Lucite Shell Chair
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Swivel Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1970s American Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Lucite
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1970s American Space Age Chairs
Steel
2010s South African Modern Dining Room Chairs
Brass
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Metal, Chrome
2010s South African Modern Lounge Chairs
Brass, Steel
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Chrome
2010s South African Modern Dining Room Chairs
Brass, Steel
2010s South African Modern Dining Room Chairs
Brass, Steel
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1950s American Chairs
Chrome
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Suede, Lucite
Mid-20th Century French Dining Room Chairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1970s French Space Age Armchairs
Steel
People Also Browsed
Vintage 1980s American Rustic Game Tables
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Art Deco Carts and Bar Carts
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sofas
Velvet, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Travertine
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
Vintage 1970s Belgian Post-Modern Sofas
Fabric, Upholstery
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Lucite
2010s Austrian Jugendstil Chandeliers and Pendants
Silk
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Leather
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Game Tables
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Slipper Chairs
Upholstery
Mid-20th Century German Space Age Chairs
Velvet, Fiberglass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1960s American Armchairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Bohemian Dining Room Tables
Rattan, Glass
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Travertine
Recent Sales
Vintage 1970s European Space Age Dining Room Chairs
Chrome
Vintage 1960s American Chairs
Chrome, Steel
Vintage 1970s American Hollywood Regency Dining Room Chairs
Lucite
Vintage 1940s American Hollywood Regency Club Chairs
Upholstery, Velvet, Lucite
Vintage 1980s American Hollywood Regency Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Lucite
Vintage 1970s American Chairs
Lucite
Vintage 1970s American Chairs
Lucite, Wood
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Chrome
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Aluminum
2010s Belgian Lounge Chairs
Metal, Brass
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1960s French Modern Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal, Chrome
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Chairs
Lucite
Vintage 1970s European Space Age Chairs
Bouclé, Lucite
Vintage 1950s American Space Age Chairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Aluminum
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Chrome
Vintage 1970s American Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Lucite
Vintage 1960s American Chairs
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Steel
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Metal, Chrome
Vintage 1970s French Space Age Chairs
Steel
Vintage 1950s American Space Age Dining Room Chairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1970s European Space Age Lounge Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1970s French Space Age Dining Room Chairs
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Lucite
Mid-20th Century Armchairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets
Lucite, Upholstery, Glass, Fiberglass
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets
Metal
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Chrome
Vintage 1970s French Space Age Armchairs
Steel
Vintage 1970s American Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Lucite
1990s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Steel, Chrome
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Fur, Lucite
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Chairs
Lucite
Vintage 1970s European Space Age Chairs
Bouclé, Lucite
Vintage 1970s American Space Age Lounge Chairs
Lucite, Leather, Fiberglass
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Metal, Chrome
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Metal, Chrome
Vintage 1970s European Space Age Lounge Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1970s French Space Age Lounge Chairs
Steel
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets
Smoked Glass, Lucite
20th Century Dining Room Sets
Vintage 1970s American Space Age Living Room Sets
Leather, Mirror, Fiberglass, Lucite
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Living Room Sets
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1970s French Space Age Lounge Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1970s American Chairs
Vintage 1970s American Dining Room Chairs
Vintage 1970s American Modern Dining Room Chairs
Vintage 1960s French Space Age Chairs
Aluminum, Chrome
Mid-20th Century American Lounge Chairs
Leather, Fiberglass, Lucite
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Fiberglass, Leather, Lucite
Lucite Shell Chair For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Lucite Shell Chair?
Materials: Plastic Furniture
Arguably the world’s most ubiquitous man-made material, plastic has impacted nearly every industry. In contemporary spaces, new and vintage plastic furniture is quite popular and its use pairs well with a range of design styles.
From the Italian lighting artisans at Fontana Arte to venturesome Scandinavian modernists such as Verner Panton, who created groundbreaking interiors as much as he did seating — see his revolutionary Panton chair — to contemporary multidisciplinary artists like Faye Toogood, furniture designers have been pushing the boundaries of plastic forever.
When The Graduate's Mr. McGuire proclaimed, “There’s a great future in plastics,” it was more than a laugh line. The iconic quote is an allusion both to society’s reliance on and its love affair with plastic. Before the material became an integral part of our lives — used in everything from clothing to storage to beauty and beyond — people relied on earthly elements for manufacturing, a process as time-consuming as it was costly.
Soon after American inventor John Wesley Hyatt created celluloid, which could mimic luxury products like tortoiseshell and ivory, production hit fever pitch, and the floodgates opened for others to explore plastic’s full potential. The material altered the history of design — mid-century modern legends Charles and Ray Eames, Joe Colombo and Eero Saarinen regularly experimented with plastics in the development of tables and chairs, and today plastic furnishings and decorative objects are seen as often indoors as they are outside.
Find vintage plastic lounge chairs, outdoor furniture, lighting and more on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right Seating for You
With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.
Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.
Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.
The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.
Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.
With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.
Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.
No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.
- What are Shell Chairs?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 31, 2023Shell chairs are iconic mid-century modern chairs designed by Hans J. Wegner and first released in 1963. In terms of both process and aesthetics, the Shell chair was ahead of its time when it was introduced. The expressive seat and back are made out of form-pressed oak or walnut laminates and topped with upholstered cushions for maximum comfort. Its design includes a tapered three-leg structure with two front legs made of one continuous piece and a separate hind leg that supports the backrest. This gives the chair a feeling of lightness without sacrificing stability. On 1stDibs, find a selection of Shell chairs.
- Is the Shell Chair comfortable?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2023Whether the Shell chair is comfortable is largely a matter of personal opinion. However, creator Hans J. Wegner designed the curves of the backrest and the seat to complement the contours of the human body in order to provide ample support when the Shell chair made its debut in 1963. Chairs became Wegner’s specialty, and over the years he designed over 500 of them. More than 100 of his designs, such as the Wishbone chair and the Papa Bear chair, went into production. Shop a selection of Shell chairs and other vintage Hans Wegner seating on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024The history of the Wegner Shell Chair begins in 1963. Hans J. Wegner unveiled the chair at the Furniture Guild Exhibition in Copenhagen, Denmark. Often described as being "wing-like," the chair's radical fluid lines were considered a bit too futuristic at the time. Initially, mixed reviews from critics and the general public, as well as production difficulties, resulted in a very limited early run. Twelve new models were produced for a retrospective exhibition celebrating Wegner's 77th birthday in 1989, and the design began garnering renewed attention (a photograph of the chair was even selected to grace the cover of the exhibition catalog). In 1998, nearly a decade following the piece's reemergence at the retrospective event, Carl Hansen & Søn reintroduced the Shell chair 35 years after it was first released, and it has felt relevant ever since. On 1stDibs, shop an assortment of Hans Wegner Shell chairs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Whether or not the Wegner shell chair is comfortable is largely a matter of personal preference. Wegner did design the dramatically curved seat and gently tapered back to properly support the contours of the human body. On 1stDibs, shop a range of Hans Wegner chairs.
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.