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International Style Seating

INTERNATIONAL STYLE

The International Style, a modernist movement within architecture and furniture design that was given its name by American architect Philip Johnson and historian Henry-Russell Hitchcock, was born during the 1920s and ’30s. It gained steam initially in Europe and then in the United States as a response to the first World War. Building projects associated with the movement, as well as vintage International Style chairs, tables and other furnishings, are minimal and pared back. 

Pioneers of the International Style — architect Walter Gropius and his Bauhaus colleagues Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer, De Stijl advocate and Dutch architect J.J.P. Oud and visionary designer Le Corbusier — stripped away decorative elements and placed considerable value on functionality and clean lines, integrating the use of industrial materials like steel, concrete and large sheets of glass in their work. Quite aptly, this mode of design and architectural style coincided with an era now known as the Machine Age and became a global symbol of modernism. The primary motive of its practitioners was to address the changing needs of a rapidly industrializing society, especially the demand for office complexes and apartments in large cities, through economical, technologically advanced, yet aesthetically pleasing designs for furniture and buildings. 

“Space and light and order. Those are the things that men need just as much as they need bread or a place to sleep,” said Le Corbusier of the philosophy behind his practical modernist architecture

The International Style’s designers and architects were inspired by the advantages afforded them by the era’s new technology and industrial machinery as well as state-of-the-art materials. Le Corbusier was fond of framing his buildings in steel but reinforced concrete made far more economic sense. He is probably most admired for the iconic private homes and commercial buildings that he designed or codesigned with his cousin Pierre Jeanneret, which are spread across the world, from New York City to Paris to Chandigarh, India. Today, Breuer’s Wassily Lounge chair; the elegant LC series created by Le Corbusier, Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand; and Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair, crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich, are emblems of progressive modernist design and all make prominent use of tubular steel. Vintage originals are the prized cornerstone of collections.

“The International Style is probably the first fundamentally original and widely distributed style since the Gothic,” posited Johnson in the book that accompanied “Modern Architecture: International Exhibition,” an architectural show he cocurated with Hitchcock that featured the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Richard Neutra and others. While the term “International Style” had previously been circulating in Europe, when the show opened at the Museum of Modern Art in 1932, it yielded a much broader application of this important style of design. 

Find International Style furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: International Style
Set of 4 Handkerchief Armchairs by Massimo Vignelli for Knoll
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Set of 4 handkerchief armchairs by Massimo Vignelli for Knoll. In 1968 Vignelli was contracted by Knoll to re-envision the corporate identity ...
Category

1980s American Vintage International Style Seating

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Mattia Biagi, "Sit on My Face", Chair, 2022
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The “Sit On My Face” chair sculpture and the "Light Up My Face" sconce reveal the artist's intimate investigation of life and death, nature and civilizatio...
Category

2010s American International Style Seating

Materials

Carrara Marble

Curved Bench, Large, by Rain, Contemporary Bench, Laminated Oak Wood
By RAIN
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
Curved benches exploit the flexibility of wood to assimilate the curves of the body. Alluding to a fundamental building system, the benches form a trilitic sctructure, where two vert...
Category

2010s Brazilian International Style Seating

Materials

Wood

Fully Upholstered Day Bed Designed by Laura Gonzalez
Located in Paris, FR
Fully upholstered day bed in a Dedar fabric. Structure in wood. Featuring incredibly comfortable upholstery and soft structure made of non-de...
Category

2010s French International Style Seating

Materials

Fabric

Grand Ribaud lounge chair, powder coated steal and fishing net by 13 Desserts
Located in HYÈRES, FR
Grand Ribaud lounge chair, powder coated steal and fishing net by 13 Desserts. Designed by Thomas DEFOUR, edited by 13Desserts. The Grand Ribaud armchair...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French International Style Seating

Materials

Steel

Set of 10 Mid-Century Modern Knoll Brno Tubular Chairs Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous set of 10 Brno chairs by Knoll international. All 10 are labeled and in excellent vintage condition with minimal wear, some minor soiling to fabric, very minor. Fabric is a ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American International Style Seating

Materials

Steel, Chrome

New York Sofa by Katavolos, Litell and Kelley
Located in Barcelona, ES
New York sofa originally designed in 1952 by William Katavolos, Ross Littell and Douglas Kelley for Laverne International, USA. This is an edition from ...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage International Style Seating

Materials

Aluminum, Steel

Hand carved solid oak side table and stool set with marble gems from SoShiro
Located in London, GB
The side table and stool from the SoShiro Pok collection are hand-carved in Italy from solid oak, finished in turtle dove grey, and embellished with inlaid polished marble gems. Thes...
Category

2010s Kenyan International Style Seating

Materials

Marble

Contemporary Matias Sagaria Velvet Dining Room Chair Metal Italian Walnut Black
Located in San Polo, Parma
Culaccino is a sculptural chair, designed by Studio Sagaría. Culaccino in chair in an irreverent take on geometry, proportions and colors. It is coming from a complex, coherent a...
Category

2010s Italian International Style Seating

Materials

Metal

Curved Bench, Small, by RAIN, Contemporary Bench, Laminated Oak Wood
By RAIN
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
Curved Benches exploit the flexibility of wood to assimilate the curves of the body. Alluding to a fundamental building system, the benches form a trilitic structure, where two verti...
Category

2010s Brazilian International Style Seating

Materials

Wood

Set of 2 Vintage Missoni Style Zig Zag Chairs by Bielefelder Werkstätten
Located in Halle, DE
Set of 2 lounge chairs/ fireplace chairs from the 1970s. Swinging zigzag pattern in Missoni style. Original brown / yellow shades upholstery. Lose down filled cushions on seat and backrest. Manufactured by Bielefelder Werkstätten...
Category

1970s German Vintage International Style Seating

Materials

Fabric

Geiger Tuxedo Quilted Daybed
Located in Danville, CA
One Quilted Tuxedo daybeds designed by BassamFellows for Geiger. Single available.
Category

2010s American International Style Seating

Materials

Steel

Contemporary Matias Sagaría Swivel Stool Ribbed Wood Velvet Seat Italian Walnut
Located in San Polo, Parma
Sga Bello is a swivel stool, designed by Studio Sagarìa. Bold and asymmetrical, Sga Bello has his design rooted in the mix of Milan’s and New York City’s narratives, with nods to bo...
Category

2010s Italian International Style Seating

Materials

Metal

Contemporary Wood Stool
Located in Boston, MA
Flexus plywood stool. One of a kind.
Category

2010s Brazilian International Style Seating

Materials

Plywood

Ultra Glossy Red Wine Lacquered Wooden Armchair Designed by Laura Gonzalez
Located in Paris, FR
Ultra glossy lacquered wooden armchairs inspired by the Classical Indian chairs of 19th century designed by Laura Gonzalez. Portuguese craftsmanship and Fabric "Alizon" by French Mai...
Category

2010s French International Style Seating

Materials

Wood

Hand carved solid oak stool with marble gems from the SoShiro Pok collection
Located in London, GB
The stool from the SoShiro Pok collection is hand-carved in Italy from solid oak, finished in turtle dove grey, and embellished with inlaid polished-marble gems. This ergonomic woode...
Category

2010s Kenyan International Style Seating

Materials

Marble

Office Chair, International Style Wooden Office Chair
Located in İstanbul, İstanbul
Darwin added wheels to the office chair in 19th century. In the 1970s ergonomics was added to design criteria. Today, it is the key element for whom sp...
Category

Early 2000s Turkish International Style Seating

Materials

Leather, Oak, Walnut

Five Italian Side Chairs
Located in New York, NY
Side chair from the 1930s with early example of plywood seat. Chairs can be sold separately. $1500.00 per chair.
Category

20th Century Italian International Style Seating

Materials

Plywood

Set of 4 Handkerchief Armchairs by Massimo Vignelli for Knoll
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Set of 4 handkerchief armchairs by Massimo Vignelli for Knoll. In 1968 Vignelli was contracted by Knoll to re-envision the corporate identity ...
Category

1980s American Vintage International Style Seating

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Contemporary Leather Flex Chair
Located in Boston, MA
Charcoal and sand. Structure with strips of solid wood and natural finishing. Natural or faux leather.
Category

2010s Brazilian International Style Seating

Materials

Stainless Steel

Functional Art Chair / Throne "'Spring Swab" by Lionel Jadot
Located in Antwerp, BE
Collectible design / Functional art, Lionel Jadot for Everyday Gallery, Belgium 2020 Born in Brussels in 1969, Lionel Jadot is an interior designer, artist, designer, filmmaker, adventurer. But all at once, preferably. Lionel Jadot is firing on all cylinders. ‘I never throw anything, I pick up everything. Not having a green thumb, I’m trying cuttings, weddings against nature. I never forget a line.’ He’s inviting us in subtle, off-beat worlds, on the edge of reality. Its material is made of dilated time. A wandering spirit, he seeks a protective balance in a hostile world. It is his constant questioning: what happens to the place where we live? For Lionel Jadot, everything is object, everything is history. He draws from other places, other times, and seeks what’s linking them. He sews, stitches, unpicks, blends materials, combines eras. He will enshrine some wood essence in metal, some mineral in a plant, the old in the new. ‘I take extra care to the joint between two materials.’ With him, there is always some play in the parts, as in a piece of machinery. From a kingdom to another, he provokes organic, viral growths, generating energy. Linking past and future, he never forgets a line. ‘I accumulate them.’ He’s inviting us in subtle worlds, off-beat, on the edge of reality. Are we in 1930 or in 2030? Both, no doubt. Its material is made of dilated time. The eye goes hand in hand with the ear. ‘When I walk into a place, I listen to the good (or bad) it does to me. An ineffable feeling.’ He recreates mutant buildings, like the future Royal Botanique, a 5 stars hotel housed in the Church of the Gesu, a former convent behind a 1940 façade. He talks about a ‘hotel object’, which he holds and turns around in his hand. A wandering spirit, he’s flirting with retro-futurism. The Jam, another hotel, is intended for urban travelers, fans of swiftness, fluidity and hospitality. He designs interiors as a set of objects: a motorcycle cut in concrete becomes a bar counter. He finds gothic cartoon echoes, from the likes of Moebius, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Enki Bilal, sets from Garage Hermétique and Blade Runner, a protective balance in a hostile world. Discovering Jadot’s little cosmos of collected and accumulated goods, it becomes clear that every element has its own story. I tried to collect them and in turn, devour them in the coming paragraphs. But first: the show is best experienced seated, barring the distinction between object of use and object of attention, they invite for different types of conversation. The seats, chairs, thrones all make us think of our own physical comportment, and of how the seat lends grandeur to the person sitting on it, by crowning its presence. The crackling floor, the felt walls and the diffuse light slow you down into an oddly absorbing environment, in which you are left puzzled. In the eclectic collages of objects, bits and pieces collected all over the world come together in ways practical, and logical, though possibly only in the artist’s mind. All his finds eventually seem to fall into place. Starting with the mere conception of a chair, rather than with a set-out plan or sketch, the works are intuitively construed out of an archive that one can only imagine the dimensions of. Things forgotten by others, precious for him, were all once designed for their own purpose. Here they find their fit as a base, a closing system or a balancing element. The first piece that opens the exhibition, the most throne-like of all seats in the show, builds around a chair of his grandmother, protected by mops, and harassed with bed springs. As you enter the space, you pass by a shell leaning over a yellow seat that stems from his old Mustang, and find a white stool piece with Mexican leather dog training whips— the white building blocks of which turn out to be dried molding material, as found and broken out of a bucket by workers every morning. Further, the stone piece that reminds one of the stone age, is indeed made of 400 million old rocks, and the soft seats are lent from construction, where these strokes of textile carry up the heaviest goods. In the corner — but as you walk this walk please be seated on any of the thrones and experience the work for a moment— the green fluffy cover is made by XXXX who remakes cartographies of warzones, one of which is here mounted on a flexible fishing chair. On an experience level, the conversation chair enhances self-confidence, while putting you literally in a good spot with the person you’re conversing with. The lamp perfectly shows the playful Cadavre Exquis...
Category

2010s Belgian International Style Seating

Materials

Metal

Modern Steel Stool
Located in Boston, MA
Arrepita carbon steel with epoxy paint and naturally finished wood legs. Black, white and yellow.
Category

2010s Brazilian International Style Seating

Materials

Steel

Take a Seat, International Style Chair, Dining Chair, Office Chair
Located in İstanbul, İstanbul
Designed for whom to write their own Tabula Rasa in comfort and style. Take a seat is one of the chair interpretations of Kontra which consists a solid wa...
Category

2010s Turkish International Style Seating

Materials

Leather, Oak, Walnut

Club Chair with Nail Trimmed Square Back with Scroll Arms and Loose Seat Cushion
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Lorraine club chair is the LF Collection variation on the timeless Jansen style club chair - with the square back trimmed with either French natural or pewter nailheads - padded ...
Category

2010s American International Style Seating

Materials

Velvet, Mahogany

Leather Chair with Stainless Steel and Wood
Located in Boston, MA
Stainless steel with wood strips and natural finishing. Leather and faux leather. Brown and sand colors.
Category

2010s Brazilian International Style Seating

Materials

Stainless Steel

Contemporary Leather and Wood Rocking Chair
Located in Boston, MA
Flexus plywood rocking chair. One of a kind. Leather and wood.
Category

2010s Brazilian International Style Seating

Materials

Leather

Round Leather Pouf on Dark Mahogany Base with Circular Detail at Seat
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Colle Pouf is 1 of two poufs we offer in our LF Collection - it is shown in brown leather and faux skin but can covered in customers own material - this ...
Category

2010s American International Style Seating

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Handmade International Style Upholstered Mary Stool Brass, Textured Black/White
Located in Lisbon, PT
Playing with dichotomies between rough materials and soft textures, cold and hot materials, round and straight shapes is what Mary stool is all about. A great accent piece that can b...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese International Style Seating

Materials

Brass

Midcentury Italian Silver Leaf Bench / Ottoman
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is an Italian bench with a hand carved frame and silver leafed frame. The velvet is a blue-gray and is vintage.
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian International Style Seating

Materials

Velvet, Poplar

Take a Seat, International Style Chair, Dining Chair, Office Chair
Located in İstanbul, İstanbul
Designed for whom to write their own Tabula Rasa in comfort and style. Take a seat is one of the chair interpretations of Kontra which consists a solid wal...
Category

2010s Turkish International Style Seating

Materials

Leather, Oak, Walnut

Bruxelles Armchair .
Located in Kraków, Małopolska
Bruxelles armchair from 1960, Czech Republic. Highly recommended item will be perfect complementation of the rooms in not only Classic style, but...
Category

1950s Czech Vintage International Style Seating

Materials

Metal

Vivai Del Sud Wicker Chaise Lounge, Italy 1970's
Located in Rochester, NY
Casa Bella black painted woven wicker chaise lounge with a recessed wood slatted framework and the original white vinyl button tufted cushion. Signed Vivai del Sud, Made in Italy. C...
Category

20th Century Italian International Style Seating

Materials

Wicker, Wood, Paint

Bruxelles Armchair .
Located in Kraków, Małopolska
Bruxelles armchair from 1960, Czech Republic. Highly recommended item will be perfect complementation of the rooms in not only Classic style, but...
Category

1950s Czech Vintage International Style Seating

Materials

Metal

Lounge Chair, International Style Wooden or Leather Lounge Chair, Office Chair
Located in İstanbul, İstanbul
Kontra’s interpretation of the lounge chair with a solid walnut or oak body and leather upholstery. "Experience Unparalleled Comfort and Elegance with the Lounge Chair International ...
Category

2010s Turkish International Style Seating

Materials

Leather, Oak, Walnut

Arco Armchair, by RAIN, Contemporary Armchair, Upholstery on Wood Structure
By RAIN
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
Arco is an upholstered armchair of simple and enveloping geometry. The shape of the piece reproduces the arch of the body, creating a welcoming anatomical shell. The armchair is cove...
Category

2010s Brazilian International Style Seating

Materials

Upholstery

Pucci Neo Classic Style Sofa From Maison Carlhian
Located in Hamburg, DE
French sofa 1950 from Maison Carlhian, Neo Classic Style, 6 no of Legs in total, new upholstered with loose cushions filled with dawns and feathers, ...
Category

1990s French International Style Seating

Materials

Canvas

Great Scale Armchair in Cerused Oak and Leather
Located in New York, NY
Great scale armchair, perfect for a desk, made of straight cut oak, beautifully cerused. Two tone pony hide beautifully complements the wood. Jean-Michel Frank elements throughout.
Category

1950s French Vintage International Style Seating

Materials

Oak, Leather

Set of 4 Handkerchief Armchairs by Massimo Vignelli for Knoll
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Set of 4 handkerchief armchairs by Massimo Vignelli for Knoll. In 1968 Vignelli was contracted by Knoll to re-envision the corporate identity ...
Category

1980s American Vintage International Style Seating

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Chrome and Black Cesca Chair Designed by Marcel Breuer Made in Italy circa 1970s
Located in New York, NY
Chic Cesca arm chair, designed by Marcel Breuer. Iconic and timeless Bauhaus chair, still relevant to today’s interior spaces. This chair was produced ...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian International Style Seating

Materials

Chrome

Clara Wicker Lounge Chair
Located in Hollywood, FL
Introducing the Clara Lounge Chair, one of the latest creations from the talented designer Vito Selma. As part of a trio of exceptional lounge chairs, Clara...
Category

2010s Philippine International Style Seating

Materials

Wicker

Sixteen Foot Mies van der Rohe Barcelona Daybed from the IBM Building
Located in Highland, IN
Here is an extraordinarily rare piece with fantastic provenance– this oversize version of Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona daybed is 16 feet in length and custom fabricated of fiberglass and steel. You would not know that it is fiberglass without touching it. The level of detail and realism is stunning. It’s like an artwork using the principal of transference of material– when an object appears to be made of one expected material, but is really crafted of something totally different, often incongruent with one's expectations. The reason fiberglass was used to make this daybed is that it was created for use in the lobby of Mies van der Rohe’s IBM building at 330 N. Wabash in Chicago. Mies often specified that the public spaces in the buildings he designed be furnished with tables and seating also of his design. In the 1990s the owner of the IBM building hired Chicago designer Judy Niedermaier to decorate the public spaces. Having seen ordinary Barcelona chairs and sofas suffer the abuse of high-traffic spaces see with hundreds of people using them on a daily basis, she opted to something different that would hold up under extreme wear. Interestingly, this was not the first time Niedermaier employed fiberglass in her design work, nor would it be her last. Her firm had used fiberglass for store displays, pots and mannequins in some of their prop and merchandise display work, and then in the early 2000s with the famous downtown Chicago outdoor art projects “Cows on Parade” and “Suite Home Chicago” (fiberglass outdoor furniture...
Category

1990s American International Style Seating

Materials

Steel

International Style seating for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique International Style seating for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage seating created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating, tables, asian art and furniture and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used International Style seating made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and Asia pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original seating, popular names associated with this style include Bontempi Casa, Knoll, kontra, and Alexander Diaz Andersson. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for seating differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $209 and tops out at $60,000 while the average work can sell for $2,167.

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