Gray Modern Chairs
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Modern Light Gray Fabric Desk Chair with Walnut Base
By Lunchstudio
Located in Mexico, MX
Helsinki collection. Helsinki desk chair: simple, elegant, comfortable. Available in oak and walnut base or in custom materials, may be upholstered with variety of fabrics and colors...
Category
2010s North American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Walnut
Woven Black Ash Wood Dining Chair Molteni&C by Tobia Scarpa - made in Italy
By Tobia Scarpa, Molteni & C
Located in New York, NY
Miss Chair in Black Ash Wood and Leather by Afra and Tobia Scarpa.
Expert-crafted in Italy exclusively by Molteni&C.
Husband and wife powerhouse designers Afra and Tobias Scarpa co...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Ash
H 17.5 in W 23.25 in D 20.5 in
Customizable e15 That Lounge Chair by Stefan Diez
By Stefan Diez, e15
Located in New York, NY
The lounge chair That is part of the distinct This That Other seating series. Named after the famous card trick, Stefan Diez uses the same plywood material as for the iconic Houdini ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Oak
Stool/Bench Modern Medieval Handmade Horsehair Iron Woven Textile Fringe Tassel
By J.M. Szymanski
Located in Bronx, NY
HORSE HAIR BENCH NO. 1 - WHITE
J.M. Szymanski
d. 2019
Contemporary furniture at its finest. Horsehair textile and blackened iron are combined to create an exciting juxtaposition o...
Category
2010s American Modern Benches
Materials
Steel, Iron
H 16 in W 18 in D 24 in
Vanity Seat in Grey Lacquer by Robert Kuo, Limited Edition
By Robert Kuo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vanity seat.
Grey lacquer.
Handmade.
Wood base.
Lacquer is a technique that dates back to the Shang dynasty, circa 1600-1100 B.C. These pieces are made with at least 60 coats of org...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Chairs
Materials
Lacquer
Modern Maia Dining Chairs, Blue Italian Leather, Handmade Portugal by Greenapple
By Rute Martins, Greenapple
Located in Lisboa, PT
Maia Chair, Contemporary Collection, Handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by Greenapple.
Designed by Rute Martins for the Contemporary Collection, The Maia leather dining chair takes it...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Chairs
Materials
Brass, Stainless Steel, Metal
H 31.5 in W 23.63 in D 21.66 in
Chubby Chair in Moss 3D Printed Recycled Plastic
Located in London, GB
Dirk van der Kooij first fell in love with low resolution 3D printing as a student, fulfilling his search for honest and functional ornamentation. The chubby chair remains his most p...
Category
2010s Dutch Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Plastic
Set of 2 Kartell Masters Chairs in White by Philippe Starck & Eugeni Quitllet
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The masters chair is a powerful tribute to three symbolic chairs, re-read and re-interpreted by the creative genius of Starck. The unmistakable silhouettes of the Series 7 by Arne Ja...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Plastic
H 32.63 in W 21.13 in D 21.13 in
Armchair in Velvet Molteni&C by Gio Ponti D.154.2 - made in Italy
By Gio Ponti, Molteni & C
Located in New York, NY
D.154.2 Lovechair in Velvet by Gio Ponti.
Expert-crafted in Italy exclusively by Molteni&C.
The mid-century D.154.2 lovechair features a shell-like structure inspired by renowned It...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
Materials
Velvet
Armchair in Boucle Fabric Molteni&C by Gio Ponti D.154.2 - made in Italy
By Molteni & C, Gio Ponti
Located in New York, NY
D.154.2 Lovechair in Bouclé Fabric by Gio Ponti.
Expert-crafted in Italy exclusively by Molteni&C.
The mid-century D.154.2 lovechair features a shell-like structure inspired by ren...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
Materials
Bouclé
e15 Jean Stool Wood by Stefan Diez
By Stefan Diez, e15
Located in New York, NY
The bar stool jean is a natural development of the dynamic chair family Houdini. Jan consists of a seat with circumferential brim, which provides comfort and hold when seated. Betwee...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Stools
Materials
Wood
Set of 2 Kartell Louis Ghost Armchairs in Crystal by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A comfortable armchair in transparent and colored polycarbonate in the Louis XV style, it is the quintessence of baroque revisited to dazzle, excite and captivate. Louis Ghost is the...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Pilastro Stool in Pink by Ettore Sottsass
By Kartell, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Pilastro stool is part of the Kartell goes Sottsass, a tribute to Memphis collection, launched in 2015 in homage to design guru Ettore Sottsass. Pilastro, stands out for its arch...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Stools
Materials
Plastic
Sentada Chair • Handmade Edition • in Steel by Pedro Paulo-Venzon
By Pedro Paulo Venzon
Located in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina
As outras moralidades [The other moralities / Series]
As outras moralidades start from an affect, in the rhizomatic molds of Deleuze and Guattari, cuir-suleado [queer and oriented t...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Hayche Dulwich with Armrest - Green, UK, Made to Order
Located in Liverpool, GB
Elevating the classic Dulwich design with the addition of armrests, this Dulwich chair with armrests offers enhanced comfort and support without compromising its timeless appeal. The...
Category
2010s European Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Hayche Dulwich with Armrest - Grey, UK, Made to Order
Located in Liverpool, GB
Elevating the classic Dulwich design with the addition of armrests, this Dulwich chair with armrests offers enhanced comfort and support without compromising its timeless appeal. The...
Category
2010s European Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
De Sede DS-2100/156 Chair in Green Upholstery by De Sede Design Team
By De Sede
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The slats on DS-2100 in finest leather adapt to individual body contours and provide – with its embracing feeling – the highest level of comfort. Available as a low-backed, visitor s...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Chairs
Materials
Leather
Arflex Botolo Chair in Heidi Fabric by Cini Boeri
By Arflex, Cini Boeri
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Botolo Chair is designed by Cini Boeri for Arflex. An innovative upholstered rolling chair with three large tubular legs. Botolo is an ideal place to sit, relax and be creative. Cini...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Roly Poly Armchair in Concrete without cushion by Faye Toogood for Driade
By Driade, Faye Toogood
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The distinctive, reassuringly chunky lines of Faye Toogood’s Roly-Poly furniture collection become even more inviting in her new collaboration with Driade. The latest line for the It...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Plastic
INVICTA II dining chair with brass rear leg
Located in Frazão, Porto
The INVICTA II dining chair has an exclusive and impressive design, with just one leg in the back, it brings sophistication to all dining room. It is entirely upholstered in fabric...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Chairs
Materials
Brass, Iron, Stainless Steel
Chair in Wood and Leather Molteni&C by Tobia Scarpa - Made in Italy - Miss
By Molteni & C, Tobia Scarpa
Located in New York, NY
Miss Chair in Wood and Leather by Afra and Tobia Scarpa.
Expert-crafted in Italy exclusively by Molteni&C.
Husband and wife powerhouse designers Afra and Tobias Scarpa conceived o...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Ash
Chair in Black Ashwood and Black Leather Molteni&C by Tobia Scarpa - Miss
By Molteni & C, Tobia Scarpa
Located in New York, NY
Miss Chair in Black Ashwood and Black Leather by Afra and Tobia Scarpa. Expert-crafted in Italy exclusively by Molteni&C.
Husband and wife powerhouse designers Afra and Tobias Scar...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Ash, Leather
Modern Black Green Gray White Orange Pink Red Purple or Blue Rabbit Accent Chair
By Qeeboo, Stefano Giovannoni
Located in Origgio (VA), IT
Rabbit is a family of products with a strong media impact, one of Stefano Giovannoni's hat tricks, and immediately became a pop icon, a symbol of love and fertility, which brings goo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Plastic
e15 Customizable ELBE III Bench by Marguerre, Besau and Schöning
By Eva Marguerre, Marcel Besau and Daniel Schöning, e15
Located in New York, NY
Originally conceived for concert hall Elbphilharmonie by Herzog & de Meuron architects, bench ELBE III is focussed on essential forms that allow for classic references. The removable...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Benches
Materials
Wood, Textile
e15 Mr. Collins Stool by Stefan Diez
By Stefan Diez, e15
Located in New York, NY
With its dynamic form and ergonomic comfort, Mr. Collins is an endearing stool applicable in diverse arrangements for living or working situations. Based on couture construction meth...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Stools
Materials
Wood
e15 Karnak Chair with European Oak Base by Ferdinand Kramer
By Ferdinand Kramer, e15
Located in New York, NY
Designed in 1925, the elegant and archetypal chair Karnak features Ferdinand Kramer's masterful grip on simplicity. Available in waxed solid European oak or walnut, the linear profil...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Wood
Matte Aluminum Outdoor Dining Chair BT
By Klein Agency
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Our alumiunum dining chair has been developed for Chef Lincoln Carson’s all-day restaurant Bon Temps. With good times rolling from morning to the evening, the old industrial building...
Category
2010s American Modern Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
Emeco Hudson Armchair in Polished Aluminum by Philippe Starck
By Emeco, Philippe Starck
Located in Hanover, PA
The Hudson, designed for the Hudson hotel in NYC, is Emeco and Starck’s first collaboration. Starck described the chair as “washing the details from the Navy Chair”. It takes an addi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Armchairs
Materials
Aluminum
Roly Poly Polyethylene Armchair in Concrete with Cushions by Faye Toogood
By Driade, Faye Toogood
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The distinctive, reassuringly chunky lines of Faye Toogood’s Roly-Poly furniture collection become even more inviting in her new collaboration with Driade. The latest line for the It...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Plastic
H 24.8 in W 22.4 in D 33 in
Caratos Dining Chairs in Sage-colored Velvet by Maxalto - Available Now
By Antonio Citterio
Located in Tulsa, OK
Caratos is a series of upholstered dining chairs by Maxalto, with a die-cast aluminum frame that have contemporary lines. These chairs are upholstered in a sage-colored velvet and th...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal, Iron
H 28.75 in W 22.5 in D 22.5 in
New 4 Gray Velvet Upholstered Chairs with Floral Back
By Europa Antiques
Located in Madrid, ES
New 4 gray velvet upholstered chairs with floral back
Data sheet:
-Design chair, multipurpose.
-Metal frame finished in black epoxy paint
-Seat and back upholstered in gray velve...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Jacques Adnet Eight Armchairs
By Jacques Adnet
Located in Georges Mills, NH
Set of eight hand-stitched leather armchairs with brass-plated sabots. Designed for the U.N.E.S.C.O headquarters in Paris; 1958. Each chair is individually numbered on an embossed al...
Category
Vintage 1950s French Modern Chairs
Materials
Brass
Shiro Kuramata Sing Sing Sing Chair for XO, France 1985, six available
By Shiro Kuramata
Located in London, GB
Six available in total.
Shiro Kuramata (1931-1991) created a fluid exchange between Japanese design philosophy and methodology and European postmodern design. Kuramata’s training w...
Category
Vintage 1980s French Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
H 33.86 in W 20.08 in D 25.99 in
Pair of Shiro Kuramata Sing Sing Sing Chairs for XO, France 1985
By Shiro Kuramata
Located in London, GB
Set of four or six available.
Shiro Kuramata (1931-1991) created a fluid exchange between Japanese design philosophy and methodology and European postmodern design. Kuramata’s trai...
Category
Vintage 1980s French Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Four Shiro Kuramata Sing Sing Sing Chairs for XO, France 1985
By Shiro Kuramata
Located in London, GB
Set of six available.
Shiro Kuramata (1931-1991) created a fluid exchange between Japanese design philosophy and methodology and European postmodern design. Kuramata’s training was...
Category
Vintage 1980s French Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Pair of Mink Brown Velvet Upholstered Metal Armchair New
By Europa Antiques
Located in Madrid, ES
Mink brown velvet upholstered metal armchair new.
Data sheet:
-Design armchair, multipurpose.
-Seat and back in wood and foam rubber, upholstered in mink brown velvet 19 fabric
-...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Chairs
Materials
Velvet
Pair of Metal Velvet Upholstered Metal Armchair New
By Europa Antiques
Located in Madrid, ES
Upholstered Metal Armchair New
Data sheet:
-Design armchair, multipurpose.
-Seat and back in wood and foam rubber, upholstered in mink brown velvet 19 fabric
-Tapered met...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Chairs
Materials
Velvet
2019 Set of 8 Jasper Morrison for Vitra HAL Gray Fabric Chair Pad - Covers Only
By Jasper Morrison, Vitra
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a set of eight slip-on seat covers for the HAL chairs, designed by Jasper Morrison and produced by Vitra. These are slip-on covers, which came directly from Vitra....
Category
2010s German Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric
H 16 in W 16 in D 16 in
Ribbon Chair Metal Silver by Nika Zupanc, Made in Italy
By Nika Zupanc
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Scroll down and click "view all from Seller" to see more than 400 other unique products. (2.2)
The Ribbon chair is the object that expresses the female language of Nika Zupanc with ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Plastic
Tube Chair in Canaletto Walnut, Upholster Seat, by Giopato & Coombes
By Miniforms, Giopato & Coombes
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This tube chair is available with a Canaletto wood structure, and an upholstered seat in the listed fabrics. The tube chair is also available in beech and solid oak wood.
Cristian...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Wood, Upholstery
Iola Upholstered Chair in Black Metal Base, by E-ggs
By Miniforms, E-GGS
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Iola chair comes with a seat, back and armrests in a injected flameretardant polyurethane foam covered with the listed fabrics. The structure base is available for custom orders in W...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Metal
Opinion Ciatti Mammamia Stool with Adjustable Height
By Marcello Zilliani, Opinion Ciatti
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mammamia Stool is a swivel stool with die-cast aluminium shell. Chrome-plated steel structure, base and footrest. Adjustable in height with gas piston. For indoor use. Available in c...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Stools
Materials
Metal
e15 This Side Chair by Stefan Diez
By Stefan Diez, e15
Located in New York, NY
The deceptively simple side chair this illustrates e15's key philosophy in exposing and featuring elements essential to the construction of a product. Named after the famous card tri...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Side Chairs
Materials
Oak
Kartell Prince Aha Stool in Fennel Green by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Thought up as a colorful game of building blocks, the Prince Aha stool is composed of two cones to resemble the shape of an hourglass. An entertaining and colorful accessory, a pract...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Stools
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Prince Aha Stool in Wax White by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Thought up as a colorful game of building blocks, the Prince Aha stool is composed of two cones to resemble the shape of an hourglass. An entertaining and colorful accessory, a pract...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Stools
Materials
Plastic
Emeco 1 Inch Barstool in Brushed Aluminum and Brown by Jasper Morrison
By Jasper Morrison, Emeco
Located in Hanover, PA
For the 1 Inch collection, Jasper Morrison tapped into Emeco’s heritage in hand crafting recycled aluminum, and leveraged its signature strength, light weight, and sustainability. Em...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Stools
Materials
Aluminum
Emeco Hudson Rocking Chair with Arms in Polished Aluminum by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck, Emeco
Located in Hanover, PA
The Hudson, designed for the Hudson hotel in NYC, is Emeco and Starck’s first collaboration. Starck described the chair as “washing the details from the Navy Chair”. It takes an addi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Armchairs
Materials
Aluminum
H 31.5 in W 20.75 in D 23.5 in
Emeco 111 Navy Counter Stool in Snow by Coca-Cola
By Emeco
Located in Hanover, PA
The 111 Navy collection is a story of innovation, turning waste plastic into something that lasts. Each stool is made of 150 recycled PET bottles. Like the original 111 Navy chair, t...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Stools
Materials
Plastic
Outdoor Leaf and Charcoal Corner Chair
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by weekend visits to the stark desert landscapes found a few hours east of Los Angeles, this collection is composed of steel frames that have been zinc primed and powder coa...
Category
2010s American Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Set of four René Herbst Sandows chairs Herbst studio, France, 1927
By René Herbst
Located in London, GB
René Herbst (1891-1982) was a French designer who studied in London, Frankfurt and Russia. He founded Établissements René Herbst in Paris and exhibited at the seminal “Exposition Int...
Category
Vintage 1920s French Modern Chairs
Materials
Chrome
Pia Chair
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful Slipcover Chair. Our Pia Chair is ideal as a Dining Chair but also great as a Side Chair in your favorite room. Bespoke configurations available upon request
Category
2010s American Modern Chairs
Materials
Upholstery
Minimalist Outdoor Lounge Chair in "Moss" Fabric and Polished Stainless Steel
By Keiji Takeuchi
Located in Lisbon, PT
Embracing the purpose to take a break outside, the outdoor version of the LISBOA lounge chair invites you to just sit and relax under the sun, enjoying the long days and warm summer ...
Category
2010s Portuguese Modern Chairs
Materials
Stainless Steel
H 29.53 in W 26.97 in D 32.52 in
Postmodern Metal Vintage Aluminum Patio Chairs Toledo Jorge Pensi Spain 1980s
By Jorge Pensi
Located in Vienna, AT
Postmodern vintage set of five aluminum stacking dining chairs patio chairs designed by Jorge Pensi, 1986-1988, and produced by Amat-3. Provide with the stamp "Toledo Design Jorge Pe...
Category
Vintage 1980s Spanish Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
H 30.71 in W 22.05 in D 22.44 in
Galva Steel Outdoor Chairs by Atelier Thomas Serruys
Located in Geneve, CH
Galva steel outdoor chairs by Atelier Thomas Serruys
Dimensions: H 46cm, W 43cm, D 65cm
Materials: Galvanized steel.
Steel chair made of one shaped tube with sheet steel seat an...
Category
2010s Belgian Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Set of 5 Vintage Midcentury French Modern Slickslick Chairs by Philippe Starck
By XO Design, Philippe Starck
Located in Warszawa, Mazowieckie
This set of five Slick Slick chairs was designed by Philippe Starck in 1999 for the French manufacturer XO Design. Slick Slick is the essence of a chair. A concentrate of elegance an...
Category
1990s French Modern Chairs
Materials
Plastic
H 31.5 in W 16.93 in D 19.69 in
INVICTA dining chair with one back foot in Solid Wood
Located in Frazão, Porto
The INVICTA dining chair is a unique piece, and the impressive design with just one leg in the back, in solid wood, will make the dining room a sophisticated decor. Upholstered in fa...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Lacquer
Skeleton, Counter Chair in Brushed Stainless with Boucle
By Jialun Xiong
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Skeleton Counter Chair
Materials: brush stainless and boucle
Dimensions: 21"W x 19"D x 34"H
Seat Height: 24.5” H
Skeleton Counter Stool is an elevated iteration of the Skele...
Category
2010s American Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal, Stainless Steel
De Sede Leather Beanbag Longue Chair
By De Sede
Located in Brooklyn, NY
DS-9087/60 beanbag chair by De Sede. Styrofoam ball filling.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Chairs
Materials
Leather
De Sede Stepped Leather Longue Chair by Christophe Marchand
By Christophe Marchand, De Sede
Located in Brooklyn, NY
DS-2660/101 longue chair by De Sede.
Technical details:
Standard configuration: Armrests covered in leather. For further versions, please inquire. If not specified otherwise, the...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Leather
After ago Chair by Richard Yasmine
By Richard Yasmine
Located in Geneve, CH
After ago chair by Richard Yasmine.
Materials: Foam, Lightweight concrete, plaster and acrylic.
Dimensions: H 90 x W 45 x D 52cm/65cm.
Seat height 45 cm.
Seat depth 45cm.
Seat w...
Category
2010s Lebanese Modern Chairs
Materials
Concrete
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Gray Modern Chairs For Sale on 1stDibs
An assortment of gray modern chairs is available at 1stDibs. The range of distinct gray modern chairs — often made from metal, fabric and plastic — can elevate any home. We have 212 antique and vintage gray modern chairs in-stock, while there are 759 modern editions to choose from as well. There are all kinds of gray modern chairs available, from those produced as long ago as the 19th Century to those made as recently as the 21st Century. Gray modern chairs have been a part of the life’s work for many furniture makers, but those produced by Emeco, Carl Hansen & Søn and Philippe Starck are consistently popular.
How Much are Gray Modern Chairs?
Prices for gray modern chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, gray modern chairs begin at $60 and can go as high as $147,711, while the average can fetch as much as $1,884.
A Close Look at Modern Furniture
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”
Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.
Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.
It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.
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.
Questions About Gray Modern Chairs
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Yes, Wassily chairs are indeed considered mid-century modern. Although the chair was initially designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925, it was re-released in the 1960s. Shop a collection of mid-century modern goods from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023Some iconic chairs from the mid-century modern era include the Egg chair by Arne Jacobson, the La Chaise by Charles and Ray Eames and the Womb chair by Eero Saarinen. With their clean lines, organic shapes and simple details, these chairs reflect some of the key features of the style. Shop a variety of mid-century modern chairs on 1stDibs.
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The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
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There are many lessons to be learned from the lofts, apartments and townhouses of architects and decorators in Manhattan and beyond.
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The New York–based designer has a high-impact style that's all his own, as his loft in the Chelsea Flower District makes abundantly clear.
Jeff Andrews Captures Old Hollywood Glamour in His Cinematic Spaces
Having created extravagant homes for reality TV’s biggest stars, the designer is stepping into the spotlight with his first book.
New Orleans’ Lee Ledbetter Makes Design Magic by Mixing Past and Present
The Louisiana-born and -bred architect talks to 1stdibs about the art of making timeless places that matter.
How a Modernist Hamptons Home on the Water Became the Ideal Weekend Refuge
Damon Liss and Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects collaborated on this serene getaway for a minimalism-minded Manhattan family of four.
Desert Modern Designer Arthur Elrod Finally Gets His Day in the Sun
The Palm Springs interior decorator developed a mid-century style that defined the vacation homes of celebrities and other notables, including Bob Hope and Lucille Ball.
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Counter Display Case
Library Table With Leather Top
Dining Room Chairs White And Blue
Round Italian Modern Dining Chairs
Metal Dining Chairs With Cushion
Spanish Animal Skin Chairs
Seven Dining Chairs
Leather Dining Chairs Blue
Seven Dining Chair
Blue Leather Dining Chair
Formal Dining Room Chairs
Outdoor Patio Dining Chairs
Indoor Outdoor Patio Chair
Folding Mirror Table
Childrens Desk
Chrome Arm Dining Chairs
Childrens Furniture Desk
Children Desk