Podesta Chiavari
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Cane, Ash
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Cane, Beech
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Cane, Ash
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech, Wicker
Vintage 1940s Italian Neoclassical Chairs
Wicker, Wood
People Also Browsed
Vintage 1930s Italian Art Deco Night Stands
Teak
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Textile, Wood
2010s American Flush Mount
Brass
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Oak
Vintage 1970s Italian Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Leather, Glass, Maple
2010s British Scandinavian Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Mohair, Velvet, Oak
2010s South African Minimalist Pedestals
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
Limestone
Antique Early 1900s Belle Époque Benches
Fabric, Upholstery, Walnut
Vintage 1920s European Bauhaus Chairs
Cane, Beech
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Fabric, Rosewood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Cane, Beech
Vintage 1960s Italian Credenzas
Glass, Cherry, Teak
Antique 1890s Austrian Art Nouveau Side Chairs
Beech, Bentwood
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Club Chairs
Brass
Recent Sales
Vintage 1970s Italian Dining Room Chairs
Wicker, Beech
Finding the Right chairs for You
Chairs are an indispensable component of your home and office. Can you imagine your life without the vintage, new or antique chairs you love?
With the exception of rocking chairs, the majority of the seating in our homes today — Windsor chairs, chaise longues, wingback chairs — originated in either England or France. Art Nouveau chairs, the style of which also originated in those regions, embraced the inherent magnificence of the natural world with decorative flourishes and refined designs that blended both curved and geometric contour lines. While craftsmanship and styles have evolved in the past century, chairs have had a singular significance in our lives, no matter what your favorite chair looks like.
“The chair is the piece of furniture that is closest to human beings,” said Hans Wegner. The revered Danish cabinetmaker and furniture designer was prolific, having designed nearly 500 chairs over the course of his lifetime. His beloved designs include the Wishbone chair, the wingback Papa Bear chair and many more.
Other designers of Scandinavian modernist chairs introduced new dynamics to this staple with sculptural flowing lines, curvaceous shapes and efficient functionality. The Paimio armchair, Swan chair and Panton chair are vintage works of Finnish and Danish seating that left an indelible mark on the history of good furniture design.
“What works good is better than what looks good, because what works good lasts,” said Ray Eames.
Visionary polymaths Ray and Charles Eames experimented with bent plywood and fiberglass with the goal of producing affordable furniture for a mass market. Like other celebrated mid-century modern furniture designers of elegant low-profile furnishings — among them Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Finn Juhl — the Eameses considered ergonomic support, durability and cost, all of which should be top of mind when shopping for the perfect chair. The mid-century years yielded many popular chairs.
The Eameses introduced numerous icons for manufacturer Herman Miller, such as the Eames lounge chair and ottoman, molded plywood dining chairs the DCM and DCW (which can be artfully mismatched around your dining table) and a wealth of other treasured pieces for the home and office.
A good chair anchors us to a place and can become an object of timeless appeal. Take a seat and browse the rich variety of vintage, new and antique chairs on 1stDibs today.