Mies van der Rohe Settee in Velvet and Teak
View Similar Items
Mies van der Rohe Settee in Velvet and Teak
About the Item
- Creator:Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (Designer),Knoll (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30.5 in (77.47 cm)Width: 62.25 in (158.12 cm)Depth: 32 in (81.28 cm)Seat Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1444214202472
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Architect, furniture designer and educator, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was a central figure in the advancement and promotion of modernist design and architectural theory and practice. Like Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier, he was a hugely influential presence in the field, who shaped the course of 20th-century architecture both through his buildings and his teaching of rationalist design principles.
Born in the medieval German city of Aachen, Mies found an interest in architecture as a boy while working for his father, a master stonemason. He had no formal education as an architect, but learned his skills as an apprentice to the designer Bruno Paul, and as a staffer in the office the proto-modernist architect and designer Peter Behrens. Following World War I, Mies rose to prominence in his field amid the liberal atmosphere of the Weimar Republic. His reputation was secured by his work on the German Pavilion at the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona (commonly referred to as the Barcelona Pavilion) — which Mies codesigned with Lilly Reich, his creative and romantic partner — a radically simple, poetic, open-plan building pared down to its architectural essentials. Mies would go on to direct the Bauhaus from 1930 until 1933, when Nazi-government interference forced the closure of the progressive art and design school. Later that decade, he made his way to Chicago, where he remained for the rest of his career as a practicing architect and a dean of the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Mies’s famed dictum “less is more” grew from his belief that architecture both guides and expresses the spirit of the times, and he envisioned the 20th century as open-minded, logical, transparent and liberated by technology. His best-known buildings — residences such as the Villa Tugendhat in Czechoslovakia and the Farnsworth House in rural Illinois; skyscrapers like the 860–880 Lake Shore Drive apartment towers in Chicago and the Seagram Building in New York — reflect that philosophy. As do the most famous furniture designs authored by him or codesigned with Reich.
Pieces designed by Mies and Reich such as the Barcelona chair (the authorized version is produced by Knoll today), stools and daybed, or the cantilevered Brno chairs, deliver a maximum of comfort and support from a minimum of materials: their “lavishness” derives from the precision with which they are engineered and constructed. For the collector, the allure of Mies’s furniture is at once practical and idealistic. Useful and functional, his works embody the highest aspirations of modernism.
Find vintage Mies van der Rohe chairs, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Knoll
As a company that produced many of the most famous and iconic furniture designs of the 20th century, Knoll was a chief influence in the rise of modern design in the United States. Led by Florence Knoll, the firm would draw stellar talents such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Eero Saarinen into its compass. Their work would help change the face of the American home and office.
The company was formed in 1938 by the German immigrant Hans Knoll. He first worked with his fellow ex-pat, the Danish designer Jens Risom, who created furniture with flowing lines made of wood. While Risom served in World War II, in 1943 Knoll met his future wife, Florence Schust. She had studied and worked with eminent emigré leaders of the Bauhaus, including Mies, Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer. She won Knoll over with Bauhaus notions of industrial arts, and an aesthetic that featured flat and tubular metal frames and angular forms. When Hans died in a car crash in 1955, Florence Knoll was appointed head of the company. It was as much through her holistic approach to design — a core division of the firm was dedicated to planning office systems — as Knoll's mid-century modern furnishings themselves that she brought about the sleek and efficient transformation of the American workplace.
Today, classic Knoll furnishings remain staples of modern design collections and decor. A history of modern design is written in pieces such as the elegant Barcelona chair — created by Mies and Lilly Reich — Saarinen’s pedestal Tulip chair, Breuer’s tubular steel Wassily lounge chair and the grid-patterned Diamond chair by Harry Bertoia.
As you can see from the collection of these designs and other vintage Knoll dining chairs, sofas and tables on 1stDibs, this manufacturer's offerings have become timeless emblems of the progressive spirit and sleek sophistication of the best of modernism.
- Danish Modern Cranberry Leather Settee by Hans OlsenBy Hans OlsenLocated in Brooklyn, NYSleek, diminutive Danish settee (model CS 800) designed by Hans Olsen for CS Mobelfabrik in 1958. Frame is supported by tapered teak legs. Dramatic lines provide a sharp, striking pr...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Loveseats
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Vintage Norwegian Modern Loveseat in Leather and Teak by Fredrik KayserBy Fredrik A. Kayser, Vatne MøblerLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis two-seat sofa was designed by Fredrik Kayser for Vatne Lenestolfabrikk (ca. 1960s, Norway). Magnificent frame in sculpted teak with armrests resembling two conjoined cul-de-sac...Category
Vintage 1960s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Loveseats
MaterialsBrass
- Postmodern Settee in Stained Birdseye Maple by Michael GravesBy Michael Graves (b.1934)Located in Brooklyn, NYSmall, faceted sofa/settee designed by Michael Graves composed of a stained Birdseye Maple frame with ebony inlaid triangles and applied ebonized cylindrica...Category
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Settees
MaterialsUpholstery, Birdseye Maple
- Mid-Century High-Back Birch Settee by Maxwell RoyalBy Maxwell Royal Chair CompanyLocated in Brooklyn, NYStatuesque and elegant birch settee manufactured in the 1950s by Maxwell Royal of Hickory, NC (though, often mis-attributed as Dunbar or Paolo Buffa). ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Settees
MaterialsUpholstery, Birch
- Tall Danish Modern Conical Table Lamp in Teak and BrassLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis 1960s Danish table lamp is elegant in its simplicity composed of a conical teak frame joined by a brass neck / stem at the top and a circular, black metal base. Modest form / cl...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Pair of Lounge Chairs in Mahogany and Velvet by Edward Wormley for DunbarBy Dunbar Furniture, Edward WormleyLocated in Brooklyn, NYPair of diminutive lounge chairs by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, (circa 1947, USA). Pair includes brass caster wheels, which can easily be added or removed for better stability, as sho...Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Krefeld Settee or Sofa in Dark Brown Leather for KnollBy Knoll, Ludwig Mies van der RoheLocated in St. Louis, MOArchitect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed Krefeld settee in a rich dark brown leather for Knoll. Recent 2009 production based on his 1930s designs for the Esters and Lange residenc...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Settees
MaterialsLeather, Wood
- Danish 1960s Midcentury Settee in Teak and LeatherBy Tove & Edvard Kindt-Larsen, France & DaverkosenLocated in Bridgeport, CTBeautiful and elegant small 1950s easy style Danish settee with the frame, legs and armrests in solid teak. Very high design quality and workmanship. The piece is unmarked but the de...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Settees
MaterialsTeak, Leather
- French Louis XV Style Settee in Red VelvetLocated in Buchanan, NYA stunning French 1920s Louis XV style settee upholstered in a rich red velvet upholstery with a creamy painted wood frame. The brass nailhead detailing adds an extra touch of sophis...Category
Vintage 1920s French Louis XV Settees
MaterialsFabric
$2,660 Sale Price44% Off - Tufted Settee with Loose Seat Cushion and Pleated Skirt Shown in Grey VelvetBy LF UpholsteryLocated in Brooklyn, NYThe Marion sofa is a custom piece and timeless style shown in grey velvet but also available in COL or COM in any size wanted. handcrafted maple frame with t...Category
2010s American American Classical Loveseats
MaterialsVelvet, Maple
- Antique Carved Walnut Tufted Small Settee Loveseat Upholstered in VelvetLocated in Hopewell, NJCharming diiminutive sumptuous French loveseat having richly patterned velvet upholstery in shades of rasberry and taupe. Frame is lovely carved walnut with short cabriole legs. The ...Category
Vintage 1920s French French Provincial Loveseats
MaterialsWalnut, Velvet
- Scandinavian Modern Teak Settee by Arne VodderBy Arne VodderLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis Danish vintage two-seat offers a stylish teak finish with a uniquely sized two-seat settee. By Arne Vodder, this seating option is perfect for home or office setting. Please con...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Settees
MaterialsUpholstery, Teak
$1,960 Sale Price34% Off