In the (cleaned up and less mean) words of Regina George from the movie Mean Girls, “Get in [friend], we’re going shopping!” The real quote swaps the word friend for “loser” and well, no one here is a loser, ESPECIALLY because we’re talking about how to WIN at vintage shopping. Today, I’m introducing a new series we’re calling Deal or No Deal, where I connect with an expert on a given home product or service, and help us all learn what’s a fair price for it. First up: Mid-century modern furniture, mostly because it’s a wildly popular category of second-hand and vintage designs that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon—or ever—in our living spaces, but also because it’s an EHD favorite.
Vintage mid-century modern furniture (or MCM for short) runs the gamut of pricing, as frankly, so many other vintage and antique pieces do, as well. So while there isn’t an exact science, hopefully, you’ll walk away from today better equipped to feel good about what you paid for your scores, rather than having that icky feeling in the pit of your stomach that perhaps you were bamboozled. Our expert today is Ellen LeCompte, owner of mid-century modern vintage dealer Amsterdam Modern in Los Angeles. I emailed with Ellen to pick her brain as someone whose job it is to buy and then price/resell mid-century modern furniture. She imparted a lot of wisdom, but before we dive into that, along with our pricing cheat sheet I put together with her help, I want to talk a little bit about what exactly makes something mid-century modern, and what you need to know about it to better understand anything you’re purchasing.
While you may read “mid-century” and think “Ah okay, 1950s,” mid-century modern design is actually classified by furniture and architecture that came about after the Modernist movement (1900-1930s, roughly) but before Post-Modernism (1970-1990, again, roughly). Meaning, MCM spans from the ’40s—sometimes even the late ’30s—all the way to the early ’70s.
And in fact, did you know that the term “mid-century modern” didn’t even come to be until writer Cara Greenberg (who I worked with on a freelance capacity for a bit while I was an editor at Luxe Interiors + Design) released her acclaimed book “Mid-Century Modern: Furniture of the 1950s” in 1984. Anyhow, there are so many opinions online about what MCM actually is. Is it an aesthetic? Is it a time period? My personal, humble, mildly-expert opinion is that it is both.
After WWII, there was a movement toward mass production due to new technologies and access to new materials like plywood, plastic, fiberglass, glass, and metal. What we know today as mid-century modern furniture came about from a need and desire for functional, affordable, and easily available furniture and decor, a direct opposite of the ornate and traditionally hand-crafted (read: expensive and not quick to produce) furniture of decades and centuries before. Families were looking to embrace a modern and organic lifestyle, and MCM answered that. And the reasons the style was so popular when it first came on the scene is why it still persists today.
“It’s timeless design, with clean, simple lines,” says LeCompte. It’s practical, stripped down but also innovative. You’ll find, unlike pieces from periods prior, a mix of materials. Metal (mostly chrome) with leather, vinyl, or wood. Glass with chrome or wood. Silhouettes are either streamline or introduce soft, organic curves, which weren’t seen that often before the ’30s or ’40s.
Mid-century modern is actually an American design movement that was highly influenced by Danish Modernism (what LeCompte’s company specializes in, more on that in a bit), as well as the German Bauhaus, which was both a style and school of design. There is of course Italian mid-century modern (it’s SO good), and all-in-all, much of these designs can be grouped together under the MCM umbrella for the sake of this article. You’ll also find that collection of eras, regions and designers across dealers, unless they specialize in one specific niche.
Here are a few names you may know (or not), all pivotal minds, makers and designers during the mid-century design movement:
- Charles and Ray Eames
- George Nelson
- Herman Miller
- Arne Jacobsen
- Eero Saarinen
- Gio Ponti
- Hans Wegner
- Florence Knoll
- Charlotte Perriand
- Finn Juhl
- Marcel Breuer
- Alvar Aalto
- Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe
- Paul McCobb
- Le Corbusier
The list feels endless, so I encourage anyone who wants to dive even deeper into the MCM universe and all the ingenious work that came out of the era (truly groundbreaking stuff, most of which still feels wildly fresh and innovative today, almost 100 years later) to explore all these names and more. It’s good stuff.
ANYWAY! Back to how to buy it. Let’s let LeCompte do some of the talking here:
Arlyn Hernandez/ EHD: What does Amsterdam Modern specialize in?
Ellen LeCompte/Amsterdam Modern: Mid-century modern furniture, specifically Dutch design. We find pieces with more of an emphasis on wood and metal; there was a lot of innovative metal design after the war as wood was scarce and metal was an abundant wartime material. For example, this Coen de Vries coat rack and these Friso Kramer chairs. Although I purchase and ship from Holland, many of the pieces are from all over Europe.
EHD: What questions should someone ask a vintage dealer of MCM pieces before buying?
AM: Some examples of things to ask are where did you get it, what company made this/what designer designed this, do you have the history (mostly because people like a back story), is it original or a reproduction, and how rare is it—I always like to know if it was hugely popular back in the day or seldom seen as that will drastically affect pricing. You’ll also want to know if it’s been restored, refinished, or reupholstered.
EHD: There seems to be a huge price variation in mid-century modern furniture (like anything else). Do you have any tips for buyers when purchasing to make sure they are paying a fair price?
AM: Google! Do your research before buying. Find out as much about the piece or designer or maker before buying, then Google, Google, Google! See what other places are selling it for and in what condition to get a sense of the range that’s fair. Keep in mind, though, that sometimes, it is a perceived value you are paying for, meaning, you’re paying for curation and the ability and privilege of a dealer to bring inventory to you. There are always similar designs to the expensive (uber-trendy) pieces, so seek those out for better pricing. If you like a specific piece but it’s above your budget, search around for other designs by the same designer that might be more readily available, hence lower in price. The look and feel in your home will be the same, just more affordable.
EHD: What MCM designers or specific pieces are you seeing a high demand for? What’s “on trend”?
AM: On trend means there’s a higher demand, which means there’s a higher perceived value (and actual price tag). Some things that are popular right now are pieces by Ligne Rose, Togo, Marsala, Tobia Scarpa, Mario Bellini, and de Sede seating from the ’70s.
I’m trying to stay away from buying items that are now re-issued designs, unless it’s too good to turn down. And designs that have been on trend and will always be on trend: Eames anything, Børge Mogensen (and style of), Charlotte Perriand, most MCM furniture made of oak, and pine is making the limelight, too.
EHD: In terms of wood species, what are common materials found in mid-century modern furniture?
AM: Teak, teak, and more teak, especially for most Scandinavian MCM pieces. There were some great Danish pieces done in oak, as well. Other popular woods were rosewood (not endangered) and walnut. You could find pine, as well, which is very trendy right now, along with oak.
EHD: If I find a MCM piece and I notice it has a veneer, is that bad? Should someone look for solid wood?
AM: Veneer is the norm for mid-century modern, solid is rare. MCM pieces usually have solid edging and legs, but table tops and drawer facing were typically veneer because it was easier to choose continuous grains in large sheets that could be used on drawer fronts, or book-matched doors.
EHD: What’s the difference between mid-century modern and Danish/Scandinavian modern?
AM: MCM is more streamline with hard edges, and can include color. Danish modern is more organic, traditionally craft-based. You’ll find more teak, oak, curves or raw edges, and furniture made primarily of wood.
Thank you Ellen! Now, for pricing. Again, how a vintage piece is priced is dependent on so many things. Condition—for example, if it’s already been restored or reupholstered vs. in its original state—availability or perceived rareness, demand, and even the knowledge of the seller. You could have a regular owner just trying to offload some furniture from their collection or in say, an estate sale, who doesn’t know what they have and you’ll get a steal of a deal.
The graphic below summarizes the range of prices Ellen put together. You’ll find all kinds of pieces that fall outside of these ranges, surely, but this should be a good guide. A trick I like to use is going to 1stDibs, finding either the exact piece or something similar by the same designer, and looking at their pricing guidance chart.
To satisfy the Google Gods, I’m also sharing this information in a bullet list below, as well as a link to the actual item picture if it’s of interest to you):
- Highboy Dresser: $950-$1,550
- 6-Drawer Dresser: $1,000-$3,850
- Credenza or Sideboard: $2,450-$3,250
- Media Console or Cabinet (though this is often just credenza because media needs were very different in the ’50s and ’60s): $795-$2,550
- Dining Chair Set: $1,450-$3,250 (depending on how many chairs)
- Dining Table: $950-$3,250
- 3-Seater Sofa: $795-$3,250
- Accent Chair: $1,150-$3,250
- Accent Tables: $950-$3,250
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And there you have it! I’d love to do more deep dives like this into an era of furniture or even a home design service, so please chime in in the comments with any ideas or requests. Also, a fun little game is adding photos of any of your own personal “gets” in the category with the corresponding back story.
Until next time, dear reader…
Opening Image Credits: Design By Arlyn Hernandez | Styling By Emily Bowser | Photo By Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Arlyn’s Bedroom Reveal Is A Lesson In The Beauty Of “Unfinished” Design
