“An object shall stand the wear of the eye!” proclaimed Swedish entrepreneur Sven Lundh (1925–2015), who took over operations at revered furniture company Källemo in 1971. For decades, the innovative brand has accomplished just that with a range of original and unconventional pieces that draw on — and regularly push the boundaries of — Scandinavian modern and postmodern design.

Based in Vänamo in southern Sweden, Källemo was originally established in 1947 before it was taken over by Lundh in 1971. Lundh’s vision for Källemo was to evolve the company and to create sustainable furniture that would be both functional and wholly sculptural. The interest in creating forward-looking seating, case pieces, tables and more that are as much furniture as they are art deepened for Lundh during the 1980s, when Swedish designers began to explore the ideas that underpin postmodernism in their work.

Lundh sought to secure long-term partnerships with modernist and postmodernist Swedish and European artists and designers such as Jonas Bohlin, the creator of the scandalous Concrete chair, which caught Lundh’s attention at Konstfack’s student exhibition in 1982. Bohlin’s minimalist armchair, featuring an angular steel frame and concrete seat and headrest, was meant to be presented as a sculpture, but it fit Lundh’s idea of “artistic furniture.” Källemo produced the Concrete chair as a limited-edition series, and it became one of the company’s best known pieces.

Over the years, Källemo has collaborated with Gustav Persson — designer of Källemo’s Bank bench — Mats Theselius, John Vedel-Rieper, Jens Harald Quistgaard, Gunnar Myrstrand and numerous other artists and designers to create its unique collection of furniture. In 1996, Lundh’s son Erik and daughter Karin took the helm at Källemo, which remains a family-owned firm. Today Källemo pieces are held in permanent museum collections throughout Sweden and Europe.

Find Källemo seating, tables, case pieces and storage cabinets on 1stDibs.

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.