8 mid-century pieces worth hunting for

Mid-century modern is the style we see most often on our tours, and our hosts seldom buy it all new. They hunt on Facebook Marketplace, at estate sales and in vintage shops, and they mix in reproductions when the originals cost too much. These are the pieces they love most, with search terms that help. At the end, you'll find a list of pieces to shop, each marked Exact if it's what our host owns or Similar if it's a close alternative.

How we chose these: each piece appears in homes we've toured, often found secondhand. New to the style? Start with our plain guide to mid-century modern.

1. A teak credenza or sideboard

A long, low cabinet in teak or walnut is the workhorse of the style. It stores everything and gives you a surface for a lamp and records. Brian and Lauren's teak credenza, from a refurbisher in Vancouver, was their first grown-up purchase. Kelsey restored her own teak sideboard. Jake found his walnut credenza in a dealer's own living room and talked him into selling it for his Ottawa studio.

Search for: "teak credenza", "teak sideboard", "Danish teak".

2. A tulip table

A round table on a single pedestal base seats more people than its size suggests, since nobody fights a table leg. Brian and Lauren found theirs, with a chrome tulip base, at a shop that sells old film equipment, and it's the right size for four-player mahjong. Lessandra and Sam paired an oak table with reproduction tulip chairs in their Montreal loft.

3. Moulded plywood and fibreglass chairs

Chairs in the style of Charles and Ray Eames are everywhere, from originals to replicas. Lawrence and Mei found an orange Eames moulded chair on Marketplace for their Fort Greene apartment. Architect Sylvia started her collection 20 years ago with a single Eames chair she saved up for, in her Toronto condo.

4. Cantilever chairs

A cantilever chair rests on a bent metal frame with no back legs, so it seems to float. Sofia uses reproduction Cesca-style chairs at her dining table in her Toronto condo, and Lessandra and Sam found a Breuer-style cantilever chair on Marketplace.

5. A Sputnik chandelier

A Sputnik light has arms that spray out from a central ball, each ending in a bulb. Mike's vintage one came out of a friend's basement, and it helped him realize mid-century was his style. See it in his Manhattan apartment.

6. A saucer or bubble pendant

Round, soft pendants in the style of George Nelson's bubble lamps suit almost any room. Kim and Ryan hang a Nelson pendant over their dining table in their Brooklyn rental, with a rechargeable bulb since there's no wiring there. Lynda chose a saucer light over her dining table for her Toronto loft.

7. A teak record console

Old stereo consoles hold records and look good doing it. Sydney uses her grandparents' teak record player from the late '60s or early '70s in her Toronto apartment, and it still works.

What to look for: ask the seller to play a record before you buy, and check for the original manual. Sydney's dad kept it, which helped her wire it up.

8. A burlwood or rosewood statement piece

Figured woods like burl and rosewood are what collectors look for. Sofia found a Milo Baughman burlwood table for Thayer Coggin on Marketplace and confirmed it was authentic before she bought it. Designer Dimitri tracked down a 1962 Canadian rosewood liquor cabinet on Marketplace for his Toronto loft.

How to shop for mid-century pieces

• Search by material and maker: teak, walnut, rosewood, Danish and specific designer names find better listings than "mid-century" alone.
• Check for labels: look underneath for a maker's mark before you pay a collector's price.
• Mix in reproductions: Mike is happy with his replica lounge chair, and you can always upgrade one piece at a time.

For more on buying used, read our guide to buying secondhand furniture.