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Influential Mid-Century Modern Furniture Designers

ByCade Wilson December 3, 2008June 1, 2022 Updated onJune 1, 2022

Furniture design has evolved throughout the centuries as different materials became available and as professionals or tradesmen in charge of designing the furniture in that time period changed. Wood is a traditional furnishing material because it is abundantly available, sturdy, easily shaped, and because some of the first furniture makers were also carpenters. Other materials that were used in ancient furnishings are stone and metal.

As mankind began to progress and as more specialized professions came about, eventually architects and popular artists who specialized in furnishings set the trend for the time periods decor. The onset of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th and 19th century began a turning point in human society, especially as it made furnishings once only available to the wealthy available to a broader range of society.

The 20th century brought with it the most rapid and revolutionary period of furniture design in history, producing what can be considered classic furniture pieces from new materials like plywood, chrome plated steel, new fabrics, and specialty materials like acrylic and fiberglass. True visionaries designed these classic pieces whose beauty and modern appearance are still popular today.

  • Flash Furniture Waylon High Back Designer Black Mesh Drafting Chair
    Flash Furniture Waylon High Back Designer Black Mesh Drafting Chair with LeatherSoft Sides and Adjustable Arms
    • Everyone, from the seasoned engineer or artist to that newly minted architect, will love to have this adjustable drawing and drafting chair. With a great modern look and multiple adjustment features, this chair is a must have.
    • High back design and flexible mesh back, padded lack mesh/LeatherSoft sided
    $ 191.99 -41%
  • Flash Furniture Rebecca High Back Designer White LeatherSoft Smooth Upholstered
    Flash Furniture Rebecca High Back Designer White LeatherSoft Smooth Upholstered Executive Swivel Office Chair with Chrome Base and Arms
    • Make a bold statement in your workspace with this sleekly styled, executive office chair. Pairing a metal frame with the LeatherSoft upholstered back and seat creates a stunning visual contrast making this chair a focal point in your modern office.
    • [_Our chair conforms to ANSI/BIFMA standard X5.1-17_] High
    $ 249.02
✖


September 16, 2023 04:21

Charles and Ray Eames

Charles and Ray Eames

Above is a late picture of the husband and wife team of Charles and Ray Eames, who are almost always pictured together. Charles was an architect with a passion for modern design and furnishings. Ray was an artist, designer, and filmmaker who shared her husbands passions. Together they created some of the most iconic mid-century modern furniture pieces of the 20th century.

most famous chairs of the world

The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman are highly recognized pieces for modern design. Eames' exploration and innovative work with moulding and shaping plywood was used in this design and executed beautifully. Its natural color and appearance contrast with the fine leather (typically black, but available in custom leathers) and industrially shaped metal base. This was the Eames's first luxury piece.
La Chaise classic chair ray and charles eames
Another example of Eames' work is the La Chaise. Composed of a fiberglass shell, chromed steel supports, and a solid wood base, this piece is made to last. The free-form shape was inspired by a sculpture called “Floating Figure“, by Gaston Lachaise.
Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier mid-century modern furniture designers
Le Corbusier was a Swiss-born architect and designer who was dedicated to providing better living conditions to people living in crowded cities. He started to create his furnishings in 1928, in collaboration with architect Charlotte Perriand.
Le Petite Confort Armchair le corbusier mid-century modern furniture
Le Petite Confort Armchair is a beautiful cube form with leather wrapped cushions in a chrome plated metal tubing basket. Part of the intrigue of this chair is that it was among the first furnishings that made the frame a visible element of the design. This sensational forward thinking has become a popular aspect of modern furniture design.
Le Corbusier Chaise Lounge mid-century modern furniture
The Le Corbusier Chaise Lounge is one of the most popular and unique chaises available today. It was designed with the idea of “serving” our limbs by providing comfort to the body. Simple shapes contrast with the aesthetic qualities of chromed steel tubing and soft leathers or hides. “The human-limb object is a docile servant. A good servant is discreet and self-effacing in order to leave his master free”. – Le Corbusier
Marcel Breuer
Marcel Breuer mid-century modern furniture designers
Marcel Breuer, considered one of the masters of modern design, was an architect and furniture designer. He emphasized the importance of art combined with technology, and was fascinated by modular designs and simplistic forms.
Marcel Breuer wassily chair mid-century modern furniture
The Wassily Chair was a mass produced piece created in the middle of the 1920's. It used canvas bands that wrapped around the steel tubing for the arms, back, and seat. Originally named model B3, it was later renamed after a neat anecdote that involved painter Wassily Kandinsky who worked with Breuer at Bauhaus.
Marcel Breuer Lounge Chair mid-century modern furniture
This piece, called the Marcel Breuer Lounge Chair, is a combination of moulded plywood supports and the central upholstered fabric body. Designed in 1935-36, it was made for relaxing in a comfortable, yet stylish modern piece.
All of the above designers are some of my favorite 20th century mid-century modern furniture masters. They not only created pieces for the sake of the design, but also as an answer to the issues that were facing their time, like each design was a piece of their own personal revolution.




Minimalist Style: Self TV Unit/Magazine Rack by Alexopoulos

Minimalist Style: Self TV Unit/Magazine Rack by Alexopoulos

Updated on May 24, 2016
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By Chris Michaels
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Posted in Living
TVs have come a long way since the rabbit-eared versions of the 1950s. Modern technology has done away with the...
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Freestanding Flexibility: City Wall Cabinets by Antonio Lupi

Freestanding Flexibility: City Wall Cabinets by Antonio Lupi

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Posted in Storage
With just forty centimeters of floor space from front to back, imagine a storage system that you control.  A complete...
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Chameleon Cooking: Twelve Kitchen by Varnenna Poliform

Chameleon Cooking: Twelve Kitchen by Varnenna Poliform

Updated on May 29, 2022
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By Amy
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Posted in Kitchen
In your kitchen, you need function and you want great form.  Most people settle for one or the other, but...
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The Cradle Rocking Chair Sleeping

The Cradle Rocking Chair Accepts Full-Time Job of Rocking You to Sleep

Updated on April 30, 2021
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By FF2
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Posted in Living
The Cradle rocking chair is a result of the creative work of a bunch of designers, seven of them to...
Read More The Cradle Rocking Chair Accepts Full-Time Job of Rocking You to Sleep
multifunctional furniture designs

Coat Rack Bench by Gebrüder Thonet (with Pictures)

Updated on June 23, 2022
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By Chris Michaels
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Posted in Living
Coat Rack Bench by Gebrüder Thonet Swedish design studio Front is the brains behind this masterpiece that could only have...
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Tagsentryway bench
long-table-design-by-Porro

Transforming your Dining Room: Synapsis Table by Porro

Updated on August 7, 2022
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By FF2
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Posted in Dining
Synapsis Table by Porro From the illustrious house of Porro, Italy comes the stylish Synapsis table, designed by the master...
Read More Transforming your Dining Room: Synapsis Table by Porro
Tagsdesigners, dining tables, porro, unusual tables

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