10 Iconic Table and Chair Designs from the Fab 50's

Mid-century modern design saw some of the most iconic table and chair innovations in history emerge during the 1950s. With its clean lines, retro motifs, and innovative use of materials like plastics and laminates, the "Fab 50's" spawned enduring furnishings we still love today.

As vintage appeal sees a major resurgence, these atomic age classics are finding renewed popularity. Let's explore some of the most iconic table and chair designs from this remarkable era.

Arborite Dinette by Murray Feiss

The Arborite Dinette by Murray Feiss exemplified 1950s retro style. First introduced in 1954, the dinette featured a textured Arborite plastic laminate tabletop in boomerang motifs or solid colors like turquoise paired with matching vinyl upholstered chairs.

These affordable and durable dinette sets graced American kitchens and could be easily cleaned and maintained. Their references to retro travel trailers and diners made them a hit. Today, an intact Arborite dinette set is a highly prized mid-century collectible.

Incorporating Arborite Style Today

To bring Arborite's retro flair into a contemporary kitchen, look for vintage dinette sets on auction sites or in antique malls. Often the chrome bases and table edges are intact, and the laminate tops can be revived with painting. Pair with bright, glossy walls and diner-themed accessories.

For a budget option, laminates like Arborite are still available today. Use this material on a new table or counter to add swaths of retro charm. Pair with chrome tapering legs or brightly painted accents to complete the 1950s diner aesthetic.

Molecule Table by Paul McCobb

Designer Paul McCobb's iconic Planner Group furniture line included his 1959 innovation, the Molecule table. With its bold, spherical pedestal base, laminate tabletop, and innovative molded plywood chairs, the Molecule table captured the space age era's fascination with science and technology.

McCobb's tables float effortlessly on pedestal bases reminiscent of electrons orbiting atomic nuclei. While McCobb passed away young in 1969, the Molecule table remains one of his most enduring designs.

The Comeback of Molecule Tables

Thanks to the current mid-century craze, Paul McCobb's designs have skyrocketed in popularity. Vintage Molecule tables and chairs now fetch premium prices at auction. Replicas and custom versions are also available.

For a designer look, pair a glossy white Molecule set with sleek Scandinavian-style chairs. For retro flair, opt for vibrant colors like mustard yellow. The bold pedestals weave atomic age style into contemporary, minimalist kitchens.

Eames Molded Plywood Chairs

Husband and wife designers Charles and Ray Eames pioneered technologies like molded plywood. This allowed them to create sculptural, ergonomic seating designs like their iconic Molded Plywood Chairs first produced in 1946.

With its gentle curves and wooden seat shaped to the body, the Eames Molded Plywood Chair brought warmth into modernist design. Given their high quality and comfort, vintage models remain sought after today as accent seating in kitchens.

Bringing Eames Style Into Your Kitchen

While vintage Eames chairs can be expensive, modern licensed reproductions offer the iconic Eames style for less. Use Eames chairs sparingly around a table as bright accents. Or opt for compatible complementing designs like the Eames wire chairs.

Mid-century modern enthusiasts should watch auction listings closely for vintage Herman Miller labeled Eames chairs. Pair with custom cushions in atomic or pop art prints to continue the retro flair.

Formica & Chrome Dinette Sets

First introduced in the late 1920s, Formica laminate became even more popular in the 1950s as diners and households sought durable, stain resistant surfaces. Combined with the era's extensive use of chrome, Formica tabletops with tapering chrome legs epitomized '50s and '60s kitchen style.

Today, intact dinette sets in bright retro colors or eclectic patterns are collector favorites. The chrome provides a shiny contrast against colorful laminates in wild boomerang or botanical designs.

Finding Formica & Chrome Classics

Search secondhand stores and online auctions for vintage dinette sets with Formica tabletops and chrome accents. Repair chipped edges or chrome with paint and polishing. Don't re-laminate unless absolutely needed. Pair with coordinating ceramics and diner-style accessories.

For a budget option, use new Formica laminate sheets on a fresh table or countertop. Chrome spray paint can revive table legs and chairs. This achieves the retro look without hunting down expensive vintage dinette sets.

Kitschy Retro Motif Tables

Wild 1950s motel and diner graphics provided inspiration for the era's eccentric laminate designs. Retro motifs like starbursts, looped swirls, atomic boomerangs, botanicals, and sputnik bursts graced kitchen, restaurant, and patio tables.

These kitschy laminates and fiberglass tabletops often came in eclectic pastel colors set on insect-like wrought iron bases. While novel in their day, eclectic '50s graphics feel fresh and fun in contemporary homes seeking whimsical flair.

Adding Whimsical Charm with Retro Tables

When using a novelty laminate table, balance is key. Pair with sleek mid-century chairs and simpler decor to avoid looking cartoonish. For example, a yellow table with looping starbursts pops against gray walls and Danish chairs.

Source authentic tables at auctions and antique shops, but use motifs judiciously. For a subtler touch, look for '50s inspirations like star and fountain shapes rather than overwhelming Atomic Age graphics.

Space Age "Atomic" Style

The 1950s focus on space travel and the atom permeated pop culture and furniture design. Plastics, fiberglass, sputnik shapes, and representations of atoms, molecules, and electrons appeared across media and products in outrageous "Atomic" style.

Tables took daring forms with rocket and comet shapes. Materials evolved as well, with plastics and fiberglass used for sculptural, gravity defying designs.

Incorporating Atomic Style Classics

Vintage tables like the Coconut Lounge's fiberglass rocket base and sputnik laminate top fetch high prices from collectors. More accessible options include sputnik pendant lamps or starburst wall clocks to add flair over a Tulip or parsons dining set.

For a budget-friendly touch of retro futurism, paint a tabletop with glossy blacks, reds, turquoise, and chrome yellows. Use starburst or midcentury graphic decals sparingly. Let walls remain simple to balance the atomic motifs.

Diner Style Chrome & Vinyl

The 1950s saw a boom in shiny diners featuring chrome accents, formica counters, and durable vinyl upholstery. These hearty materials were easily cleaned after rowdy patrons.

Vinyl and chrome diner chairs, booths, and tables made their way into homes. Their retro references evoked car culture and soda fountains through bold colors and metallic flair.

Bringing Diner Decor Home

A kidney-shaped diner booth instantly livens up kitchen. Pair with chrome tables or chairs in vibrant hues like cherry red. Solid color laminate countertops or a black and white checkerboard floor complete the look.

Search eBay, Etsy, and thrift shops for retro vinyl furniture and light fittings. Repair damaged chrome with polishing and paint. Add nostalgic signs and sunburst clocks for a fun blast from the past.

Scandinavian Inspired Style

Scandinavian design also shaped mid-century modernism with its embrace of natural shapes, gentle curves, and light wood tones. Designers like Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, and Alvar Aalto pioneered graceful, organic forms.

Blonde, gently tapered pedestal table bases and soft seats appeared in 1950s kitchens and dining spaces seeking an airy, minimalist look. These designs still feel fresh and contemporary today.

Achieving Hygge with Scandinavian Classics

For a Danish modern style, combine a vintage Scandinavian dining table like Hans Olsen's oval Distressed Dining Table with suspended pendant lamps and gently curved chairs. Create an intimate, welcoming ambiance.

Seeking midcentury pieces labeled with Danish names like Hans Wegner at auction. New furniture with organic lines and blonde finishes also evokes this timeless style while feeling contemporary.

Pedestal Dining Sets

Postwar housing booms increased demand for furniture fitting small, efficient spaces. Pedestal dining tables on a single slim base offered a smart solution.

While many associate pedestal tables with later decades, Noguchi's iconic 1947 Cyclone table brought sculptural pedestal style into the 1950s. Similar pedestal tablescontinued appearing in diners and homes into the 1960s.

The Return of Retro Pedestal Style

For open concept living, pedestal tables keep sightlines clean and rooms feeling airy. Vintage Noguchi Cyclone tables and imitations like the Groovy table bring back the '50s pedestal look. Replicas offer more affordable options.

Pair pedestal tables with transparent acrylic or Eames wire chairs to enhance feelings of openness. Keep decor sparse for a retro yet minimalist modern aesthetic.

Tulip Tables

Designer Eero Saarinen's 1956 Tulip table revolutionized tables. Built from one piece of molded fiberglass coated in plastic laminate, this organic, sculptural base evoked a blooming flower.

With its future forward design, the Tulip table captured postwar optimism. Its timeless flowing curves feel fresh today. Originally used in lounges and lobbies, it now graces contemporary dining spaces.

Tulip Style for Contemporary Homes

While authentic vintage Tulip tables are expensive, authorized tabletops mounted on Eiffel bases capture their elegance at lower prices. Smaller versions work well as accent tables in kitchens.

Let Tulip tables stand out against blank walls and minimal decor. Contrast their organic silhouette with geometric art and decor for bold midcentury style.

The 1950s spawned audacious innovations in furnishings, from Arborite dinettes to Molecule tables to Eames' molded plywood. These endure as collectible midcentury classics.

With their references to retro diners, sputnik shapes, and Scandinavian minimalism, iconic 1950s table and chair designs feel fresh and relevant for contemporary homes. Their spirit of postwar optimism creates cheerful, personality filled kitchens and dining rooms.