Skip to main content

Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

MID-CENTURY MODERN STYLE

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.

to
2
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
24
5
46
1
1
57
24
9
8
4
2
2
1
46
2
25
18
1
13
7
17
1
28
24
21
10
8
19
18
16
13
13
48
47
47
6
3
2
2
2
Style: Mid-Century Modern
Mid Century Italian Modern Kidney Shape Marble Cocktail Table with Brass Legs
Mid Century Italian Modern Kidney Shape Marble Cocktail Table with Brass Legs

Mid Century Italian Modern Kidney Shape Marble Cocktail Table with Brass Legs

By Ico Parisi, Gio Ponti

Located in Philadelphia, PA

A stunning Italian coffee table from Italy circa 1960's. It features an elongated kidney shape top in a beige marble, with sexy brass plated stiletto legs. Nice warm patina to brass ...

Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Marble, Brass

Mid Century Modern Cast Hardstone Indoor/Outdoor Cocktail Table w/Fossils 20thC
Mid Century Modern Cast Hardstone Indoor/Outdoor Cocktail Table w/Fossils 20thC

Mid Century Modern Cast Hardstone Indoor/Outdoor Cocktail Table w/Fossils 20thC

Located in Big Flats, NY

***Reduced Delivery Rates - See Below or Click “Ask The Seller” to Request a Quote*** A Mid Century Modern Cast Hardstone Indoor/Outdoor Coffee Table with Fossils and Fossil Imprint...

Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Cast Stone, Concrete

Small Square Table in Brass & Travertine, Inlay & Arabesque Details, USA 1960's
Small Square Table in Brass & Travertine, Inlay & Arabesque Details, USA 1960's

Small Square Table in Brass & Travertine, Inlay & Arabesque Details, USA 1960's

Located in New York, NY

Mid-Century square side table in brass & travertine, USA, 1960's. Chic inlay in a star motif and arabesque brackets enhance the piece. Original travertine is very handsome.

Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Travertine, Brass

Midcentury Italian Sculptural Modern Square Travertine Marble Cocktail Table
Midcentury Italian Sculptural Modern Square Travertine Marble Cocktail Table

Midcentury Italian Sculptural Modern Square Travertine Marble Cocktail Table

Located in Philadelphia, PA

A simple and sculptural square coffee table made of travertine for Italy circa 1970s. It features a very low profile with solid slab travertine construction with beautiful veining an...

Category

1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Travertine

Low Midcentury Italian Modern Square Travertine Marble Cube Cocktail Table
Low Midcentury Italian Modern Square Travertine Marble Cube Cocktail Table

Low Midcentury Italian Modern Square Travertine Marble Cube Cocktail Table

Located in Philadelphia, PA

A simple and natural square coffee table made of travertine for Italy circa 1970s. It features a very low profile with solid slab travertine construction with beautiful veining and m...

Category

1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Travertine

Pierre Paulin Élysée Coffee or Cocktail Table 2, Alpha International, Circa 1971
Pierre Paulin Élysée Coffee or Cocktail Table 2, Alpha International, Circa 1971

Pierre Paulin Élysée Coffee or Cocktail Table 2, Alpha International, Circa 1971

By Pierre Paulin

Located in Miami, FL

Rare and Important Iconic 20th century design Élysée low table, coffee or cocktail table. This piece is an edition of the design by Pierre Paulin for the Private Living Room of Presi...

Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Aluminum

Mid-Century Modern Rectangular Cocktail Table in Walnut with Onyx Marble
Mid-Century Modern Rectangular Cocktail Table in Walnut with Onyx Marble

Mid-Century Modern Rectangular Cocktail Table in Walnut with Onyx Marble

Located in Philadelphia, PA

A lovely vintage table circa 1960s Heavy and well made. It features solid construction with inlaid onyx slabs. Clean and ready to use.

Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Onyx

Mid Century American Modern Boomerang Long Kidney Shape Wood Cocktail Table
Mid Century American Modern Boomerang Long Kidney Shape Wood Cocktail Table

Mid Century American Modern Boomerang Long Kidney Shape Wood Cocktail Table

Located in Philadelphia, PA

A stunning long coffee table from USA circa 1950's. It features an elongated kidney / boomerang top with blonde wood top & black lacquered bentwood base.

Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Wood, Mahogany

Mid-Century Modern Rectangular Coffee Table in Walnut, Brass & Cane after McCobb
Mid-Century Modern Rectangular Coffee Table in Walnut, Brass & Cane after McCobb

Mid-Century Modern Rectangular Coffee Table in Walnut, Brass & Cane after McCobb

Located in Philadelphia, PA

A simple line modern cocktail table in the style of Paul McCobb. It consists of walnut framing, brass plated base, and glass topped cane.

Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Brass

Charlotte Perriand Gueridon J.M. Multipurpose Low Table by Cassina
Charlotte Perriand Gueridon J.M. Multipurpose Low Table by Cassina

Charlotte Perriand Gueridon J.M. Multipurpose Low Table by Cassina

By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina

Located in Barcelona, Barcelona

Multipurpose low table designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1953. Relaunched by Cassina in 2016. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. This multi-purpose low table was designed in 1953 by ...

Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Leather, Fiberglass

Mid-Century Modern Rattan Bamboo and Chrome Hexagonal Cocktail Table
Mid-Century Modern Rattan Bamboo and Chrome Hexagonal Cocktail Table

Mid-Century Modern Rattan Bamboo and Chrome Hexagonal Cocktail Table

By Franco Albini

Located in Philadelphia, PA

A very cool geometric looking design from the 1970s. The coffee table features a chrome-plated steel base with a rattan designer top.

Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Chrome

Amoeba Coffee Table by John Widdicomb
Amoeba Coffee Table by John Widdicomb

Amoeba Coffee Table by John Widdicomb

By John Widdicomb

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Coffee table by John Widdicomb c.1960s, USA. This beautiful maple table features an amoeba shaped table top with three slightly splayed dowel legs. Dimensions 54" width x 30" depth ...

Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Maple

Mid Century Organic Modern Round or Circular Cocktail Table in Teak & Glass
Mid Century Organic Modern Round or Circular Cocktail Table in Teak & Glass

Mid Century Organic Modern Round or Circular Cocktail Table in Teak & Glass

Located in Philadelphia, PA

A sculptural organic teak root coffee table circa 1970's. It features a light colored wood teak base with a thick clear glass top.

Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Glass, Teak

Wood and Glass Low Table by Englander & Bonta, Argentina, circa 1950
Wood and Glass Low Table by Englander & Bonta, Argentina, circa 1950

Wood and Glass Low Table by Englander & Bonta, Argentina, circa 1950

By Englander & Bonta

Located in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires

Wood and glass low table by Englander & Bonta, Argentina, circa 1950. Glass dimensions: 2 cm height, 80 cm width, 50 cm depth. Dimensions of the wood base: 42 cm height, 77 cm wid...

Category

1950s Argentine Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Glass, Wood

Midcentury Danish Modern Lucite, Bentwood and Glass Circular Cocktail Table
Midcentury Danish Modern Lucite, Bentwood and Glass Circular Cocktail Table

Midcentury Danish Modern Lucite, Bentwood and Glass Circular Cocktail Table

Located in Philadelphia, PA

An incredible vintage coffee table circa 1970s. This table features thick solid acrylic legs, bentwood stretchers, and thick clear glass top. Very well cared for through the years.

Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Glass, Lucite, Wood

Solid Brass Midcentury Italian Modern Round Glass Top Spider Cocktail Table
Solid Brass Midcentury Italian Modern Round Glass Top Spider Cocktail Table

Solid Brass Midcentury Italian Modern Round Glass Top Spider Cocktail Table

By Gio Ponti

Located in Philadelphia, PA

An incredibly chic and stylish coffee table from Italy, circa 1970s. It features a high quality solid brass base with a thick clear glass circular top. Freshly polished and ready for...

Category

1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Brass

Mid-Century Modern Square Cocktail Table in Walnut & Stainless Steel by Bernhart
Mid-Century Modern Square Cocktail Table in Walnut & Stainless Steel by Bernhart

Mid-Century Modern Square Cocktail Table in Walnut & Stainless Steel by Bernhart

By Bernhardt

Located in Philadelphia, PA

A simply gorgeous contemporary design made by Berhardt. It features a beautifully grained walnut top with heavy stainless steel base. Manufacturer label.

Category

Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Stainless Steel

Low Table from USA, 1970s
Low Table from USA, 1970s

Low Table from USA, 1970s

Located in Sagaponack, NY

An interesting and well-rendered low table showing a secessionist influence, having a rectilinear form with square-shaped through-tenoned legs, and a light wood top with an expressiv...

Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Slate

Vintage Adjustable Conference Table
Vintage Adjustable Conference Table

Vintage Adjustable Conference Table

Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj

Vintage adjustable conference table. After spreading changes to dining table. Outspread dimensions 72x109x135. Original vintage condition with signs...

Category

1960s Slovak Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Wood

Mid-century modern bamboo low table by Gervasoni
Mid-century modern bamboo low table by Gervasoni

Mid-century modern bamboo low table by Gervasoni

By Gervasoni

Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj

Mid-century modern bamboo low table by Gervasoni in excellent original condition with signs of use. Several small chips on glass top edges. Gervasoni is an Italian manufacturer of ...

Category

1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Bamboo, Glass

Lovely Vintage Green Leather & Hardwood Bevan Funnell Coffee Table Nice Patina
Lovely Vintage Green Leather & Hardwood Bevan Funnell Coffee Table Nice Patina

Lovely Vintage Green Leather & Hardwood Bevan Funnell Coffee Table Nice Patina

By Bevan Funnell Ltd.

Located in West Sussex, Pulborough

We are delighted to offer this vintage collectable Bevan Funnell medium sized coffee table with nice, gold leaf embossed, green leather top This piece was made by that great stapl...

Category

20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Leather, Hardwood

Maple Lazy Susan Coffee Table by Carlin Furniture
Maple Lazy Susan Coffee Table by Carlin Furniture

Maple Lazy Susan Coffee Table by Carlin Furniture

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Round coffee table by Carlin Furniture, c.1957, USA. This beautiful maple table features a round table top with lazy Susan mechanism allowing the enti...

Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Brass

Painted Cast Iron Low Table by Valenti, Barcelona, circa 1970
Painted Cast Iron Low Table by Valenti, Barcelona, circa 1970

Painted Cast Iron Low Table by Valenti, Barcelona, circa 1970

By Valenti

Located in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires

Painted cast iron low table by Valenti. Barcelona, circa 1970. Dimensions of the table structure without glass: 43 cm height, 90 cm width, 40 cm depth.

Category

1970s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Iron

Wood, Formica, Acrylic and Chrome Metal Low Table, Italy, circa 1980
Wood, Formica, Acrylic and Chrome Metal Low Table, Italy, circa 1980

Wood, Formica, Acrylic and Chrome Metal Low Table, Italy, circa 1980

Located in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires

Wood, formica, acrylic and chrome metal low table, Italy circa 1980. Acrylic: 1,5 cm thick.

Category

1980s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lowboys

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Mid-century Modern lowboys for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern lowboys for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage lowboys created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include tables, case pieces and storage cabinets and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern lowboys made in a specific country, there are North America, United States, and Europe pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original lowboys, popular names associated with this style include Englander & Bonta, Knoll, Bevan Funnell Ltd., and Curtis Jeré. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for lowboys differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $890 and tops out at $20,000 while the average work can sell for $3,950.