Skip to main content

Alvar Aalto

Finnish, 1898-1976

An architect and designer, Alvar Aalto deserves an immense share of the credit for bringing Scandinavian modernism and Nordic design to a prominent place in the global arena. In both his buildings and his vintage furniture — which ranges from chairs, stools, tables and lighting to table- and glassware — Aalto’s sensitivity to the natural world and to organic forms and materials tempered the hardness of rationalist design.

Relatively few Aalto buildings exist outside Finland. (Just four exist in the United States, and only one — the sinuous 1945 Baker House dormitory at M.I.T. — is easily visited.) International attention came to Aalto, whose surname translates to English as “wave,” primarily through his furnishings.

Instead of the tubular metal framing favored by the Bauhaus designers and Le Corbusier, Aalto insisted on wood. His aesthetic is best represented by the Paimio armchair, developed with his wife, Aino Aalto, in 1930 as part of the overall design of a Finnish tuberculosis sanatorium.

Comfortable, yet light enough to be easily moved by patients, the Paimio chair’s frame is composed of two laminated birch loops; the seat and back are formed from a single sheet of plywood that scrolls under the headrest and beneath the knees, creating a sort of pillow effect. Aalto’s use of plywood had an enormous influence on Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen, Marcel Breuer and others who later came to the material.

Concerned with keeping up standards of quality in the production of his designs, Aalto formed the still-extant company Artek in 1935, along with Aino, whose glass designs were made by the firm. In the latter medium, in 1936 the Aaltos together created the iconic, undulating Savoy vase, so-called for the luxe Helsinki restaurant for which the piece was designed.

Artek also produced Aalto pendants and other lighting designs, many of which — such as the Angel’s Wing floor lamp and the Beehive pendant — incorporate a signature Aalto detail: shades made of concentric enameled-metal rings graduated down in diameter. The effect of the technique is essential Alvar Aalto: at once precise, simple, and somehow poetic.

Find a collection of vintage Alvar Aalto stools, vases, dining tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.

Iconic Designs from Alvar Aalto
Explore timeless pieces that have earned their place in history.
Alvar Aalto Stool 60
Alvar Aalto Stool 60
Alvar Aalto Savoy Vase
Alvar Aalto Savoy Vase
Alvar Aalto Tea Cart 900
Alvar Aalto Tea Cart 900
Alvar Aalto L Leg Table Rectangular
Alvar Aalto L Leg Table Rectangular
Rare Wardrobe, Alvar Aalto, Oy Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab, 1940s
By Alvar Aalto, Oy Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab
Located in Helsinki, Uusimaa
Rare wardrobe by Alvar Aalto for the Varkaus Hospital. Manufactured by Oy Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab, 1940s. Birch and birch plywood. Completely restored. Gorgeous condition,...
Category

1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto

Materials

Birch, Plywood, Paint

Alvar Aalto 400 ‘Tank’ 1936 Armchair for Artek
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tilburg, NL
Alvar Aalto 400 ‘Tank’ Armchair for Artek. Designed in 1936. New, current production. As voluminous as it is comfortable, Armchair 400 was created b...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Scandinavian Modern Alvar Aalto

Materials

Leather, Fabric, Wood

Alvar Aalto 400 ‘Tank’ 1936 Armchair for Artek
Alvar Aalto 400 ‘Tank’ 1936 Armchair for Artek
$8,584 / item
H 25.6 in W 30.32 in D 30.32 in
Alvar Aalto Room Divider / Screen '100' 1936 in Solid Pine for Artek
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tilburg, NL
Alvar Aalto Room Devider / Screen '100' 1936 in Solid Pine for Artek, Finland. New, current production. Made of fine pinewood strips that have been vertically aligned, Screen 100 ca...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Mid-Century Modern Alvar Aalto

Materials

Wood, Pine

Alvar Aalto, 1940's model 611 chair
By Alvar Aalto, Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy
Located in Turku, Varsinais-Suomi
Elevate your space with this 1940's model 611 chairs, masterfully designed by Alvar Aalto and Otto Korhonen in 1929. The chair showcase a timeless Scandinavian aesthetic, enhanced by...
Category

Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Alvar Aalto

Materials

Birch

Alvar Aalto, 1940's model 611 chair
Alvar Aalto, 1940's model 611 chair
$1,773
H 31.5 in W 19.1 in D 17.72 in
Alvar Aalto Minimalistic Double Shelf Model 112-2 in Birch, Artek 1940s
By Alvar Aalto, Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Artek
Located in Helsinki, FI
This is an iconic minimalist shelf by Alvar Aalto in double deck. Due to the back rail, the shelf is easier to hang with four screws instead of eight. The shelf unit is from the 1940...
Category

1940s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto

Materials

Birch, Plywood

Alvar Aalto Minimalistic Double Shelf Model 112-2 in Birch, Artek 1940s
Alvar Aalto Minimalistic Double Shelf Model 112-2 in Birch, Artek 1940s
$2,257 Sale Price
36% Off
H 23.63 in W 35.44 in D 11.82 in
Rare Artek Aalto Pascoe 8 Drawer dresser
By Alvar Aalto, Clifford Pascoe, Aino Aalto
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
This vintage chest of eight drawers was produced by Artek-Pascoe, a collaboration between the famed Finnish design company Artek—founded in 1935 by Alvar and Aino Aalto—and Pascoe. I...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Alvar Aalto

Materials

Birch

Rare Artek Aalto Pascoe 8 Drawer dresser
Rare Artek Aalto Pascoe 8 Drawer dresser
$4,750
H 37 in W 58 in D 18 in
Alvar Aalto Birch & White Laminate Table 90A and Chair 66 Dining Set for Artek
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Glendale, CA
Alvar Aalto Birch & White Laminate Table 90A and Chair 66 Dining Set for Artek In the late 1920s, architect and designer Alvar Aalto began experimenting with bending wood. In collab...
Category

2010s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Alvar Aalto

Materials

Laminate, Birch

Alvar Aalto Writing Table Model K81 in Birch, Artek 1940s
By Artek, Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Alvar Aalto
Located in Helsinki, FI
A rare Mid-Century Modern writing desk in full birch model K81 manufactured by Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas for Artek. The minimalist design of the table already designed in the 1...
Category

1940s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto

Materials

Birch

Alvar Aalto Writing Table Model K81 in Birch, Artek 1940s
Alvar Aalto Writing Table Model K81 in Birch, Artek 1940s
$6,819
H 26.97 in W 39.38 in D 20.48 in
Browse all Furniture from Alvar Aalto
Shop Now

Alvar Aalto Sale Prices

Sold DateSold PriceCategoryMaterialCreation Year
2025$4,770Nesting Tables and Stacking Tables, End TablesBirchcirca 1970s
2025$1,562StoolsPlywood1940s
2025$1,080Table LampsBrass, Paint, Wood1960s-1970s
2025$2,200Night StandsBirch, Teak1950s
2025$540Nesting Tables and Stacking TablesWoodMid 20th Century
2025$5,200Dining Room ChairsTextile, Birch, Velvet1940-1950
2025$1,040Side TablesBentwoodcirca 1960
2025$3,000DressersBirch, Teak, Softwood1950s
2025$2,600Card Tables and Tea TablesCeramic, Rattan, Birch1970's
2025$6,830Architectural ElementsBronze1950s
2025$9,000Architectural ElementsBronze1950s-1960s
2025$74,928Chandeliers and PendantsBrass, Glass1955
2025$1,667Doors and GatesBronze1950's
2025$3,700Center TablesBirch, Plywood1960s
2025$1,708Chandeliers and PendantsMetal, Sheet Metal, Brass1950s-1960s
2025$2,086StoolsBirch1960s
2025$2,000Desks and Writing Tables, DesksMahoganyc. 1949
2025$1,350BenchesBentwoodcirca 1990
2025$621Dining Room Chairs, Side ChairsWood, Plywoodcirca 1955
2025$495VasesBlown Glass1989
$3,769
Average sold price of items in the past 12 months
$120-$74,928
Sold price range of items in the past 12 months

Creators Similar to Alvar Aalto

More Alvar Aalto Designs
Alvar Aalto Stool 60
Alvar Aalto Stool 60
Average Price
$2,197
Number Available
41
Alvar Aalto Stool 60
By Alvar Aalto
Materials
Wood, Birch
Styles
Scandinavian Modern
Although Finnish architect and furniture maker Alvar Aalto (1898–1976) was recognized early in his career for his decorative interiors and innovative building concepts, his functional wood furniture reflected a simplicity that extended even to his marketing copy. “One chair is enough” is one such slogan attributed to him today. While the renowned designs he produced with his first wife Aino for a tuberculosis sanatorium in Paimio included tubular steel, Aalto eventually distanced himself from...
Shop All
Alvar Aalto Savoy Vase
Alvar Aalto Savoy Vase
Average Price
$1,398
Number Available
13
Alvar Aalto Savoy Vase
By Alvar Aalto
Materials
Glass, Blown Glass
Styles
Scandinavian Modern, Mid Century Modern
When Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto (1898–1976) designed the curvilinear Savoy vase in 1936 for the eponymous luxurious restaurant in Helsinki set to open the following year, he created one of the most well-known glass objects of the 20th century.  The Savoy vase — commonly referred to as the “Aalto vase” — won first prize at 1936’s Karhula-Iittala Glass Design Competition, held to determine which works would be included in the Finnish Pavilion at the 1937 Paris World Expo. This ...
Shop All
Alvar Aalto Tea Cart 900
Alvar Aalto Tea Cart 900
Average Price
$5,891
Number Available
13
Alvar Aalto Tea Cart 900
By Alvar Aalto
Materials
Wood, Birch, Natural Fiber, Ceramic, Rattan
Styles
Scandinavian Modern
Making its international debut at the 1937 Paris World Exhibition, the Tea Trolley 900 encapsulates Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto's (1898–1976) influential approach to modernism through its emphasis on local materials and elegant pragmatism. A modern take on the traditional British tea cart, it is a versatile domestic object: It can be rolled up for dinner, tucked away in a corner for housing odds and ends or presented as a striking centerpiece. With a ceramic tile serving tray, ...
Shop All
Alvar Aalto L Leg Table Rectangular
Alvar Aalto L Leg Table Rectangular
Average Price
$3,380
Number Available
13
Alvar Aalto L Leg Table Rectangular
By Alvar Aalto
Materials
Birch, Wood
Styles
Scandinavian Modern
Shop All

Alvar Aalto furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Alvar Aalto furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Alvar Aalto furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 448 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 8 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by Alvar Aalto were created in the Scandinavian Modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Ilmari Tapiovaara, Oy Stockmann AB, and Yrjö Kukkapuro. Prices for Alvar Aalto furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $113 and can go as high as $80,707, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $3,662.
Questions About Alvar Aalto
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 1, 2024
    Alvar Aalto is known for bringing Scandinavian modernism and Nordic design to global prominence. In his designs for buildings and furniture, Aalto's sensitivity to the natural world and to organic forms and materials tempered the hardness of rationalist design. One of his most famous pieces is the Paimio armchair, which he designed in 1930 for a Finnish tuberculosis sanatorium. Comfortable yet light enough to be easily moved by patients, the Paimio chair's frame is made of two laminated birch loops. The seat and back are formed from a single sheet of plywood that scrolls under the headrest and beneath the knees, creating a pillow effect. Aalto's use of plywood had an enormous influence on Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen, Marcel Breuer and many others. On 1stDibs, shop an assortment of Alvar Aalto furniture.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024
    The style most commonly associated with Alvar Aalto is Scandinavian modern. As an architect and designer, Aalto deserves an immense share of the credit for bringing Scandinavian modernism and Nordic design to a prominent place in the global arena. In both his buildings and his vintage furniture, Aalto's sensitivity to the natural world and organic forms and materials tempered the hardness of rationalist design, as is indicative of Scandinavian modern pieces. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of Alvar Aalto furniture.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2024
    The Paimio chair, designed by Alvar Aalto, is a type of armchair created in 1932. Also called the Armchair 41, it was intended to help people breathe easier and was designed for a tuberculosis sanatorium in the Finnish city of Paimio. For the chair's frame, Aalto and his wife, Aino, opted to use Finland's native birchwood, which is strong and inexpensive and felt warmer and more organic than the tubular steel found in similarly shaped pieces. Laminated wood loops form the arms, legs and a pair of flat skids, while its sculptural seat and back are built from a single piece of thin plywood. Shop a variety of Alvar Aalto Paimio chairs on 1stDibs.

Recently Viewed

View All