$2,795
H 28 in W 36 in D 34 in
Original Issue B&B Italia Armchair Series UP 2000 UP 3 by Gaetano Pesce, 1969!
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in New York, NY
legendary designer Gaetano Pesce for the premiere Italian manufacturer, B&B Italia circa 1969. The piece
Upholstery, Foam, Beech
$2,539
H 26.5 in W 36 in D 35 in
B&B / B&C Italia Up3 Up 2000 Series Arm Chair in Black by Gaetano Pesce
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Basel, BS
Gorgeous UP3 Armchair by Gaetano Pesce in black. What a beauty!!!! The B&B Italia Up3 Armchair
Fabric, Foam
$5,873 / set
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
UP5_6 armchair from the UP 2000 series, by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Langemark-Poelkapelle, BE
&B Italia in 2000, is a true design statement and a must-have for lovers of vintage and modernist
Fabric, Foam
$11,300
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
" UP 5 " by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia Red Armchair with Ottoman 1970s
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
NOT A 2000 SERIES Since its first appearance, the Up Series, designed in 1969 by Gaetano Pesce, has been one of the most talked about examples of modern furniture design. The excep...
Fabric
$6,095 / set
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
"Big Mama" Up Chair By Gaetano Pesce For B&B Italia, Italy, circa 2000
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
It was 1968 when Gaetano Pesce began experimenting at his Paris atelier with vacuum-packing the hippest material of the moment: polyurethane. Soon he’d developed a gravity-defying mo...
Fabric, PVC
$8,153 / set
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
MINT Black UP5 La Big Mamma UP 2000 Chair & UP6 Ottoman Gaetano Pesce B&B Italia
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Basel, BS
Pesce and reintroduced by B&B Italia in 2000, is a striking design chair and ottoman set that is
Fabric, Upholstery, Foam
$4,875
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
UP5 La Mamma UP 2000 Chair & UP6 Ball Ottoman by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Izegem, VWV
B&B Italia’s extensive technological know-how in terms of polyurethane injection moulding
Fabric, Foam, Latex, Polyester
$4,851Sale Price / set|30% Off
H 40.56 in W 51.19 in D 47.25 in
Up Du5 and Du6 Armchair and Ottoman by Gaetano Pesce for B&B, 1970s
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Roma, IT
career as a designer collaborating with the C&B company (now B&B Italia) on the creation of the UP Series
Metal
$2,400
H 13 in Dm 11 in
'Amazonia' Resin Vase by Gaetano Pesce for Fish Design Italy, Serie 2007, Signed
By Fish Design, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Artemide, Vitra, Cassina, and B&B Italia. Pesce began his journey into design at the University of
Resin
$2,650Sale Price|30% Off
H 11.75 in W 12.25 in D 11.5 in
'Babel' Resin Wine Bucket by Gaetano Pesce for Fish Design Italy, 1990s, Signed
By Fish Design, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Los Angeles, CA
&B Italia. Pesce began his journey into design at the University of Venice, where he pursued
Resin
UP3 Up 2000 Series by B&B Italia by Gaetano Pesce
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in North Wollongong, New South Wales
The UP 2000 Series - UP 3 armchair covered with fabric by B&B Italia, designed by Gaetano Pesce
Up 1 armchair by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia 1969
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in PARIS, FR
, manufactured by Bayfit and marketed by B&B Italia. The structure is in polyurethane foam interior made up of
Fabric, Foam
Unavailable
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
Gaetano Pesce Up Armchair + Ottoman, “La Mamma” B&B Italia
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in PEGO, Alicante
&B Italia 1969. Completely and uniquely restored and reupholstered with the highest quality
Fabric
Armchair UP, 2000
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Catania, IT
One of the most famous design icon, thanks to its shape in elastic fabric.
B&B Italia Donna Up Chair Five by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Las Vegas, NV
like features make it a huge statement piece if I've ever seen one. Manufactured in Italy by B&B
La Mamma Up 5 Lounge Chair & Ottoman for B&B Italia
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Los Angeles, CA
La Mamma Up 5 camel lounge chair by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia, c.2000s, Italy. The curvaceous
Foam, Upholstery
La Mamma Up 5 Bouclé Lounge Chair & Ottoman for B&B Italia
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Los Angeles, CA
La Mamma Up 5 powder blue bouclé lounge chair by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia, c.2000s, Italy. The
Bouclé, Foam
La Mamma Up 5 Bouclé Lounge Chair & Ottoman for B&B Italia
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Los Angeles, CA
La Mamma Up 5 teddy bear brown bouclé lounge chair by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia, c.2000s, Italy
Bouclé, Foam
Sold
H 33.08 in W 64.18 in D 26.38 in
Gaetano Pesce, 1969 for B&B Italia "UP-7 Piede" Sculpture Lounge Chair "Foot"
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Munster, NRW
Designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969 for B&B Italia The legendary "UP-7" foot is made of flexible
Foam, Coating
Sold
H 33.08 in W 64.18 in D 26.38 in
Gaetano Pesce, 1969 for B&B Italia "Up-7 Piede" Sculpture Lounge Chair "Foot"
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Munster, NRW
Designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969 for B&B Italia. The legendary "UP-7" foot is made of flexible
Foam, Coating
Sold
H 33.08 in W 64.18 in D 26.38 in
Gaetano Pesce, 1969 for B&B Italia "Up-7 Piede" Sculpture Lounge Chair "Foot"
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Munster, NRW
Designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969 for B&B Italia. The legendary "UP-7" foot is made of flexible
Foam, Coating
Sold
H 40.5 in W 47.25 in D 51.13 in
B&B Italia UP 2000 Series Lounge Chair and Ottoman, Special Edition Striped
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Chattanooga, TN
We just had this special edition striped fabric professionally steam cleaned and they're looking great. The material is in very good original condition but has a few punctures on the...
Fabric
Sold
H 26.38 in W 39.38 in D 39.38 in
Space Age Pair of Armchairs UP by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia. 1960s
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in SAINT-OUEN, FR
Gaetano Pesce for the design manufacture B&B Italia. The model was designed during the 1960s (1969). Here
Fabric, Foam
Sold
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
"Big Mama" Up Chair by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia, Italy, c.2000
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
It was 1968 when Gaetano Pesce began experimenting at his Paris atelier with vacuum-packing the hippest Material of the moment: polyurethane. Soon he’d developed a gravity-defying mo...
Fabric
Sold
H 40 in W 42 in D 48 in
B&B Italia 'La Mamma' Up 5/6 Lounge Chair & Ottoman, Red Stripe by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Toronto, CA
Since its first appearance, the Up Series, designed in 1969 by Gaetano Pesce, has been one of the most talked about examples of modern furniture design. The exceptional visual impact...
Fabric, Foam
Gaetano Pesce's UP5 Chair and UP6 Ottoman for B&B Italia
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Los Angeles, CA
considered to be inline with the ‘anti-design’ school-of-thought, designed the Up Series in 1969 for B & B
"UP 7" Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italian Sculptural Foot
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
Part of the smooth, somewhat futuristic collection of sculptural furniture pieces known as the UP Series by Gaetano Pesce is a giant polyurethane rubber foot dubbed the UP7. Strangel...
Rubber
Sold
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
" UP 5 " by Gaetano Pesce for C&B Italia Red Armchair with Ottoman 1970s
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
NOT A 2000 SERIES Since its first appearance, the Up Series, designed in 1969 by Gaetano Pesce, has been one of the most talked about examples of modern furniture design. The excep...
Fabric
Gaetano Pesce for B & B Italia Up 5 Chair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
huge stretch fabric covered molded foam armed chair
B&B Italia Up3 Up 2000 Series Arm Chair by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Basildon, London
The B&B Italia Up3 Armchair, part of the iconic Up 2000 series designed by Gaetano Pesce, is a
Fabric, Foam
Sold
H 19.3 in W 63 in D 34.65 in
Gaetano Pesce, 1969 For B&B Italia "UP-7 Piede" Sculpture Lounge Chair "Foot"
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Brussels, BE
Gaetano Pesce, 1969 for B&B Italia "UP-7 Piede" sculpture lounge chair "Foot".
Foam
Gaetano Pesce Up 5 and Up 6 Lounge Chair and Ottoman
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Dallas, TX
Gaetano Pesce Up 5 and 6 lounge chair and ottoman. The lounge chair is based off the woman’s form and the imprisonment of women with the symbolized ball and chain ottoman. The chair ...
Fabric, Foam
Artona series dining table by Afra & Tobia SCARPA for Maxalto, Italy 1975
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Berlin, Berlin
product lines to be released by the newly set up high-end division of B&B Italia, focusing exclusively on
Wood
Sold
H 41.34 in W 43.31 in D 51.19 in
Silver Up Five Armchair and Up Six Ottoman by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia
By B&B Italia
Located in Dronten, NL
Icon of modernity, metaphor of the female figure that is endowed with a comfortable womb and is yet a prisoner. The UP collection was designed in 1969. Great original condition, mark...
Fabric, Foam
B&B Italia by Gaetano Pesce Yellow Up Junior Armchair
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Basildon, London
Designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969, the original UP5_6 chair has become an iconic 20th century design and won the Product Career Award in 2022. The junior model of the UP5_6 armchai...
Fabric
Sold
H 33.08 in W 64.18 in D 26.38 in
Gaetano Pesce, 1969 for B&B Italia "UP-7 Piede" Sculpture Lounge Chair "Foot"
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Munster, NRW
Designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969 for B&B Italia The legendary "UP-7" foot is made of flexible
Foam, Coating
Sold
H 33.08 in W 64.18 in D 26.38 in
Gaetano Pesce, 1969 for B&B Italia "UP-7 Piede" Sculpture Lounge Chair "Foot"
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Munster, NRW
Designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969 for B&B Italia The legendary "UP-7" Foot is
Foam, Coating
Sold
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
Stripe Jersey Serie Up 2000 Armchair and Ottoman by Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in London, GB
Iconic form originally designed in 1968 - the bulbous shape, inspired by silhouettes of ancient fertility goddesses and accompanied by an affixed ottoman. Famously conceived by Pesce...
Fabric, Foam
Sold
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
"Big Mama" Up 5+6 Chair and ottoman By Gaetano Pesce For B&B Italia
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in The Hague, NL
for b&b italia. The chair is marked underneath with the original b&b label. This model, part of the up
Metal
Sold
H 40 in W 42 in D 48 in
B&B Italia 'La Mamma' Up 5/6 Lounge Chair&Ottoman, Green Stripe by Gaetano Pesce
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Toronto, CA
Since its first appearance, the Up Series, designed in 1969 by Gaetano Pesce, has been one of the most talked about examples of modern furniture design. The exceptional visual impact...
Fabric, Foam
Gaetano Pesce, La Mamma Up 5 and Up 6
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Saint-Didier, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Gaetano Pesce, La Mamma up 5 and up 6 by B and B Italia Iconic armchair and footrest Made in 1969
Other
Sold
H 40.5 in W 47.25 in D 58.13 in
Stripe Gaetano Pesce Series 2000 Up Chair & Ottoman by B & B Italia "La Donna"
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Palm Springs, CA
.” Furniture manufacturer B&B Italia (then known as C&B) produced the seat the next year: It was
Gaetano Pesce Up 5 Lounge Chair with Ottoman
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Madrid, ES
pouf Up 5, also known as big mama, blow up and donna, was reissued in 2000 by B&B Italia. The
Fabric, Upholstery
Sold
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
Up 5/6 La Mamma armchair and footrest by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia 2000 edit
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in PARIS, FR
marketed by B&B Italia, the Mamma is still marketed this day. Reupholstered armchair, polyurethane foam
Fabric, Foam
Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia "UP-7 Piede" Sculpture Lounge, 1969
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969 for B & B Italia the UP-7 Piede is made of flexible cold -shaped
Foam
Sold
H 40.16 in W 46.86 in D 47.25 in
Gaetano Pesce Up 5 and Up 6 2000 Series Lounge Chair and Ottoman 'La Mamma'
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Zagreb, HR
La Mamma Up5 and Up6 Armchair from the Up 2000 series by B & B Italia. Designed in 1969 by famous
Fabric, Foam
Sold
H 41.34 in W 47.25 in L 41.34 in
Rare Yellow UP5 6 'Up' Armchair and Ottoman by Gaetano Pesce for B B Italia
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
The iconic 'Up' chair was designed in 1969 by Gaetano Pesce for B & B Italia, unconventionally
Foam
Sold
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
Up 5 Lounge Chair with Up 6 Ottoman by Gaetano Pesce UP2000 Series
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Porto, Porto
The Big Mama chair and ottoman designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969 for B&B Italia. Up 2000 serie
Fabric, Foam
$2,360 / item
H 33.47 in W 17.72 in D 20.08 in
Giraffe dining Chair in Solid Brazilian Wood by Juliana Vasconcellos
By Juliana Lima Vasconcellos
Located in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais
The Giraffe dining chair was designed with soft curves and slender, but with volume, bringing comfort and elegance. The base structure was thought with three feet. The upholstered se...
Wood
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
$1,155Sale Price / item|30% Off
H 16.1 in Dm 11.5 in
'Plissé White Edition' Pleated Textile Table Lamp by Folkform for Örsjö
By Örsjö Industri AB
Located in Glendale, CA
'Plissé White Edition' pleated textile table lamp by Folkform for Örsjö. This unique table lamp was awarded “Lighting of the Year 2022” by Residence Magazine Sweden, who called it “...
Textile
Ceramic Circular Chandelier by Olivia Cognet
By Olivia Cognet
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Ceramic chandelier made by the french artist Olivia Cognet, made of different sized cylinders put together covered with decorative elements. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2016, Fre...
Ceramic
$28,400 / set
H 7.49 in W 37.41 in D 37.41 in
Le Mah Jong Modular Sofa Hans Hopfer Roche Bobois Missoni Silk Velvet, Corduroy
By Roche Bobois, Missoni, Hans Hopfer
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mah Jong modular sofa set by Hans Hopfer, designed in 1971 for Roche Bobois and in a current customized mix of textiles from Sonia Rykiel and the house of Missoni. Features multiple ...
Silk, Velvet
Restored Olivier Mourgue "Djinn" Chaise Lounge for Airborne
By Olivier Mourgue
Located in Berlin, DE
Newly upholstered Djinn Chaise Lounge in Kvadrat Tonus wool fabric. The color as close as it was shown in the 2001 movie by Stanley Kubrick. Excellent condition.
Metal
$4,381
H 35.44 in W 39.38 in D 41.34 in
Vintage space age Rodica chair by Mario Brunu for Comfort, Italy 1968.
By Mario Brunu, Comfort, Italy
Located in Haderslev, DK
Elevate your living space with the timeless elegance of the 'Rodica' lounge chair, a mid-century masterpiece designed by Mario Bruno for Comfort Italy. Crafted with exquisite attenti...
Leather, Fiberglass
Italian Lounge Chair, 1970s
By Sergio Rodrigues, ISA Bergamo
Located in bruxelles, BE
Lounge chair with cowhide and leather cushion and wooden frame. Reversible cushion. Seat height: 38 cm. Wear due to time and age of lounge chair. FOR SHIPPING, REQUEST US FOR RECEIVE...
Leather, Wood, Cowhide
$23,091
H 27.56 in Dm 118.12 in
Rare and Exceptional 'Gilda' Circle Sofa in Velvet by Michel Ducaroy, 1972
By Michel Ducaroy, Ligne Roset
Located in Echt, NL
Very rare extra large 'Gilda' circle sofa in excellent condition. Designed by Michel Ducaroy in 1972. The sofa is manufactured by 'Roset' the company name of Ligne Roset prior to 1...
Metal
$4,700 / item
H 48.04 in W 40.95 in D 35.44 in
Original Shadow Armchair by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia, Postmodern Icon
By Michel Ducaroy, Gaetano Pesce, Meritalia, Ligne Roset
Located in Grand Cayman, KY
Shadow armchair by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia is a highly collectible iconic masterpiece of Post Modern Design. The chair "deconstructed". Designed and made in limited numbers in 2...
Leather, Upholstery, Latex, Resin
Olivier Mourgue Bouloum Fabric Lounge Chair, 1970s France
By Olivier Mourgue
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sleek chaise lounge chair by Olivier Mourgue. Made in France, 1970s. Black fabric in good vintage condition with some light fading. Presents extremely well. Great piece of usable art...
Fabric
$4,050Sale Price / item|10% Off
H 31.5 in W 21 in D 63 in
UP7 FOOT Lounge Chair by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia - Gran Salotto by Duplex
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Brooklyn, NY
In 1969, Gaetano Pesce designed Il Piede (UP7), the final piece in his renowned Up Series, which featured seven iconic seating elements. Inspired by the shape of the human foot, this...
Foam
$17,424 / item
H 18 in W 75 in D 40 in
Platea Green Horizon – Coffee Table in Hand-Polished High-Gloss Gradient Lacquer
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Platea Coffee Table Inspired by the layered beauty of natural plateaus and stepped land formations, the Platea Coffee Table embodies an architectural landscape in motion. Each block ...
Wood, Lacquer
Maurice Calka for Leleu-Deshays, "Boomerang" Desk, France, 1970
By Maurice Calka, LeLeu Deshays
Located in New York, NY
“Boomerang” desk designed by Maurice Calka for Leleu. Marked: "CREATION M. CALKA EDITION LELEU DESHAYS" This desk was exhibited in the museum show "Leleu 50 ans de mobilier et de d...
Metal
"Big Mama" Armchair & Ottoman by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Brussels, BE
"Big Mama" Armchair & Ottoman by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia
Fabric
Gaetano Pesce Tramonto A New York Screen For Cassina
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Gaetano Pesce Tramonto A New York Screen For Cassina Light shines over the city as the sun sets on New York. A kaleidoscope of colours streams through the windows of the skyscrapers...
Resin
Gaetano Pesce was of a generation of Italian architects who in the early 1960s rebelled against the industrial perfection of modernism by conceiving new furniture and objects that were at once expressive and eccentric in form; or you might say they were more like art than functionalist design.
Born in the picturesque coastal Italian city of La Spezia in 1939, Pesce was a precocious talent who could have forged a career as an artist but opted instead to go to Venice to study architecture because, as he has said, it was “the most complex of all the arts.” Rather than having new worlds opened to him at design school, however, Pesce found the rationalist curriculum oppressive in its insistence on standardization and prescribed materials and technologies.
Pesce wanted to explore the latest of both materials and technologies to create objects and buildings never before imagined, with what he called “personalities” that spoke to the issues of the day. He was keen to examine ways to diversify mass production so that each manufactured work could be distinct.
In 1964, Pesce met Cesare Cassina, of the forward-looking furniture company C&B Italia in Milan (now known as B&B Italia), for whom he would create many important designs, beginning with a collection of what he called “transformational furniture” — two chairs and a loveseat — made entirely out of high-density polyurethane foam. To make the pieces easy to ship and cost-efficient, he proposed that after being covered in a stretch jersey, they be put in a vacuum, then heat-sealed flat between vinyl sheets. Once the foam was removed from its packaging, the piece returned to its original shape — hence, the name Up for the series, which debuted in 1969.
In addition to these pieces, Pesce proposed for the collection something he referred to as an “anti-armchair,” which took the shape of a reclining fertility goddess, the iconic Donna.
Producing the piece's complex form turned out to be a technical challenge. Bayer, the foam’s manufacturer, deemed it impossible to accomplish. Pesce persisted and came up with a new procedure, demonstrating not only the designer’s key role in researching the nature and potential of new materials but also his vital importance in “doubting rules.” The Up chair and accompanying ottoman were born, and they were revolutionary in more ways than one.
In the early 1970s, Pesce began exploring one of his key concepts, the idea of the industrial originals. Employing a mold without air holes, and adding a blood-red dye to the polyurethane, he cast a bookcase that resembled a demolished wall, the rough edges of the shelves and posts resulting from fissures in the material made by trapped air.
Through his research into polyurethane, Pesce figured out a way to make a loveseat and armchair using only a simple wood frame and strong canvas covering as a mold. Since the fabric developed random folds during the injection process, the pieces were similar but not identical. Cassina named the suite of furnishings Sit Down and introduced it in 1975. By experimenting with felt soaked in polyurethane and resin, Pesce conceived I Feltri, another collection of armchairs introduced by Cassina in 1987.
Pesce went on to live a life that defied expectation and convention and along the way became one of the most seminal figures in art and design.
Find vintage Gaetano Pesce chairs, sofas, vases and more 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.