Kayser 965

Fredrik A. Kayser’s light, graceful, ultra-functional chairs, credenzas and dining room tables made him one of the foremost Scandinavian modern creators of his time. An apprentice-level carpenter by trade, he had his first design mass-produced at the young age of 15, foreshadowing a glorious future in the furniture industry.

Rastad & Relling, in Oslo, gave Kayser his start in furniture design straight out of the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry (now the Oslo National Academy of the Arts) in 1945. After a failed attempt to open his own factory, the young but determined designer returned to his former employer and stayed until 1956, when he successfully exited to launch a design studio. He offered freelance design services, created pieces for furnituremaker Viken Møbelfabrikk and collaborated with Knut Sæter, of armchair manufacturer Vatne Lenestolfabrikk.

Kayser and Sæter’s furniture was efficiently made to be packed flat, shipped and assembled at its destination. Introducing this innovative design to the world at the export fair in Helsingør in 1958, the pair found it well received. The partnership between Kayser and Sæter lasted until Kayser’s untimely death a decade later.

Kayser’s mid-century modern pieces won accolades. In 1960, the iconic, streamlined Model 711 series won first prize in the Industry Council for Furniture and Furnishing Industry’s chair competition. And the Model 108 easy chair, created in 1965, won the Award for Design Excellence in 1968 and found fame at the Collection Price Furniture Fair in Oslo in 1983. Many of his pieces are still in production today, including rosewood and teak easy chairs and high-backed lounge chairs.

Find vintage Fredrik A. Kayser seating, tables and case pieces on 1stDibs.

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.