Arne Norell Seating
Arne Norell’s enduring designs mixed leather and metal as well as turned wood and bentwood in pieces that allowed the natural beauty of these materials to shine. Simple and casual yet sophisticated, his vintage sofas, lounge chairs and other furniture epitomize the Scandinavian modern style that took post–World War II design by storm.
Although he created versatile furnishings that promoted comfort along with style, Norell is lesser known than many other mid-century designers, with some of his work produced only after his death. Born in Åsele, Sweden, Norell opened a furniture workshop in Solna, just north of Stockholm, in 1954. In 1958, he established Møbel AB Arne Norell on a farm in Småland. (This region is also the birthplace of IKEA, which opened its first store that same year.) The beauty and tranquility of this location were a source of inspiration.
In Småland, Norell created his most well-known designs, among them the Inca armchair with visible wooden dowels and plush leather, the Indra and Ilona sofas and the spare but elegant wood-framed Sirocco chair (1964). For many of his designs, Norell looked to the same military-style campaign furniture that had, decades prior, inspired the revered Safari chair (1933) crafted by Kaare Klint, a legendary Danish designer and Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts professor who taught the likes of Hans Wegner, Ole Wanscher and others.
Like these earlier furniture designers, Norell was committed to making comfortable and practical furniture. Using leather and warm woods as the building blocks of his work, he eschewed glue and screws, instead securing his designs with buckles and leather straps. In 1973, Norell earned posthumous recognition from the British Furniture Manufacturers Association for his sumptuous Ari chair, a luxurious lounge set on a chrome-plated steel frame with foam cushions covered in leather.
During his lifetime, Norell’s work was popular among European interior designers. However, it became more widely known after 1971, when many of his designs were finally put into production. Norell’s furnishings, as well as work by his daughter Marie Norell-Möller and other Swedish designers, are still crafted by hand in the Aneby, Sweden, factory operated by Norell Furniture, which has remained a family-run company.
Find a collection of authentic vintage Arne Norell furniture today on 1stDibs.
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Bouclé, Wood
Early 2000s Swedish Modern Arne Norell Seating
Steel
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Arne Norell Seating
Leather, Rosewood
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Arne Norell Seating
Leather
20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Arne Norell Seating
Leather, Beech
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Leather
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Leather
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Arne Norell Seating
Leather
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Chrome
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Brass
1960s Colombian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Leather
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Leather, Mahogany
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Brass
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Brass
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Arne Norell Seating
Brass
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Brass
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Arne Norell Seating
Leather
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Brass
20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Arne Norell Seating
Leather, Walnut
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Leather
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Arne Norell Seating
Brass
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Arne Norell Seating
Brass
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Brass
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Leather
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Leather
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Leather, Walnut
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Leather, Walnut
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Leather, Beech, Fabric
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Brass
1660s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Antique Arne Norell Seating
Leather, Mahogany
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Arne Norell Seating
Leather, Rosewood
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Cowhide, Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Arne Norell Seating
Brass
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Arne Norell Seating
Leather, Rosewood
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Leather, Fabric, Beech
1970s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Leather
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Arne Norell Seating
Leather, Ash
20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Arne Norell Seating
Wood, Beech
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Brass
1960s Swedish Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Leather, Wood
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Steel, Chrome
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Brass
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Leather, Ash
20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Arne Norell Seating
Wood, Beech
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Steel
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Beech
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Brass
1960s Swedish Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Oak
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Leather, Walnut
1970s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Leather
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Arne Norell Seating
Brass
1960s Swedish Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Leather, Linen, Ash
20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Arne Norell Seating
Leather
Late 20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Arne Norell Seating
Brass
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Arne Norell Seating
Brass
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Arne Norell Seating
Fabric, Birch
20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Arne Norell Seating
Teak, Leather