danish manufacture. A distinctive and refined design piece. Its round shape makes it particularly elegant and versatile, adapting well...
Wool
$1,858Sale Price|30% Off
W 35.04 in L 47.25 in
Modernist Wall Hanging by Ewald Kröner for Schloss Hackhausen, Germany, 1970s
By Ewald Kröner, Schloss Hackhausen
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: Wall rug Decade: 1970s Origin: Germany Producer: Schloss Hackhausen, Germany Design: Ewald Kröner This rug is a great example of 1970s pop art interior. Made ...
Cotton
$17,800
W 65.74 in L 104.33 in
1970s Museum-Grade Italian Avant-Garde Wool Rug The Epithet of Space Age Luxury
Located in Milano, IT
1970s unique museum-grade avant-garde rug, this is not merely a rug; it is a profound statement of 1970s Italian radical design. Hand-tufted in Italy during an era of bold experimentation, this piece represents the pinnacle of "Space Age" aesthetics. Featuring a hypnotic, interlocking geometric motif in a sophisticated palette of deep chocolate, ochre, and cream, it perfectly captures the kinetic energy of the avant-garde movement. 100% Made in Italy in high-quality wool. it's in excellent condition. It has been professionally washed and disinfected and is ready for use. Preserved in extraordinary condition, maintaining its original plush pile and vibrant tonal transitions. Style: A rare intersection of Optical Art (Op-Art) and high-end functionalism. Dimension: 104,33 x 65,74 inches cm 265 x cm 167 Cinematic Elegance: The visual language of this rug evokes the ultra-sophisticated interiors seen in 1970s cinematic masterpieces. Its sweeping curves and architectural lines wouldn't be out of place in the visionary sets of Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange or the high-glamour, Italian-designed lounges of a James Bond villain’s lair. It is a piece that demands a room centered around it, echoing the luxurious, "total look" interiors of architects like Joe Colombo or Willy Rizzo. Why it belongs in your collection In an era of mass production, this unique Italian wool rug...
Wool
MidCentury Tartan Geometric Graphic Rug in Pure Wool, Italy 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
I offer for sale a carpet undoubtedly dating back to the 60s and 70s, probably made in Italy and made entirely of thick wool with a splendid and current geometric graphic. This Vinta...
Wool
Sold
W 112.21 in L 78.75 in
Rectangular wool rug with geometric theme from the space age period, Italy, 1970
Located in Nicolosi, IT
Rectangular wool rug with geometric theme from the space age period, Italy, 1970 Rectangular pure wool rug from the 1970s, featuring a bold geometric pattern inspired by Space Age de...
Wool
Italian Modern Space Age Round Rug, Italy 70s
Located in Lucija, SI
Round rug made in the space age period Made in Italy in the 70s
Wool, Acrylic
Large Space Age Rug, Produced by Desso, Netherlands 70s
By Desso
Located in Lucija, SI
Space age rug from the 70s made by Desso, Netherlands. The colors are yellow, beige, orange and different shades of brown. Overall in very good condition with some traces of age and...
Wool, Acrylic
Space age macrame wall hanging by Desso, Netherlands 1970s
By Desso
Located in ECHT, NL
Colorful space age wall hanging. Hand woven from wool thread. It has long braids in different colors coming from the centre. The colors are still bright and the rug is in a great con...
Fabric, Wool
Hand-tufted round psychedelic rug, model Panton by Habitat, from the 1990s
By Verner Panton, Habitat International
Located in Lyon, FR
Beautiful hand-tufted round rug, in wool fabric, model Panton for Habitat, made in India for Habitat France, from the end of 1990s. The design was created by Verner Panton in 1969, r...
Wool, Cotton
Sold
W 74.81 in L 94.49 in
Mid-century shaggy rug from the 60s in different shades of red and gray scales
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Investing in a mid-century shaggy rug from the 1960s, adorned in various shades of red and gray scales, offers more than just a floor covering—it presents an opportunity to infuse yo...
Wool
Italian space age Round carpet in yellow, beige, orange and red, 1970s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian space age Round carpet in yellow, beige, orange and red, 1970s Vintage and fantastic round rug in short pile fabric. The design of the carpet represents 4 concentric circles,...
Fabric
Two small sample carpets, by Verner Panton, Basel, Switzerland, circa 1970
Located in Paris, FR
Two small sample rugs designed by Verner Panton and published by Verner Panton Design in Basel, Switzerland. Pure new wool.
Wool
Vintage Circular Beige and Brown Wool Flower Rug by Desso, Netherlands, 1970s
By Desso
Located in Vienna, AT
This circular brown beige and yellow Space age wool rug has been designed and produced in Netherlands by Desso in the 1970s. Charming colours and very decorative flower design carpet...
Wool
Zabihi Collection Eclectic Persian Kurd Rug
Located in New York, NY
One-of-a-kind fine room size Persian Kurd rug from the 2nd quarter of the 20th century 8'2'' x 10'7''
Wool
Large Victor Vasarely Attributed Geometric 3D Op-Art Carpet Rug, Germany, 1970s
Located in Vienna, AT
An eye-catching and colorful 3D Space Age optical art carpet / rug in the style of Victor Vasarely. Made in Germany in the 1970s. Cleaned professionally and in very good condition. M...
Synthetic