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Late 20th Century Fiberglass Rocking Chairs

Fauteuil sphere en fibre de verre, France, 1960
Located in SAINT-SEVER, FR
Paire de fauteuil chauffeuse pivotant, en fibre de verre gel coat mat, mousse et laine Kvadrat, travail français 1960. hauteur 85 cm largeur 85 cm profondeur 50 cm Notre paire de f...
Category

Vintage 1970s European French Provincial Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

1970s RAR Eames for Herman Miller Fiberglass and Green Upholstery Rocker Chair
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Farmington Hills, MI
We are very pleased to offer a vintage rocking chair by Herman Miller, circa the 1970s. The RAR Rocking Chair crafted by the iconic design duo, Charles and Ray Eames, was introduced...
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Metal

Mid Century Modern Blue Modernica Fiberglass Child’s Rocking Chair
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Dimensions- H: 27 1/2in W: 25in D: 27 1/4in SH: 17 1/2in This Eames for Modernica rocking chair is a piece of art! If you look at the photos provided, you can see the molded fiberg...
Category

Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Metal

Charles & Ray Eames "Rar" Brown Original Rocking Chair, 1977
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in The Hague, NL
Mid-Century Modern molded RAR rocking chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. This gorgeous midcentury rocking chair was produced 1977. An original condition...
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Metal

Vintage Eames Rocking Chair for Herman Miller, 1970s
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in HEVERLEE, BE
Mid century rocking chair designed by Charles & Ray Eames and produced by Herman Miller. Fiberglass shell with red fabric upholstery and a black metal and wooden base. 1970s - ...
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Fiberglass

1 Herman Miller Parchment Shell Fiberglass RAR Rocker by Eames
By Charles Eames
Located in Pasadena, TX
1 Herman Miller parchment shell fiberglass RAR rocker by Eames Manufactured in the 1960s-1970s this rocker is one of the most iconic designs from Charles and Ray Eames. RAR...
Category

Vintage 1970s North American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

People Also Browsed

"Skrindan" Armchairs by Kerstin Hörlin-Holmquist for OPE Möbler, Sweden, 1960s
By Kerstin Horlin Holmquist
Located in Utrecht, NL
The “Skrindan” armchair model was designed in 1963 by iconic Swedish designer, Kerstin Hörlin-Homquist. Kerstin Hörlin-Holmquist had a unique and humanistic design vision, and thanks...
Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Pair of Original Charles Zublena Polyester Patio or Pool Side Lounge Chairs, '60
Located in Voorburg, NL
Stunning pair of original French, 1960s Polyester Patio or pool side chaise lounge chairs in white, designed by Charles Zublena. Directly from the first owner and in original conditi...
Category

Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Polyester

Vintage Patio Poolside Garden Brown Jordan Reclining Chaise Lounge
By Brown Jordan
Located in New York, NY
Chic architectural reclining chaise lounge by top shelf maker, Brown Jordan. This voguish chaise features a reclining back rest allowing you to sit up, or lay down while you sunbath ...
Category

Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Patio and Garden Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Set of Two Vintage White Fiberglass Lounge Chairs by Charles Zublena 1960s.
By Charles Zublena
Located in Baambrugge, NL
Set of two vintage design lounge chairs, by Charles Zublena, France, 1960s. Beautiful pair of white lacquered fiberglass vintage design chaise longues for indoor and outdoor use, ...
Category

Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture

Materials

Fiberglass

1970’s Vintage Mod Grey Polyfiber Opened Hand Accent Chair
Located in Malibu, CA
1970’s Vintage mod grey poly fiber opened right hand accent chair. This iconic hand chair is great for pool-side, patio, outdoor deck for in front of the video console. This functi...
Category

Vintage 1970s Organic Modern Chairs

Materials

Resin, Plastic

1970s Vintage Faux Bamboo Aluminum Yellow Hauser Pool Patio Dining Chairs
By Emil Hauser
Located in Bensalem, PA
Great set of 6 super comfortable aluminum faux bamboo outdoor chairs.
Category

Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Charles Eames Classic RAR Rocking Chair Herman Miller Greige
By Charles Eames
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A Classic Charles Eames RAR greige rocking chair with original birch runners. A survivor in very good original condition.
Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Pr. Patio Poolside Garden Footstools, Ottomans, Poufs, in Faux Bamboo Aluminum
By Brown Jordan
Located in New York, NY
Chic pair of footstools, having aluminum frames with a faux bamboo motif, and woven plastic webbed tops. Made by note American leisure furniture company, Hauser, in the style of Brow...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Charles and Ray Eames RAR
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An early Lemon yellow rocker with its original base. Manufacturer's Label and Date Stamp.
Category

Vintage 1950s North American Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Charles and Ray Eames RAR
Charles and Ray Eames RAR
H 27 in W 25 in D 27 in
1950s Bamboo Rocking Chair, Italy
Located in Antwerp, BE
Very nice comfortable Rocking chair for your interior or Patio look great with a sheepskin decorated. It’s well made and in great vintage condition. Made in Italy, 1950s. Dimensio...
Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Bamboo

1950s Bamboo Rocking Chair, Italy
1950s Bamboo Rocking Chair, Italy
H 38.59 in W 24.41 in D 51.97 in
Vintage Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller RAR Rocking Chair Restored in Go
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in SAINT LOUIS, MO
The classic Eames Rocker! A cult-favourite design gets an added oomph, restored in our cozy, soft, classicly-hued Gotland sheepskin. What a beautiful piece! Herman Miller USA, 19...
Category

Vintage 1960s North American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Sheepskin, Fiberglass, Birch

Herman Miller Shell Fiberglass RAR Rocker by Eames, 1970s
By Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in The Hague, NL
Herman Miller parchment shell fiberglass RAR rocker by Eames Manufactured in the 1960s-1970s this rocker is one of the most iconic designs from Charles and Ray Eames. RAR rocking c...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Chrome

1951 Pair of Herman Miller Eames DAX Rope Edge Armshell Chairs in Greige
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a pair of circa 1951 production Herman Miller Eames DAX arm shell chairs with iconic rope edge. These are gorgeous original examples, which appear to be in greige....
Category

Vintage 1950s American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Metal

Herman Miller Eames RAR Rocking Chair
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Handsome 1950s Herman Miller Eames fiberglass shell on later rocker base. Salmon colored fiberglass with spectacular fiber contrast. Chrome plated steel rod frame with maple runners....
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Charles Eames Zenit RAR Rocker Chair First Edition Rope Edge Color Lemon
By Charles Eames
Located in Hamburg, DE
Early production Charles Eames rocker with rope edged fibre glass shell, zinc Eiffel tower base and wood rockers wood birch, original label, first production, first generation 1949-1...
Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass, Birch

Vintage Edgar Bartolucci for Barwa Aluminum Rocking Pool Chaise Lounge Chair
By Barwa Associates
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Edgar Bartolucci for Barwa Aluminum Frame Rocking Pool Chaise Lounge Chair -Single. Item featured is designed by Edgar Bartolucci for Barwa, aluminum metal rocking frames, cl...
Category

Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Recent Sales

Pair of Very Early Pastil Chairs by Eero Aarnio for Asko, 1967
By Asko, Eero Aarnio
Located in Munster, NRW
They call it the "swinging sixties" – but everything was "pop" then. from music to graphic design, from fashion to furniture. and the finnish designer eero aarnio presented two icons...
Category

Vintage 1970s Finnish Space Age Lounge Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Vintage Eames Rocking Chair for Herman Miller, 1970s
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in HEVERLEE, BE
Mid century rocking chair designed by Charles & Ray Eames and produced by Herman Miller. Fiberglass shell with blue fabric upholstery and a black metal and wooden base. 1970s -...
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Fiberglass

Vintage Eames Rocking Chair for Herman Miller, 1970s
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in HEVERLEE, BE
Mid century rocking chair designed by Charles & Ray Eames and produced by Herman Miller. Fiberglass shell with blue fabric upholstery and a black metal and wooden base. 1970s -...
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Metal

Chaise Lounge by Cesare Leonardi e Franca Stagi in White Fiberglass, Rare
By Cesare Leonardi and Franca Stagi
Located in Milano, IT
Dondolo designed by Leonardi and Franca Stagi one evening in 1965. Made of white fiberglass. The curve of the unique line that makes up the chair offers a profile that is both serpe...
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues

Materials

Fiberglass

Charles Eames for Herman Miller Mid Century Orange Fiberglass Shell Rocking Chai
Located in Countryside, IL
Charles Eames for Herman Miller Mid Century Orange Fiberglass Shell Rocking Chair Chair measures: 25 wide x 25 deep x 27.5 high, with a seat height of 16 inches and arm height of 23...
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Metal

Jerry Koza Designed 3 in 1 Somersault Chair, Made in Prague, 1999
Located in Haderslev, DK
Fiberglass constructed 3 in 1 chair. Green lacquer on the inside and polished white outer surface. Rocking chair, lounge chair and barstool. Has been awarded top 100 Czech design ...
Category

1990s Czech Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Midcentury Eames for Herman Miller Fiberglass Rocking Lounge Chair in Navy
By Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Here we have an iconic design Classic from the Mid-Century Modern period. This vintage fiberglass shell chair was designed by Charles Eames and produced by Herman Miller, circa 1972....
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Midcentury Eames for Herman Miller Fiberglass Rocking Lounge Chair in Black
By Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Here we have an iconic design Classic from the Mid-Century Modern period. This vintage fiberglass shell chair was designed by Charles Eames and produced by Herman Miller, circa 1972....
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Steel

Midcentury Eames for Herman Miller Fiberglass Rocking Lounge Chair in Orange
By Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Here we have an iconic design Classic from the Mid-Century Modern period. This vintage fiberglass shell chair was designed by Charles Eames and produced by Herman Miller, circa 1972....
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Steel, Aluminum

Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chair by Charles Eames for Herman Miller in Orange
By Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A beautiful retro orange fiberglass rocking chair designed by Charles Eames for Herman Miller. It features a vintage fiberglass shell chair on a newer production rocker base. Embosse...
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Steel

Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chair by Charles Eames for Herman Miller in Yellow
By Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A beautiful pale yellow fiberglass rocking chair designed by Charles Eames for Herman Miller. It features a vintage fiberglass shell chair on a newer production rocker base. Embossed...
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Steel

Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chair by Charles Eames for Herman Miller in Red
By Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A beautiful and uncommon red fiberglass rocking chair designed by Charles Eames for Herman Miller. It features a vintage fiberglass shell chair on a newer production rocker base. Emb...
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Steel

Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chair by Charles Eames for Herman Miller in Chocolate
By Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A beautiful chocolate brown fiberglass rocking chair designed by Charles Eames for Herman Miller. It features a vintage fiberglass shell chair on a newer production rocker base. Embo...
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Steel

Midcentury Eames for Herman Miller Fiberglass Rocking Lounge Chair in Black
By Herman Miller, Charles Eames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Here we have an iconic design Classic from the Mid-Century Modern period. This vintage fiberglass shell chair was designed by Charles Eames and produced by Herman Miller, circa 1972....
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Steel

Midcentury Eames for Herman Miller Fiberglass Rocking Lounge Chair in Black
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Here we have an iconic design Classic from the Mid-Century Modern period. This vintage fiberglass shell chair was designed by Charles Eames and produced by Herman Miller, circa 1972....
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Steel

Herman Miller Eames RAR Rocking Chair in Blue
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Herman Miller Eames RAR rocking chair in blue. New modern conscience base. Shell in excellent condition with minimal wear.
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Steel

Mid-Century Modern Vintage Eames Herman Miller Shell Rocker Rocking Chair, 1970s
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
For your consideration is a vintage 1970s, Eames for Herman Miller, rocking chair with a recently painted white, fiberglass seat. In excellent condition. The dimensions are 25" W x 2...
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Herman Miller Eames Rar Rocking Chair in Blue
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Herman Miller Eames RAR rocking chair in blue. New modern conscience base. Shell in superb condition and color is bright with no fading.
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Steel

Mid-Century Eames for Herman Miller Fiberglass Rocking Lounge Chair in Navy
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Here we have an iconic design Classic from the Mid-Century Modern period. This vintage fiberglass shell chair was designed by Charles Eames and produced by Herman Miller, circa 1972....
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Steel

Eames Herman Miller Rocking Chair
By Alexander Girard, Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Vancouver, BC
Vintage original Eames orange over white armshell rocking chair by Alexander Girard and Herman Miller.  
Category

Vintage 1970s American Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Eames Herman Miller Rocking Chair
Eames Herman Miller Rocking Chair
H 27 in W 25 in D 27 in
Fiberglass Rocking Chair in the Style of Wendell Castle
Located in Cathedral City, CA
Moulded black, stylish rocker, sculptural, comfortable and conducive to any indoor or outdoor setting.
Category

Vintage 1980s Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Rare Charles Eames for Herman Miller Hot Pink Fiberglass Lounge Rocking Chair
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Hot pink is known to be one of the rarest color to collectors worldwide. Here we have a vintage arm shell produced by Herman Miller in the early 1970s. Rocker base is a newer product...
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Steel

Mid-Century Eames for Herman Miller Fiberglass Rocking Lounge Chair in Navy
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Here we have an iconic design Classic from the Mid-Century Modern period. This vintage fiberglass shell chair was designed by Charles Eames and produced by Herman Miller, circa 1972....
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Steel

Mid-Century Eames Herman Miller Fiberglass Rocking Lounge Chair in Terracotta
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Here we have an iconic design Classic from the Mid-Century Modern period. This vintage fiberglass shell chair was designed by Charles Eames and produced by Herman Miller, circa 1972....
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Steel

Mid-Century Eames for Herman Miller Fiberglass Rocking Lounge Chair in Chocolate
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Here we have an iconic design Classic from the Mid-Century Modern period. This vintage fiberglass shell chair was designed by Charles Eames and produced by Herman Miller, circa 1972....
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Steel

Mid-Century Eames for Herman Miller Fiberglass Rocking Lounge Chair in Yellow
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Here we have an iconic design Classic from the Mid-Century Modern period. This vintage fiberglass shell chair was designed by Charles Eames and produced by Herman Miller circa 1972. ...
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Steel

Mid-Century Eames Herman Miller Fiberglass Rocking Lounge Chair in Royal Blue
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Here we have an iconic design Classic from the Mid-Century Modern period. This vintage fiberglass shell chair was designed by Charles Eames and produced by Herman Miller, circa 1972....
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Steel

Mid-Century Eames for Herman Miller Fiberglass Rocking Lounge Chair in Orange
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Here we have an iconic design Classic from the Mid-Century Modern period. This vintage fiberglass shell chair was designed by Charles Eames and produced by Herman Miller, circa 1972....
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Steel

Mid-Century Eames for Herman Miller Fiberglass Rocking Lounge Chair in Black
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Here we have an iconic design Classic from the Mid-Century Modern period. This vintage fiberglass shell chair was designed by Charles Eames and produced by Herman Miller, circa 1972....
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Steel

Charles Eames for Herman Miller Pink Fiberglass Lounge Rocking Chair Rar
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Hot pink is known to be one of the rarest color to collectors worldwide. Here we have a vintage arm shell produced by Herman Miller in the early 1970s. Rocker base is a newer product...
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Steel

Charles Eames for Herman Miller Purple Fiberglass Lounge Rocking Chair Rar
By Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Purple is known to be the rarest color to collectors worldwide. Here we have a vintage arm shell produced by Herman Miller in the early 1970s. Rocker base is a newer production, chai...
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Steel

Charles Eames rocking chair Apple green
By Herman Miller
Located in Geneva, CH
Charles & Ray Eames apple green rocking chair Vitra / Herman Miller production (fiberglass) Good vintage condition New solid walnut base
Category

Vintage 1970s European Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Charles Eames rocking chair Apple green
Charles Eames rocking chair Apple green
H 26.78 in W 25.6 in D 25.6 in
Three Chairs Designed by Mark Held in 1967 Fabricated by Knoll. France
By Knoll, Marc Held
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Three chairs in two models one high back and two low back. The chair call the culbuto chair revolves rocks and has counter weight stops for safety they are made of molded plastic and...
Category

Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Leather, Fiberglass, Plastic

Eames "Baby Rocker" RAR by Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Highland, IN
If an employee of Herman Miller were to have a child, they would be given an Eames RAR to rock the newborn. It would be marked with a small brass placard commemorating the name and b...
Category

Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Zinc

Baby Rocking Chair by Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Cologne, DE
Until the 1980s every employer of Herman Miller got a present by the company, when his child was born - the legendary RAR Baby Rocker. This rocking chair is one of this rare chair...
Category

Vintage 1970s American International Style Rocking Chairs

Materials

Metal

Eames "Baby Rocker" RAR by Herman Miller with Alexander Girard Upholstery
By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Highland, IN
If an employee of Herman Miller were to have a child, they were given an Eames RAR to rock the newborn. It would be marked with a small placard commemorating the name and birthdate o...
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs

Materials

Zinc

Charles Eames RAR 'Baby Rocker' Herman Miller 1975
Located in Berkeley, CA
This is a rare all-original 'Baby Rocker' that was a gift from Herman Miller to an employee in 1975. Herman Miller reserved Eames RARs as gifts for Herman Miller employees with new b...
Category

Vintage 1970s Armchairs

Materials

Metal

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Late 20th Century Fiberglass Rocking Chairs For Sale on 1stDibs

Find a variety of late 20th century fiberglass rocking chairs available on 1stDibs. Mid-Century Modern and Modern late 20th century fiberglass rocking chairs are consistently popular styles. If space is limited, there are small late 20th century fiberglass rocking chairs measuring 5.91 inches across. Herman Miller, Charles Eames and Charles and Ray Eames each produced beautiful late 20th century fiberglass rocking chairs that are worth considering.

How Much are Late 20th Century Fiberglass Rocking Chairs?

The average selling price for at 1stDibs is $1,110, while they’re typically $600 on the low end and $16,500 highest priced.

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 Rocking Chairs for You

The phrase “rocking chair” didn’t find its way into the dictionary until the mid-18th century. While most of the sitting furniture that we use in our homes originated in either England or France, the iconic rocking chair is a quintessentially American piece of furniture.

A Philadelphia cabinetmaker’s bill for a proto-rocking chair issued in 1742, which identified the seat as a “Nurse Chair with rockers,” is the earliest surviving evidence of this design’s humble beginnings. The nurse chair was a low side chair intended for nursing women, so giving it a soothing rocking motion made sense. Rocking chairs, which saw a curved slat affixed to the chairs’ feet so that they could be literally rocked, quickly gained popularity across the United States, garnering a reputation as a seat that everyone could love. They offered casual comfort without the expensive fabrics and upholstery that put armchairs out of many families’ budgets.

Rocking chairs are unique in that they don’t just offer a place to rest — they offer an opportunity to reminisce. The presence of one of these classic pieces stirs up our penchant for nostalgia and has the power to transform a space. They easily introduce a simple country feel to the city or bring the peaceful rhythm of a porch swing into a sheltered sunroom. Although craftsmen took to painting and stenciling varieties of the chairs that emerged in New England during the 19th century, the most traditional rocking chairs are generally unadorned seats constructed with time-tested materials like wood and metal. As such, a minimalist vintage rocking chair can be ushered into any corner of your home without significantly disrupting your existing decor scheme or the room’s color palette.

In the decades since the first rocker, top designers have made the piece their own. Viennese chair maker Michael Thonet produced a series of rockers in the middle of the 19th century in which the different curved steam-bent wood parts were integrated into fluid, sinuous wholes. Mid-century modernists Charles and Ray Eames added wooden rockers to their famous plastic shell armchair, while Danish designer Frank Reenskaug opted for teak and polished beech, introducing pops of color with small cushions (a precursor to the bold works that would follow in the 1970s and 1980s).

No matter your personal style, let 1stDibs pair you with your perfect seat. Deck out your porch, patio or parlor — browse the vintage, new and antique rocking chairs in our vast collection today.