Flapps Folding Chair
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Stainless Steel
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Stainless Steel
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s German Modern Chairs
Plywood
People Also Browsed
2010s Brazilian Modern Chairs
Textile, Cane, Wood, Hardwood
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Rosewood, Leather
Vintage 1960s Japanese Showa Chairs
Beech
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Chairs
Brass
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Shelves
Aluminum
Vintage 1980s Italian Art Nouveau Side Chairs
Velvet, Wood
Early 20th Century Asian Side Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1970s Japanese Showa Chairs
Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Ash, Plywood
Vintage 1970s European Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Vintage 1950s Italian Chairs
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Chairs
Brass
Early 20th Century French Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1940s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Shelves
Metal
Flapps Folding Chair For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Flapps Folding Chair?
A Close Look at modern Furniture
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”
Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.
Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.
It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.
Finding the Right chairs for You
Chairs are an indispensable component of your home and office. Can you imagine your life without the vintage, new or antique chairs you love?
With the exception of rocking chairs, the majority of the seating in our homes today — Windsor chairs, chaise longues, wingback chairs — originated in either England or France. Art Nouveau chairs, the style of which also originated in those regions, embraced the inherent magnificence of the natural world with decorative flourishes and refined designs that blended both curved and geometric contour lines. While craftsmanship and styles have evolved in the past century, chairs have had a singular significance in our lives, no matter what your favorite chair looks like.
“The chair is the piece of furniture that is closest to human beings,” said Hans Wegner. The revered Danish cabinetmaker and furniture designer was prolific, having designed nearly 500 chairs over the course of his lifetime. His beloved designs include the Wishbone chair, the wingback Papa Bear chair and many more.
Other designers of Scandinavian modernist chairs introduced new dynamics to this staple with sculptural flowing lines, curvaceous shapes and efficient functionality. The Paimio armchair, Swan chair and Panton chair are vintage works of Finnish and Danish seating that left an indelible mark on the history of good furniture design.
“What works good is better than what looks good, because what works good lasts,” said Ray Eames.
Visionary polymaths Ray and Charles Eames experimented with bent plywood and fiberglass with the goal of producing affordable furniture for a mass market. Like other celebrated mid-century modern furniture designers of elegant low-profile furnishings — among them Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Finn Juhl — the Eameses considered ergonomic support, durability and cost, all of which should be top of mind when shopping for the perfect chair. The mid-century years yielded many popular chairs.
The Eameses introduced numerous icons for manufacturer Herman Miller, such as the Eames lounge chair and ottoman, molded plywood dining chairs the DCM and DCW (which can be artfully mismatched around your dining table) and a wealth of other treasured pieces for the home and office.
A good chair anchors us to a place and can become an object of timeless appeal. Take a seat and browse the rich variety of vintage, new and antique chairs on 1stDibs today.
- Who invented the folding chair?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2023Nathaniel Alexander invented the folding chair in 1911. During the 1950s, demand for the chairs skyrocketed with furniture makers like the Fredric Arnold Company in Brooklyn, New York, producing thousands every day. Find a variety of folding chairs on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertAugust 17, 2021The most comfortable folding chair is really a matter of preference. When shopping for folding chairs, you’ll want to think about how you’ll use them, how often you’ll be using them and if you have a preference with respect to materials. Shop antique, vintage and new folding chairs on 1stDibs.
- Who designed the folding chair?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 22, 2024Opinions vary on who designed the folding chair. Chairs designed to fold have existed since the ancient world, with examples found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. Some people argue that the original designer of the modern-day folding chair was John Cram, who patented an idea for a folding chair in 1855. However, others believe that Philip E.G. Harrison should get the credit because his 1931 design more closely resembles the modern-day folding chair. Nathaniel Alexander also contributed to the development of the folding chair with his 1911 chair that included a book rest, as did Frederic Arnold, who created the first folding aluminum chair in 1947. Shop a selection of folding chairs on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 16, 2024Chairs that fold up are usually called folding chairs. However, people may refer to them as collapsible chairs as well. Other names for folding chairs designed for outdoor use include deck chairs, beach chairs, lawn chairs, camping chairs and patio chairs. Shop a collection of folding chairs on 1stDibs.
- Do butterfly chairs fold up?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Whether or not a butterfly chair will fold will depend on the make and model. The butterfly chair was originally designed with metal hairpin legs without hinges or joints. Collector versions of the butterfly chair will not be foldable, however, foldable designs are a popular silhouette for recreational seating.
Read More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Eileen Gray’s Famed Cliffside Villa in the South of France Is Returned to Its Modernist Glory
After years of diligent restoration, E-1027, the designer-cum-architect’s marriage of romance and modernism, is finally complete.
See How New York City Designers Experiment on Their Own Homes
There are many lessons to be learned from the lofts, apartments and townhouses of architects and decorators in Manhattan and beyond.
Why Drew McGukin’s Colorful Home Differs from Those of His Clients
The New York–based designer has a high-impact style that's all his own, as his loft in the Chelsea Flower District makes abundantly clear.
Jeff Andrews Captures Old Hollywood Glamour in His Cinematic Spaces
Having created extravagant homes for reality TV’s biggest stars, the designer is stepping into the spotlight with his first book.
New Orleans’ Lee Ledbetter Makes Design Magic by Mixing Past and Present
The Louisiana-born and -bred architect talks to 1stdibs about the art of making timeless places that matter.
How a Modernist Hamptons Home on the Water Became the Ideal Weekend Refuge
Damon Liss and Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects collaborated on this serene getaway for a minimalism-minded Manhattan family of four.
Desert Modern Designer Arthur Elrod Finally Gets His Day in the Sun
The Palm Springs interior decorator developed a mid-century style that defined the vacation homes of celebrities and other notables, including Bob Hope and Lucille Ball.