Wood Block Drench

Lionel Jadot is as much an inventor as he is a designer. The Brussels-based furniture maker and tinkerer defies categorization with a body of work linked only by the use of repurposed materials. His one-of-a-kind chairs, statement-making tables and eclectic lamps overflow with personality and charm. Jadot is also an interior architect known for creating energetic spaces with a retro yet futuristic feel.

Jadot comes from a long line of custom furniture designers and was born in Belgium in an apartment above a design studio. As a child, he would walk through the family workshop every day after school, picking up the scrap material to experiment with in his room. He took over the family business when he was just 18, and the self-taught Jadot reveled in the freedom to create whatever designs he wanted.

At his eponymous atelier, Jadot works on projects for private homes as well as restaurants, bars and hotels. While his designs and interiors can look chaotic at first glance — with his stone chairs and imposing Organic Modern-style tables of marble and wood — the disparate elements come together in a harmonious balance underpinned by quality and craftsmanship.

In 2019, Jadot also established Zaventem Ateliers in the village of Zaventem outside of Brussels. The former industrial space has become a hub for a community of established and emerging designers and artists.

Jadot's creations are regularly exhibited at design fairs and events in Brussels and around Europe. In 2020, his Crushed Seat (2018) was presented by Todd Merrill Studio director Dallas Dunn at the Brussels Collectible Design Fair. His work was once again exhibited at the Collectible Design Fair 2021 with Antwerp-based Everyday Gallery. Jadot has also expanded into Milan, Italy, with a project called Baranzate Ateliers, which enjoyed a strong showing at Milan Design Week 2022.

On 1stDibs, find Lionel Jadot seating, tables, lighting and more.

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.