What is the best leather for chairs?

The best leather for chairs is going to depend on your personal preference. While choosing the leather for a chair, try to think of what you want out of your chair. While pigmented leather is the most durable, aniline leather looks more natural and preserves the hide of the animal. Semi-aniline on the other hand is more durable than aniline leather and it maintains the natural look. On 1stDibs, you can find a wide variety of leather chairs.

Are leather chairs worth it?

Many people believe that leather chairs are worth it. Whether you're looking for accent chairs for a seating area, dining chairs to pair with your dining room table or an office chair to place at your desk, leather chairs can add to the overall visual appeal of a room, thanks to their texture. Leather is also fairly easy to wipe clean, and high-quality types, such as full-grain and top-grain leather, can stand the test of time. However, there are plenty of alternatives to leather upholstery available. Considering durability, comfort, appearance and maintenance requirements, as well as your budget, will help you select the right chair for any space. Explore a large collection of leather chairs on 1stDibs.

What is the best leather office chair?

A good office chair should be comfortable with a high back, armrests and cushioned seating. Many leather office chairs can be called the best by different people depending on what appeals to them. On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique and vintage leather office chairs.

Is leather good for dining chairs?

Whether leather is good for dining chairs is largely a matter of personal opinion. However, many people find leather to be easy to wipe clean and appreciate its texture and appearance. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of leather dining chairs.

Are leather dining chairs worth it?

Many furniture lovers feel that leather dining chairs are worth it. Due to its natural beauty, leather can elevate dining rooms and add interest to interior designs by bringing in a new texture. Leather is also fairly easy to wipe clean, and top-grain and full-grain upholstery often hold up well to the effects of frequent use. Keep in mind that other factors contribute to the overall quality of a chair, such as its frame materials and construction methods. On 1stDibs, shop a wide variety of leather dining chairs.

What is the best leather recliner chair?

The best leather recliner chair will really be a matter of preference — what kind of recliner do you need? Keep size in mind, especially if you’re working with a small space. You’ll want to prioritize comfort and durability, too. 1stDibs offers a variety of leather recliner chairs.

Postmodern Leather Chair

Italian Lacquer Dining Room Sets

Post Modern Chrome Chairs

80s Chair

Dining Chair Sets Black Metal

Playful Chair

Postmodern Armchair

$959

Vintage POSTMODERN Leather Club Chair by Paolo Piva

By Paolo Piva, Wittmann

Located in Oxnard, CA

Here is a fantastic postmodern 1980s leather chair by Paolo Piva for Wittman.

Category

Late 20th Century Austrian Post-Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather

$1,650

$1,167

Postmodern swivel chair, Cofemo

By Cofemo

Located in Neuss, NW

Rare postmodern swivel chair by Cofemo from the 1980s. High-quality red lacquered steel frame with plastic castors.

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs

Materials

Steel

$1,583 / set

Postmodern Beige Faux Leather Tongue Chairs by Cheers - A Pair

Located in Delray Beach, FL

Postmodern beige faux leather tongue chairs by Cheers, pair with sculptural cantilever form.

Category

Late 20th Century American Lounge Chairs

Materials

Faux Leather

Located in Beirut, LB

An exceptional piece of early 21st-century European seating, this authentic "Kola" lounge chair was designed by the acclaimed Italian duo Maurizio Manzoni and Roberto Tapinassi for t...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Post-Modern Club Chairs

Materials

Leather

Postmodern Leather Lounge Chairs in style of Etienne Fermigier, Switzerland 1978

$6,000 / item

Postmodern Leather Lounge Chairs in style of Etienne Fermigier, Switzerland 1978

By Etienne Fermigier

Located in Beograd, RS

In this listing you will find a pair of postmodern lounge chairs made in Etienne Fermigier style, featuring minimal profile and attractive curved aesthetic.

Category

Vintage 1970s Swiss Post-Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Steel

Vintage Postmodern Dining Chairs, 1980s

$1,053 / set

Vintage Postmodern Dining Chairs, 1980s

Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest

Italian metal postmodern dining chairs with black metal frames and black leather seats.

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Metal

Tito Agnoli x Calligaris Italian Postmodern Leather Dining Chairs, 1980s, Italy

$6,871 / set

$1,168Sale Price / item|42% Off

1980s Postmodern Mario Botta Latonda Chair for Alias (two available) -- 1 pc

By Mario Botta, Alias

Located in Basel, BS

RARE Black leather model, with silver frame. Chair "Latonda" Production: since 1990 (now out of production) Manufacturer: Alias SpA Sold Individually, Two available.

Category

1990s Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal

Postmodern Japanese EDO Chair by Kisho Kurokawa for PPM Corporation, 1980s

$3,550

Postmodern Japanese EDO Chair by Kisho Kurokawa for PPM Corporation, 1980s

By Kisho Kurokawa

Located in Bresso, Lombardy

This chair from the EDO series was designed by the Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa in the 1980s and was manufactured by PPM Corporation, Tokyo. The design concept of the EDO serie...

Category

Vintage 1980s Japanese Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Leather, Wood

Postmodern dining chairs, 1980s, Set of 4

$2,622 / set

Postmodern dining chairs, 1980s, Set of 4

Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest

Post modern dining chairs with black lacquered metal tubular frames, black leatehrette upholstery. Attractive, timeless design Good condition 1980s - Italy Dimensions: Height: ...

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Metal

Postmodern Kurt Thut Dietiker White + Black Chair, 80s--1 Piece (5 avail)

$911Sale Price / item|20% Off

Postmodern Kurt Thut Dietiker White + Black Chair, 80s--1 Piece (5 avail)

By Kurt Thut

Located in Basel, BS

Gorgeous pair of Postmodern Memphis 80s chairs by Kurt Thut for Dietiker.

Category

Vintage 1980s Swiss Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal

Postmodern Set of ten leather dining chairs by Antonello Mosca for Ycami. Italy

$5,130 / set

Postmodern Set of ten leather dining chairs by Antonello Mosca for Ycami. Italy

By Ycami Collection

Located in Catania, CT

Set of ten dining chairs designed by Antonello Mosca for Ycami, produced in Italy in the 1980s. Each chair features a distinctive sculptural silhouette with a tall, geometric backres...

Category

Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Leather

Recent Sales

Postmodern Black Leather Chair, 1980s

Unavailable

H 43 in W 20 in D 19 in

Postmodern Black Leather Chair, 1980s

Located in Philadelphia, PA

- 43"h, 20"w, 19"d, 17" (seat height), 21" (arm height) - Postmodern sculptural black leather dining chairs circa 1980s - Sold individually - Condition: Excellent

Category

Vintage 1980s Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Leather

Italian Postmodern Black Leather Dining Chair with "X" Shape, 1980s

Unavailable

H 38.59 in W 14.97 in D 15.36 in

Italian Postmodern Black Leather Dining Chair with "X" Shape, 1980s

Located in Budapest, HU

This chair features a postmodern design characterized by a metal frame and a leather seat.

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Metal

Exceptional Pair of 1980s Ronn Jaffe Postmodern Leather Lounge Chairs

Unavailable

H 32 in W 37 in D 33 in

Exceptional Pair of 1980s Ronn Jaffe Postmodern Leather Lounge Chairs

By Ronn Jaffe

Located in Washington, DC

Exceptional pair of blue-gray custom-made leather lounge chairs designed by Ronn Jaffe, circa 1985.

Sold

H 32.5 in W 31 in D 33 in

Postmodern Light Pink Leather Swivel Chair

Located in Delray Beach, FL

Step into the playful elegance of postmodern design with this Light Pink Leather Swivel Chair.

Category

Vintage 1980s American Swivel Chairs

Materials

Leather

Vintage Postmodern Mauve Leather Lounge Chair

Sold

Sold

Sold

Sold

H 33.47 in W 24.41 in D 19.69 in

Postmodern blue leather dining chairs italy, 1980s set of 8

Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest

Vintage vibrant blue leather dining chairs with armrests. High quality and sturdy stiched leather dining chairs with a timeless design. Good condition 1980s - Italy Dimensions: ...

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Leather

Sold

H 26.38 in W 23.63 in

Italian Postmodern Desk Chair Unknown, 1970s, Italy

Located in London, GB

A circular desk chair by an unknown designer. It has a padded seat and backrest upholstered in vinyl, supported by reflective aluminium disc base. It rotates 360 degrees in original ...

Category

20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Vintage Postmodern Tubular Chairs in the style of Arcadia Chairs by Paolo Piva

Sold

H 31.11 in W 18.9 in D 22.84 in

Vintage Postmodern Tubular Chairs in the style of Arcadia Chairs by Paolo Piva

By B&B Italia, Paolo Piva

Located in Zagreb, HR

Set of twelve postmodern tubular steel and red faux leather dining chairs, in the style of Arcadia by Paolo Piva for B&B Italia, 1980s Very quality vintage Italian production from t...

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Postmodern Highback Sculptural Waterfall Dining Chairs

Sold

H 44 in W 23 in D 25 in

Postmodern Highback Sculptural Waterfall Dining Chairs

Located in W Allenhurst, NJ

A fabulous set of six Postmodern dining chairs in natural taupe vinyl. Great waterfall design with high back. Each of these modern chairs has a waterfall design with soft rounded cor...

Category

20th Century Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Faux Leather

Set of 5 Vintage Postmodern Leather Armchairs by Arrben Italy

Sold

Sold

$10,307 / set

H 28.75 in W 35.04 in D 39.38 in

Pair of 2 Maralunga lounge chairs in leather by Magistretti for Cassina, 1973

By Vico Magistretti

Located in Arezzo, Italy

Set of 2 armchairs designed by Vico Magistretti for Cassina, 1973. Tubular steel frame structure, polyurethane, leather. Excellent condition, restored. The project won the Compasso ...

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Steel

H 26 in W 24 in D 36 in

Pair of Scandinavian Brown Leather and Curved Rosewood low lounge chairs

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Pair of Scandinavian Brown Patina Leather and Curved rosewood bentwood lounge chairs with brown leather tufted cushions with patina. Leather shows signs of use and worn in nicely. Ma...

Category

Vintage 1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Rosewood, Bentwood

1980s Vintage Sculptural Leather Jaymar Chairs - A Pair

$4,500 / set

H 29 in W 33 in D 27 in

1980s Vintage Sculptural Leather Jaymar Chairs - A Pair

By Jaymar

Located in Chicago, IL

First of all, chocolate brown is my FAVORITE color and these are some of my favorite vintage chairs. Jaymar, Quebec Cantilevered Tongue lounge chairs in the style of Louis Durot, Pie...

Category

Vintage 1980s Canadian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Leather

Pair of Vintage Cognac Leather P40 Chairs by Vegni & Gualtierotti for Fasem

$5,500 / set

H 29 in W 24.5 in D 18 in

Pair of Vintage Cognac Leather P40 Chairs by Vegni & Gualtierotti for Fasem

By Fasem International, Giancarlo Vegni & G. Gualtierotti

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Pair of vintage cognac leather P40 chairs by Giancarlo Vegni & Gianfranco Gualtierotti for Fasem. Original labels under the seats. The frame rolls the back into the arms in one uni...

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel, Chrome

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"Quebec 69" Postmodern Sculptural Lounge Chairs by Jaymar

$9,995 / set

H 37.5 in W 36 in D 30 in

"Quebec 69" Postmodern Sculptural Lounge Chairs by Jaymar

By Jaymar

Located in Dallas, TX

You won’t find another pair of these late eighties, jaw-dropping mind-blowers by Jaymar Furniture Quebec 69. Best known for, bold colors, new materials and fluid, seductive forms. St...

Category

Vintage 1980s Canadian Post-Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Velvet

H 18 in W 75 in D 40 in

Platea Green Horizon – Coffee Table in Hand-Polished High-Gloss Gradient Lacquer

Located in New York, NY

Platea Coffee Table Inspired by the layered beauty of natural plateaus and stepped land formations, the Platea Coffee Table embodies an architectural landscape in motion. Each block ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Wood, Lacquer

Afra & Tobia Scarpa "Monk" Dining Chair for Molteni, Cognac Leather, 1974

$3,250 / item

H 29.73 in W 20.28 in D 17.72 in

Afra & Tobia Scarpa "Monk" Dining Chair for Molteni, Cognac Leather, 1974

By Molteni & C, Afra & Tobia Scarpa

Located in Lonigo, Veneto

Afra & Tobia Scarpa "Monk" dining chair for Molteni, cognac leather and beech, Italy, 1974. The particular feature of this model is the support structure composed of two equal t...

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Leather, Beech

Post Modern Italian Leather Lounge Chairs in Butterscotch Carmel Leather c. 1980

$12,800 / set

H 33 in W 42 in D 40 in

Post Modern Italian Leather Lounge Chairs in Butterscotch Carmel Leather c. 1980

By Cassina, Mario Bellini, Sapporo, Mobil Girgi, Alberto Rosselli Saporiti

Located in Saint Louis, MO

If you want to live La Dolce Vita, do so in these incredibly stylish Italian Post Modern lounge chairs with surround oversized and overstuffed cushions in supple carmel leather. Desi...

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Upholstery, Wood

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Postmodern Leather Chair For Sale on 1stDibs

Choose from an assortment of styles, material and more with respect to the postmodern leather chair you’re looking for at 1stDibs. A postmodern leather chair — often made from animal skin, leather and metal — can elevate any home. You’ve searched high and low for the perfect postmodern leather chair — we have versions that date back to the 20th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century are available. A postmodern leather chair is a generally popular piece of furniture, but those created in Mid-Century Modern and Modern styles are sought with frequency. Many designers have produced at least one well-made postmodern leather chair over the years, but those crafted by Calligaris, Philippe Starck and Roche Bobois are often thought to be among the most beautiful.

How Much is a Postmodern Leather Chair?

A postmodern leather chair can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $2,400, while the lowest priced sells for $500 and the highest can go for as much as $12,500.

A Close Look at Post-modern Furniture

Postmodern design was a short-lived movement that manifested itself chiefly in Italy and the United States in the early 1980s. The characteristics of vintage postmodern furniture and other postmodern objects and decor for the home included loud-patterned, usually plastic surfaces; strange proportions, vibrant colors and weird angles; and a vague-at-best relationship between form and function.

ORIGINS OF POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

Emerges during the 1960s; popularity explodes during the ’80s
A reaction to prevailing conventions of modernism by mainly American architects
Architect Robert Venturi critiques modern architecture in his Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture (1966)
Theorist Charles Jencks, who championed architecture filled with allusions and cultural references, writes The Language of Post-Modern Architecture (1977)
Italian design collective the Memphis Group, also known as Memphis Milano, meets for the first time (1980)
Memphis collective debuts more than 50 objects and furnishings at Salone del Milano (1981)
Interest in style declines, minimalism gains steam

CHARACTERISTICS OF POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

Dizzying graphic patterns and an emphasis on loud, off-the-wall colors
Use of plastic and laminates, glass, metal and marble; lacquered and painted wood
Unconventional proportions and abundant ornamentation
Playful nods to Art Deco and Pop art

POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

VINTAGE POSTMODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

Critics derided postmodern design as a grandstanding bid for attention and nothing of consequence. Decades later, the fact that postmodernism still has the power to provoke thoughts, along with other reactions, proves they were not entirely correct.

Postmodern design began as an architectural critique. Starting in the 1960s, a small cadre of mainly American architects began to argue that modernism, once high-minded and even noble in its goals, had become stale, stagnant and blandly corporate. Later, in Milan, a cohort of creators led by Ettore Sottsass and Alessandro Mendini — a onetime mentor to Sottsass and a key figure in the Italian Radical movement — brought the discussion to bear on design.

Sottsass, an industrial designer, philosopher and provocateur, gathered a core group of young designers into a collective in 1980 they called Memphis. Members of the Memphis Group, which would come to include Martine Bedin, Michael Graves, Marco Zanini, Shiro Kuramata, Michele de Lucchi and Matteo Thun, saw design as a means of communication, and they wanted it to shout. That it did: The first Memphis collection appeared in 1981 in Milan and broke all the modernist taboos, embracing irony, kitsch, wild ornamentation and bad taste.

Memphis works remain icons of postmodernism: the Sottsass Casablanca bookcase, with its leopard-print plastic veneer; de Lucchi’s First chair, which has been described as having the look of an electronics component; Martine Bedin’s Super lamp: a pull-toy puppy on a power-cord leash. Even though it preceded the Memphis Group’s formal launch, Sottsass’s iconic Ultrafragola mirror — in its conspicuously curved plastic shell with radical pops of pink neon — proves striking in any space and embodies many of the collective’s postmodern ideals.

After the initial Memphis show caused an uproar, the postmodern movement within furniture and interior design quickly took off in America. (Memphis fell out of fashion when the Reagan era gave way to cool 1990’s minimalism.) The architect Robert Venturi had by then already begun a series of plywood chairs for Knoll Inc., with beefy, exaggerated silhouettes of traditional styles such as Queen Anne and Chippendale. In 1982, the new firm Swid Powell enlisted a group of top American architects, including Frank Gehry, Richard Meier, Stanley Tigerman and Venturi to create postmodern tableware in silver, ceramic and glass.

On 1stDibs, the vintage postmodern furniture collection includes chairs, coffee tables, sofas, decorative objects, table lamps and more.

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.

Questions About Postmodern Leather Chair

What is the best leather for chairs?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertSeptember 28, 2021
The best leather for chairs is going to depend on your personal preference. While choosing the leather for a chair, try to think of what you want out of your chair. While pigmented leather is the most durable, aniline leather looks more natural and preserves the hide of the animal. Semi-aniline on the other hand is more durable than aniline leather and it maintains the natural look. On 1stDibs, you can find a wide variety of leather chairs.
Are leather chairs worth it?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertOctober 30, 2024
Many people believe that leather chairs are worth it. Whether you're looking for accent chairs for a seating area, dining chairs to pair with your dining room table or an office chair to place at your desk, leather chairs can add to the overall visual appeal of a room, thanks to their texture. Leather is also fairly easy to wipe clean, and high-quality types, such as full-grain and top-grain leather, can stand the test of time. However, there are plenty of alternatives to leather upholstery available. Considering durability, comfort, appearance and maintenance requirements, as well as your budget, will help you select the right chair for any space. Explore a large collection of leather chairs on 1stDibs.
What is the best leather office chair?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021
A good office chair should be comfortable with a high back, armrests and cushioned seating. Many leather office chairs can be called the best by different people depending on what appeals to them. On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique and vintage leather office chairs.
Is leather good for dining chairs?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023
Whether leather is good for dining chairs is largely a matter of personal opinion. However, many people find leather to be easy to wipe clean and appreciate its texture and appearance. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of leather dining chairs.
Are leather dining chairs worth it?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertOctober 24, 2024
Many furniture lovers feel that leather dining chairs are worth it. Due to its natural beauty, leather can elevate dining rooms and add interest to interior designs by bringing in a new texture. Leather is also fairly easy to wipe clean, and top-grain and full-grain upholstery often hold up well to the effects of frequent use. Keep in mind that other factors contribute to the overall quality of a chair, such as its frame materials and construction methods. On 1stDibs, shop a wide variety of leather dining chairs.
What is the best leather recliner chair?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertSeptember 28, 2021
The best leather recliner chair will really be a matter of preference — what kind of recliner do you need? Keep size in mind, especially if you’re working with a small space. You’ll want to prioritize comfort and durability, too. 1stDibs offers a variety of leather recliner chairs.