What is a mid-century chair?

A mid-century chair is a piece of seating furniture that was designed at any point during the middle of the 20th century. Mid-century modern furniture is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living. The mid-century period provided an excellent opportunity to experiment with both functional and decorative forms. Mid-century modern chairs were made with a variety of natural and synthetic materials, combining leather, wood, and cane with chrome, steel, and plastic. Shop a range of vintage mid-century chairs on 1stDibs today.

How can you tell if a chair is mid century?

To tell if a chair is mid-century, look for labels and markings that indicate its maker. Then, use trusted online resources to determine when the company was active. A certified appraiser or experienced antiques dealer can be of assistance when dating chairs. Iconic mid-century modern furniture designers include Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, Milo Baughman, Florence Knoll, Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi. Find a variety of mid-century modern chairs on 1stDibs.

Are Wassily chairs mid-century modern?

Yes, Wassily chairs are indeed considered mid-century modern. Although the chair was initially designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925, it was re-released in the 1960s. Shop a collection of mid-century modern goods from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.

What is an iconic chair from the mid-century modern era?

Some iconic chairs from the mid-century modern era include the Egg chair by Arne Jacobson, the La Chaise by Charles and Ray Eames and the Womb chair by Eero Saarinen. With their clean lines, organic shapes and simple details, these chairs reflect some of the key features of the style. Shop a variety of mid-century modern chairs on 1stDibs.

Century Chair Co

Heywood Wakefield Chairs

Kroehler Chair

United Chair Company

Kroehler Furniture

Prie Dieu Or Prayer Chair

Liberty Chair England

Kroehler Mid Century

Arabian Or Moorish Chairs

Century Chair Co. Mahogany Chippendale Style Bench Loveseat Settee

$1,200

H 40 in W 42 in D 22 in

Century Chair Co. Mahogany Chippendale Style Bench Loveseat Settee

By Century Furniture

Located in Long Branch, NJ

Century Chair Co. Mahogany Chippendale Style Bench Loveseat Settee Dimensions : 42" Wide X 22" Deep X 40" Tall This settee was made by Century Chair co in the Chippendale style and...

Category

1990s American Chippendale Loveseats

Materials

Mahogany

Mid-century Modern Shovel Chairs by Lee Woodard

By Woodard Furniture Co.

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Combining wrought iron frames with sculpted wood seats and backs. Uncommon black finish go well with the sturdy black frames for a sleek modern look. Lee Woodard gives attention to d...

Materials

Cowhide, Wool, Upholstery, Wood

$750

H 32 in W 21 in D 21 in

Industrial Adjustable Drafting Task Chair By Toledo Metal Furniture Co.

By Toledo Metal Furniture Co.

Located in Brooklyn, NY

This industrial, drafting office task chair is by Toledo Metal Furniture Co. circa the 1960s. This task chair features the iconic painted steel Toledo star base that is height adjust...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Industrial Office Chairs and Desk Chairs

Materials

Unavailable

H 32 in W 20.5 in D 22 in

Pair of Royalchrome Z Chairs by Gilbert Rohde for Royal Metal Co.

By Gilbert Rohde

Located in Hudson, NY

a pair of Royalchrome Z Chairs by Gilbert Rohde for Royal Metal Co.

Materials

Fabric, Lucite

Unavailable

H 27.56 in W 37.41 in D 37.41 in

1970s Rino Maturi ‘’Nuvolone’’ Lounge Chairs

Located in Madrid, ES

Pair of ‘’Nuvolone’’ Lounge chairs in black bouclé upholstery designed by Rino Maturi for Mimo Leone & Co. Italy, 1970’s. Fully renewed upholstery, plastic base shows little damages ...

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Bouclé, Plastic

Lucca & Co., Made to Order Spoleto Sofa

Located in New York, NY

80%down / 20% feather Channeled cushions Textile additional. Available upholstered.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chairs

Heywood-Wakefield Swivel Lounge Chair with Ottoman

Unavailable

H 40 in W 30 in D 30 in

Heywood-Wakefield Swivel Lounge Chair with Ottoman

By Heywood-Wakefield Co.

Located in Fair Oaks, CA

Vintage Haywood swivel lounge chair with ottoman. The chair has had a complete redo. The straps are new. We used a recycled leather that is a smoky black. So it isn't completely blac...

Category

Vintage 1960s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Club Chairs

Pair of Teak Side Chairs with Caned Seats Attributed to Heal & Co.

Unavailable

H 38.13 in W 19 in D 17.5 in

Pair of Teak Side Chairs with Caned Seats Attributed to Heal & Co.

By Heal's

Located in Southampton, NY

Pair of Teak with caned seat Side Chairs Similar to "Chartwell" design, lattice back with columnar support legs. Design attributed to Heal & Co., English, circa 1920. Please also s...

Category

Early 20th Century British Arts and Crafts Side Chairs

Materials

Teak

Pair of Vintage Lucite Chairs with Table by Hill

Unavailable

H 35 in W 17 in D 21 in

Pair of Vintage Lucite Chairs with Table by Hill

By Hill Manufacturing

Located in Lambertville, NJ

Matching pair of Lucite swivel chairs on pedestal base accompanied by matching table, all from Hill Mfg. Co. Chairs retain original white vinyl in good condition. Swivel works smooth...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs

1950s Solid Cherrywood Heywood Wakefield Split Back Chairs

Unavailable

Unavailable

H 37 in W 29 in D 19 in

Pair of Haywood Wakefield Chairs and One Ottoman

By Heywood-Wakefield Co.

Located in Bedford, NY

Haywood Wakefield camel color leather chairs and ottoman. Stainless steel swivel bases, Oak wood molded wood shell frames. Assume Knoll manufactured but no label. Ottoman - 24" w...

Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Cotton, Linen, Wood, Down

Maurice Dufrêne for La Maitrise art deco tapestry 1922

$40,956

H 60.24 in W 90.95 in D 0.4 in

Maurice Dufrêne for La Maitrise art deco tapestry 1922

By Maurice Dufrêne, La Maitrise

Located in Paris, IDF

Maurice Dufrene designed this tapestry for the studio La Maitrise, Les Galeries Lafayette, in Paris in 1922, just as he became the director of the studio. Crafted from handspun wool,...

Category

Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Tapestries

Materials

Wool

$1,195

H 38.5 in W 32.5 in D 32 in

Fine Antique Louis XV Style Upholstered Bergere

Located in Bridgeport, CT

A fine Louis XV style upholstered bergere with deep seating and carved fruitwood frame, floral cresting rail and resting upon carved cabriole legs. The chair is upholstered in a patt...

Category

Antique 19th Century Louis XV Bergere Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Alma Linen Slip Covered Club Chair with White Oak Legs and Caster Wheels

$1,990 / item

$2,800 / set

H 29 in W 26 in D 31 in

Pair of Black Lacquer Brass Hardware Horse Shoe Barrel Back Lounge Chairs

By Hickory Chair Furniture Company, Baker Furniture Company

Located in Rockaway, NJ

Pair of nice black lacquer horse shoe shape Mid-Century Modern lounge chairs.

Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Brass

Custom Made White Linen English Arm Rolled Back Sofa with Casters

$6,890 / item

H 33 in W 84 in D 38 in

Custom Made White Linen English Arm Rolled Back Sofa with Casters

Located in Old Town Orange, CA

White linen English arm rolled back sofa with casters. Custom made to order, upholstered in a heavy weight Belgian linen, with down feather seats. Very comfortable to sit in, with ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Sofas

Materials

Linen

Asia Modern Chinese Horseshoe Style Lounge Chair by Century Furniture after Mont

$1,000

H 30.5 in W 29.5 in D 22 in

Asia Modern Chinese Horseshoe Style Lounge Chair by Century Furniture after Mont

By James Mont, Century Furniture

Located in New York, NY

Voguish, chic, and sophisticated horseshoe style, Chinese influence lounge chair, attributed to the Century Furniture Co. in the style of James Mont. The chair features a solid oak...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Oak

Get Updated with New Arrivals

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Century Chair Co For Sale on 1stDibs

Find many varieties of an authentic century chair co available at 1stDibs. A century chair co — often made from wood, fabric and metal — can elevate any home. If you’re shopping for a century chair co, we have 1060 options in-stock, while there are 1 modern editions to choose from as well. Your living room may not be complete without a century chair co — find older editions for sale from the 19th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 21st Century. A century chair co, designed in the Mid-Century Modern, Victorian or Art Deco style, is generally a popular piece of furniture. You’ll likely find more than one century chair co that is appealing in its simplicity, but Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings and Woodard Furniture Co. produced versions that are worth a look.

How Much is a Century Chair Co?

The average selling price for a century chair co at 1stDibs is $2,520, while they’re typically $150 on the low end and $49,657 for the highest priced.

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.

How Top Designers Are Using Mid-Century Chairs in Today’s Interiors

Modern icons are showing up in gracefully layered dining nooks, living rooms and lounges — proof that great design only gets better with context.

All the Furniture in This Organic Modern Soho Loft Can Be Yours

Andrianna Shamaris has filled her epic new home with pieces of her own design.

20 Inviting Dining Rooms Perfectly Arranged for Entertaining

Top interior designers show — and tell — us how to create delectable spaces for hosting dinner parties.

Nobody Puts This Sunny Sofa in a Corner

With its plush cushions, cane details and dazzlingly colorful back, it’s inviting from every angle.

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.

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.