$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
30's alvar aalto 403 hallway chair painted white
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
The early 403 was characterized by making the best use of the flexibility of the pre-wood, without the bearing surface on the cross. This is an individual that has been painted in...
Birch
$3,360Sale Price|20% Off
Alvar Aalto 40s 403 Hallway Chair
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
40s 403 hallway chair. Upholstery by Kvadrat canvas.
Fabric, Birch
Early Model 51/403 Hallway Armchair, Alvar Aalto, 1930s
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Helsinki, Uusimaa
Early model 51/403 hallway chair, design Alvar Aalto, 1930s. Later painted birch frame.
Birch, Paint
Alvar Aalto Hallway Armchair model 403 painted Birch and plywood, Artek
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Kiiminki, FI
Beautiful mid-century Alvar Aalto hallway chair model 403 designed for the legendary Paimio Sanatorium, manufactured by Artek 1950s.
Birch, Plywood
Alvar Aalto Hallway Armchair Model 403 in Birch & Yellow, Artek 2008
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Helsinki, FI
A beautiful Alvar Aalto model 403 hallway chair, originally designed for the legendary Paimio Sanatorium, one of the masterpieces of 20th-century architecture.
Birch
Alvar Aalto Hallway Armchair Model 403 in Birch & Orange, Artek 2008
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Helsinki, FI
A beautiful Alvar Aalto model 403 hallway chair, originally designed for the legendary Paimio Sanatorium, one of the masterpieces of 20th-century architecture.
Birch
Pair of Alvar Aalto Hallway Armchairs Model 403 in Birch & Yellow, Artek 2008
By Alvar Aalto, Artek
Located in Helsinki, FI
A beautiful pair of Alvar Aalto model 403 hallway chairs, originally designed for the legendary Paimio Sanatorium, one of the masterpieces of 20th-century architecture.
Birch
Pair of Alvar Aalto Hallway Armchairs Model 403 in Birch & Orange, Artek 2008
By Alvar Aalto, Artek
Located in Helsinki, FI
A beautiful pair of Alvar Aalto model 403 hallway chairs, originally designed for the legendary Paimio Sanatorium, one of the masterpieces of 20th-century architecture.
Birch
$2,127Sale Price|25% Off
Alvar Aalto, 1930s chair 403, Oy Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab
By Alvar Aalto, Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy
Located in Turku, Varsinais-Suomi
Embrace the essence of Scandinavian design with the Alvar Aalto, 1930s Chair 403. This piece is a blend of functional elegance and timeless craftsmanship.
Upholstery, Birch
Alvar Aalto Pair of Hallway Armchairs Model 403 in Honey Birch, Artek 1950s
By Artek, Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Alvar Aalto
Located in Helsinki, FI
A beautiful pair of mid-century Alvar Aalto hallway chairs model 402 designed for the legendary Paimio Sanatorium designed by Aalto. This beautiful pair is from the 1950s. Even tho...
Birch
Mid century plywood benches in the manner of Alvar Aalto, 1960 - set of 2
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
The design is much like the Alvar Aalto 51/403 chair produced by Artek. We cant confirm this is 100% a design by Alvar Aalto, so we will respectfully attribute it to him.
Plywood
Mid century plywood benches in the manner of Alvar Aalto, 1960 - set of 2
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
The design is much like the Alvar Aalto 51/403 chair produced by Artek. We cant confirm this is 100% a design by Alvar Aalto, so we will respectfully attribute it to him.
Plywood
Unavailable
H 30.12 in W 21.26 in D 26.38 in
Paimio Sanatorium Armchair "Hallway Chair" Model 403 by Alvar Aalto
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Reichenschwand, DE
In the early 1930s, Finnish architect Alvar Aalto achieved a milestone in architectural history with the creation of the Paimio Sanatorium, a visionary project that combined art, des...
Birch, Maple
Unavailable
H 30.32 in W 24.41 in D 21.26 in
Vintage Model 403 Hallway Chair by Alvar Aalto for Artek, Set of 2
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Cape Town, WC
The Model 403, or Hallway Chair, is a stackable chair originally designed for a Finnish medical centre in 1932. Finnish modernism finds its structural motif in the form of the Model ...
Birch, Plywood
Unavailable
H 30.32 in W 21.26 in D 23.23 in
Alvar Aalto Early Hallway Chair 51/403 for Paimio Sanatorium 1932, Finland
By Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Alvar Aalto
Located in Turku, FI
Alvar Aalto designed this chair in 1932 for the Paimio Sanatorium hospital for tuberculosis patients.
Birch, Bentwood
Unavailable
H 30.32 in W 21.26 in D 23.23 in
Alvar Aalto Early Hallway Chair 51/403 for Paimio Sanatorium 1932, Finland
By Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Alvar Aalto
Located in Turku, FI
Alvar Aalto designed this chair in 1932 for the Paimio Sanatorium hospital for tuberculosis patients. The orange color was used to reduce the blood pressure in the patients.
Birch, Bentwood
Unavailable
H 30.32 in W 21.26 in D 23.23 in
Alvar Aalto Early Hallway Chair 51/403 for Paimio Sanatorium 1932, Finland
By Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Alvar Aalto
Located in Turku, FI
Alvar Aalto designed this chair in 1932 for the Paimio Sanatorium hospital for tuberculosis patients. The orange colour was used to reduce the blood pressure in the patients.
Birch, Bentwood
Early Finmar Production Alvar Aalto 403 “Hallway” Chair
By Finmar, Alvar Aalto
Located in London, GB
An early production of one of Aalto’s classic designs. A classic piece of Scandinavian modernism, the Hallway chair was originally made for the Paimio Sanitorium. Bent ply seating re...
Birch, Plywood
Early Finmar Production Alvar Aalto 403 “Hallway” Chair
By Finmar, Alvar Aalto
Located in London, GB
An early production of one of Aalto’s classic designs. A classic piece of Scandinavian modernism, the Hallway chair was originally made for the Paimio Sanitorium. Bent ply seating re...
Birch, Plywood
Pair of Alvar Aalto 403 Hallway Chairs by Finmar Ltd
By Finmar, Alvar Aalto
Located in Madrid, ES
Pair of Scandinavian Modern 403 "Hallway" chairs with solid birch armrests and plywood seats designed by Finnish designer Alvar Aalto in 1932.
Birch
Alvar Aalto Hallway Chair 403 and Table
By Alvar Aalto
Located in New York, NY
Alvar Aalto's Hallway Chair 403 and Table made of laminated birch plywood.
Birch
Vintage Pair Hallway 403 Chairs by Alvar Aalto
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Pasadena, TX
During his lifetime, his office produced over 300 buildings and projects. Alvar Aalto Finland 1932 Rare early pair of Hallway 403 chairs. 1930s Originally designed fo...
Birch
Early Vintage Alvar Aalto Hallway Chair Model 403
By Finmar, Alvar Aalto
Located in London, GB
A stunning and iconic early vintage Alvar Aalto Hallway chair model 403. This was originally designed in 1929, this model is early and dates from around the 1930-50’s.
Wood
Early Production Alvar Aalto Hallway Chair, Model 403 by Finmar
By Alvar Aalto
Located in London, GB
This exceptionally rare early production Alvar Aalto Hallway Chair, model 403, was designed for Finmar and showcases Aalto’s iconic use of bent ply seating on a solid birch frame wit...
Plywood
Alvar Aalto Hallway Chair, Model No.403, Finmar 1930's
By Alvar Aalto
Located in London, GB
An early and exceptionally rare Alvar Aalto Hallway chair, which was originally designed for the Paimio Sanitorium. Bent ply seating rests on the solid birch frame with inlaid detail...
Bentwood
Early Alvar Aalto 'Hallway' Chair 'Model 403' for Finmar
By Finmar, Alvar Aalto
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Finmar Model 403 'Hallway' chair designed by Alvar Aalto and produced from 1930 through 1950 in Finland.
Birch, Plywood
Sold
H 30.32 in W 20.87 in D 25.6 in
Alvar Aalto Early Armchairs Model 403 Produced by Artek in Finland
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare pair of armchairs model 403 designed by Alvar Aalto. Produced by Artek in Finland.
Birch, Paint
Alvar Aalto Hallway Chair Model No.403 by Finmar
By Finmar, Alvar Aalto
Located in London, GB
An early and exceptionally rare Alvar Aalto Hallway chair, which was originally designed for the Paimio Sanitorium. The chair bears to the verso an original Finmar label.
Birch, Plywood
Aalvo Aalto for Artek Hallway Chair Model 403
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Aalvo Aalto for Artek Hallway chair Model 403 in it's original brown vinyl covering.
Beech
403 Hallway Chair for Artek by Alvar Aalto
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Centreville, VA
Armchair 403 “Hallway” is a stackable chair originally designed by Alvar Aalto for the Paimio Sanatorium in Finland in 1932.
Bentwood
Alvar Aalto Hallway Chair No.403 for Finmar
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Toronto, Ontario
An exceptionally rare hallway chair by Alvar Aalto. Originally designed for the interiors of a tuberculosis sanatorium in Finland in 1932. This is a very early example manufact...
Birch
Vintage Pair of Hallway 403 Chairs by Alvar Aalto
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Pasadena, TX
During his lifetime, his office produced over 300 buildings and projects. Alvar Aalto Finland 1932 Rare early pair of Hallway 403 chairs 1930s Originally designed for...
Birch
Sold
H 29.9 in W 24.2 in D 27.6 in
1960s, Alvar Aalto Birch Bentwood Chair Upholstered in Fluffy Boucle Shearling
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Alvar Aalto armchair model 403, designed originally in 1933.
Birch
Set of Five Artek Hallway Chairs by Alvar Aalto
By Alvar Aalto, Artek
Located in New York, NY
Artek Hallway chairs by Alvar Aalto Armchair 403 “Hallway” is a stackable chair originally designed for the Paimio Sanatorium in Finland in 1932.
Birch
Pair of Hallway Armchairs, Armchair 403, by Alvar Aalto for Artek
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Denton, MD
Designed in 1932 to furnish Aalto's design masterpiece, the Paimio Sanatorium in southern Finland. These chairs are from recent Artek production although the chairs currently are no ...
Birch, Plywood
Alvar Aalto Armchair 41 "Paimio" by Artek, 1970s
By Artek
Located in Stockholm, SE
Produced late 1970s by Artek. Excellent condition, no signs of usage. Designed by Alvar Aalto in 1932, Armchair 41 was created for the interior of a tuberculosis sanatorium in the Fi...
Birch
$3,971
H 28.35 in W 23.63 in D 27.96 in
Model 402 Armchair, Alvar Aalto, Oy Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab, 1940/50s
By Alvar Aalto, Oy Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab
Located in Helsinki, Uusimaa
Model 402 armchair, designed by Alvar Aalto, manufactured by Oy Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab, 1940/1950s. Birch frame with wool fabric upholstery. Good vintage condition, heavy...
Wool, Birch
Vintage Chair 65 by Alvar Aalto for Artek, Finsven, 1940-50s
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Centreville, VA
Clean lines and a simple structure define the design of Chair 65. A low, rectangular backrest is formed from a single piece of birch plywood and has a slight curve that forms natur...
Bentwood
'Tank chair' by Alvar Aalto, Finland, 1940s
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Stockholm, SE
Alvar Aalto 'Tank' armchair. Produced in Finland, 1940s.
Birch
$3,971
H 27.76 in W 18.9 in D 21.26 in
Model 2 Chair, Alvar Aalto, Oy Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab, 1930s
By Oy Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab, Alvar Aalto
Located in Helsinki, Uusimaa
Model 2 chair, design Alvar Aalto, manufactured by Oy Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab, 1930s. Birch frame, later fabric upholstery. Marked. Good vintage condition, minor patina co...
Fabric, Birch
Borge Mogensen 3236 Dining Chair, White Oil, Leather
By Fredericia, Børge Mogensen
Located in Berkeley, CA
Børge Mogensen’s evolution of ‘The People’s Chair’, designed in 1956 and dimensioned as a generously proportioned and sophisticated upholstered dining chair.
Oak
Borge Mogensen J39 Dining Chair, White Lacquer
By Fredericia, Børge Mogensen
Located in Berkeley, CA
J39, designed by Børge Mogensen in 1947. This versatile masterpiece is crafted from solid wood and features a handwoven seat in natural paper cord.
Oak
Alvar Aalto Paded Cantilever Armchair Model 43, Artek 1940s
By Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Alvar Aalto, Artek
Located in Helsinki, FI
An early padded Spring chair model 43 designed by Alvar Aalto for Artek and manufactured by Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyömaa from the 1940s. This chair is one of the most recognizable pi...
Metal
Alvar Aalto Model 31 Cantilever Chair, Birch Plywood, 1930s
By Alvar Aalto
Located in San Francisco, CA
Alvar Aalto cantilever chair, model 31. A very rare 1st edition model 31 lounge chair by Alvar Aalto in birch plywood with a floating back silhouette. Museum quality. Finland, circ...
Birch
Early Alvar Aalto 'Model 2' Arm Chair, 1930
By Alvar Aalto, O.Y.Huonekalu
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Original 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...
Plywood
Borge Mogensen 3236 Dining Chair - White Oil - Fabric
By Børge Mogensen, Fredericia
Located in Berkeley, CA
Børge Mogensen’s evolution of ‘The People’s Chair’ – Designed in 1956 and dimensioned as a generously proportioned and sophisticated upholstered dining chair. Inquire for leather ...
Oak
$3,300 / item
H 31.11 in W 17.72 in D 20.87 in
ClassiCon Roquebrune Chair in White with Chrome Legs by Eileen Gray
By Eileen Gray
Located in New York, NY
For the terrace of her second house in Castellar Eileen Gray designed a very comfortable chair with a deep seating area. It was covered with blue canvas. She created another version,...
Steel
$7,138
H 27.96 in W 24.02 in D 27.96 in
Scandinavian Modern Alvar Aalto lounge chair model 402, 1950's
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Uccle, BE
Original 1930's Alvar Aalto Model 402 lounge chair with reupholstered ecru cotton blend fabric. One of Aalto's notable creations is the "Model 402 Armchair", introduced in 1930. Th...
Birch
$48,787
H 24.22 in W 27.56 in D 30.71 in
Rare Armchair 'Small Paimio' Model 42 Designed by Alvar Aalto, Finland, 1932
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Stockholm, SE
Rare armchair 'Small Paimio' model 42 designed by Alvar Aalto, Finland, 1932. Painted birch veneer and bent plywood. Stamped. H: 61.5 cm W: 60.5 cm D: 78 cm SH: 37 cm A...
Birch, Plywood
$16,882
H 24.81 in W 23.63 in D 29.93 in
Early Alvar Aalto Spring Chair Model 31, Bent Plywood and Birch, Artek 1950s
By Alvar Aalto, Oy Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab, Artek
Located in Helsinki, FI
One of the most iconic and finest furniture works from Alvar Aalto, the model 31 (later 42) chair, also known as the spring chair, "Pikku Paimio" or Small Paimio in English. It is r...
Birch, Plywood
Kartell Piuma Chair in White by Piero Lissoni
By Kartell, Piero Lissoni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
2016 saw the completion of the “Piuma” project by Piero Lissoni. The chair is one of the most revolutionary and enterprising products in Kartell’s repertoire of technology and materi...
Plastic
Bertu Counter Stools, White Oak Counter Stool, Chile Stool
By Bertu Furniture
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
Bertu Counter Stools, White Oak Counter Stool, Chile Stool This White Oak Chile Counter Stool is beautifully constructed from solid wood in Ohio, USA. The stool is chunky and modern...
Wood, Oak
$2,838 / item
H 24 in W 24 in D 24 in
Modern Fabric Pendant Light by Studio Mirei, Nebula 60, from Costantini
Located in New York, NY
The Nebula collection is drawn out of the interstellar clouds of dust and gas in space - regions where stars begin to form. Made of a woven natural fiber from the banana tree, which ...
Natural Fiber
Panoplie Petite Iron Tripod Lamp
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Petite iron tripod lamp with slender legs and tapered feet. New wiring and new oyster linen shade. Multiple available, sold individually. Takes one E12 base bulb, up to 25 W or highe...
Iron
$2,500 / item
H 8.5 in Dm 17.5 in
Vintage Inspired Handcrafted Fluted Farmhouse Porcelain Pendant Light
By DBO Home
Located in Sharon, CT
Classic, elegant, with a perfectly imperfect touch. We just love our new porcelain Parasol Fluted Pendants. Inspired by a vintage pie cover, we designed them to hang over our kitchen...
Brass
$5,332
H 23.63 in W 19.3 in
San Marco, Venice — Cubist Italian Cityscape Painting in Blue and Ochre, Acrylic
By Grégoire Mathias
Located in PÉRIGUEUX, FR
San Marco, Venise Acrylic on Canvas 60 x 49 cm Signed lower right and on the reverse In San Marco, Venise, Grégoire Mathias translates the timeless elegance of Venice’s architectur...
Canvas, Acrylic
Rare Set of 5 1940s Alvar Aalto 60 Birch Nesting stools
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A set of 5 Early Stool #60 designed by Alvar Aalto and produced in Sweden by Artek. During the war period Artek opened factories in neutral Sweden where supplies were still available...
Birch, Bentwood, Plywood, Lacquer
Large Georges Jouve Style Black Matte Cylinder Vase, France, c. 1950's
By Georges Jouve
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Rich Matte Black Glaze, minimal perfect black.
Ceramic
$1,304
H 17.33 in Dm 13.78 in
Stool model 60, Alvar Aalto, Oy Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab, 1930s
By Alvar Aalto, Oy Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab
Located in Helsinki, Uusimaa
Stool 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...
Birch
$7,950 / set
H 30.32 in W 26.78 in D 29.53 in
1940s Kozelka & Kropacek Armchairs in Texel Sheepskin & Brown Patinated Frame
By Karel Kozelka & Antonin Kropacek, Jindřich Halabala
Located in Almelo, NL
Mid-Century Czech design by Kozelka & Kropacek, reupholstered in luxurious Texel sheepskin with warm brown patinated bentwood frames. Comfort, craftsmanship, and timeless style. De...
Sheepskin, Upholstery, Bentwood
$15,897 / item
H 27.56 in W 100.4 in D 37.8 in
Arflex Marenco Sofa in Fabric Heidi and Candy by Mario Marenco
By Mario Marenco, Arflex
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Marenco Sofa is designed by Mario Marenco for Arflex. This sofa features the system with making the armrest and seat as the base portion. There is a metal tubular frame facilitated f...
Metal
$8,818
H 28.94 in W 22.64 in D 17.33 in
Hans Wegner, Cow Horn Chair, model JH 505, Johannes Hansen, Denmark 1950s
By Hans J. Wegner, Johannes Hansen
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Hans J. Wegner Cow Horn chair, model JH 505 designed by Wegner in 1952 and made by Johannes Hansen, Denmark, 1950s teak frame with curved 'cow horn' ends to the back rail and inlaid ...
Leather, Teak
$4,950 / item
H 12 in W 48 in D 48 in
Modern Fiberglass Coffee Table by Mike Ruiz-Serra, Customizable in Any RAL Color
By Mike Ruiz Serra
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Designed by Mike Ruiz-Serra, the Quad has four hemispherical legs and is cast in fiberglass, giving it a unique satin finish that is extremely lightweight, strong, and durable. Its s...
Fiberglass
Flos Bilboquet Table Lamp of Polycarbonate and Steel in Tomato Color
By Philippe Malouin
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Flos Bilboquet Table Lamp of Polycarbonate and Steel in Tomato Color by Philippe Malouin Table lamp with adjustable head. Integrated LED bulb and cut-off providing direct lighting ....
Steel
$7,950
H 34.65 in W 57.88 in D 23.63 in
Guillerme et Chambron "José" Sofa for Votre Maison, France 1970s
By Votre Maison, Guillerme et Chambron
Located in Utrecht, NL
The company Votre Maison is one that has left an indelible mark on the history of French design. The 'José' model sofa, designed by Robert Guillerme along with his sales partner Jacq...
Fabric, Oak
$55,000
H 22.5 in W 175.5 in D 87.5 in
'Tucroma' Leather Bed and Nightstands by Guido Faleschini for i4Mariani, Italy
By Guido Faleschini, i4 Mariani
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This famous 'Tucroma' bed design, as seen in the Lenny Kravitz Architectural Digest magazine photoshoot, was designed by Guido Faleschini in the 1970s and produced by i4Mariani (Ital...
Chrome
Early 20th Century Chinese Art Deco Rug
Located in Chicago, IL
A wonderful early 20th century Chinese Art Deco rug with a chic gray field surround by another gray border, and all overlaid with myriad auspicious flowers including peonies, wisteri...
Wool
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.
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.