There’s just no getting over our obsession with Fler Narviks, the Numero lounge and Rondo coffee tables
When mid-century furniture began gaining popularity again in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it could be found in the back rooms of suburban op shops, or even rescued from the street during hard rubbish. These days, it’s considered a collectible and traded like art—often commanding high prices in vintage and design stores.
The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) has played a key role in recognising the cultural value of mid-century design, with exhibitions like Mid-Century Modern: Australian Furniture Design and acquisitions that preserve these works for future generations. “Mid-century design is celebrated for its timeless aesthetic, innovative use of materials, and a seamless integration of form and function,” wrote curator Kirsty Grant in the accompanying catalogue.
Mid-century furniture’s appeal goes beyond its aesthetic. Many of its most enduring designs were created with a practical purpose in mind — making them as functional in today’s homes as they were when first produced. Eames Demetrios, Charles and Ray Eames’ grandson and Director of the Eames Office, equates the style’s staying power to one of the movement's core traits: problem-solving solutions.
“A lot of these designs, and certainly the Eames’ ones, were not made with style as their first intent. Style can be there, but they were all designed to solve problems with living and how to live better,” explained Demetrios. And while functionality might be at the heart of these practical designs, Demetrios offers an important caveat: “Aesthetics can be a part of function…Charles and Ray made a lot of things that did both—things that are lovely to look at and extremely comfortable.”
What defines mid-century furniture?
Though the term is often used loosely — attached to everything from new retail lines to replica pieces — mid-century modern, in its truest form, refers to furniture created between the late 1940s and the 1970s. These pieces were shaped by material scarcity, postwar optimism, and a push for local manufacturing. Companies like Fler, TH Brown and Parker responded to the needs of smaller postwar homes with furniture that was streamlined, functional and comparatively affordable.
“These designers moved away from traditional, conservative pre‑war styles and forged a new language of design that was innovative in its use of materials,” states the NGV. “Functional, and often imbued with a good dose of style.”
Parker Furniture was one of the first companies to bring the Scandinavian mid-century aesthetic into Australian homes at scale. Established in 1935, it evolved into a household name by the 1960s. Its popularity was grounded in local timber, restrained detailing and a consistency that endured for decades. “Things should be well designed and well made, to last a lifetime... Good furniture should be seen and not heard,” founder Tony Parker said in a 2014 interview. “People should be left thinking – ‘what a lovely room’ rather than ‘what a remarkable chair.’”
Why mid-century furniture still reigns supreme
Nothing since has disrupted the field quite so lastingly. Postmodernism had a moment — bold colours, rounded forms — but its reach was limited. By the late ’90s, years before Mad Men arrived on screen, mid-century pieces were already resurfacing in homes, shops and editorial shoots. “Certainly some people discovered it through Mad Men,” production designer Dan Bishop told The Washington Post. “Even the people who didn’t really watch TV, they still understood it.”
Amy Auscherman, director of archives and brand heritage at Herman Miller, told The Washington Post that “the timing reflected a typical 30-year nostalgia cycle.” The theory goes that people reconnect with styles they saw in childhood once they reach adulthood and begin furnishing homes of their own. Whether coincidence or not, the move was prescient — today, she says, the company sells more Eames lounges than ever before.
“People are reconnecting with this kind of furniture,” said Michael Lewy, who was part of the Parker revival. “It’s not fussy, it’s warm, it’s functional.”
“It’s not even a trend anymore — it’s the dominant aesthetic,” interior designer Brad Dunning told The Washington Post, after curating an exhibition of mid-century modern chairs for the Palm Springs Art Museum. “It’s either fascinating or depressing that we haven’t replaced [it] with anything better.”
While some mid-century furniture is still widely available on the secondary market, other pieces — like Grant Featherston’s Contour chairs or Clement Meadmore’s sling-back designs — have become increasingly scarce. In top condition, they are now considered blue-chip items, collected and traded much like art.
But value isn’t the only reason these pieces continue to circulate. Their scale suits Australian homes, both old and new. The materials — including native hardwoods like blackwood, coachwood and Queensland maple — have aged well. And their simplicity makes them adaptable across a range of interior styles.
Mid-century furniture: A design legacy
It’s common now for mid-century items to pass through several owners, sometimes returning to the same dealer years later. Their survival speaks to the quality of manufacture, but also to the fact that nothing has really replaced them. “It was a unique moment,” Grant wrote. “The work was ambitious, but also grounded. There was a sense of practicality that underpinned everything.”
And while replicas have flooded the market, serious collectors are turning to lesser-known names produced in low volumes. “People are still mining the mid-century vein,” said Dunning. “They’re just digging deeper.”
