Mid-Century Modern Furniture

The ultimate collector’s resource, including hundreds of pieces by both well- and lesser-known designers from around the world. From armchairs and chaises lounges to cabinets and nightstands, the period between the late 1930s and early 1970s was one of the most productive, inventive, and exciting eras for objects and furniture in the home. Following 1945, when postwar optimism combined with new manufacturing methods and material techniques, there was an explosion of design innovation and demand for goods. The appetite for mid-century modern remains as strong as ever, both for classic designs―many still in production since they were launched―and for rare, hard-to-find pieces from lesser-known designers. While numerous books surveying mid-century modern style have appeared over the years, this volume is specifically for the increasing collector’s market in mid-century modern design, focusing on each piece of furniture as an object of formal invention, manufacturing intelligence, and material innovation. Overflowing with vibrant color photography, Mid-Century Modern Furniture profiles hundreds of pieces and is a perfect reference in design libraries, studios, and the homes of private collectors―or as an object of design in its own right. Each item of furniture is presented in detail: illuminated with vibrant illustrations and profiled via in-depth descriptive texts by design writer Dominic Bradbury. The book’s substantial reference section includes essays on materials and a directory of designers. Work by a host of influential talents is profiled throughout, alongside lesser-known pieces by Piet Hein, Bruno Mathsson, Lina Bo Bardi, and Alexander Girard.