Mcm Tray
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
Metal
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces
Bamboo
Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets
Oak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories
Naugahyde, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Decorative Baskets
Bamboo, Wood
Vintage 1960s Platters and Serveware
Hardwood, Plywood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
Silver Plate
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Barware
Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Platters and Serveware
Stoneware
Mid-20th Century Haitian Bohemian Serving Pieces
Wicker, Wood
20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces
Brass, Metal
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
Plastic
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Porcelain
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces
Silver, Chrome
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware
Brass
Mid-20th Century Unknown French Provincial Carts and Bar Carts
Brass
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces
Teak, Wood
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces
Brass
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
Aluminum
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Italian Serving Pieces
Ceramic, Teak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware
Lucite
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware
Metal
Early 20th Century French American Empire Barware
Crystal, Silver Plate
Vintage 1960s Serving Pieces
21st Century and Contemporary French Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Beech
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware
Aluminum
20th Century American Tray Tables
Laminate
Mid-20th Century Turkish Moorish Tray Tables
Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets
Wood
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
Brass
20th Century North American Scandinavian Modern Tray Tables
Lucite
20th Century Tray Tables
Laminate, Wood
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Tray Tables
Hardwood, Paint
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories
Brass
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Centerpieces
Silver Plate, Brass, Copper
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Barware
Resin
Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets
Wood
Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets
Oak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories
Wood, Naugahyde
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories
Naugahyde, Walnut
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
Resin, Wood
Mid-20th Century Thai Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces
Teak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces
Gold
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories
Walnut
Vintage 1970s Serving Pieces
Agate
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Barware
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Serving Tables
Brass, Chrome
Mid-20th Century Unknown Scandinavian Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Beech
Mcm Tray For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Mcm Tray?
A Close Look at Mid-century Modern Furniture
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
- Emerged during the mid-20th century
- Informed by European modernism, Bauhaus, International style, Scandinavian modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture
- A heyday of innovation in postwar America
- Experimentation with new ideas, new materials and new forms flourished in Scandinavia, Italy, the former Czechoslovakia and elsewhere in Europe
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Simplicity, organic forms, clean lines
- A blend of neutral and bold Pop art colors
- Use of natural and man-made materials — alluring woods such as teak, rosewood and oak; steel, fiberglass and molded plywood
- Light-filled spaces with colorful upholstery
- Glass walls and an emphasis on the outdoors
- Promotion of functionality
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
- Charles and Ray Eames
- Eero Saarinen
- Milo Baughman
- Florence Knoll
- Harry Bertoia
- Isamu Noguchi
- George Nelson
- Danish modernists Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, whose emphasis on natural materials and craftsmanship influenced American designers and vice versa
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
- Eames lounge chair
- Nelson daybed
- Florence Knoll sofa
- Egg chair
- Womb chair
- Noguchi coffee table
- Barcelona chair
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.
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End Your Quest for Fire with This Handmade Majolica Chimney
Prehistoric motifs give the mid-century Italian fireplace an elemental feel.
Who Were Guillerme et Chambron? French Veterans of WWII with a Knack for Clever, Quirky and Livable Furniture
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39 Incredible Swimming Pools
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The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Iconic Furniture Makes This 1958 Midwestern Home a True Mid-Century Gem
Designer Susan Yeley turned to 1stDibs to outfit an Indiana home with standout pieces that complement its modernist style.
The Ultimate Guide to Types of Tables for the Home
Whether you’re just moving in or ready to give your home a makeover, our guide will give you pointers on tables that are fitting for every room, nook and hallway.
Why Is Italy Such a Hotbed of Cool Design?
Patrizio Chiarparini of Brooklyn’s Duplex gallery sheds light on the lasting legacy of Italy’s postwar furniture boom.