Vitra Seat Dot

Design house Vitra has garnered international recognition for more than 70 years — the Swiss family-owned furniture company has outfitted public spaces as well as residential properties and offices worldwide. It has been a proponent of modernist design since the 1950s. While the brand is heralded for its collaborations with mid-century modern icons such as Verner Panton, Charles and Ray Eames, Alexander Girard and others, Vitra’s German campus is also home to buildings designed by legendary architects Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry. Among them is the Vitra Design Museum, an independent cultural institution that displays two centuries of design today.

Vitra was established in Weil Am Rhein, Germany, in 1950 by husband and wife team Willi and Erika Fehlbaum. On a trip to New York several years later, Willi Fehlbaum encountered the work of design polymaths Ray and Charles Eames in a furniture store and immediately knew that he had found his bliss.

In 1957, Vitra entered into a licensing agreement with Herman Miller, which saw the company producing designs by George Nelson, the Eameses and others. Later, Vitra partnered with Verner Panton and created the Panton chair, which was the first chair ever crafted from a single piece of molded plastic (it was also the first piece to be independently developed by Vitra). After 27 years of establishing the Vitra brand, the Fehlbaums passed control to their two sons, Rolf and Raymond Fehlbaum.

When a fire destroyed the factory in 1981, the brothers developed the Vitra Factory Campus, subsequently taking the opportunity to redirect the architectural landscape of the company. They created a masterplan with Nicholas Grimshaw, and together they erected four buildings in just a few short years.

In 1988, with the passing of Ray Eames and the disbandment of the Los Angeles Eames office, Rolf and Raymond acquired the furniture design portion of her estate, including the Eames prototypes and experimental models, housed today in the Vitra Design Museum.

Rolf and Roy opened the Vitra Design Museum in 1989. This began a period rich with design relationships, including collaborations with Antonio Citterio, Jasper Morrison, Maarten van Severen, Philippe Starck, Alberto Meda and others.

In 2012, leadership passed to Nora, the third generation of the Fehlbaums. Nora Fehlbaum has, like her grandparents, expanded the company and brought it into the 21st century with the acquisition of Finnish furniture manufacturer Artek. Nora has turned the company’s focus to sustainability yet still maintains its international and cultural relevance legacy.

Find a collection of Vitra lounge chairs, tables, side chairs, sofas and other furniture on 1stDibs.

Today, vintage pillows and throws are staples in interior decorating, especially in living rooms, bedrooms and guest rooms.

If eyes are the windows to the soul, then decorative pillows are the windows to the design aesthetic of one’s dreams. “They can be showpieces that are the last, final touch to an interior, like a jewel,” says Irish cushion designer Katie Larmour.

The use of pillows dates back thousands of years. However, the earliest examples were not the soft pillows of today as Mesopotamians and ancient Egyptians used headrests made of stone. Softer pillows became popular with the Romans and Greeks.

Contemporary, designer and vintage pillows and throws can tie in design elements from all parts of a room to contribute to a more cohesive aesthetic. Whether they incorporate the colors of the room’s curtains or rug, echo the room’s paint color or act as an accent on their own, pillows and throws fill up a space and create a cozy and put-together appearance.

There are throws and pillows to complement any design style. Whether seeking out intricately patterned mid-century modern pillows, simple designs or tribal-style wool pillows, 1stDibs has something for every home or collection.