Simple Timber Desk Chairs
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Hardwood
People Also Browsed
Vintage 1980s Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather
Late 20th Century American Industrial Dining Room Chairs
Chrome
20th Century English Chesterfield Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Hardwood
Vintage 1940s Finnish Bauhaus Chairs
Wood, Birch, Faux Leather
Mid-20th Century British Queen Anne Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Mahogany
Antique 1830s English William IV Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Hardwood
Vintage 1980s German Post-Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories
Bronze
Vintage 1910s Austrian Jugendstil Paperweights
Bronze
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Desk Sets
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century German Arts and Crafts Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Oak
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Bentwood
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Wood, Teak
20th Century English Victorian Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Hardwood
Recent Sales
Antique Early 19th Century English Regency Armchairs
Mahogany
Antique Early 19th Century English Greek Revival Office Chairs and Desk ...
Beech, Cane
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
Brass
Finding the Right office-chairs-desk-chairs for You
An essential part of every office or home workstation, office chairs and desk chairs are critically important to your comfort and getting the job done.
Desk chairs have evolved over time. While writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson pined for a wider range of motion and introduced some improvements to his English-style Windsor chair, inventing the swivel chair along the way. So the next time you roll, recline or swivel at your vintage desk, remember: The third president of the United States had a lot to do with that functionality.
Changes in the availability of resources have also led to innovations in desk chair design. After World War II, for example, optimistic American designers made use of wartime materials in their efforts to create practical domestic goods.
Mid-century modernism is the name given to the broad postwar time period that prioritized thoughtful design. Journalist Cara Greenberg, who coined the term “mid-century modernism,” cites “ergonomic wisdom” as part of the reason for the longevity of the era’s furnishings, and when it comes to sitting in a desk chair for hours at a time, what could be more important than ergonomic support?
As mid-century modernism was marked by resourcefulness and boundless creativity — and produced designers who, in most cases, prioritized comfort and support — it follows that all mid-century chairs are not the same. Nowhere is this perhaps more evident than at Herman Miller. The legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer got its start in the office, with design director George Nelson enlisting the likes of Charles and Ray Eames to produce desk chairs and lounge chairs that are still celebrated today. Elsewhere at the time, the numerous pieces Florence Knoll created for Knoll’s office furniture line were envisioned as design solutions for the changing needs of residential and office spaces.
If you’re working remotely and streamlined seating isn’t your thing, don’t be afraid of making a statement with your office chair. Introduce a touch of drama to your video calls by way of 19th-century desk accessories and the alluring forms we typically associate with antique desk chairs designed in the Empire and Regency styles. For a minimalist touch, a spare, utilitarian Industrial-style office chair can work in any space but will fit in particularly well amid the exposed brick and steel architecture that characterizes a loft apartment.
An inspiring home office cleverly mixes materials and styles to create a welcoming place of productivity and comfort, and if you’re gathering with colleagues at your company HQ, an array of wood, leather and metal office chairs can help integrate disparate textures in a conference room or any other collaborative space. On 1stDibs, explore a diverse collection of office and desk chairs 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.