Rick Owens Curial Chair
2010s French Benches
Bronze
People Also Browsed
2010s South African Modern Chairs
Steel
2010s American Ottomans and Poufs
Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Art Deco Night Stands
Shagreen
2010s South African Modern Chairs
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
Brass
Vintage 1960s Italian Hollywood Regency Dry Bars
Brass
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Chaise Longues
Bouclé, Upholstery
Vintage 1960s Swiss Wall Mirrors
Cement
Mid-20th Century French Daybeds
Bouclé, Wood, Rope
Antique 19th Century French Louis Philippe Daybeds
Walnut
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Greek Classical Greek Busts
Marble, Stone, Metal
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
Wood, Velvet
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Modern Armchairs
Leather, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Stools
Metal, Brass
1990s American Post-Modern Sofas
Bouclé, Upholstery
Recent Sales
21st Century and Contemporary French Chairs
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Chairs
Plywood
21st Century and Contemporary American Chairs
21st Century and Contemporary French Armchairs
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.
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