European Shagreen Chairs
Late 20th Century French Art Deco Chairs
Shagreen
People Also Browsed
2010s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
Marble
2010s American Modern Dining Room Chairs
Bouclé, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Colombian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights a...
Brass
2010s Swedish Side Tables
Oak
2010s Brazilian Modern Chairs
Leather, Textile, Upholstery, Fiberglass, Hardwood
20th Century French Art Deco Caucasian Rugs
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Benches
Oak, Walnut
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Beech, Plywood, Leather
2010s French Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Alabaster, Brass
20th Century French Beaux Arts Sofa Tables
Wood
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Art Deco Cabinets
Birch
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Maple
1990s American Post-Modern Lounge Chairs
Bouclé, Upholstery
Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Club Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Daybeds
Cherry
Recent Sales
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Shagreen
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
Late 20th Century French Art Deco Chairs
Shagreen
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Chairs
Wood, Shagreen, Silk
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Stools
Brass
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Shagreen, Mahogany, Faux Leather
Vintage 1960s Danish Modern Chairs
Shagreen
Finding the Right Chairs for You
Chairs are an indispensable component of your home and office. Can you imagine your life without the vintage, new or antique chairs you love?
With the exception of rocking chairs, the majority of the seating in our homes today — Windsor chairs, chaise longues, wingback chairs — originated in either England or France. Art Nouveau chairs, the style of which also originated in those regions, embraced the inherent magnificence of the natural world with decorative flourishes and refined designs that blended both curved and geometric contour lines. While craftsmanship and styles have evolved in the past century, chairs have had a singular significance in our lives, no matter what your favorite chair looks like.
“The chair is the piece of furniture that is closest to human beings,” said Hans Wegner. The revered Danish cabinetmaker and furniture designer was prolific, having designed nearly 500 chairs over the course of his lifetime. His beloved designs include the Wishbone chair, the wingback Papa Bear chair and many more.
Other designers of Scandinavian modernist chairs introduced new dynamics to this staple with sculptural flowing lines, curvaceous shapes and efficient functionality. The Paimio armchair, Swan chair and Panton chair are vintage works of Finnish and Danish seating that left an indelible mark on the history of good furniture design.
“What works good is better than what looks good, because what works good lasts,” said Ray Eames.
Visionary polymaths Ray and Charles Eames experimented with bent plywood and fiberglass with the goal of producing affordable furniture for a mass market. Like other celebrated mid-century modern furniture designers of elegant low-profile furnishings — among them Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Finn Juhl — the Eameses considered ergonomic support, durability and cost, all of which should be top of mind when shopping for the perfect chair. The mid-century years yielded many popular chairs.
The Eameses introduced numerous icons for manufacturer Herman Miller, such as the Eames lounge chair and ottoman, molded plywood dining chairs the DCM and DCW (which can be artfully mismatched around your dining table) and a wealth of other treasured pieces for the home and office.
A good chair anchors us to a place and can become an object of timeless appeal. Take a seat and browse the rich variety of vintage, new and antique chairs on 1stDibs today.
Read More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Fred Rigby’s Modular Seating Can Be Configured in So Many Handy Ways
The plush Cove Slipper 2.5 Seater sofa is just one of many convenient combinations from the London-based maker.
This Chubby-Chic Quilted Stool Stands on Its Own Two Feet
Sam Klemick's cool stool is edgy, cozy and environmentally sustainable all at once.
Riotous Shapes and Colors Have Made Uchronia’s Designs the Toast of Paris
Julien Sebban’s energetic design collective is radically reshaping the look of 21st-century European furniture and interiors.
Is Lionel Jadot the Willy Wonka of Upcycled Belgian Design?
From his massive collaborative workshop in a former paper factory, the designer concocts funky furniture from disused materials, as well as luxe hotel interiors like the new Mix Brussels.
Rock Your Cares Away on This Sunny Hand-Crocheted Swing
The boho-chic Enchanted Forest Swing, handmade by marginalized women from Turkey and Syria, is uplifting in every way.
Learn Why Designer Maarten Baas Set This Charles Rennie Mackintosh Chair on Fire
What happens when you do something to a piece of furniture that you shouldn’t? It becomes an entirely new object.
Eileen Gray’s Famed Cliffside Villa in the South of France Is Returned to Its Modernist Glory
After years of diligent restoration, E-1027, the designer-cum-architect’s marriage of romance and modernism, is finally complete.