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Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

MID-CENTURY MODERN STYLE

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.

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Style: Mid-Century Modern
Creator: Jens Risom
Pair of Jens Risom Lounge Chairs
Located in North Miami, FL
Stylish and comfortable, these meticulously restored pair of American mid-century modern lounge chairs by Jens Risom have new silver boucle upholstery on walnut bases. Originally bor...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

Pair of Vintage Midcentury Restored Jens Risom Lounge Chairs
Located in Pasadena, TX
Jens Risom`s career has spanned nearly sixty years. He began his study of design in the Copenhagen workshop of Kaare Klint in 1935 and joined Ernst Kuhn`s architectural office in 1938, where he designed furniture and interiors. In 1939, Risom emigrated to the U.S. and in 1941 designed the first chair manufactured by Knoll. Risom described the chair as "very basic, very simple, inexpensive, easy to make." The chair was constructed with a birch wood frame and, because of wartime materials constraints, cheap but strong army surplus...
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Cowhide, Walnut

Walnut Lounge Chairs in Grey Linen, Model U430 for Risom, Inc. Circa, 1950s
Located in Westport, CT
Experience the epitome of mid-century modern elegance with our fully restored walnut lounge chairs from the 1950s, a timeless creation by Jens Risom for Risom, Inc. Meticulously refu...
Category

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

Materials

Linen, Walnut

Pair of Bouclé Slipper Chairs Designed by Jens Risom for H.G. Knoll Associates
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Jens Risom for H.G. Knoll Associates armless slipper chairs composed of upholstered seats supported by walnut bases (first appearing in the 1942 Knoll catalog). There is a slight d...
Category

1940s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Bouclé, Walnut

1950s Rare Set Vostra Chairs Numbered & Original Fabric by Jens Risom for Knoll.
Located in Eindhoven, Noord Brabant
These rare “Vostra” easy chairs were designed by Jens Risom in 1941. These chairs are numbered in the frame. This is chair number 1247 and number 1248. The chairs are in good condtion. The original fabric is still on the chairs. The Vostra chair...
Category

1950s German Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Elm

Jens Risom Floating Lounge Chair in Walnut Cradle Frame with Linen Upholstery
Located in Dallas, TX
Low-slung Jens Risom lounge chair floating in a solid walnut cradle frame. This chair is very architectural in appearance with its tight lines and taut upholstery but is also very co...
Category

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

Materials

Linen, Walnut

Jens Risom Mid Century Bracket Back Walnut Lounge Chair
Located in Countryside, IL
Jens Risom Mid Century Bracket Back Walnut Lounge Chair This lounge chair measures: 29 wide x 31 deep x 32 high, with a seat height of 15.5 and arm height/chair clearance 21.5 inche...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

Jens Risom Mid Century Walnut Lounge Chair
Located in Countryside, IL
Jens Risom Mid Century Walnut Lounge Chair This lounge chair measures: 23.25 wide x 24 deep x 31.75 high, with a seat height of 19 an...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

Rare Jens Risom Lounge Chairs, Model U-416, Walnut and Bouclé, 1950s
Located in Round Rock, TX
Offered is a rare pair of low lounge chairs designed by Jens Risom for Risom Designs, Inc. circa 1952. Low, deep, and wide these chairs have an amazing presence and level of comfort...
Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Bouclé, Walnut

Jens Risom Mid Century Walnut and Cane Playboy Chairs - Pair
Located in Countryside, IL
Jens Risom Mid Century Walnut and Cane Playboy Chairs - Pair Each chair measures: 22.5 wide x 23 deep x 32.25 high, with a seat height of 18.5 and arm height/chair clearance 26.5 in...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Cane, Walnut

Jens Risom Mid Century Model U430 Walnut Lounge Chair
Located in Countryside, IL
Jens Risom Mid Century Model U430 Walnut Lounge Chair This lounge chair measures: 26 wide x 29 deep x 29.75 high, with a seat height of 15 and arm height/chair clearance 23.25 inche...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

Pair Jens Risom Armless Lounge Chairs. Maple with Red Webbing. Signed.
Located in Kansas City, MO
Pair of Jens Risom lounge chairs from his original 1941 design collection for Knoll. These are more recent production, signed with the Knoll Studio medallion. These have been used ...
Category

2010s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Nylon, Maple

Walnut and Persimmon Ducale Wool Fabric Rocking Chair by Design within Reach MCM
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Coming from prestigious manufacturer Design within reach, based in Connecticut, this Jens Risom designed walnut and orange wool rocking chair makes a sta...
Category

2010s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Wool, Upholstery, Walnut

Jens Risom Pair of 'Vostra' Lounge Chairs with Ottoman
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Jens Risom for Walter Knoll, pair of 'Vostra' chairs with ottoman, beech, pink canvas, brass, United States, design 1941, production 1950s Elegant lounge chairs with ottoman with be...
Category

1940s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Brass

Jens Risom Lounge Chair U-430 for Risom Inc., USA, 1950s
Located in Berlin, DE
Jens Risom lounge chair U-430 for Risom Inc., USA 1950s Upholstered in new Kvadrat Fabric.
Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Walnut

1940s Jens Risom Knoll Pair Upholstered Slipper Lounge Chairs Midcentury
Located in Hyattsville, MD
A matching pair of Jens Risom's Vostra Lounge Chairs for Knoll, Germany. Feet in beechwood, from 1949. W 20 x D 30 x Seat H 17 / Back H 30 in.
Category

1940s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Beech

Jens Risom for Jens Risom Design Inc. Pair of Swivel Lounge Chairs
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Jens Risom for Jens Risom Design, pair of swivel lounge chairs, teak, fabric, United States, 1960s. This extraordinary pair of lounge chair is designed by Danish designer Jens Risom...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Metal

Jens Risom Model No. 2118 Walnut Lounge Chair in Original Upholstery, c. 1960's
Located in Deland, FL
Ultra-rare, ultra-dazzling and ultra-comfortable. This extraordinary armchair has it all! Expertly-designed by Danish-American designer Jens Risom, this splendid lounger is the perfe...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Walnut

Jens Risom Walnut Lounge Chairs in Ivory Shearling, circa 1950s
Located in Saint Louis, MO
Iconic Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom lounge chairs expertly reupholstered in soft ivory shearling with professionally refinished walnut frames. An exemplar of Mid-Century Modern desi...
Category

1950s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Hide, Walnut

Pair of Jens Risom C-220 Lounge Chairs Circa 1950s
Located in Peabody, MA
Pair of model C-220 slipper lounge chairs by Jens Risom, Circa 1950s.
Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

Jens Risom Mid Century Walnut Lounge Chair
Located in Countryside, IL
Jens Risom midcentury walnut lounge chair. This chair measures: 23.25 wide x 24 deep x 31 high, with a seat height of 17.5 and arm h...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

Jens Risom, Vostra Easy Lounge Chair for Walter Knoll
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Designed for Knoll circa 1950, this Vintage Jens Risom Vostra Chair is modern and elegant with its curved lines. This chair is in the mid-century mod...
Category

Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Cotton, Maple

Early Jens Risom Model 108 Arm Chair for Risom Designs in Walnut, USA, c. 1950s
Located in Deland, FL
A rare and elegant 1950's walnut armchair, Model 108, designed by Jens Risom for Risom Designs Inc. This collectable chair is found in it's original Naugahyd...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Walnut

Jens Risom Lounge Chair Model U430
Located in New York, NY
Jens Risom lounge chair U430 for Risom Inc. Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chair designed by Jens Risom produced by Jens Risom Inc. Iconic walnut lounge chair model U430 by Jens Risom. So...
Category

1950s North American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Velvet, Walnut

Set of Two '2' Jens Risom Armchairs / Accent Chairs on Walnut Frames, USA, 1960s
Located in Deland, FL
This set of chairs is for the collector with exceptional taste, as it is one of the more profound designs by Jens Risom. Upholstered in original red knit fabric. Constructed on a sol...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Walnut

Cognac / Brown Leather Webbed Lounge Chair and Ottoman by Jens Risom for Vostra
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of leather webbed lounge chair and matching ottoman, designed by Jens Risom and manufactured by Vostra (Walter Knoll) in Germany. Made of black...
Category

Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Wood

Pair of Jens Risom for Ralph Pucci Metallic Space Age A-Chairs
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Sublime pair of mid-century modern chairs designed by Jens Risom (1916-2016 Danish-American) in 1961. Known as the A-chair featuring a graceful and elegant sinuous design. Risom joined Ralph Pucci...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Jens Risom Big Chair and Ottoman
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An original Model 2117 Chair, designed by Jens Risom for his company Jens Risom Design Inc. Beautifully restored in plush Knoll mohair velvet. Angular lines of the lounge chair contr...
Category

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

Materials

Mohair, Walnut

Mid-Century Modern Jens Risom U 460 Lounge Chair in Walnut and Sage Green
Located in Boynton Beach, FL
Jens Risom U 460 lounge chair. Solid, fully restored, walnut frame and new upholstery and strapping. This chair is ready to last another 60 years. Very comfortable and make a great a...
Category

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

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

Jens Risom Mid-Century Modern Sculpted Walnut Playboy Lounge Chair, 1960s
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous Mid-Century Modern "Playboy" lounge chair or club chair By Jens Risom USA, 1960s Sculpted solid walnut frame, with original olive green Naugahyde upholstery. M...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

Jens Risom for Knoll Mid Century Strap Lounge Chairs, Pair
Located in Countryside, IL
Jens Risom for Knoll mid century strap lounge chairs - pair These chairs measure: 20 wide x 23 deep x 30 inches high, with a seat height of 15.5 inches ?All pieces of furniture...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Wood

Expertly Restored - Jens Risom Cognac Leather Slipper Lounge Chairs for Knoll
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jens Risom Cognac Leather Slipper Lounge Chairs for Knoll ________________________________________ Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history bac...
Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Foam, Wood

Pair of Jens Risom Lounge Chairs in Brown Webbing for Knoll, 1950s
Located in Berlin, DE
Pair of Jens Risom lounge chairs in brown webbing for Knoll. The seat is removable and adjustable from lounge to occasional chairs.
Category

1950s German Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Wood

Jens Risom Mid-Century Modern Sculpted Walnut Playboy Lounge Chair, 1960s
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous mid-century modern "Playboy" lounge chair or club chair By Jens Risom USA, 1960s Sculpted solid walnut frame, with original tan upholstery. Measures: 22.25"W x...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

Jens Risom Lounge Chair for Knoll International
Located in Munich, DE
Jens Risom lounge chair for Knoll International. Webbing redone. model no. 652. LOCATED IN HAMBURG
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Wood

Jens Risom Big Chair and Ottoman by Ralph Pucci
Located in San Francisco, CA
Jens Risom design "Big Chair" and ottoman reissue by Ralph Pucci International. Large and impressive lounge chair with an equally oversized ottoman...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

Mid-Century Modern Scoop Leather Lounge Chair By Jens Risom For Knoll
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mid-Century Modern, scoop, lounge chair by Jens Risom for Knoll features a minimal, black lacquered maple frame with a floating scoop seat newly upholstered in mustard yellow, textur...
Category

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

Materials

Leather, Maple

Jens Risom, Vostra Easy Lounge Chair, Design 1941 for Walter Knoll, Germany
Located in Munster, NRW
Jens Risom for Walter Knoll - Easychair Vostra, 1941 Design from 1941 - model of the 50s, beech frame. This Easychair comes from the private property of an art dealer in Cologne,...
Category

1940s German Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Beech

Jens Risom Lounge Chairs
Located in Atlanta, GA
Clean lined lounge chairs, designed by Jens Risom, American, circa 1960s. Risom's designs always give a nod to Danish modern design, and these chairs are no exception. They have clea...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

Pair of Jens Risom Scoop Chairs for Hans Knoll
Located in San Francisco, CA
Pair of Jens Risom scoop chairs for Hans Knoll A pair of very early Knoll post war design scoop chairs by Jens Risom. Each has been completely restored in a luxurious Sandra Jordan ...
Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Alpaca

Pair of Jens Risom Model 2137 Walnut "Floating" Lounge Chairs in Olive Velvet
Located in Brooklyn, NY
These exceptional Jens Risom Model 2137 lounge chairs supported by sculptural walnut bases are scarce examples of the 1961 design. They are relatively small in scale, though the sea...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Velvet, Walnut

Beautiful Armchair by Jens Risom
Located in Dallas, TX
Fully restored conversation chair designed by Jens Risom. Excellent condition.
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

Pair of New Navy Blue Wool Upholstery Lounge Slipper Chairs
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Pair of Classic Jens Risom lounge chairs in navy blue wool upholstery. Gorgeous oiled walnut frames.
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Wool, Walnut

Jens Risom Lounge Chair
Located in New York, NY
Jens Risom lounge chair. Newly upholstered in a linen-blend fabric with a black lacquered base.
Category

1960s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Linen, Wood

Jens Risom Upholstered Lounge Chair
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A comfortable and stylish Jens Risom upholstered armchair, circa 1950s. Rare design with original early label still intact.
Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery

Pair of Vintage Walnut Lounge Chairs by Jens Risom Design
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This stunning pair of Mid-Century Modern arm chairs by Jens Risom Design feature extremely thick padded seating, a floating style backrest, and sculpted arm rests. A sturdy walnut fr...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

Jens Risom Pair of Red Vinyl Faux Leather Chairs 1950
Located in Vienna, AT
Pair of Jens Risom of red vinyl faux leather chairs mid-century, Netherlands Jens Risom pair of red vinyl faux leather chairs, 1950. Excellent original condition with little wear to...
Category

1950s Dutch Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Faux Leather, Wood

Rare Chromed Steel and Wool Lounge Chairs by Jens Risom
Located in Buffalo, NY
Stunning pair of lounge chairs designed by Jens Risom, stainless steel frames, superior quality, flawless welds, retains original Knoll electric green wool upholstery, stunning.
Category

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

Materials

Stainless Steel

Mid-century Modern lounge chairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern lounge chairs for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage lounge chairs created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating, building and garden elements, decorative objects and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with fabric, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern lounge chairs made in a specific country, there are Europe, North America, and United States pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original lounge chairs, popular names associated with this style include Knoll, Milo Baughman, Lawson-Fenning, and Artifort. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for lounge chairs differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $11 and tops out at $97,000 while the average work can sell for $4,382.

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