Our Mid-Century and Modern Design offering falls under the Design department's care as an area of keen interest. This aspect of our department encompasses the various modern styles of the post-war period, with a renewed interest in British design from exhibitions such as the Festival of Britain, with the likes of John & Sylvia Reid and Ernest Race, through to the contemporary designs of John Makepeace and Mark Brazier-Jones.
Further to this, mid-century Scandinavian and American design continues to dominate the market and Sworders have become leaders in the sale of furniture, applied arts, glassware and jewellery from this category. Arne Jacobsen, Hans Wegner, Nanna Ditzel, Alvar Aalto, Charles & Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi, and Harry Bertoia are but some of the regular designers who feature in our dedicated Design auctions.
European glass remains extremely popular with designers spanning the continent from France, Italy, Scandinavia, and the United Kingdom. Our auctions regularly include works designed by René Lalique, Geoffrey Baxter, Alessandro Pianon and manufacturers such as Murano and Orrefors.
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Our specialists hold regular valuation days. Please contact us for more information, or complete the online form to enquire about the valuation of your items.
Want to know how much your Mid-Century & Modern Design may be worth? Fill out our easy-to-use form and a member of the team will be in touch with free advice shortly.
Our upcoming Design auction offers carefully crafted pieces by designers and brands that have collaborated to create distinctive, high‑quality furniture, such as Heal's and Fritz Hansen.
15 January 2026
With an enduring link between important designers and department stores, works from a variety of these stores often prove extremely popular at auction, and we are proud to present examples of these in our 27 January Design auction.
8 January 2026
Join us as we look back at some of the most notable highlights from our 2025 sales and celebrate another excellent year.
18 December 2025