$3,335 / item
Iconic Eero Aarnio Orange Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the Pastil chair out of polystyrene, which helped him to verify the measurements, ergonomics and rocking ability.
Fiberglass
$3,335 / item
Iconic Eero Aarnio Green Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the Pastil chair out of polystyrene, which helped him to verify the measurements, ergonomics and rocking ability.
Fiberglass
$3,571 / item
Iconic Eero Aarnio Pink Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the Pastil chair out of polystyrene, which helped him to verify the measurements, ergonomics and rocking ability.
Fiberglass
$3,335 / item
Iconic Eero Aarnio Yellow Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the Pastil chair out of polystyrene, which helped him to verify the measurements, ergonomics and rocking ability.
Fiberglass
$3,335 / item
Iconic Eero Aarnio Black Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the Pastil chair out of polystyrene, which helped him to verify the measurements, ergonomics and rocking ability.
Fiberglass
$3,335 / item
Iconic Eero Aarnio Blue Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the Pastil chair out of polystyrene, which helped him to verify the measurements, ergonomics and rocking ability.
Fiberglass
$3,335 / item
Iconic Eero Aarnio White Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the Pastil chair out of polystyrene, which helped him to verify the measurements, ergonomics and rocking ability.
Fiberglass
Eero Aarnio 1st Series Pastil Chair Bright Orange 1967 by Asko Finland Pop Art
By Asko, Eero Aarnio
Located in Munster, NRW
Eero Aarnio - 1st series Pastil Chair in bright orange, 1967 by Asko, Finland.
Fiberglass
$3,117Sale Price / set|20% Off
A pair of Pastil chairs circa 1968
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
A pair of outside armchairs designed in the sixties by Eero aarnio
Fiberglass, Polystyrene
Set of 3 Prototype Fiberglass Chairs in the Style of Eero Aarnio, 1970s, Finland
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautiful set of 3 fiberglass chairs in the style of Eero Aarnio's Pastil chair.
Fiberglass
Eero Aarnio for Asko Chair Orange Fiberglass Pastil or 'Pastille', Finland, 1968
By Asko, Eero Aarnio
Located in Hausmannstätten, AT
One year after he had designed the Pastil Chair in 1968 Eero Aarnio received the American Industrial Award for this chair.
Fiberglass
Kantarelli Coffee Table by Eero Aarnio for Asko
By Eero Aarnio
Located in VENLO, NL
A famous design from 1967 often combined with Aarnio's 'Pastil' chairs. This bright green version has been professionally repainted and is in perfect condition.
Fiberglass
Mid-Century Modern White Acabus Bed, Eero Aarnio, Asko 1970s
By Eero Aarnio, Asko
Located in Helsinki, FI
Best known for his groundbreaking fiberglass creations of the 1960s—including the Ball Chair, Bubble Chair, and Pastil Chair—Aarnio challenged conventional furniture design through b...
Metal
$2,347 / item
Iconic Eero Aarnio Small Black Mushroom Stool
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
He mushroom is one of Eero’s oldest designs and in its fibreglass form is part of the same design family that includes the ball chair, Pastil and Tomato. It can be used as a stool or...
Fiberglass
$2,717 / item
Iconic Eero Aarnio Large White Mushroom Stool
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
He Mushroom is one of Eero’s oldest designs and in its fibreglass form is part of the same design family that includes the ball chair, Pastil and Tomato. It can be used as a stool or...
Fiberglass
$2,717 / item
Iconic Eero Aarnio Large Black Mushroom Stool
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Mushroom is one of Eero’s oldest designs and in its fibreglass form is part of the same design family that includes the Ball Chair, Pastil and Tomato. It can be used as a stool or a ...
Fiberglass
$2,347 / item
Iconic Eero Aarnio Small White Mushroom Stool
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Mushroom is one of Eero’s oldest designs and in its fibreglass form is part of the same design family that includes the Ball Chair, Pastil and Tomato. It can be used as a stool or a ...
Fiberglass
First Edition Pastil Easy Chair - Eero Aarnio
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Antwerpen, BE
An orange, early edition 'Pastil' easy chair, designed by Eero Aarnio in 1967.
Fiberglass
Tomato chair - ASKO - Eero Aarnio
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Antwerpen, BE
The Tomato chair was designed as an improvement for the Pastil chair, but specifically to be more stable on water.
Fiberglass
Eero Aarnio for Adelta "Copacabana" Table, Pedestal or Bench
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Denver, CO
Eero Aarnio Copacabana bench originally designed to go with the pastil chair, however now stands alone as a fabulous bench, table or pedestal.
Plastic
Unavailable
H 17.33 in W 27.56 in D 27.56 in
Space Age Kantarelli Coffee Table by Eero Aarnio for Asko
By Asko, Eero Aarnio
Located in BAARLO, LI
A famous design from 1967 often combined with Aarnio's 'Pastil' chairs. This bright green version is in perfect condition.
Fiberglass
Unavailable
H 21.26 in W 37.01 in D 37.01 in
Vintage Fiberglas Pastil Schaukelstuhl Von Eero Aarnio Für Asko Egg Chair, 1960
By Asko, Eero Aarnio
Located in Lübeck, DE
Finnischer Knall Orangener Pastille-Sessel aus Fiberglas von Eero Aarnio für Asko, 1967. Der Pastille-Sessel ist eher ein Kunstwerk als ein einfacher Sessel oder Schaukelstuhl. Er wu...
Plastic
Unavailable
H 200 in W 65 in D 110 in
Bar cabinet by Asko Export Nordic Finnish Wooden teak 2 parts Complete, 1960
By Asko
Located in Denia, ES
Asko’s most famous collaboration was with Finnish designer Eero Aarnio, who pushed the boundaries of furniture design with his molded fiberglass (and later polypropylene) chairs, suc...
Teak
Cabinet Teak 1960 Asko Export Finland
By Asko
Located in Denia, ES
Asko’s most famous collaboration was with Finnish designer Eero Aarnio, who pushed the boundaries of furniture design with his molded fiberglass (and later polypropylene) chairs, suc...
Teak
Cabinet Teak Nordic Design Asko Export Finland 1960
By Asko
Located in Denia, ES
Asko’s most famous collaboration was with Finnish designer Eero Aarnio, who pushed the boundaries of furniture design with his molded fiberglass (and later polypropylene) chairs, suc...
Teak
Coffee Table Asko Export Finland model "Bonanza"
By Esko Pajamies
Located in Denia, ES
Asko’s most famous collaboration was with Finnish designer Eero Aarnio, who pushed the boundaries of furniture design with his molded fiberglass (and later polypropylene) chairs, suc...
Beech
Asko Export Finland Commode Teak Parts of Set
By Asko
Located in Denia, ES
Asko’s most famous collaboration was with Finnish designer Eero Aarnio, who pushed the boundaries of furniture design with his molded fiberglass (and later polypropylene) chairs, suc...
Teak
Eero Aarnio Green Fiberglass Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Playful fiberglass chair by Finnish designer Eero Aarnio. Chair is meant to rock and swivel. Made for indoors and outdoors. Great color and Classic design. Good condition. Some crazi...
Fiberglass
Pair of Very Early Pastil Chairs by Eero Aarnio for Asko, 1967
By Eero Aarnio, Asko
Located in Munster, NRW
two early 'pastil' chairs designed by eero aarnio in 1967. molded fiberglass (reinforced polyester) currently in original condition with strong patina and scuffs to the bottom, but c...
Fiberglass
Green Vintage Tomato Chair by Eero Aarnio for Adelta Finland
By Adelta, Eero Aarnio
Located in Vienna, AT
It was true, the Pastil chair does float and it can carry a person across water, but it is not completely stable for this purpose.
Fiberglass
Pair MCM Red Polystyrene Original Pastil Rocking Chairs by Eero Aarnio for Asko
By Asko, Eero Aarnio
Located in Topeka, KS
He is best known for his iconic Ball Chair, Bubble Chair, Pastil, Pony, and Double Bubble.
Polystyrene
Iconic Eero Aarnio Ball Chair by Adelta
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Dronten, NL
The similar Bubble Chair was clear and suspended from above. Other innovative designs included his Pastil Chair (a beanbag-like molded armchair), and Tomato Chair (a seat molded betw...
Aluminum
Pair of Pastil Easy Chairs by Eero Aarnio for Asko
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Boom, Vlaams Gewest
Pair of first edition Pastil Easy chairs. Excellent for in or outdoor use.
Polyester
Eero Aarnio Red Pastil Fiberglass Chairs for Asko Set of Two
By Eero Aarnio, Asko
Located in Munich, DE
Molded fiberglass with recessed seat and original fantastic different red color gradient finish, unsigned. Pastil was often referred to as the "Gyro" chair as its rocking motion swiv...
Fiberglass
Eero Aarnio White Fiberglass Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Playful white fiberglass Pastil chair by Finnish designer Eero Aarnio. Chair is meant to rock and swivel.
Fiberglass
Eero Aarnio for Asko Green Gyro or Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in St. Louis, MO
Eero Aarnio for Asko Finland green fiberglass Gyro or Pastil chair in excellent condition. Scuffs to bottom.
Fiberglass
Sold
H 20.87 in W 36.23 in D 36.23 in
Irene Set of Six Order-Eero Aarnio Three Pastil Chairs & Three Pony for Air frei
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
ORDER for Irene: CONSISTS OF: 3 PONY AND 3 PASTILS PONY COLORS: GREEN, PINK AND ORANGE PASTILS: PINK, YELLOW AND GREEN FOR AIR FREIGHT Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the P...
Fiberglass, Fabric
Eero Aarnio White "Pastille" Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Dronten, NL
Designed in 1967, one year after he had designed the Pastil chair Eero Aarnio received the American Industrial award for this chair.
Fiberglass
Sold
H 17.33 in Dm 28.35 in
Orange Eero Aarnio 'Kantarelli' Fiberglass Side Table for Asko Oy, Finland, 1967
By Eero Aarnio, Asko
Located in Hausmannstätten, AT
One year after he had designed the Pastil Chair in 1968 Eero Aarnio received the American Industrial Award for this chair.
Fiberglass
Sold
H 28.75 in W 25.99 in D 18.9 in
Mid-Century Modern Polished Aluminium and Black Leather Executive Armchairs
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Weesp, NL
The similar Bubble Chair was clear and suspended from above. Other innovative designs included his Pastil Chair (a beanbag-like molded armchair), and Tomato Chair (a seat molded betw...
Aluminum
White Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A modern and ergonomic take on the rocking chair, this chair was once a winner of the International Industrial Design Award for its innovative form and superb functionality.
Fiberglass
1970s “Pastil” Chair by Eero Aarnio for Asko, Finland
By Eero Aarnio, Asko
Located in Wilnis, UT
A “Pastil” chair designed by Eero Aarnio, manufactured by Asko in Finland around 1970.
Plastic
Eero Aarnio "Pastil" Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A classic and iconic chair. Suitable for indoor or outdoor use. Also suitable for use in a pool. Designed for Adelta. This is an original example with light patina. In our NJ Gallery.
Fiberglass
The Pastil Chair by Eero Aarnio
Located in Pasadena, CA
Receiving the American Industrial Award for the creation of this chair, its shiny hue comes from the material fiberglass, which is also suitable for year-long outdoor/indoor use. Cap...
Plastic
Pair Of Eero Aarnio "pastil" Chairs
Located in Cathedral City, CA
Surprisingly comfortable and versatile.Use them indoors and outdoors,poolside or in your living room.
Pastil Chair by Eero Aarino for Adelta
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Denton, MD
After all, licorice is the most popular candy in Finland! Pastil was often referred to as the "Gyro" chair as its rocking motion swivels in 360 degrees.
Fiberglass, Polyester
Iconic Eero Aarnio Emerald Green Pony
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Pony is a friendly and characterful addition to any room, but as always, it was designed first and foremost to provide a comfortable seat. Pony has a moulded foam body, feet and ears...
Fabric, Foam
Eero Aarnio Pastille Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Eero Aarnio Pastllle Lounge Chair Originally designed in 1967 This example was manufactured by Adelta C. 2000 Original Neon Green Color There are 2 available, priced individually
Fiberglass
$1,500 / set
H 33 in W 22.4 in D 24.8 in
Pair of Roly Poly Armchairs in Pink with Cushions by Faye Toogood
By Driade, Faye Toogood
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Faye Toogood’s signature Roly-Poly furniture, known for its bold, comforting curves, takes on a new life in her latest partnership with Italian design brand Driade. This updated coll...
Plastic
$2,473
H 31.89 in W 32.29 in D 31.5 in
Calypso lounge chair in pink by Vittorio Introini for Saporiti Italy, 1970s
By Saporiti, Vittorio Introini
Located in amstelveen, NL
Original Vittorio Introini Calypso Lounge Chair, a timeless masterpiece designed in 1979 and manufactured by Saporiti in Italy. The chair features a waterfall-like leather dark pink ...
Leather
$1,146 / item
H 29.14 in W 23.63 in D 15.75 in
Mid Century Glossy Orange Cado Chair, Steen Østergaard, 1974
By Ostergaard Steen
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Polish production chairs from Plastics Factory 'Krywald' in Knurow have embossed signatures. They come from the 1970s. The author of this project is the Danish architect Steen Østerg...
Plastic
$3,186
H 15.75 in W 33.47 in D 37.41 in
White Eero Aarnio Iconic Pastilli 'Pastille' Chair, Fibreglass Asko, 1980s
By Asko, Eero Aarnio
Located in Helsinki, FI
Eero Aarnio's Pastilli chair is a colourful, playful and a genious design by one of the Finnish design giants of our times. With it's shiny colour it looks almost like a giant candy...
Fiberglass
Pierre Paulin, Orange Slice chair, Artifort, 1960
By Artifort, Pierre Paulin
Located in Uppsala, Uppsala
Model F437, or more famously nicknamed the Orange Slice, was designed by French designer Pierre Paulin for the Dutch manufacturer Artifort in the mid 20th century after he became acq...
Metal, Chrome
$2,510
H 32.29 in W 32.68 in D 31.5 in
Mid Century Orange Slice Chair by Pierre Paulin for Artifort, 1980s
By Pierre Paulin, Artifort
Located in Oud Beijerland, NL
The famous Artifort Orange slice chair by Pierre Paulin. Designed in the 60's and produced in the 80's. Cute and very comfortable chair. It has chrome metal legs. The structure is in...
Metal
$10,498 / item
H 47.25 in W 43.31 in D 38.19 in
Customizable Iconic Eero Aarnio Swivel Ball Lounge Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The ball chair was designed in 1963 and debuted at the Cologne Furniture Fair in 1966. The chair is one of the most famous and beloved classics of Finnish design and it was the inter...
Fabric, Fiberglass
Vitra Verner Panton S Junior Chair in Orange Plastic, 2009
By Vitra
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Amazing Vitra Verner Panton S Junior Chair, produced in 2009. This playful chair reinterpret one of the most iconic furniture designs of the 20th century. Originally conceived in the...
Plastic
$2,676
H 44.89 in W 30.32 in D 27.56 in
A Mid Century Design Yellow Egg Chair by Arne Jacobsen, Swivel Base
By Arne Jacobsen, Fritz Hansen
Located in Reading, Berkshire
Arne Jacobsen For Fritz Hansen Vibrant Yellow Egg Chair on Four Star Aluminium Base Swivels and Rotates No Makers Marks On Labels. Height to seat: 48cm Height to arms 64cm Base Dep...
Aluminum
$3,656 / set
H 27.96 in W 32.68 in D 31.5 in
Orange Slice Chair with Ottoman by Pierre Paulin for Artifort, 1980s
By Pierre Paulin, Artifort
Located in Oud Beijerland, NL
The famous Artifort Orange Slice Chair with Ottoman by Pierre Paulin, designed in the 60s. This original set is produced in the 80's. It is a cute and very comfortable chair. Both ...
Steel
$7,450 / item
H 27.56 in W 27.56 in D 29.53 in
Olivier Mourgue Iconic Djinn Chair Airborne 1963 Reupholstered in yelow Kvadrat
By Olivier Mourgue
Located in Santa Gertrudis, Baleares
The Djinn lounge chairs, designed by Olivier Mourgue (born 1939) for Airborne in 1963, are one of those very few quintessential and emblematic early space age designs which - much li...
Steel
$1,470Sale Price|30% Off
H 30.32 in W 25.2 in D 21.66 in
Artifort Pink Swivel Little Tulip Armchair by Pierre Paulin by Stock
By Pierre Paulin
Located in New York, NY
Artifort Lana (AA) 541 Pink Disk aluminium polished, tube in chrome With felt ring at the bottom Stain on the fabric.
Chrome
$1,719
H 29.14 in W 31.5 in D 31.5 in L 29.14 in
Orange Slice chair by Pierre Paulin for Artifort, 1980s
By Artifort, Pierre Paulin
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
A timeless 'Orange Slice' lounge chair which was designed in the 1960s by Pierre Paulin and produced eversince by Artifort. A beautiful, elegant design that stood the test of time....
Chrome
$1,719 / item
H 30.32 in W 17.72 in D 20.48 in
Mid Century Pink Kangaroo Chair Designed by Ernst Moeckl, Germany, 1968
By Ernst Moeckl
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
This model is called Z-chair. Designed in 1968 in the GDR by Ernst Moeckl and Siegfried Mehl, German Version of the Panton chair. Also called kangaroo chair or variopur chair. Produc...
Fiberglass
$2,750 / item
H 17.72 in Dm 14.97 in
Soda Blown Murano Glass High Coffee Table in Amber by Yiannis Ghikas
By Miniforms, Yiannis Ghikas
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Soda was born upside-down, with a puff of air. It weighs 20 kilos, and it is blown, drawn out and shaped by three master glassmakers. The result is a single volume of glass with thre...
Blown Glass
$6,304
H 14.18 in W 43.71 in D 11.82 in
Bench or Coffee Table Tormalina Model by Studio Superego, Italy
By Studio Superego
Located in Asti, Piemonte
A beautiful bench or coffee table in transparent plexiglass with color pink and with ten brass legs designed by Studio Superego for Superego Editions, in 2018. Biography: Superego ...
Brass
$1,719 / item
H 32.29 in W 18.12 in D 9.06 in
Murano Art Glass and Brass Pink Color Wall Light and Sconces, 2020
Located in Roma, Lazio
This charming wall lamp is entirely handmade in Murano. Each single leaf is handcrafted in high quality Murano blown glass; that's why each leaf is slightly different from the other....
Brass
$3,990 / item
H 15.75 in W 74.81 in D 29.14 in
Mustard Velvet Daybed with V-Shaped Beechwood Base, Model V
By Dusty Deco
Located in Los Angeles, CA
DD V daybed is an exclusive daybed made by hand in Bosnia and Herzegovina by skilled craftsmen with long experience in wood and upholstery. Both frame and the characteristic V-shaped...
Fabric, Beech, Velvet
$100,723Sale Price|20% Off
H 86.62 in W 157.49 in D 72.84 in
Wagen Bed in Fiberglass and Palisander Wood Veneer
Located in Paris, FR
Bed Wagen for children room. Made with fiberglass with outside with chrome-plated finishes. With palisander wood veneer inside and withseveral storage compartments for a bed, a tv, ...
Chrome
Iconic Eero Aarnio Orange Pony
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Pony is a friendly and characterful addition to any room, but as always, it was designed first and foremost to provide a comfortable seat. Pony has a moulded foam body, feet and ears...
Fabric, Foam
$1,238Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 17.72 in W 13.39 in D 8.67 in
Pink Quadriedri Table Lamp, Venini Style
By Venini
Located in Budapest, HU
Magnificent pair of table lamps, 24 pink quadriedri for each lamp. Elegant object of furniture. Period: Late 20th century Dimensions: 15 inches (38 cm) height, 10.50 inches (27 cm)...
Metal
Joe Columbo styled Space Age Targa Lounge Chair w/ Ottoman
By Joe Colombo
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A very sculptural Space Age Targa lounge chair with ottoman having green leatherette headrest and ottoman . Unique and very well crafted with smooth lines and is very comfortable , a...
Plastic
$5,731
H 26.78 in W 25.2 in D 29.14 in
Sculptural lounge ' Etcetera ' chair By Jan Ekselius Sweden 1970S
By Jan Ekselius
Located in Antwerpen, Antwerp
Swedish designer Jan Ekselius studied at the art academy in Stockholm and later at the Royal College of Art in London. He made his international breakthrough in the early 1970s with ...
Fabric
20th Century Italian Rococo Bird Cage, Hand-Painted Metal & Wood
Located in Queens, NY
Italian Venetian style (20th Cent) octagonal shaped painted and decorated metal and wood bird cage with 8 upholstered seat and back cushions around base. (Franco Zefferelli Collection)
Metal
$2,825
H 51 in W 37.75 in D 32 in
Futuristic Space-Age Mid-Century Modern Egg Lounge Chair by Lee Company
Located in Fulton, CA
Amazing formed fiberglass "Egg Chair" by Lee Company. Burbank, California. Circa. 1970's. Space-Age design with tulip base. Stereo speakers under fabric. Retains Lee label. Very good...
Fabric, Fiberglass
Lula Chair, Stripe Silk & Black Lacquer by Christian Siriano
By Christian Siriano
Located in New York, NY
Made to order silk and lacquer accent chair designed by Christian Siriano. Fabric: Black/grey stripe silk (available in custom fabric) Base: Black Lacquered Maple (available in cust...
Maple, Silk
Italian Rocking Chair Model 572 By Cassina
By Cassina
Located in London, GB
An incredible and very rare rocking chair (has been attributed to Gio Ponti in the past and shows a strong and striking resemblance to his designs) in walnut, rubber and fabric for C...
Steel
$10,577 / item
H 35.83 in W 64.97 in D 39.38 in
Hand Tailored Fringes 2-Seat Sofa in Antique Pink Velvet
By Munna Design Studio
Located in New York, NY
The handmade sofa draws on the signature Franjas fashion theme, ruffling the scene and inviting guests with its fun and flirtatious feel. Featuring three layers of fringes that run a...
Velvet, Wood, Silk, Trimming
$4,400Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 24.02 in W 28.35 in D 28.75 in
Super Rare 'Mecurio' Chairs by French Artist Claude Courtecuisse, Steiner, 1967
Located in bergen op zoom, NL
We are proud to offer a superb pair of extremely rare 'Mercurio' lounge chairs by the French artist, designer and sculptor Claude Courtecuisse. Both chars are signed with the 'Cat...
Aluminum
Vladimir Kagan Serpentine sofa Directional USA 1999
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
This sculptural lounge sofa, designed by the renowned Vladimir Kagan and produced by Directional in the United States in 1999, stands as an iconic piece of modern furniture design. K...
Chrome
“I always look ahead, never back,” Finnish design legend Eero Aarnio has been quoted as saying. A leading innovator of modern furniture design, Aarnio has long embraced a bold, playful, confident and colorful style several steps ahead of his time.
For his 1954 entrance test for the Institute of Industrial Arts in Helsinki, Aarnio created a whimsical painting of a man reading a newspaper in a red, curved chair whose silhouette foreshadowed Aarnio’s Ball chair of 1963. That spherical seat skyrocketed him to design fame, and decades later, it is still recognized as one of the world’s most futuristic designs.
Born in 1932 to a house painter and a seamstress, Aarnio has always had a cheerful disposition and an independent spirit. He went his own way early on: After just two years at Asko, the big Scandinavian furniture company that originally produced his Ball chair, Aarnio established his own studio in 1962.
Over the next decade, the young visionary made an indelible mark on the world. Open-minded and entrepreneurial, Aarnio embraced the aesthetics, materials and technologies of the Swinging Sixties, working with a new generation of plastics and molding them into fluid, organically shaped, brightly hued forms.
Introduced at the 1966 Cologne Furniture Fair, the pod-like fiberglass Ball chair soon adorned the homes of movie stars and royalty, graced magazine covers around the world and was featured in films and ads. The groundbreaking seat originally came in orange, white, black, yellow and red and could be ordered with a telephone installed in it. Yet this designer of the future, as he was known in the 1960s, has always insisted that he didn’t deliberately seek to be associated with the decade’s sci-fi aesthetic.
“I had no intention to create either pop or Space Age design — as many people label my work,” Aarnio declares in one of the essays included in Eero Aarnio — Designer of Colour and Joy, a book jointly created by the Design Museum and publisher WSOY to accompany 2016’s “Eero Aarnio” exhibition.
The show featured a number of Aarnio’s objects, including his iconic Ball, Pastil (1967), Bubble (1968), Tomato (1971) and Pony (1973) chairs. These were joined by lesser-known seating and other objects like the rattan Juttujakkara, or mushroom, stool (1960); the sculptural Double Bubble lamp (2000), with which Aarnio first explored the possibilities of rotation-cast plastic; and the three-legged Rocket (1995) and Baby Rocket (2006) stools, both parts of a collection produced by Artek after Tom Dixon, the company’s creative director from 2004 to 2009, discovered the original piece in Aarnio’s kitchen.
“Aarnio expanded the whole idea of what constitutes furniture,” explained Suvi Saloniemi, the Design Museum’s chief curator. “His significance as a designer is crystallized in the liberation of form that he has introduced by discovering the properties of plastic as the material of a designer. His furniture is sculpture-like and eye-catching, but the pieces are always utilitarian at the same time.”
Find an extraordinary range of vintage Eero Aarnio chairs, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Arguably the world’s most ubiquitous man-made material, plastic has impacted nearly every industry. In contemporary spaces, new and vintage plastic furniture is quite popular and its use pairs well with a range of design styles.
From the Italian lighting artisans at Fontana Arte to venturesome Scandinavian modernists such as Verner Panton, who created groundbreaking interiors as much as he did seating — see his revolutionary Panton chair — to contemporary multidisciplinary artists like Faye Toogood, furniture designers have been pushing the boundaries of plastic forever.
When The Graduate's Mr. McGuire proclaimed, “There’s a great future in plastics,” it was more than a laugh line. The iconic quote is an allusion both to society’s reliance on and its love affair with plastic. Before the material became an integral part of our lives — used in everything from clothing to storage to beauty and beyond — people relied on earthly elements for manufacturing, a process as time-consuming as it was costly.
Soon after American inventor John Wesley Hyatt created celluloid, which could mimic luxury products like tortoiseshell and ivory, production hit fever pitch, and the floodgates opened for others to explore plastic’s full potential. The material altered the history of design — mid-century modern legends Charles and Ray Eames, Joe Colombo and Eero Saarinen regularly experimented with plastics in the development of tables and chairs, and today plastic furnishings and decorative objects are seen as often indoors as they are outside.
Find vintage plastic lounge chairs, outdoor furniture, lighting and more 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.
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Now considered emblematic of 1960s mod aesthetics, the Finnish designer's famous creation was far from an overnight success.