Dieter Rams Easy Chair
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Club Chairs
Fabric, Fiberglass
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Velvet, Plastic
Recent Sales
Vintage 1960s German International Style Armchairs
Fiberglass, Leather
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Club Chairs
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Fiberglass
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Upholstery, Leather, Fiberglass
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Velvet, Plastic
Vintage 1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Velvet, Plastic
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Leather
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Aluminum
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Late 20th Century German Industrial Musical Instruments
Metal, Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Night Stands
Wood
2010s South African Modern Side Tables
Copper, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Wool, Cotton
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass, Nickel, Enamel, Bronze
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Sectional Sofas
Upholstery
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Musical Instruments
Aluminum
Vintage 1960s Space Age Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Bentwood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Shelves
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Space Age Center Tables
Steel
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
Suede
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Alpaca
Vintage 1980s American Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood, Python
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Walnut, Faux Leather
Materials: Plastic Furniture
Arguably the world’s most ubiquitous man-made material, plastic has impacted nearly every industry. In contemporary spaces, new and vintage plastic furniture is quite popular and its use pairs well with a range of design styles.
From the Italian lighting artisans at Fontana Arte to venturesome Scandinavian modernists such as Verner Panton, who created groundbreaking interiors as much as he did seating — see his revolutionary Panton chair — to contemporary multidisciplinary artists like Faye Toogood, furniture designers have been pushing the boundaries of plastic forever.
When The Graduate's Mr. McGuire proclaimed, “There’s a great future in plastics,” it was more than a laugh line. The iconic quote is an allusion both to society’s reliance on and its love affair with plastic. Before the material became an integral part of our lives — used in everything from clothing to storage to beauty and beyond — people relied on earthly elements for manufacturing, a process as time-consuming as it was costly.
Soon after American inventor John Wesley Hyatt created celluloid, which could mimic luxury products like tortoiseshell and ivory, production hit fever pitch, and the floodgates opened for others to explore plastic’s full potential. The material altered the history of design — mid-century modern legends Charles and Ray Eames, Joe Colombo and Eero Saarinen regularly experimented with plastics in the development of tables and chairs, and today plastic furnishings and decorative objects are seen as often indoors as they are outside.
Find vintage plastic lounge chairs, outdoor furniture, lighting and more on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right Seating for You
With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.
Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.
Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.
The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.
Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.
With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.
Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.
No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.