$12,000 / item
Pair of Willy Guhl Pod Chairs
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gorgeous pair of Willy Guhl Pod Chairs with patina. By the mid-20th century, Willy Guhl helped redefine industrial design with a language that still resonates today.
Concrete
$8,800 / item
Willy Guhl Pod Chair
By Willy Guhl
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Rare pod chairs by Willy Guhl Great sculptural form with patina'd concrete Sold separately - matching pair available
Cement
$5,565 / item
Willy Guhl Pod Chair, Concrete, 1960s, Swiss
By Willy Guhl
Located in Corby, GB
Concrete 'Pod' chairs designed by Willy Guhl for Eternit, 1960s.
Concrete
Willy Guhl and Robert Pansart Red Pod Chair in Cement, 1969
By Robert Pansart, Willy Guhl
Located in Santa Gertrudis, Baleares
Extremely rare iconic pod chair attributed to Willy Guhl, Many experts agree that this Pod Chair is actually the work of Robert Pansart, better known for his mirrors than for this ma...
Cement
Willy Guhl Concrete Pod Chair, 1960s Switzerland
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Willy Guhl concrete pod chair, hand made in Switzerland in the 1960s.
Cement
Willy Guhl Concrete Pod Chair, 1960s Switzerland
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning concrete pod chair designed by Swiss Architect Willy Guhl.
Cement
Rare Willy Guhl Concrete Pod Chair
By Willy Guhl
Located in New York, NY
Extremely rare iconic pod chair designed by Willy Guhl. The painted concrete chair, with cut-out handles on each side for ease of movement, can be used indoors or outdoors.
Concrete
Willy Guhl "Pod" Chair
By Willy Guhl
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Cement Willy Guhl "pod" chairs in fantastic patina of yellow, blue or red.
Cement
Vintage Willy Guhl Pod Chairs, a Pair
By Willy Guhl
Located in Wichita, KS
A beautiful pair concrete pod chairs by Swiss Architect Willy Guhl. Made for Eternit in the 1960s.
Concrete
Cement Pod Chairs by Willy Guhl
By Willy Guhl
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Rare set of two cement pod chairs by Willy Guhl. Great sculptural form.
Cement
Cement Pod Chair by Willy Guhl
By Willy Guhl
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Rare pod chair by Willy Guhl Great sculptural form with white concrete Sold separately - matching pair available
Cement
Cement Pod Chairs by Willy Guhl
By Willy Guhl
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Rare set of two cement pod chairs by Willy Guhl. Great sculptural form with wonderful wear and patina.
Cement
Cement Pod Chairs by Willy Guhl
By Willy Guhl
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Rare set of two cement pod chairs by Willy Guhl. Great sculptural form with wonderful wear and patina to original paint.
Cement
Willy Guhl Concrete Pod Chair
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning concrete pod chair designed by Swiss Architect Willy Guhl.
Cement
Pair of Willy Guhl Concrete Pod Chairs
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fantastic pair of sculptural concrete pod chairs by Swiss Architect Willy Guhl. Made for Eternit in the 1960s.
Cement
Willy Guhl Concrete Pod Chair, 1960s Switzerland
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning concrete pod chair designed by Swiss Architect Willy Guhl.
Cement
Willy Guhl Concrete Pod Chair, 1960s Switzerland
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning concrete pod chair designed by Swiss Architect Willy Guhl.
Cement
Willy Guhl Concrete Pod Chairs, 1960s Switzerland
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning pair of concrete pod chairs designed by Swiss Architect Willy Guhl.
Cement
Set of 3 Willy Guhl Concrete Pod Chairs
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning set of three concrete pod chairs designed by Swiss Architect Willy Guhl.
Cement
Set of 2 Willy Guhl Concrete Pod Chairs
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning set of two concrete pod chairs designed by Swiss Architect Willy Guhl.
Cement
Set of 2 Willy Guhl Concrete Pod Chairs
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning set of two concrete pod chairs designed by Swiss Architect Willy Guhl.
Cement
Rare Pair of Concrete Pod Chairs by Willy Guhl, Switzerland, circa 1960
Located in Nashville, TN
Rare pair of concrete pod chairs by Willy Guhl, Switzerland, circa 1960.
Concrete
Rare Pair of Willy Guhl Concrete Pod Chairs
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Amazing pair of concrete chairs by Swiss Architect Willy Guhl. Made for Eternit in the 1960s. Amazing patina and condition. Perfect indoors or outside!
Cement
Rare Set of 6 Willy Guhl Concrete Pod Chairs
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Amazing set of six concrete chairs by Swiss Architect Willy Guhl. Made for Eternit in the 1960s. This is a very rare set of chairs that seldom become available for sale, especially i...
Cement
WILLY GUHL CONCRETE OUTDOOR "POD" CHAIRS
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Willy Guhl designed outdoor chairs with interesting oviform seats supported by conical shaped base . Side handles for easy moving .
Willy Guhl Pod Chairs 'Set'
By Willy Guhl
Located in Bloomfield Hills, MI
As of the mid-20th century, the work of Willy Guhl was a revolutionary feat of industry and design with a distinct style that transcends decades. True to form and function, Guhl work...
Composition
Cement Pod Chairs by Willy Guhl
By Willy Guhl
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Rare set of two cement pod chairs by Willy Guhl. Great sculptural form.
Cement
Willy Guhl Concrete Pod Chair
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Single concrete pod or mushroom chair by Swiss Architect Willy Guhl.
Cement
Cement Pod Chair by Willy Guhl, circa 1960
Located in Culver City, CA
His pod chair was duplicated and trends were built upon his ideas for years, but when an appreciator of rare design comes across a Willy Guhl pod chair in person, one can't help but ...
$28,591 / set
H 29.93 in W 25.6 in D 25.6 in
Very Rare Pair of Leather and steel Lounge Chairs by Paul Geoffroy for Uginox
By Paul Geoffroy, Uginox
Located in Echt, NL
Iconic pair of lounge chairs in excellent condition. Deigned by Paul Geoffroy and manufactured by Uginox in the 1970s in France. Striking design composed of curved stainless steel ...
Steel, Stainless Steel
$1,906 / set
H 21.66 in W 24.02 in D 35.83 in
Pair of Italian Mid-Century-Modern Lounge Chairs in Ochre Boucle, 1970s Italy
Located in Zagreb, HR
Pair of Vintage Italian Mid-Century Modern lounge chairs or club chairs. Modules can be used as a modular sofa or modular seating set. Beautiful and unique shape. A 1970 design and p...
Bouclé, Foam, Wood
$1,650 / item
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 Los Angeles, 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
$7,028 / set
H 24.01 in Dm 13.78 in
Pair of Constant Night Stands in Iroko Wood by Master Studio for Lemon
By Lemon
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Neatly proportioned with exceptional detailing, the constant nightstand is your perfect bedside partner. In our furniture making, the IDEA is to create special pieces that you can bu...
Hardwood
$4,900 / item
H 34 in W 86 in D 42 in
Custom Made Modern English Arm Sofa in Performance Linen Velvet - 86"
By Bloom Home Inc
Located in Old Town Orange, CA
This beautiful english arm sofa has a modern twist, with its single bench cushion, and beautiful curved apron sides. It’s upholstered in a Linen Velvet Performance fabric. Shown in...
Linen, Velvet
$2,860 / item
H 29.93 in W 23.63 in D 23.63 in
Ethnic Straw Armchair by +55design Brazilian Design with Indigenous Craft
By Neca Abrantes
Located in Jardim America, SP
This rotating armchair by Neca Abrantes is a striking fusion of contemporary Brazilian design and indigenous handcrafted traditions. Known for her deep passion for native craftsmansh...
Straw
$1,900 / item
H 14 in W 9 in D 9 in
CADEN Small Ceramic Dome Table Lamp, Highly Textured Black Glaze, Kalin Asenov
By Kalin Asenov
Located in Savannah, GA
Obsidian Reef A deeply textured black lava glaze, reminiscent of coral and natural stone, with captivating shades that come alive when illuminated In Kalin Asenov's studio locat...
Ceramic
$26,804 / set
H 6.7 in W 37.41 in D 37.41 in
Mah Jong sofa in ‘Kenzo Takada’ fabric by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois France
By Roche Bobois
Located in Buggenhout, Oost-Vlaanderen
Very nice Mah Jong modular sofa with the original and colorfull ‘Kenzo Takada’ fabric! Designed by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois France. In the 1970s Hans Hopfer created the Mah Jong...
Fabric
Willy Guhl Tilted Planters
By Willy Guhl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Tilted concrete "soup-cup" planters by Swiss Architect Willy Guhl. Great patina and coloring to each planter. Excellent vintage condition. Great planter and standalone sculpture for ...
Cement
Brazilian Modern Sofa, Percival Lafer 1960's
By Percival Lafer
Located in Uccle, BE
Sofa Mod. MP-13, 1960's Made by Lafer S. e Co, Sao Paulo Rosewood, chrome and faux leather H 70 x L219 x W80 x Seat Height 41Percival Lafer Mid-Century Brazilian sofa made of Walnut ...
Chrome
$8,904 / set
H 28.35 in W 35.44 in D 25.6 in
Rare Original Eva Chair by Giovanni Travasa, Italy, 1960s
Located in Lewes, East Sussex
A rare, original 1960s Eva Chair designed by Giovanni Travasa in 1965, and produced by Bonacina, Italy. This example from a now closed independent boutique in Torino in rare white ...
Fabric, Bamboo
$11,820 / item
H 33.47 in W 32.29 in D 32.29 in
Brutalist Black Leather Lounge Chair with Cast Brass Legs, Egg Designs
By Egg Designs
Located in Bothas Hill, KZN
A commanding interpretation of Brutalist design, this sculptural lounge chair explores weight, proportion, and material contrast through a distinctly contemporary lens. Its bold, arc...
Brass
$17,869
H 29.53 in W 94.49 in D 66.93 in
Bed of Le Bambole series designed by Mario Bellini for B&b Italia 1972
By Mario Bellini
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Bed of Le Bambole series designed by Mario Bellini for B&b Italia 1970, reupholster in cotton velvet and linen. Carefully restored in antique pink velvet and linen to ensure b...
Cotton, Linen, Velvet
$5,658 / set
H 23.63 in W 34.65 in D 31.5 in
Pair of Carlotta Lounge Chairs by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Cassina
Located in Aartselaar, BE
A striking pair of Italian lounge chairs designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, this early edition of the iconic Carlotta model, manufactured late 1960s/ early 1970s, embodie...
Wood, Fabric, Foam
$9,739
H 28.35 in W 48.04 in D 38.59 in
Early Mario Bellini Le Bambole Lounge Chair, Original Leather, C&B Italia, 1970s
By Mario Bellini, C&B Italia
Located in Lewes, East Sussex
A rare first edition Mario Bellini Le Bambole lounge chair, in its original wonderfully patinated leather, produced by C&B Italia, Italy, in the early 1970s. Fast shipping worldw...
Leather
Rectangle Willy Guhl Mirror
By Willy Guhl
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Rectangle Willy Guhl mirror with fantastic patina'd thick signature cement frame and new mirror 2 sizes available / multiple quantities.
Cement
Decades prior to the mass popularity of neo-industrial cement floors and furniture taking shape, there was Willy Guhl. The Swiss creative is considered one of the first “industrial” designers in his home country. He pioneered a rugged, organic style of modern furniture and decor — stylish planters, shapely seating and lots more — that remains widely coveted by many today.
Guhl was born in 1915 in Stein am Rhein and worked as a carpenter before beginning studies at the Zurich School of Applied Arts (known today as the Zurich University of the Arts), where he would go on to teach for nearly 40 years.
While Guhl is well-known for his range of provocative garden elements as well as his patio and outdoor furniture, today’s legion of mid-century modern enthusiasts are likely familiar with the designer’s iconic Loop chair (introduced in 1954). For this sculptural seat and other furnishings, Guhl tended toward industrial materials, which he bent and shaped into organic forms for a striking juxtaposition. Much of his work is crafted from either concrete or Eternit, a mixture of cement and asbestos developed by the Belgian company Etex, which, in the 1950s, commissioned Guhl and his students at the School of Applied Arts to conceive planters in the material. The resulting vessels — some hourglass-shaped, some in the form of handkerchiefs, all suitable for indoors or exteriors — remain some of Guhl’s most collectible pieces.
Guhl’s affiliation with the Swiss “neo-functional” movement centered on the idea of simplifying design without sacrificing form. According to Guhl, his mission was “achieving the most with the minimum of effort.”
In addition to his work as a designer, Guhl left his mark on subsequent creatives through his 39-year tenure at his alma mater, where he was instructor to the likes of Robert Haussmann, Kurt Thut and Bruno Rey. Modern-day shoppers at IKEA owe Guhl a debt of gratitude too. He was an early advocate of flat-pack furniture, championing its ability to make good design more widely accessible.
At its core, though, Guhl’s work was inherently human-centric: “At the center of my efforts, I put people and their living requirements,” he once said. “My products must be useful to people.” Guhl died in 2004 at the age of 89.
Find a range of vintage Willy Guhl furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
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.