Pair of Vintage Mid-Century Modern "Coconut" Chairs by George Nelson for Vitra
View Similar Items
Pair of Vintage Mid-Century Modern "Coconut" Chairs by George Nelson for Vitra
About the Item
- Creator:Vitra (Cabinetmaker)
- Dimensions:Height: 33 in (83.82 cm)Width: 40 in (101.6 cm)Depth: 32.75 in (83.19 cm)Seat Height: 14.5 in (36.83 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:2002
- Condition:Additions or alterations made to the original: Leather has been conditioned and dyed from dark brown to black in July 2020. Wear consistent with age and use. Very good vintage condition with very minimal age appropriate patina. Leather just reconditioned and dyed.
- Seller Location:San Marcos, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5031220002662
Vitra
Design house Vitra has garnered international recognition for more than 70 years — the Swiss family-owned furniture company has outfitted public spaces as well as residential properties and offices worldwide. It has been a proponent of modernist design since the 1950s. While the brand is heralded for its collaborations with mid-century modern icons such as Verner Panton, Charles and Ray Eames, Alexander Girard and others, Vitra’s German campus is also home to buildings designed by legendary architects Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry. Among them is the Vitra Design Museum, an independent cultural institution that displays two centuries of design today.
Vitra was established in Weil Am Rhein, Germany, in 1950 by husband and wife team Willi and Erika Fehlbaum. On a trip to New York several years later, Willi Fehlbaum encountered the work of design polymaths Ray and Charles Eames in a furniture store and immediately knew that he had found his bliss.
In 1957, Vitra entered into a licensing agreement with Herman Miller, which saw the company producing designs by George Nelson, the Eameses and others. Later, Vitra partnered with Verner Panton and created the Panton chair, which was the first chair ever crafted from a single piece of molded plastic (it was also the first piece to be independently developed by Vitra). After 27 years of establishing the Vitra brand, the Fehlbaums passed control to their two sons, Rolf and Raymond Fehlbaum.
When a fire destroyed the factory in 1981, the brothers developed the Vitra Factory Campus, subsequently taking the opportunity to redirect the architectural landscape of the company. They created a masterplan with Nicholas Grimshaw, and together they erected four buildings in just a few short years.
In 1988, with the passing of Ray Eames and the disbandment of the Los Angeles Eames office, Rolf and Raymond acquired the furniture design portion of her estate, including the Eames prototypes and experimental models, housed today in the Vitra Design Museum.
Rolf and Roy opened the Vitra Design Museum in 1989. This began a period rich with design relationships, including collaborations with Antonio Citterio, Jasper Morrison, Maarten van Severen, Philippe Starck, Alberto Meda and others.
In 2012, leadership passed to Nora, the third generation of the Fehlbaums. Nora Fehlbaum has, like her grandparents, expanded the company and brought it into the 21st century with the acquisition of Finnish furniture manufacturer Artek. Nora has turned the company’s focus to sustainability yet still maintains its international and cultural relevance legacy.
Find a collection of Vitra lounge chairs, tables, side chairs, sofas and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- Mid-Century Modern Brown Leather Coconut Chair by George Nelson for VitraBy George Nelson, VitraLocated in Doornspijk, NLThe Coconut chair was designed in 1955 by the American architect, industrial designer, author, editor and teacher George Nelson. Obviously he took his inspiration from a coconut that...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Coconut Chair by George Nelson for Vitra, 1950sBy Vitra, George NelsonLocated in Antwerp, BEIntroducing the Coconut Chair by George Nelson for Vitra, an iconic piece of modern design that combines comfort, elegance, an...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsChrome
- George Nelson "Coconut" Lounge Chair for VitraBy George NelsonLocated in Edmonton, ABThis iconic midcentury modern lounge chair was designed by George Nelson in 1956. This chair is a recent production.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- 2007 Coconut Lounge Chair by George Nelson for Vitra in Black LeatherBy George Nelson, VitraLocated in Philadelphia, PAThis is a single Coconut Lounge Chair, designed by George Nelson. This handsome lounge chair is composed of a molded reinforced plastic shell, with an upholstered black leather seat ...Category
Early 2000s American Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Plastic
- Iconic George Nelson ‘Coconut’ Lounge ChairBy George Nelson, VitraLocated in Waalwijk, NLGeorge Nelson, ‘Coconut’ lounge chair, fiberglass, leather upholstery, steel, United States, design 1955, later production The ‘Coconut’ lounge chair is one of George Nelson’s iconi...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- George Nelson Coconut Armchair for VitraBy George Nelson, VitraLocated in Vienna, ATThe armchair was designed by George Nelson for Vitra in 1955. The coconut chair is an icon of the design of the 1950s and is still a cult today. With clear shapes and reduced mate...Category
Early 2000s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsPlastic, Bouclé