Set of Early Model 42 'Little Paimio' Chairs by Alvar Aalto, 1930s
View Similar Items
Set of Early Model 42 'Little Paimio' Chairs by Alvar Aalto, 1930s
About the Item
- Creator:Alvar Aalto (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.73 in (75.5 cm)Width: 23.63 in (60 cm)Depth: 26.58 in (67.5 cm)Seat Height: 15.75 in (40 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1930s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Helsinki, FI
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU7495230846902
Alvar Aalto
An architect and designer, Alvar Aalto deserves an immense share of the credit for bringing Scandinavian modernism and Nordic design to a prominent place in the global arena. In both his buildings and his vintage furniture — which ranges from chairs, stools, tables and lighting to table- and glassware — Aalto’s sensitivity to the natural world and to organic forms and materials tempered the hardness of rationalist design.
Relatively few Aalto buildings exist outside Finland. (Just four exist in the United States, and only one — the sinuous 1945 Baker House dormitory at M.I.T. — is easily visited.) International attention came to Aalto, whose surname translates to English as “wave,” primarily through his furnishings.
Instead of the tubular metal framing favored by the Bauhaus designers and Le Corbusier, Aalto insisted on wood. His aesthetic is best represented by the Paimio armchair, developed with his wife, Aino Aalto, in 1930 as part of the overall design of a Finnish tuberculosis sanatorium.
Comfortable, yet light enough to be easily moved by patients, the Paimio chair’s frame is composed of two laminated birch loops; the seat and back are formed from a single sheet of plywood that scrolls under the headrest and beneath the knees, creating a sort of pillow effect. Aalto’s use of plywood had an enormous influence on Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen, Marcel Breuer and others who later came to the material.
Concerned with keeping up standards of quality in the production of his designs, Aalto formed the still-extant company Artek in 1935, along with Aino, whose glass designs were made by the firm. In the latter medium, in 1936 the Aaltos together created the iconic, undulating Savoy vase, so-called for the luxe Helsinki restaurant for which the piece was designed.
Artek also produced Aalto pendants and other lighting designs, many of which — such as the Angel’s Wing floor lamp and the Beehive pendant — incorporate a signature Aalto detail: shades made of concentric enameled-metal rings graduated down in diameter. The effect of the technique is essential Alvar Aalto: at once precise, simple, and somehow poetic.
Find a collection of vintage Alvar Aalto stools, vases, dining tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- Rare Version of 402 Armchair by Alvar Aalto for Artek, 1950sBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Helsinki, FIRare model 402 armchair by Alvar Aalto for Artek from the 1950s with wedges on the legs. Lacquered birch legs, red woolblend fabric upholstery. Good vinta...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Birch
- Alvar Aalto Rare Set of Early Armchairs, 1939By Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FIExceptionally rare set of early Alvar Aalto armchairs for O.Y Wilhelm Schauman A.B Jyväskylä, Finland, 1939. Custom ordered for NY World's Fair Restau...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBirch, Plywood
$13,702 Sale Price / set30% Off - Early Model 611 Chair, Alvar Aalto, Oy Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab, 1930sBy Oy Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab, Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FIEarly Model 611 chair, designed by Alvar Aalto, manufactured by Oy Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab, 1930s. Patinated birch. Natural surface. Good vintage ...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
MaterialsBirch
- Model HB96 Chest of Drawers, Alvar Aalto, 1930sBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FIModel HB96 chest of drawers, design by Alvar Aalto, 1930s. Birch. Good vintage condition, rich patina and wear consistent with age and use. Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) is probably the ...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsBirch
- Set of Two Model E45 Armchairs by Alvar Aalto for Artek, 1960/1970sBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FISet of two model E45 armchairs, design Alvar Aalto, manufactured by Artek, 1960/1970s, birch frame, leather details on the armrests, fabric upholstery. Good vintage condition, minor ...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Fabric, Birch
- Stool model 60, Alvar Aalto, Oy Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab, 1930sBy Alvar Aalto, Oy Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas AbLocated in Helsinki, FIStool model 60 designed by Alvar Aalto for Oy Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab from the 1930s. Birch. Good vintage condition, patina and wear consistent with age and use. Iconic Al...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Stools
MaterialsBirch
- Alvar Aalto Paimio Chair 41By Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Los Angeles, CAStunning Paimio armchair 41 by Alvar Alto for Artek, Finland, in natural birch wood with black bentwood seat with venting slots. The laminated birch frame is bent into a closed curve...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBirch
- Early Alvar Aalto 'Model 2' Arm Chair, 1930By O.Y.Huonekalu, Alvar AaltoLocated in Los Angeles, CAOriginal early Alvar Aalto 'Model 2' armchair for O.Y. Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas A.B., in molded plywood and solid birch. Unrestored condition with partly significant wear. Lat...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsPlywood
- Paimio Chair by Alvar AaltoBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Long Island City, NYPaimio Chair by Alvar Aalto, an authentic edition, chair #41, designed in 1941 by Alvar Aalto for Artek of Finland. A tour de force in bent...Category
20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBentwood, Plywood
$10,350 - Early Model 402 Armchair by Alvar Aalto for Artek, Made in Finland, 1930sBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Detroit, MIThe Model 402 lounge chair or ‘Atelje’ chair was designed by Alvar and Aino Aalto in 1933 for and is considered a masterpiece of modernist furniture design. The Classic, well-balance...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Birch, Bentwood
- Armchair 42 “Little Paimio” Designed by Alvar Aalto, Finland, 1931By Alvar AaltoLocated in Stockholm, SEArmchair 42 “Small Paimio” designed by Alvar Aalto, Finland, 1931. Bent birch and lacquered plywood. Dimesnions: H: 63 cm/ 2' 1" W: 60 cm/ 1' 11 1/2" D: ...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBirch
- Rare, Early Alvar Aalto Model 31/42 Cantilevered Armchairs, Finland, 1930sBy Alvar AaltoLocated in London, GBRare, early Alvar Aalto model 31/42 cantilevered armchairs, Finland, 1930s, designed and produced in the 1930s. Painted birch-veneered bent plywoo...Category
Vintage 1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBirch, Plywood
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The Very Modern Love Story of Mid-Century Design Duo Alvar and Aino Aalto
A power couple before the term existed, the influential pair made work that still resonates today.
What Makes Scandinavian Modernism and Nordic Design So Irresistible?
Andrew Duncanson, founder of the Stockholm- and London-based gallery Modernity, weighs in on the masters of mid-century furniture and decorative arts.