The 1950s and 1960s were a time of exceptional style, and the outdoor patio furniture designed during that era was nothing short of stunning. For lovers of vintage style décor, finding inspiration from the iconic designs of that time can be a great way to transform any outdoor space into a mid-century dream. From charming metal chairs to wood designs that never go out of fashion, there are plenty of ideas to choose from.

In this article, you’ll discover how to transform your patio into a nostalgic wonderland and the types of furniture to look for when designing in the 1950s and 1960s style (thru vintage images & advertising).

Let’s begin!

1960s vintage catalog page for 1960s patio furniture featuring yellow flower pattern.

1953 Vintage photo of Harriet Smart modeling Jantzen bathing suit at the beach in front of a giant patio umbrella — 1953- Harriet Smart modeling Jantzen bathing suit at the beach. Source: Florida Memory

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

NOTE: If you click on any of the items featured below and they are not available, don’t fret! Hit the search button and see what else is on the websites. There are 1000’s and 1000’s of items being listed daily.

1950s / 1960s Outdoor Patio Furniture Ideas

1950 Sears Spring / Summer Catalog featuring stylish 1950s furniture. Gliders (I love gliders), chairs, tables and more!

I personally have wanted metal lawn chairs for a long time (I love the bottom left ones), but I just don’t have the space and I don’t think my husband will understand why I think they are so cool. Ha!

1950 Sears Spring Summer Catalog page featuring 1950s patio furniture. All steel gliders, tables and chairs.

Source: Christmas.musetechnical.com

Here is a a 1950s / 1960s photo of a collection of various outdoor chairs at an outdoor bbq get together.

1950s / 1960s vintage photo of a family in their backyard cooking on an outdoor stove and sitting in various outdoor chairs.

Source: goretro.com

1955-People playing cards at a backyard party in Miami featuring those metal chairs I really love.

1950s vintage photo of People playing cards at a backyard party in Miami - 1955. Featuring 1950s patio furniture and 1950s summer fashion.

Source: Flickr-Florida Memory

1950s / 1960s Sun-Tan lawn furniture metal glider vintage ad. Fun!

1950s / 1960s Sun-Tan Lawn Furniture Metal Glider vintage ad. 1950s Patio Furniture/ 1960s Patio Furniture Ad.

Source: Pinterest

“Indoor or Outdoor Summer Furniture – Genuine Cane, Rattan Peel or Fiber. Cosy Hassocks” – 1954 Sears Catalog.

1954 Sears Spring / Summer Catalog featuring Indoor or Outdoor furniture. Rattan, Cane and Fiber. 1950s Patio Furniture inspiration.

Source: Christmas.musetechnical.com

Samsonite outdoor furniture 1954 Ad. The outdoor folding furniture with the weather-proof automobile finish!

Source: Pinterest

“Make a summer resort in your backyard” A 1956 Sears Spring Summer catalog patio furniture page for a “Gay Polka Dot Patterned Ensemble” & “Modern Summer Fantasy Leaf Pattern”. LOVE the polka dots!!

1956 Sears Spring Summer Catalog page for 1950s Patio Furniture. Polka Dot Pattern and Floral Pattern.

Marilyn Monroe with her bright orange patio set. Love that rose fabric detail on the umbrella!

Vintage Photo of Marilyn with her bright orange patio set. Love that rose fabric detail on the umbrella!

Source: Pinterest

September 1963, a woman is sitting by the lake in her bathing suit reading in sun lounge chair. Beside her is a floral lounger.

1960s vintage photo: Woman in Bathing Suit Reading in Sun Lounge Chair by the lake.

Source: Etsy- therescuedphoto

‘Better Homes and Gardens’, September 1954 cover featuring a Mid-Century patio / backyard design. Some great ideas in this image.

Source: Pinterest

“Make your lawn a pleasant spot for outdoor living”. Saran webbing & aluminum furniture (from the same 1956 Sears Spring / Summer Catalog).

1960s Patio furniture in green and yellow, red and with webbing or aluminum.

Source: Christmas.musetechnical.com

June 1952, an advertisement shot for homes in Winter Haven. There are the webbing chairs.

1950s vintage photo of an Advertisement shot for homes in Winter Haven June 1952 featuring 1950s patio furniture 1950s home and 1950s fashions

Source: Florida Memory

1959 Reynolds Aluminum ad: “Outdoor living is really living” featuring all the different 1950s outdoor furniture items you could own that uses Reynolds Aluminum.

1959 Reynolds Aluminum Ad for 1950s outdoor furniture like pools, loungers, tables and chairs. 1950s Patio Furniture & Lawn Furniture.

Source: Pinterest

1961 Sears Spring / Summer Catalog: Wrought metal furniture with Serofoam cushions. This is actually not even for the outdoors, the page is dedicated to the “casual indoor scene” aka the sun room. Same idea.

1961 Sears Spring / Summer Catalog: Wrought Metal furniture with Serofoam cushions. Casual Indoor furniture.

Source: Christmas.musetechnical.com

Vintage 1960s ad for Woodard….”style authority in wrought iron”. I love our hostesses green floral jacket and matching jacket.

Fun Fact: Woodard was a Canadian company that operated in Alberta and British Columbia, for 101 years, before its sale to the Hudson’s Bay Company (source). Stay tuned for a future blog post!

Late 1950s early 1960s Patio Furniture ad for Wrought Iron outdoor furniture. The vintage ad features a woman in a green floral dress with little jacket.

Source: Pinterest

1950s vintage photo of a family grilling hamburgers beside pool in their backyard.

1950s vintage photo of a family grilling hamburgers beside pool in backyard cookout.

Source: Pixels

“A fresh design in lightweight aluminum lawn furniture. The square tube frame with strong, cool woven plastic webbing” as seen in a 1961 Spring / Summer Sears Catalog. I love the yellow!

Source: Christmas.musetechnical.com

“Colorful, Smart and So Comfortable” Lloyd outdoor furniture for lawns and terraces, Mid-Century vintage ad.

The sunny hues are quite lovely!

Mid Century Vintage Ad for outdoor furniture for lawns and terraces 1950s 1960s vintage ad

Source: Pinterest

“Get set for summer relaxation” with glider sets & chaise loungers in fun patterns! 1961 Spring / Summer Sears Catalog.

1960s Patio Furniture / Lawn Furniture: glider sets & chaise loungers in fun patterns! 1961 Spring / Summer Sears Catalog.

Source: Christmas.musetechnical.com

I was thrilled when I saw the “basket chairs” in the 1961 Sears catalog. Why? Because I own the one I circled (see second photo)! In fact it was my grandmothers partners chair and when we downsized their home, I found this stored in the basement in a corner. I just knew there was something special about it and I was right! In the Sears catalog they are calling it a “Palembang Chair”

1960s Patio furniture: Butterfly chair, basket chairs, picnic tables, aluminum webbed chairs. Fun 1960s Mid-Century Style.

Source: Christmas.musetechnical.com

My own 1960s rattan basket chair, as seen on my balcony.

1960s vintage basket chair. 1960s Patio Furniture / 1960s Mid Century (MCM) Furniture.

I found this image of a early 1960s backyard and there are those chairs again. I never would of thought to add cushions to protect the seat. Great idea and matches so well with the rest of the patio furniture.

1960s mid century backyard patio image featuring 1960s patio furniture like a rattan basket chair

Source: Pinterest

1964 patio umbrella’s in various patterns and colours plus a directors chair. “Fully Automatic & Semi-Automatic”.

1964 Patio Umbrella's in various patterns and colours plus a directors chair as seen in a 1964 Sears Spring Summer Catalog

Source: Christmas.musetechnical.com

“Tailored….luxuriously styled and elegantly detailed”. “We’ve taken old-favorite redwood and treated it like fine furniture to add new grace to outdoor living. 1964 Sears Catalog.

1964 Sears Catalog Patio Furniture in Redwood. Chairs, Loungers and more.

Source: Christmas.musetechnical.com

“Loungers delight” & “Relax with year-round redwood”.

1968 Sears Spring / Summer Catalog. It’s fun to see how the furniture style is really moving into that 1970s look everyone knows so well.

1968 Spring Summer Sears Catalog featuring 1960s Patio furniture. Loungers, lawn chairs and more.

Source: Christmas.musetechnical.com

Shopping for Vintage Patio Furniture

Here are some fun examples of pieces you can pickup today (as of the time of the post) OR inspire you to be on the lookout for when your shopping (Antique stores / markets, etc).

Happy browsing!

Shopping Note: If you click thru to Etsy or, eBay and the item is gone, don’t worry! Search for similar items on the platforms and you might get lucky ! Also make sure you check places like Kijii or Facebook Marketplace AND there are loads of reproductions on the market today as well.

Folding green plastic webbing rocking chair made in the 1960s (avail as of June 13th, 2022 HERE).

Mid Century Patio Furniture: Folding garden rocking chair made in the 1960s. Aluminum base and nylon slats of green and white color and aluminum arms

Source: Etsy

Mid-Century Modern Vintage Folding Lawn Chairs (avail as of June 13th, 2022 HERE).

Mid-Century Modern Vintage Folding Lawn Chairs -vintage Patio Furniture 1950s / 1960s.

Source: eBay

1950s metal patio bouncy chairs in a dark green (avail as of June 13th, 2022 HERE).

Source: Etsy

Last but not least, you cannot have webbing furniture without the ability to fix them (gosh so many memories of falling thru a chair ha ha!). Now the below kit from Woodward’s only works if your chair is yellow BUT I did see other versions online that you can pickup (avail as of June 13th 2022 HERE).

Vintage 1960s RE-WEB-IT Lawn / Patio Furniture Webbing Repair Kit. Bright Yellow with White & Subtle Tan Stripes. A WOODWARD"S Canada Product

Source: Etsy

Question time: Do you love the outdoor furniture styles showcased above? Or do you prefer a modern style? Share any of your thoughts in the comment section below.

Further Reading:

“It’s Officially the Summer of the Old-School Lawn Chair”
“The 1950’s Birth of the North American Back Yard”
“A Buyer’s Guide to Vintage Patio Furniture“
Vintage Inn Blog Post: “Mid-Century Cool: Breeze Blocks“

One last image! I just had to share this last illustration as I thought it was just fantastic (but not in the timeline of this post), a Howell Outdoor Furniture Catalog cover from 1932.

Howell Outdoor Furniture Catalog cover illustration, 1932 — Source: Pinterest

Thanks for dropping by!

Liz

Sometimes odd blog post ideas pop into my head, like today’s ‘Vintage Shaving Advertisements for Men & Women from the 1920s to the 1960s‘. Why did I come up with that idea? No clue! I just thought it would be fun to hunt down some fun vintage ads on this topic and share them with all of you.

Let’s begin!

A young woman undergoing hair-removal at the Beatiderm Institute of Electrolysis in New York on November 4, 1938. Credit: Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Vintage Shaving Advertisements for Men & Women

1920’s – 1960’s

An ad published between the 1920s and 1930s implied that ‘the freedom which awaits you at the beach’ is exclusively attainable for women without ‘unsightly hair on . . . face, arms, underarms and limbs’, supported by an image of woman in a short dress, happily presenting her clean-shaven armpits and legs (Source).

1920s vintage women's shaving ad featuring a woman in a 1920s swimsuit at the beach

Source: Medium

“Be yourself – thrill all with the amazing hair-free beauty of your skin – simply rinse away unwanted hair from arms, undersarms and legs with Neet, the ready to use hair-removing cream.” 1925 advertisement.