Eames La Fonda Armchair on Casters by Herman Miller, 1970s
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Dronten, NL
Designers: Charles & Ray Eames Model: La Fonda Armchair Manufacturer: Herman Miller Date: 1970s Upholstery: Brown hopsack fabric Shell: Off-white molded fiberglass Base: Five-star ro...
Aluminum, Steel
Eames Action Round Desk Table on Casters for Herman Miller, 70s, vintage
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in Paris, FR
Vintage Eames round table on casters for Herman Miller, 1960s-1970s.
Aluminum, Steel
$6,320Sale Price / set|20% Off
Six Vintage Eames Herman Miller Swivel Shell Chairs on Casters 1970s
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Baltimore, MD
Authentic rare Mid-Century Modern iconic molded fiberglass pivoting shell office or dining chairs on "contract bases" (PSC chairs) with casters, two armchairs and four side chairs, c...
Aluminum
$1,800Sale Price / item|20% Off
Original 1958 Charles & Ray Eames / Miller Swivel Chair on Casters Model EA 105
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Markington, GB
Eames Aluminium Group EA105 Chairs by Charles & Ray Eames, 1958 (Originals) ICONIC DESIGN CLASSICS — A stunning set of original Aluminium Group chairs, model EA105, designed in...
Metal, Aluminum
Eames Herman Miller Round Table Universal Base Casters & 36” Blonde Laminate Top
By Herman Miller
Located in Topeka, KS
Handsome vintage Mid-Century Modern Eames for Herman Miller table with aluminum universal 4 prong base with black casters, black shaft, aluminum spider attachment, and a 36” round bl...
Aluminum, Steel
Set of Eight 1967 Herman Miller Eames PACC Armshell Chairs in Fiberglass
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an exceptionally rare set of eight original Eames Pivoting Arm Chairs with Casters (PACC) designed by Charles and Ray Eames, produced by Herman Miller.
Aluminum, Steel
Charles Eames Vintage Office Chairs with Casters
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Milano, IT
Wonderful set composed by 3 office chairs designed by Charles Eames for Herman Miller, in the 90's, for the refined Italian manufacture ICF. Original label under the seat. The chair...
Aluminum
Eames for Herman Miller Soft Pad Lounge Chair on Casters
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
For your consideration are up to six Eames for Herman Miller soft pad lounge chairs with high backs on casters.
Herman Miller Eames Wood Top Dining Table on Aluminium Base with Casters
By Charles Eames
Located in London, Lambeth
A beautifully styled and iconic vintage table designed by Charles & Ray Eames and made by Herman Miller. This dates from around the 1960-70's, the condition is very good for its age....
Aluminum
Sold
H 33 in W 23 in D 23 in
Eames Herman Miller Aluminum Group Chair Casters 50 Year Anniversary Grey Mesh
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in San Diego, CA
Eames Herman Miller Aluminum Group chair on casters 50 year anniversary, nice gray mesh made in 2008 with original tag as shown nice clean condition light worn.
Aluminum
Original Eames for Herman Miller Time Life Desk Chair on Casters
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Kansas City, MO
Excellent all original Eames Time Life chair with the early four star base. Black leather and cast aluminum frame are all original. This is the top of the line executive desk chair...
Aluminum, Steel
Sold
H 31.89 in W 25.6 in D 25.6 in
Swivel Chair with Casters by Ray & Charles Eames for Herman Miller, US, 1960s
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Berlin, DE
Early swivel chair with four casters designed by Ray & Charles Eames and manufactured by Herman Miller.
Steel
Sold
H 31.75 in W 18.5 in D 19 in
Eames Bucket or Shell Chair in Gray Molded Fiberglass on Aluminum Base, Casters
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Kansas City, MO
Early Charles and Ray Eames armless desk chair on aluminum group base with castes. Completely original and in very good condition. Made by Herman Miller.
Aluminum
Herman Miller Eames Bucket Office Chair with Casters Mid-Century Modern
By Herman Miller
Located in Chula Vista, CA
We are pleased to offer for your consideration a vintage Herman Miller Office Bucket chair. Aluminum base with rolling casters. Original brown upholstery. Made in the USA, circa 1...
Aluminum
Classic Charles Eames Aluminum Group Mesh Task Chair, Herman Miller
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Buffalo, NY
Chair features hydraulic height adjustment, tilt, swivel. Five star base with casters. Original Charles Eames /Herman Miller fabric label.
Aluminum
Time Life Lobby Executive Desk Chair by Charles Eames for Herman Miller, 1984
By Herman Miller, Charles Eames, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The other chair is very similar to this one with only minor variances such as slightly different casters. This Eames Time Life Lobby chair swivels, is height adjustable and can t...
Aluminum
Sold
H 31 in W 25 in D 24 in
Pair of Mid-Century Modern Charles Eames Herman Miller Office Chairs on Casters
By Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A super clean vintage set of original armchairs designed by Charles Eames for Herman Miller. They feature molded fiberglass buckets seats with complimenting upholstery, and caster ba...
Steel
Sold
H 31 in W 25 in D 24 in
Pair of Mid-Century Modern Charles Eames Herman Miller Office Chairs on Casters
By Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A super clean vintage set of original armchairs designed by Charles Eames for Herman Miller. They feature molded fiberglass buckets seats with complimenting upholstery, and caster ba...
Herman Miller Eames Wood Top Dining Table on Aluminum Base with Casters
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Moves freely and easily on original casters. They are rubber for use on a variety of surfaces.
Aluminum
Sold
H 33.75 in W 20.5 in D 21 in
Eames Soft Pad Management Chair Model Ea434 European Issue with Caster Wheels
By Charles and Ray Eames, ICF Milano 1
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Classic Soft Pad Management chair by Ray and Charles Eames. Supple black leather and chromed aluminum with caster wheels and adjustable seat.
Aluminum
Sold
H 41 in W 27 in D 27 in
Herman Miller Eames Adjustable Drafting Stool Chair on Casters in Medium Blue
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Gorgeous and rare Eames drafting stool produced by Herman Miller. Circa 1970s with cast aluminum base with wheels and adjustable height. Features rare color shell in Medium Blue. Gor...
Aluminum
Sold
H 35 in W 29 in D 27 in
Time Life Lobby Executive Desk Chair by Charles Eames for Herman Miller, 1984
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames, Charles Eames
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The other chair is very similar to this one with only minor variances such as slightly different casters. This Eames Time Life Lobby chair swivels, is height adjustable and can tilt.
Aluminum
Original Rare Eames Grey Side Shell on Prototype H-Base with Casters
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Salt Lake City, UT
Elephant hyde grey side shell chair on original prototype H-base with casters this came out of California. It is in great vintage condition with minor rusting on the base. ...
Sold
H 33 in W 23.25 in D 22 in
Eames Aluminum Group Black Leather Soft Pad Chair on Casters for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Pau, FR
Eames Aluminum Group black leather soft pad Executive chair (model EA 435) on casters for Herman Miller.
Aluminum
Charles Eames DAT Desk Chair for Herman Miller, 1953
By Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in Hudson, NY
Molded fiberglass arm shell, aluminum and enameled steel base with casters. Tilt and swivel mechanism. The DAT was the first Eames chair with casters.
1953 Fiberglass Charles Eames DAT Desk Chair for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in St. Louis, MO
Molded fiberglass arm shell, aluminum and enameled steel base with casters. Tilt and swivel mechanism. The DAT was the first Eames chair with casters.
Eames Aluminum Group Round Side Table on Casters for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Pau, FR
Round side or occasional table on casters with beige formica top, black rubber edge and four star aluminum base by Charles and Ray Eames Aluminum Group for Herman Miller.
Aluminum
Sold
H 33 in W 23.25 in D 22 in
Eames Aluminum Group Black Leather Soft Pad Chair on Casters for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Pau, FR
Eames Aluminum group black leather soft pad executive chair (Model EA 435) on casters for Herman Miller.
Aluminum
Mid Century By Eames for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Hudson, NY
1950's aluminum group figured wood round table by Eames for Herman Miller. On casters, this is a nice size for the kitchen.
Aluminum
Set of 6 Eames PSC Chairs for Herman Miller with Upholstery
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Chicago, IL
Charles and Ray Eames PSC chairs for Herman Miller Set of six circa 1980s with stitched beige color upholstery. Manufacturers stamp on underside of shell. Pivot (P) side cha...
Fiberglass
$1,705 / item
H 32.49 in W 23.63 in D 23.04 in
1 of 3 Vintage Vitra Icf Eames EA105 Hopsak Swivel Office Armchairs
By Charles and Ray Eames, Charles Eames, Vitra
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale 1 of 4 original fully stamped ICF for Charles Eames, EA105 Hopsak chrome swivel armchairs RRP £2,096 each. Super iconic, award winning, what mor...
Chrome
Set of Eames upholstered side chairs by Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Highland, IN
This set of side chairs by Charles and Ray Eames are post-war classics. The seats are elephant hide gray fiberglass with olive green naugahyde upholstery and they sit on cast aluminu...
Aluminum
Classic Mid Century Plycraft Lounge Chair and Ottoman
By Charles and Ray Eames, Plycraft
Located in New York, NY
Iconic Plycraft Mr. style lounge chair and ottoman, executed in bent plywood, vinyl faux leather, chrome and steel. The chair swivels and tilts on its center pole support, which is ...
Upholstery, Plywood
$6,820
H 28.35 in W 79.93 in D 41.74 in
Vintage Mid Century Modern Herman Miller No1 Eames Conference Table
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer this super rare and highly collectable, original, Mid Century Modern, Herman Miller No1 Edition conference table, which were purchased by the original owner...
Chrome
$5,714 / set
H 32.29 in W 25.6 in D 21.66 in
Armchairs by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller, 1970s, set of 6
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in bruxelles, BE
Set of 6 fiberglass chairs in orange color with chrome metal legs. Stamped H by Herman Miller on the bottom. Wear due to time and age of chairs. Seat height: 43cm.
Metal
$6,750
H 45.28 in W 26.78 in D 29.53 in
Lobby Desk Chair ES104 by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller, USA, 1960s
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Antwerp, BE
Eames executive chair ES-104, also known as the Time-Life chair, an iconic piece of mid-century design by Charles and Ray Eames. This chair was originally crafted for the executive f...
Aluminum
$1,437Sale Price|40% Off
H 27.88 in W 71.75 in D 42.75 in
Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller 6' Conference Dining Table
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in South Charleston, WV
71.75 x 41.75 x 27 7/8". Table was designed by Charles and Ray Eames in the early 1960s for Herman Miller, This model produced 1980. Laminate combed oak top. Signed to underside. Fea...
Aluminum
$1,420
H 31.5 in W 18.51 in D 20.87 in
Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller – Swiveling Parchment Fiberglass Arm Chair
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Dronten, NL
An original 1960s swiveling fiberglass arm chair designed by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller. This highly desirable early production example features the classic parchment-colo...
Aluminum
$1,257
H 32.09 in W 20.48 in D 22.05 in
Swivel Chair Mod. "ea107" Design Charles and Ray Eames for Icf De Padova, 1970s
By ICF Group, Charles Eames
Located in Argelato, BO
Charles & Ray Eames, EA 107 Aluminum Brown Chair for ICF (Signed) Designed by the legendary designers Charles & Ray Eames, offers a perfect combination of iconic design and function...
Aluminum
High Back La Fonda Chair by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in San Francisco, CA
La Fonda armchair designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. Cream colored fiberglass, with black upholstered insert and chromed aluminum base.
Aluminum
$1,800
H 28 in W 26 in D 28 in
EA178 Loose Cushion Arm Chair by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1979. We reupholstered and refoamed the loose cushion in a nubby brown/white boucle but kept the chair fabric original.
Fabric, Bouclé
Wonderful Mid-Century Modern Herman Miller Round Pedestal Table
By Herman Miller
Located in Roslyn, NY
A wonderful Mid-Century Modern Herman Miller round pedestal table having a white laminate top and trim around the outer edge and supported by a black center pole with an aluminum fou...
Laminate, Wood
$880
H 32 in W 18.5 in D 21 in
Mid Century Modern Swiveling Chair by Eames for Herman Miller. Circa 1960s
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Miami, FL
Mid Century Modern Swiveling Molded Side Chair by Eames for Herman Miller. Circa 1960s Features an iconic design, a fiberglass shell chair with the original gray vinyl set on a steel...
Metal
$1,371
H 31.5 in W 25.2 in D 22.84 in
Herman Miller DAT Executive armchair Designed by Charles & Ray Eames
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Offenburg, Baden Wurthemberg
Herman Miller DAT fibre plastic armchair on office base, Designed by Charles & Ray Eames in 1948. Off-white fibre plastic armshell, DAT shivel base equipped with tilt function,...
Aluminum
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
H 29 in Dm 36 in
Charles and Ray Eames Round Oak Veneer Pedestal Dining Table for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Miami, FL
Herman Miller Aluminum Group cafe bistro / dining table with oak veneer top on an aluminum base originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames. This table was produced with the oak v...
Aluminum
$1,828 / set
H 21.66 in W 24.02 in D 35.83 in
Pair of Italian Mid-Century-Modern Lounge Chairs in Ochre Boucle, 1970s Italy
Located in Zagreb, HR
Pair of Vintage Italian Mid-Century Modern lounge chairs or club chairs. Modules can be used as a modular sofa or modular seating set. Beautiful and unique shape. A 1970 design and p...
Bouclé, Foam, Wood
$3,422 / set
H 29.53 in W 18.12 in D 18.12 in
Danish Teak and Black Leather Dining Chairs, H. W. Klein, Bramin 1960s, Set of 4
By Henry Walter Klein
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Set of four Henry. W. Klein dining chairs in teak with rosewood inlays. Manufactured at Bramin Møbler in Denmark during the 1960s. The being made of solid teak and rosewood has their...
Leather, Teak
$1,550 / item
H 32.29 in W 23.23 in D 20.87 in
Aurora Office Chair by Simonini: Ergonomic Solid Wood Swivel Design
By SIMONINI
Located in Vila Cordeiro, São Paulo
Warm and inviting, the Aurora Collection, prestigious winner of the International IF Design Award 2023 and the German Design Awards 2023, now welcomes an addition with its office cha...
Leather, Textile, Upholstery, Faux Leather, Cane, Hardwood, Walnut
$7,200 / item
H 14 in Dm 36 in
Grand Mid-Century Flush Mount Uplight Ceiling Lamp from Filmcasino Vienna, 1950s
Located in Vienna, AT
We are delighted to present this stunning bowl-shaped pendant light / uplight plafoniere / flush mount light fixture dating back to the 1950s. (Actually there were three pieces avail...
Metal, Aluminum, Brass
$400Sale Price|20% Off
H 2.88 in W 27.56 in D 8.27 in
Japanese Antique Exhibition Table / Wall Decoration / 1868-1912s / Wabi-sabi
Located in Shizukuishi-cho, Iwate-gun, Iwate Prefecture
This is an old Japanese wooden work board. The wood is cedar, and due to long-term use, the black color around the edges remains, and the color has peeled off only in the middle. Th...
Wood, Cedar
$3,250 / set
H 31.5 in W 25.5 in D 24.5 in
Saarinen Executive Armchairs in Velvet, Swivel Base, Gold Edition, Set of 6
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Wilton, CT
The next generation of Eero Saarinen's famed executive chairs have arrived, 100% authentic Eero Saarinen for Knoll executive chairs completely restored ground-up with an extra touch ...
Steel
Saarinen Style Oval Tulip Marble Top Dining Table
By Eero Saarinen
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Classic Mid Century style dining or conference table after Saarinen. An oval dining table with marble top resting on a cast aluminum conforming oval base having a thin tulip silhouet...
Marble, Aluminum
$3,656
H 25.2 in W 96.46 in D 35.44 in
Mid-Century Modern French Three-Seat Sofa by Gérard Guermonprez, 1970s
By Gerard Guermonprez
Located in Prato, IT
Mid-Century Modern French three-seat sofa with original velvet fabric designed by Gérard Guermonprez. The sofa presents some wear consistent with age and use. It can become a set ...
Chrome
$1,800 / item
H 33 in W 27 in D 27 in
Mid-Century Modern Charles Pollock/Knoll Executive Chairs, Black Leather, USA
By Charles Pollock, Knoll
Located in San Francisco, CA
Stunning authentic mid-century modern Pollock Executive Arm Chair for Knoll. Designed in 1963 by Charles Pollock, this chair has become one of Knoll’s most recognizable and enduring ...
Aluminum, Stainless Steel
$108,566
H 29.14 in W 66.93 in D 21.66 in
Utö Library Table by Axel Einar Hjorth for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden, 1932
By Axel Einar Hjorth, Nordiska Kompaniet
Located in Hønefoss, 30
Rare and authentic Utö library table designed by Axel Einar Hjorth, manufactured by Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden, 1932. Wear consistent with age and use, including surface scratches, m...
Pine
$1,910Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 36.62 in W 18.51 in D 20.48 in
Vintage set of 6 Brutalist Oak Dining Chairs, Style of Henning Kjærnulf, 1960s
By Henning Kjærnulf
Located in Store Heddinge, DK
A set of six oak dining chairs from the 1960s, with a strong Scandinavian brutalist character in the style of Henning Kjærnulf. The chairs have a warm and slightly rustic presence. ...
Oak
$1,500
H 28.5 in W 42 in D 72 in
1980s Herman Miller ET151 Eames Segmented Aluminum Group Dining Table
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Segmented Conference Dining Table, Model ET151, initially designed by Ray and Charles Eames for Herman Miller in 1964. This piece dates to the 1980s. The table's design is ...
Aluminum
$3,942 / set
H 33.47 in W 22.05 in D 26.38 in
Restored Bauhaus Pair of Armchairs, by Thonet, by Marcel Breuer, Czech, 1930s
By Thonet, Marcel Breuer
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Restored Bauhaus Pair of Armchairs Made By Thonet. Designer: Marcel Breuer Maker: Thonet Material: Chrome-plated Steel Source: Czechia (Czechoslovakia) Period: 1930-1939 Made by in...
Steel, Chrome, Iron
Midcentury Brass Opaline Glass Chandelier by Rupert Nikoll
By Rupert Nikoll
Located in Vienna, AT
Brass frame with 8 arms and opaline glass shades each fitted with E14 sockets. Made in Vienna by Rupert Nikoll in the late 1950s.
Brass
Large Austrian Brass Chandelier by Rupert Nikoll
By J.T. Kalmar, Rupert Nikoll, Vereinigte Werkstätten München, Emil Stejnar, Wiener Werkstätte
Located in München, DE
Exceptionally beautiful and large chandelier from the 1950s. This large lamp is very rare and impresses with its loving details. A stunning lamp and a true asset to any home. Manufa...
Metal
$2,800
H 29.5 in W 84 in D 41 in
Elusive Modernist Action Office Desk or Table by George Nelson for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in Buffalo, NY
Rarely seen modernist action office desk or conference table by George Nelson for Herman Miller. Purchased from prominent Buffalo NY architect. Beautiful figured walnut wood top mino...
Aluminum
No other business of its kind did more than the Herman Miller Furniture Company to introduce modern design into American homes. Working with legendary designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and Alexander Girard, the Zeeland, Michigan-based firm fostered some of the boldest expressions of what we now call mid-century modern style. In doing so, Herman Miller produced some of the most beautiful, iconic and, one can even say, noblest chairs, sofas, tables and other furniture ever.
Founded in 1923, Herman Miller was originally known for grand historicist bedroom suites: heavily ornamented wood furniture that appealed to a high-minded, wealthier clientele. The company — named for its chief financial backer — began to suffer in the early 1930s as the Great Depression hit, and D.J. De Pree, the company’s CEO, feared bankruptcy. In 1932, aid came in the form of Gilbert Rohde, a self-taught furniture designer who had traveled widely in Europe, absorbing details of the Art Deco movement and other modernist influences. After persuading De Pree that the growing middle class required smaller, lighter household furnishings, Rohde set a new course for Herman Miller, creating sleek chairs, tables and cabinetry that were the essence of the Streamline Moderne style.
Rohde died suddenly in 1944. The following year, De Pree turned to George Nelson, an architect who had written widely about modern furniture design. Under Nelson’s leadership, Herman Miller would embrace new technologies and materials and audacious biomorphic forms.
Some of the pieces the company produced are now emblems of 20th century American design, including the Eames lounge chair and ottoman and Nelson’s Marshmallow sofa and Coconut chair. Such instantly recognizable furnishings have become timeless — staples of a modernist décor; striking, offbeat notes in traditional environments.
Find a range of vintage Herman Miller office chairs, desks, coffee tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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.
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
The brand that turned Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi and George Nelson into mid-century household names is just as relevant today as it was six decades ago.