Bombo Table

Born in Buenos Aires, Nestor Perkal lives and works in Paris. Although he trained as an architect, his work has always been oriented to design and interior architecture. In 1985, Perkal founded an international design gallery in Paris, l’Espace Nestor Perkal, where he was among the first in Europe to show and sell pieces from the “New International Design” movement: Memphis Milano, Mariscal and many others.

From 1987 to 1994, Perkal was the artistic director of Algorithme — a goldsmith — where he invited many designers to work on edition projects that were highly successful in France and abroad. As a designer, Perkal has collaborated with Drimmer, Lou Fagotin, Artcodif, Veronese, etc. At CIRVA (International Research Centre on Glass and Plastic Arts), he created the Miroirs collection between 1994 and 1996.

As an interior architect, Perkal has furnished the café of the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris, different areas for Cartier and the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art, as well as many private apartments and houses. He has been the curator and scenographer of exhibitions held at the Cartier Foundation (La vie en Roses, 1998), at the Galerie Chez Valentin, Paris (“chez Valentin 2000”), at the Passage de Retz (Paris, 2000), at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Rochechouart and the Grand Hornu in Belgium for the exhibition Désirs d’Objets (2003–04) and the Museum des Arts Décoratifs, Paris for the exhibition "Editer le design" (2006) and 100% Finlandia (2008). Perkal has been the director of the Research Centre on the Arts of Fire and Earth (CRAFT) of Limoges (1993–2009), developing strong and lively projects aimed at creating an experimental and artistic connection between industrialists and designers, architects and artists.

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.