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Knoll Letter Tray

Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Architectural Letter Tray, 1960s
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Florence Knoll molded plywood architectural letter tray, 1960s. This piece retains its original
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets

Materials

Walnut

Vintage Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Architectural Letter Tray
By Florence Knoll
Located in Esperance, NY
This is a very unique premium paper or letter tray that is now available for sale. It comes with
Category

Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories

Materials

Bentwood

American Mid-Century Modernist Walnut Letter Desk Tray
By Knoll
Located in San Diego, CA
Incredible midcentury letter tray in solid walnut. Great lines and construction rounded corners
Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets

Materials

Walnut

Modernist Oak Letter Tray, 1980's
By Peter Pepper Products, Knoll, Stow Davis
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Modernist Oak Letter Tray, 1980's.
Category

20th Century Post-Modern Desk Sets

Materials

Oak

Modernist Oak Letter Tray, 1980's
Modernist Oak Letter Tray, 1980's
H 7 in W 10.63 in D 14.25 in
Vintage Modernist Paper Tray in Chrome 1970s
By Smokador, Knoll
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful letter tray in polished aluminium / chrome finish with black enamel lining. In the style
Category

Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories

Materials

Aluminum, Chrome

Vintage Modernist Paper Tray in Chrome 1970s
Vintage Modernist Paper Tray in Chrome 1970s
H 2.5 in W 10.25 in D 15.25 in

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"Dario" Leather Tray with Handles Designed by Oscar Maschera
By Oscar Maschera
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"Dario" is a leather tray, designed and manufactured by Oscar Maschera. Genuine Italian leather vegetable tanned. This tray has two different colors: one for the inside and the other...
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21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Platters and Serveware

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Leather

"Rettangolare" Leather Tray Designed by Oscar Maschera
By Oscar Maschera
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"Rettangolare" is a leather tray, designed and manufactured by Oscar Maschera. Genuine Italian leather vegetable tanned. This tray has two different colors: one for the inside and th...
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21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Platters and Serveware

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Leather

"Attilio" Riveted Leather Tray Designed by Claude Bouchard for Oscar Maschera
By Claude Bouchard, Oscar Maschera
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"Attilio" is a leather tray, designed by Claude Bouchard and manufactured by Oscar Maschera. Genuine Italian leather vegetable tanned. Colors combination to be chosen from the availa...
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21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Platters and Serveware

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Metal

Florence Knoll Designed Credenza
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mid-century modern office sideboard by Florence Knoll. Walnut grain throughout with strong metal legs. Pull out tray and file cabinet. Please confirm location NY or NJ
Category

Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Credenzas

Materials

Metal

Florence Knoll Designed Credenza
Florence Knoll Designed Credenza
H 27 in W 18.63 in D 71.25 in
Vintage Swedish Midcentury Trays by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn
By Svenskt Tenn, Josef Frank
Located in San Diego, CA
A set of three vintage serving trays by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn. Sweden, 1960s Classic textile design by Josef Frank over molded plywood tray. The trays are produced by Swedish...
Category

Vintage 1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware

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Fabric, Wood

George Nelson for Herman Miller Wall Unit Mid-Century Modern
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in Toledo, OH
George Nelson for Herman Miller Omni wall unit 98" wide. George Nelson designed, Omni Systems wall unit in great condition. There are nine shelves, 1 book holder, 2 walnut case piece...
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Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Shelves

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Antique Writing Desk, English, Oak, Leather, Correspondence Table, Edwardian
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique writing desk. An English, oak and leather correspondence table, dating to the Edwardian period, circa 1910. Of useful proportion and beautifully figured Displays ...
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Antique Early 1900s British Edwardian Desks and Writing Tables

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Leather, Oak

Modern Washed Walnut Desk
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Modern Washed Walnut Desk by Noir Furniture. Boasting a unique and stunning silhouette, this desk features twelve drawers on glides, each adorned with hammered iron drawer pulls, add...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Organic Modern Desks and Writing T...

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Walnut

Modern Washed Walnut Desk
Modern Washed Walnut Desk
H 32 in W 82 in D 31 in
Credenza with Cane Doors and Black Laminate Case by Florence Knoll
By Florence Knoll
Located in Dorchester, MA
This sideboard exemplifies Florence Knoll's classic clean-lined aesthetic. The black laminate case sits on a steel base and features handsome cane sliding doors with leather pulls. I...
Category

Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Sideboards

Materials

Steel

Green Naugahyde Dining Chairs, Italy, 1960
Located in Dronten, NL
Minimalist but very comfortable Mid-Century Modern matching set of 4 dining chars with chrome plated tubular steel legs and white lacquered plywood seat and back, upholstered in dark...
Category

Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Green Naugahyde Dining Chairs, Italy, 1960
Green Naugahyde Dining Chairs, Italy, 1960
H 31.5 in W 19.69 in D 21.66 in
MCM Office Desk Paper Organizer Tray
By Industrias Ruiz Galindo SA (IRGSA)
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
We offer this Mid-Century Modern desk office tray, clean design in two levels made by IRGSA, circa 1970.
Category

Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets

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Wood

MCM Office Desk Paper Organizer Tray
MCM Office Desk Paper Organizer Tray
H 8.67 in W 10.24 in D 14.77 in
Original Warren Platner Bronze Stool by Knoll 1960s
By Warren Platner, Knoll
Located in Chicago, IL
An original 1960s production Warren Platner bronze stool for Knoll. Early and rare bronze finish. Newly upholstered seat in a Kvadrat / Davina wool felt fabric. The fabric is ston...
Category

Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Bronze

"Aldo" Riveted Square Leather Tray Designed by C. Bouchard for Oscar Maschera
By Claude Bouchard, Oscar Maschera
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"Aldo" is a square leather tray, designed by Claude Bouchard and manufactured by Oscar Maschera. Genuine Italian leather vegetable tanned. Colors combination to be chosen from the av...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Platters and Serveware

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Metal

Extra Large Desk Organizer or Letter Tray in Teak by Pedersen & Hansen
By Pedersen & Hansen
Located in San Diego, CA
Very functional extra large Danish modern teak desk organizer or letter tray by Pedersen & Hansen, circa 1970s. There are seven horizontal letter trays, four vertical slots and two d...
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories

Materials

Teak

"Matteo" Riveted Leather Tray Designed by Claude Bouchard for Oscar Maschera
By Claude Bouchard, Oscar Maschera
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"Matteo" is a leather tray, designed by Claude Bouchard and manufactured by Oscar Maschera. Genuine Italian leather vegetable tanned. Colors combination to be chosen from the availab...
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21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Platters and Serveware

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Metal

Pair of Vintage Walnut Desk Trays by Peter Pepper
By Peter Pepper Products
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A fantastic pair of vintage walnut paper trays and desk organizers by Peter Pepper Products. One tray is large enough to be used for standard size paper while the other is small enou...
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Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets

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Walnut

Recent Sales

Florence Knoll Black Birch Plywood Double Letter Tray, Office Desk Accessory
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Raleigh, NC
Designed by Florence Knoll in 1948, this double letter tray is made of ebonized birch plywood and
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Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories

Materials

Plywood

Knoll Associates Mid-Century Wood Desk Tray
By Knoll
Located in Atlanta, GA
Knoll Associates early wood desk or letter tray. Comprised of sculptural solid wood. Signed Knoll
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Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories

Florence Knoll Letter Tray
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Kalamazoo, MI
Knoll. The bentwood letter tray was made by Knoll International, and it still retains its original Knoll
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories

Materials

Bentwood

Florence Knoll Letter Tray
Florence Knoll Letter Tray
H 2.25 in W 11.5 in D 14 in
Florence Knoll Letter Tray
By Knoll
Located in San Diego, CA
Bent plywood desktop letter tray by Knoll. Retains original label with the Herbert Matter designed
Category

Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories

Materials

Wood

Florence Knoll Letter Tray
Florence Knoll Letter Tray
H 2 in W 11.5 in D 14.25 in
Knoll Vintage Bentwood Walnut Letter Tray
By Knoll
Located in Cedar Falls, IA
Knoll label and cork feet pads on bottom. Bent plywood walnut letter tray by Knoll, circa 1960.
Category

Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets

Materials

Walnut

Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Architectural Letter Tray, circa 1960
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Florence Knoll molded plywood architectural letter tray, circa 1960. This piece retains its
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories

Materials

Walnut

Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Architectural Letter Tray circa 1960
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Architectural Letter Tray circa 1960. This piece retains its
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands

Materials

Steel

Florence Knoll Walnut Plywood Letter Tray, Office Desk Accessory
By Florence Knoll
Located in San Francisco, CA
Designed by Florence Knoll in 1948, this letter tray is made of walnut plywood and was a staple of
Category

Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets

Materials

Walnut, Plywood

Modernist Letter Tray, circa 1960
By Knoll, Jens Risom
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Modernist double letter tray, circa 1960.
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories

Materials

Leather, Wood

Modernist Letter Tray, circa 1960
Modernist Letter Tray, circa 1960
H 6.63 in W 10.75 in D 15.38 in
Walnut Plywood Double Pivoting Letter Tray By Florence Knoll
Located in Utrecht, NL
Iconic sculptural and functional desk accessory by Florence Knoll executed in walnut plywood. The
Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories

Jens Risom Walnut Letter Tray, circa 1960
By Florence Knoll, Jens Risom
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Jens Risom walnut letter / paper tray, circa 1960.
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories

Materials

Walnut

Bentwood Letter Tray by Peter Pepper Products
Located in New York, NY
Bentwood office letter tray by Peter Pepper Products. Circa 1950, USA. Made in the Knoll style
Category

Vintage 1950s American Decorative Objects

Materials

Steel

Florence Knoll Double Letter Tray
By Florence Knoll
Located in Hudson, NY
Molded teak plywood pivoting double letter tray, stainless steel pin separates the two trays. Felt
Category

Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories

Florence Knoll Double Letter Tray
Florence Knoll Double Letter Tray
H 6.6 in W 11.75 in D 15 in
Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Architectural Letter Tray
By Knoll
Located in Dallas, TX
Early Florence Knoll molded teak plywood letter tray. Excellent condition with 1950s label intact.
Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands

Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Architectural Letter Tray, 1960s
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Florence Knoll molded plywood architectural letter tray, 1960s. This piece retains its original
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets

Materials

Walnut

Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Architectural Letter Tray, circa 1960
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Florence Knoll molded plywood architectural letter tray, circa 1960. This piece retains its
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands

Materials

Steel

Mid-20th Century Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Pivoting Letter Tray
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Indianapolis, IN
A molded plywood pivoting letter tray designed by American designer Florence Knoll (1917-2019) for
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets

Materials

Metal

Florence Knoll Walnut Plywood Letter Tray, Office Desk Accessory IBM
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in San Francisco, CA
Designed by Florence Knoll in 1948, this letter tray is made of walnut molded plywood and was a
Category

Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets

Materials

Walnut, Plywood

Florence Knoll Architectural Molded Walnut Plywood Desk Letter Tray
By Florence Knoll
Located in Utrecht, NL
Two-tier molded walnut architectural plywood letter tray by Florence Knoll. An iconic, beautiful
Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Walnut, Plywood

Walnut Plywood Double Pivoting Letter Tray by Florence Knoll
By Florence Knoll
Located in Utrecht, NL
Iconic sculptural and functional desk accessory by Florence Knoll executed in walnut plywood. The
Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories

Materials

Walnut

Pair of Early 1950s Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Architectural Letter Tray's
By Florence Knoll
Located in Utrecht, NL
Pair of early 1950s teak plywood molded letter desk tray's by Florence Knoll. Each individual tray
Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Shelves

Materials

Teak, Plywood

Midcentury Modernist Walnut Letter Tray
By Knoll
Located in San Diego, CA
Incredible mid-century letter tray in walnut. Great lines and construction. Has a University of
Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets

Materials

Walnut

Midcentury Modernist Walnut Letter Tray
Midcentury Modernist Walnut Letter Tray
H 2.5 in W 10.25 in D 15 in
Mid-Century Modern Knoll Chrome Desk Organizer Letter Paper Mail Tray Stand
By Smokador, Knoll
Located in Wayne, NJ
Sleek Smokador Mid-Century Modern Modernist Double Chrome Desk Letter Paper Tray Stand distributed
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets

Materials

Chrome

Jens Risom Walnut Letter Tray, circa 1960
By Jens Risom, Florence Knoll
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Jens Risom walnut letter / paper tray. circa 1960.
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories

Materials

Walnut

Jens Risom Walnut Letter Tray, circa 1960
By Jens Risom, Florence Knoll
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Jens Risom walnut letter / paper tray, circa 1960.
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories

Materials

Walnut

Chrome Dual Level Letter Tray by Hugh Acton, 1960s
By Hugh Acton, Knoll
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Mid Century Chrome Dual Level Letter Tray By Hugh Acton, 1960s.
Category

Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Mid Century Two Tiered Letter Tray, circa 1960
By Jens Risom, Florence Knoll
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Mid century two tiered letter tray, circa 1960.
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets

Materials

Wood

Mid Century Two Tiered Letter Tray, Circa 1960
By Jens Risom, Florence Knoll
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Mid century two tiered letter tray, Circa 1960.
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories

Materials

Wood

Peter Pepper Oak & Chrome Letter Tray, circa 1970
By Knoll, Peter Pepper Products
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Peter Pepper Oak & Chrome letter tray / holder, circa 1970.
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets

Materials

Chrome

Modernist Oak & Walnut Letter Tray, circa 1980
By Peter Pepper Products, Knoll, Stow Davis
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Modernist Oak & Walnut Letter Tray, circa 1980.
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets

Materials

Brass

American Mid-Century Modern Walnut Modernist Paper Desk Tray
By Knoll
Located in San Diego, CA
Single letter desk tray with solid walnut walls, circa 1970s freshly refinished, Very nice accent
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands

Materials

Walnut

Vintage Modernist Double Paper Tray in Chrome by Smokador, 1970s
By Knoll, Smokador
Located in San Diego, CA
Double letter tray in polished aluminium / chrome finish with black enamel lining by Smokador
Category

Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories

Materials

Aluminum, Chrome

Vintage Modernist Double Paper Tray in Chrome by Smokador, 1970s
By Knoll, Smokador
Located in San Diego, CA
Double letter tray in polished aluminium/ chrome finish with black enamel lining by Smokador
Category

Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories

Materials

Aluminum, Chrome

Early Knoll Letter Tray
By Knoll
Located in San Francisco, CA
Double letter tray by Knoll in Primavera wood, quite unusual as most where either walnut or black
Category

Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories

Materials

Aluminum

Early Knoll Letter Tray
Early Knoll Letter Tray
H 6.25 in W 11.5 in D 15.25 in
Knoll Products Vintage In & Out Letter Tray
By Knoll
Located in San Francisco, CA
Vintage Knoll Products In & Out two-tiered letter tray. Bent plywood in original ebonized finish
Category

Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories

Florence Knoll Dual Letter Tray
Located in New York, NY
Original Florence Knoll molded letter trays Ca. 1950s with original early Knoll label.Single molded
Category

20th Century American Magazine Racks and Stands

Materials

Stainless Steel

Florence Knoll Dual Letter Tray
Florence Knoll Dual Letter Tray
H 6.75 in W 11.5 in D 15 in
1960s Molded Teak Plywood Letter Trays by Martin Aberg for Rainbow Wood
By Martin Åberg
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Influenced by the Florence Knoll letter trays, designer Martin Aberg created these similar trays
Category

Vintage 1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories

Materials

Teak

Florence Knoll Double Letter Tray
By Florence Knoll
Located in Berlin, DE
very rare Florence Knoll Double Letter Tray edited by Knoll International Lit : Steven & Linda
Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories

Materials

Brass

Molded Walnut Plywood Two-Tier Letter Tray by Florence Knoll
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Los Angeles, CA
An architectural, two-tier, molded walnut plywood letter tray by Florence Knoll. An outstanding
Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories

Materials

Walnut, Plywood

Florence Knoll Black Birch Plywood Letter Tray, Office Desk Accessory
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Raleigh, NC
Designed by Florence Knoll in 1948, this letter tray is made of ebonized birch plywood and was a
Category

Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories

Materials

Plywood

Smokador Single Tier Chrome Letter Tray
By Knoll
Located in Alhambra, CA
Chrome and black single letter tray. Perfect for the chrome-plated executive! Dimensions: 15" D
Category

Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets

Materials

Metal

Pair of Knoll Stitched Leather Letter Trays by Raul de Armas & Carolyn Lu
By Knoll
Located in Kensington, MD
Pair of Knoll stitched leather letter trays designed by Raul de Armas and Carolyn Lu for the Knoll
Category

Late 20th Century American Modern Desk Accessories

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Knoll Letter Tray For Sale on 1stDibs

With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the knoll letter tray you’re looking for. Each knoll letter tray for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, walnut and plywood. There are many kinds of the knoll letter tray you’re looking for, from those produced as long ago as the 20th Century to those made as recently as the 20th Century. A knoll letter tray, designed in the Mid-Century Modern style, is generally a popular piece of furniture. Many designers have produced at least one well-made knoll letter tray over the years, but those crafted by Florence Knoll and Knoll are often thought to be among the most beautiful.

How Much is a Knoll Letter Tray?

Prices for a knoll letter tray start at $375 and top out at $3,071 with the average selling for $1,193.

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

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 legendary 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.

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.

Finding the Right desk-accessories for You

Whether you’ve carved out a space for a nifty home office or you prefer the morning commute, why not dress up your desk with antique and vintage desk accessories? To best tiptoe the line between desk efficiency and desk enjoyment, we suggest adding a touch of the past to your modern-day space.

Desks are a funny thing. Their basic premise has remained the same for quite literally centuries: a flat surface, oftentimes a drawer, and potentially a shelf or two. However, the contents that lay upon the desk? Well, the evolution has been drastic to say the least.

Thank the Victorians for the initial popularity of the paperweight. The Industrial Revolution offered the novel concept of leisure-time to Europeans, giving them more time to take part in the then crucial activity of letter writing. Decorative glass paperweight designs were all the rage, and during the mid-19th-century some of the most popular makers included the French companies of Baccarat, St. Louis and Clichy.

As paper was exceedingly expensive in the early to mid-19th-century, every effort was made to utilize a full sheet of it. Paper knives, which gave way to the modern letter opener, were helpful for cutting paper down to an appropriate size.

Books — those bound volumes of paper, you may recall — used to be common occurrences on desks of yore and where there were books there needed to be bookends. As a luxury item, bookend designs have run the gamut from incorporating ultra-luxurious materials (think marble and Murano glass) to being whimsical desk accompaniments (animal figurines were highly popular choices).

Though the inkwell’s extinction was ushered in by the advent of the ballpoint pen (itself quasi-obsolete at this point), there is still significant charm to be had from placing one of these bauble-like objets in a central spot on one’s desk. You may be surprised to discover the mood-boosting powers an antique — and purposefully empty — inkwell can provide.

The clamor for desk clocks arose as the Industrial Revolution transitioned labor from outdoors to indoors, and allowed for the mass-production of clock parts in factories. Naturally, elaborate designs soon followed and clocks could be found made by artisans and luxury houses like Cartier.

Find antique and vintage desk accessories today on 1stDibs.

Questions About Knoll Letter Tray
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    A letter tray is used for organizing papers. You can place different categories of mail and paperwork in the various levels of the trays. Often, people use trays with two levels: one for incoming documents and one for outgoing documents. Find a variety of vintage letter trays on 1stDibs.