Alvar Aalto Chairs
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.
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Creator: Alvar Aalto
Alvar Aalto / Otto Korhonen, Birch and Plywood Armchair Model 50101, 1929-30
By Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Alvar Aalto
Located in Helsinki, FI
This extremely rare solid birch and bent birch plywood armchair was designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto and Otto Korhonen, who was one of the best known Finnish cabinetmakers a...
Category
1920s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch, Plywood
Alvar Aalto chairs model 62 by Artek 2 pcs
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Espoo, FI
Pair of model 62 chairs, designed by Alvar Aalto, manufactured by Artek. The chairs are from 1960s, and in good used condition.
Category
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
Alvar Aalto chairs 69 by Artek 1950s
By Alvar Aalto, Artek
Located in Espoo, FI
A pair of Artek chairs model 69, designed by Alvar Aalto. These chairs are from 1950s and have a beautiful patina of age. In great original condition.
Category
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
Pair of Rare E66 Chairs by Alvar Aalto for Artek, Finland
By Alvar Aalto, Artek
Located in Karis, Nyland
A rare pair of Alvar Aalto model E66 chairs, designed in 1930s. Good vintage condition, patina consistent with age and use. The chairs are sold as a set.
We can dismantle the chairs...
Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch, Bentwood
Vintage Chair N65 by Alvar Aalto for Artek (Red Linoleum)
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Centreville, VA
Children’s Chair N65 boasts clean lines and a simple, elemental structure.
The chair models a low rectangular backrest formed from a single piece of birch plywood. Since the backres...
Category
1930s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Bentwood
alvar aalto chair69 natural hedemora 1940's
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
Designed by Alvar Aalto.
This chair 69 was manufactured in the 1940s.
It is from the era when it was manufactured in Hedemora, Sweden.
It has a structure manufactured with hedemora f...
Category
1940s Swedish Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
Model 401 + 402 Bentwood Lounge Chairs by Alvar Aalto for Artek
By Alvar Aalto, Artek
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1960s. Price is for the set. Contact us if you’d like to purchase a single item. Extremely rare “his and hers” set of lounge chairs Alvar Aalto from an old Harry Weese house. Fram...
Category
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Fabric
Alvar Aalto Chairs Artek A65 1950s
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Espoo, FI
Artek A65 chairs 2 pcs, designed by Alvar Aalto. The chairs are from 1950s. Wonderfully patinated and in good condition. The chairs have finger joints in the seat, and slotted screws...
Category
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
Bar Stool 64 by Alvar Aalto for Artek (Black Linoleum seat)
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Centreville, VA
The popular Bar Stool 64 is eternally contemporary, in its element in kitchens, cafes, bars, and at countertops. Symmetrical and non-directional, Bar Stool 64...
Category
1930s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Bentwood
Pair of Alvar Aalto War Time Chairs With Finger Joints Model 69, Artek 1940s
By Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Helsinki, FI
A rare pair of Alvar Aalto model 69 chairs, manufactured during the 2nd World War years in Finland in the 1940s. The iconic L-leg is different in these pieces compared to the normal....
Category
1940s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Birch
Alvar Aalto Chair Artek A65 1940s
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Espoo, FI
Artek A65 chair by Alvar Aalto. The chair has finger jointed legs from wartime 1940s (war-leg). Beautiful patina of age. Reupholstered seat.
Category
1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Birch
1940s Finnish Dining Chair by Alvar Aalto for Artek
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A dining chair in laminated birch with newly upholstered black leather seat and back.
Category
1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Leather, Birch
Set of 3 Alvar Alto Stool 60 by Artek, Finland
By Alvar Aalto, Artek
Located in New York, NY
Set of 3 vintage original vintage Alvar Alto 60 stools from early 1960s. From a private home with one owner who purchased them in the late 1950s. Two wit...
Category
1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Bentwood, Birch
alvar aalto chair611 50's natural
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
designed by alvar aalto .
Manufactured in the 1950s.
Paint is in original condition.
The paint film is thin.
Category
1950s Finnish Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
alvar aalto chair611 40's painted blue
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
designed by alvar aalto .
Manufactured in the 1950s.
I don't know the year it was painted.
The whole thing is painted blue, but there are some areas where it's peeling off.
Currently...
Category
1950s Finnish Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
Early Production Alvar Aalto Hallway Chair, Model 403 by Finmar
By Alvar Aalto
Located in London, GB
This exceptionally rare early production Alvar Aalto Hallway Chair, model 403, was designed for Finmar and showcases Aalto’s iconic use of be...
Category
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Plywood
Alvar Aalto Armchairs with Black Straps, Finland, 1960's
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Austin, TX
Model 45 armchairs, designed in 1947 by Alvar Aalto and manufactured later by Artek. Beech frames and woven black nylon seat and back make a comfortable and sought after combination ...
Category
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Nylon, Beech
Early Alvar Aalto 'Hallway' Chair 'Model 403' for Finmar
By Finmar, Alvar Aalto
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Finmar Model 403 'Hallway' chair designed by Alvar Aalto and produced from 1930 through 1950 in Finland. The chair features a honey toned birch wood with bent plywood seat and backre...
Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch, Plywood
alvar aalto stoolNE60 painted green 1960's for children’s
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
Designed by Alvar Aalto.
This is stool NE60 for children’s. This stool is painted green .
This stool was manufactured in the 1960s.
There is evidence of overpainting
There is some da...
Category
1960s Finnish Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
alvar aalto stool60 vinyl leather red 1950's
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
Designed by Alvar Aalto.
This stool 60 was manufactured in the 1950's.
The seat is covered with vinyl leather.
The condition of the vinyl leather is not torn, but there are some stai...
Category
1950s Finnish Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
alvar aalto stool60 vinyl leather red 1950's
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
Designed by Alvar Aalto.
This stool 60 was manufactured in the 1950's.
The seat is covered with vinyl leather.
The condition of the vinyl leather is not torn, but there are some stai...
Category
1950s Finnish Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
alvar aalto chair68 Painted White 1950's
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
Designed by Alvar Aalto.
This is chair 68 .
White paint is applied all over.
This chair was manufactured in the 1950s.
Category
1950s Finnish Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
alvar aalto stool60 natural 1950's
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
Designed by Alvar Aalto.
This stool60 was manufactured in the 1950s.
Category
1950s Finnish Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
alvar aalto chair69 natural hedemora 1940's
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
Designed by Alvar Aalto.
This chair 69 was manufactured in the 1940s.
It is from the era when it was manufactured in Hedemora, Sweden.
It has a structure manufactured with hedemora f...
Category
1940s Swedish Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
Mid-Century Modern Scandinavian Pair of Chairs Model 69 by Alvar Aalto
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Courbevoie, FR
Mid-Century Modern Scandinavian pair of chairs model 69 by Alvar Aalto. Chair 69 is one of Artek’s most popular chairs, a universal wooden chair in the tradit...
Category
1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Beech
alvar aalto chair69 natural 1930's
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
Designed by Alvar Aalto.
This chair 69 was manufactured in the 1930s.
It has a structure that seems to be an early product that is not found in current products.
The paint film from ...
Category
1930s Finnish Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
alvar aalto chair69 Painted Deep blue 1930's
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
Designed by Alvar Aalto.
This is chair 69 .
Deep blue paint is applied all over.
This chair was manufactured in the 1930s.
Category
1930s Finnish Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
alvar aalto stool60 natural hedemora 1940's
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
Designed by Alvar Aalto.
This stool60 was manufactured in the 1940s.
It is from the era when it was manufactured in Hedemora, Sweden.
Category
1940s Swedish Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
alvar aalto stool60 natural 1950's
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
Designed by Alvar Aalto.
This stool60 was manufactured in the 1950s.
Category
1950s Finnish Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
alvar aalto chair69 natural hedemora 1940's
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
Designed by Alvar Aalto.
This chair 69 was manufactured in the 1940s.
It is from the era when it was manufactured in Hedemora, Sweden.
It has a structure manufactured with hedemora f...
Category
1940s Swedish Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
alvar aalto stool60 natural 1950's
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
Designed by Alvar Aalto.
This stool60 was manufactured in the 1950s.
There is some damage to the seat.
Category
1950s Finnish Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
alvar aalto stool60 painted red 1930's
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
Designed by Alvar Aalto.
This stool 60 was manufactured in the 1930's.
This stool is painted red and white.
There is some peeling and damage in the paint here and there, but it is a ...
Category
1930s Finnish Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
Alvar Aalto / Otto Korhonen, Birch and Plywood Armchair Model 50101, 1929-30
By Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Alvar Aalto
Located in Helsinki, FI
This extremely rare solid birch and bent birch plywood armchair was designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto and Otto Korhonen, who was one of the best known Finnish cabinetmakers a...
Category
1920s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch, Plywood
Alvar Aalto, Pair of Armchairs Model 402 for Finmar, 1930's
By Alvar Aalto
Located in London, GB
With bent beechwood sculptural frame and cantilevered wooden design, these chairs are a classic Aalto, encapsulating the beauty of mid-Century modernism.
They armchairs have been n...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Art Deco Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Beech
Early Model 65 Chair by Alvar Aalto, ,
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Buffalo, NY
Model 65 encapsulates designer Alvar Aalto’s approach to systematic, rational design within the context of Finnish minimalism; showcasing clean lines and his favoured use of birchwood.The bolts, showcased along the back legs, imbued the chair with Aalto’s signature industrial design sensibility.This is a wonderful early example,, The color ,,finish and patina is outstanding.. Chair seat has been reupholstered in a classic Marimekko fabric
Category
1930s Finnish Bauhaus Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Birch
Rare Alvar Aalto 'Chair of Our Times' 'Aikaamme Tuote' in Stained Birch, 1929
By Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Alvar Aalto
Located in Helsinki, FI
This minimalist functionalist chair known as "The product of our time", is a rare gem and is the first chair born of the Alvar Aalto - Otto Korhone...
Category
1920s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
Pair of Vintage Model 65 Chairs by Alvar Aalto
By Alvar Aalto, Artek
Located in Cape Town, WC
Model 65 encapsulates designer Alvar Aalto’s approach to systematic, rational design within the context of Finnish minimalism; showcasing clean lines and his favoured use of birchwoo...
Category
1940s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch
Alvar Aalto Rare Set of Early Armchairs, 1939
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Helsinki, Uusimaa
Exceptionally rare set of early Alvar Aalto armchairs for O.Y Wilhelm Schauman A.B Jyväskylä, Finland, 1939. Custom ordered for NY World's Fair Restau...
Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch, Plywood
Pair of Vintage Upholstered Hallway Chairs 54/404 by Alvar Aalto, Circa 1950s
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Surrey, GB
A stunning pair of stackable Alvar Aalto chair 54/404, a padded variant of hallway chair 403 designed in 1932. Very good vintage condition.
Dimen...
Category
20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Upholstery, Birch
Paimio Chair by Alvar Aalto
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Long Island City, NY
Paimio Chair by Alvar Aalto, an authentic edition, chair #41, designed in 1941 by Alvar Aalto for Artek of Finland. A tour de force in bent...
Category
20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Bentwood, Plywood
Rare, Early Alvar Aalto Model 31/42 Cantilevered Armchairs, Finland, 1930s
By Alvar Aalto
Located in LEWES, GB
Rare, early Alvar Aalto model 31/42 cantilevered armchairs, Finland, 1930s, designed and produced in the 1930s. Painted birch-veneered bent plywoo...
Category
1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Chairs
Materials
Birch, Plywood
Alvar Aalto chairs for sale on 1stDibs.
Alvar Aalto chairs 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 chairs, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original chairs by Alvar Aalto were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider chairs by Ilmari Tapiovaara, Eero Aarnio, and Yrjö Kukkapuro. Prices for Alvar Aalto chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $480 and can go as high as $71,172, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $2,421.
Creators Similar to Alvar Aalto
Questions About Alvar Aalto Chairs
- What is Alvar Aalto known for?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 1, 2024Alvar 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.
- What style did Alvar Aalto use?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024The 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, 2024The 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.
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