Eero Aarnio Furniture
Finnish, b. 1932
“I always look ahead, never back,” Finnish design legend Eero Aarnio has been quoted as saying. A leading innovator of modern furniture design, Aarnio has long embraced a bold, playful, confident and colorful style several steps ahead of his time.
For his 1954 entrance test for the Institute of Industrial Arts in Helsinki, Aarnio created a whimsical painting of a man reading a newspaper in a red, curved chair whose silhouette foreshadowed Aarnio’s Ball chair of 1963. That spherical seat skyrocketed him to design fame, and decades later, it is still recognized as one of the world’s most futuristic designs.
Born in 1932 to a house painter and a seamstress, Aarnio has always had a cheerful disposition and an independent spirit. He went his own way early on: After just two years at Asko, the big Scandinavian furniture company that originally produced his Ball chair, Aarnio established his own studio in 1962.
Over the next decade, the young visionary made an indelible mark on the world. Open-minded and entrepreneurial, Aarnio embraced the aesthetics, materials and technologies of the Swinging Sixties, working with a new generation of plastics and molding them into fluid, organically shaped, brightly hued forms.
Introduced at the 1966 Cologne Furniture Fair, the pod-like fiberglass Ball chair soon adorned the homes of movie stars and royalty, graced magazine covers around the world and was featured in films and ads. The groundbreaking seat originally came in orange, white, black, yellow and red and could be ordered with a telephone installed in it. Yet this designer of the future, as he was known in the 1960s, has always insisted that he didn’t deliberately seek to be associated with the decade’s sci-fi aesthetic.
“I had no intention to create either pop or Space Age design — as many people label my work,” Aarnio declares in one of the essays included in Eero Aarnio — Designer of Colour and Joy, a book jointly created by the Design Museum and publisher WSOY to accompany 2016’s “Eero Aarnio” exhibition.
The show featured a number of Aarnio’s objects, including his iconic Ball, Pastil (1967), Bubble (1968), Tomato (1971) and Pony (1973) chairs. These were joined by lesser-known seating and other objects like the rattan Juttujakkara, or mushroom, stool (1960); the sculptural Double Bubble lamp (2000), with which Aarnio first explored the possibilities of rotation-cast plastic; and the three-legged Rocket (1995) and Baby Rocket (2006) stools, both parts of a collection produced by Artek after Tom Dixon, the company’s creative director from 2004 to 2009, discovered the original piece in Aarnio’s kitchen.
“Aarnio expanded the whole idea of what constitutes furniture,” explained Suvi Saloniemi, the Design Museum’s chief curator. “His significance as a designer is crystallized in the liberation of form that he has introduced by discovering the properties of plastic as the material of a designer. His furniture is sculpture-like and eye-catching, but the pieces are always utilitarian at the same time.”
Find an extraordinary range of vintage Eero Aarnio chairs, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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Item type: New and Made To Order
Creator: Eero Aarnio
Iconic Eero Aarnio Silver Bubble Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The bubble chair was designed by Eero Aarnio in 1968. According to Eero’s notes, the bubble hangs from the ceiling because ‘there is no nice way to make a...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Stainless Steel
Iconic Eero Aarnio Yellow Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the Pastil chair out of polystyrene, which helped him to verify the measurements, ergonomics and rocking ability. ...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Eero Aarnio Small Walnut Parabel Table
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The Parabel was designed in 1993 by Eero Aarnio, and first shown at the International Furniture Fair in Cologne, Germany in January 2002. The table is made of fibreglass and comes in...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Maple
Iconic Eero Aarnio Black Formula Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The Formula chair is similar to the classic Pastil, with an additional backrest. It is the response to Eero’s own personal challenge to combine the sculptural elements of his earlier...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Pair of Eero Aarnio Transparent 'Vaasi' Pendants for Innolux Oy
By Innolux Oy, Eero Aarnio
Located in Glendale, CA
Pair of Eero Aarnio Transparent 'Vaasi' Pendants for Innolux Oy. Designed in 2011, Aarnio's iconic light consists of two acrylic shades of different colors, one nesting inside the ot...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Scandinavian Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Metal
Pair of Eero Aarnio 'Vaasi' Pendants in White for Innolux Oy
By Eero Aarnio, Innolux Oy
Located in Glendale, CA
Pair of Eero Aarnio 'Vaasi' Pendants in White for Innolux Oy. Designed in 2011, Aarnio's iconic light consists of two acrylic shades of different colors, one nesting inside the other...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Scandinavian Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Acrylic
Puppy M in White by Eero Aarnio for Magis
By Eero Aarnio, Magis
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Created by Eero Aarnio, master of Scandinavian design culture and innovator on the international scene ever since the sixties, Puppy is a little dog as imagined by the great designer...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Iconic Eero Aarnio Small Black Mushroom Stool
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
He mushroom is one of Eero’s oldest designs and in its fibreglass form is part of the same design family that includes the ball chair, Pastil and Tomato. It can be used as a stool or...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Iconic Eero Aarnio Black Leather Swivel Ball Lounge Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The ball chair was designed in 1963 and debuted at the Cologne Furniture Fair in 1966. The chair is one of the most famous and beloved classics of Finni...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Leather, Fiberglass
Puppy L in White by Eero Aarnio for Magis
By Eero Aarnio, Magis
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Created by Eero Aarnio, master of Scandinavian design culture and innovator on the international scene ever since the sixties, Puppy is a little dog as imagined by the great designer...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Puppy S in Orange by Eero Aarnio for Magis
By Eero Aarnio, Magis
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Created by Eero Aarnio, master of Scandinavian design culture and innovator on the international scene ever since the sixties, Puppy is a little dog as imagined by the great designer...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Puppy XL in White by Eero Aarnio for Magis
By Eero Aarnio, Magis
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Created by Eero Aarnio, master of Scandinavian design culture and innovator on the international scene ever since the sixties, Puppy is a little dog as imagined by the great designer...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Puppy S in White by Eero Aarnio for Magis
By Eero Aarnio, Magis
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Created by Eero Aarnio, master of Scandinavian design culture and innovator on the international scene ever since the sixties, Puppy is a little dog as imagined by the great designer...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Eero Aarnio White Kisu
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Kisu is the newest addition to our collection, designed by Eero Aarnio in 2020. Kisu is a decorative piece of interior design suitable for both indoors and outdoors. This cat is made...
Category
2010s European Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Iconic Eero Aarnio Emerald Green Pony
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Pony is a friendly and characterful addition to any room, but as always, it was designed first and foremost to provide a comfortable seat. Pony has a moulded foam body, feet and ears...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Foam
Iconic Eero Aarnio Natural Leather Bubble Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The bubble chair was designed by Eero Aarnio in 1968. According to Eero’s notes, the bubble hangs from the ceiling because ‘there is no nice way to make a clear pedestal.’ It shares ...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Stainless Steel
Iconic Eero Aarnio White Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the Pastil chair out of polystyrene, which helped him to verify the measurements, ergonomics and rocking ability. ...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Iconic Eero Aarnio Orange Pony
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Pony is a friendly and characterful addition to any room, but as always, it was designed first and foremost to provide a comfortable seat. Pony has a moulded foam body, feet and ears...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Foam
Eero Aarnio Black Kisu
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Kisu is the newest addition to our collection, designed by Eero Aarnio in 2020. Kisu is a decorative piece of interior design suitable for both indoors and outdoors. This cat is made...
Category
2010s European Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Eero Aarnio Platinium Limited Edition Kisu
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Kisu is the newest addition to our collection, designed by Eero Aarnio in 2020. Kisu is a decorative piece of interior design suitable for both indoors and outdoors. This cat is made...
Category
2010s European Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Eero Aarnio Black Copacabana Bench
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Designed by Eero Aarnio, 1991
The Copacabana was designed to go with the Pastil chair; the curved line of the table suits the round shape of the chair. Copacabana can be used as bot...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Iconic Eero Aarnio Pink Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the Pastil chair out of polystyrene, which helped him to verify the measurements, ergonomics and rocking ability. ...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Iconic Eero Aarnio Orange Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the Pastil chair out of polystyrene, which helped him to verify the measurements, ergonomics and rocking ability. ...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Iconic Eero Aarnio Red Tomato Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero has always been drawn to the circular form and is perhaps best known for his designs ‘without edges’. The Tomato chair combines three circles on a ba...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Eero Aarnio Small Natural Parabel Table
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The Parabel was designed in 1993 by Eero Aarnio, and first shown at the International Furniture Fair in Cologne, Germany in January 2002. The table is made of fibreglass and comes in...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Maple
Customizable Iconic Eero Aarnio Swivel Ball Lounge Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The ball chair was designed in 1963 and debuted at the Cologne Furniture Fair in 1966. The chair is one of the most famous and beloved classics of Finni...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Fiberglass
Iconic Eero Aarnio White Tomato Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero has always been drawn to the circular form and is perhaps best known for his designs ‘without edges’. The Tomato chair combines three circles on a ba...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Iconic Eero Aarnio Green Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the Pastil chair out of polystyrene, which helped him to verify the measurements, ergonomics and rocking ability. ...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Iconic Eero Aarnio Black Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the Pastil chair out of polystyrene, which helped him to verify the measurements, ergonomics and rocking ability. ...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Iconic Eero Aarnio Blue Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the Pastil chair out of polystyrene, which helped him to verify the measurements, ergonomics and rocking ability. ...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Iconic Eero Aarnio Blue Swivel Ball Lounge Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The Ball chair was designed in 1963 and debuted at the Cologne Furniture Fair in 1966. The chair is one of the most famous and beloved classics of Finni...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Fiberglass
Customizable Iconic Eero Aarnio Red Swivel Ball Lounge Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The Ball chair was designed in 1963 and debuted at the Cologne Furniture Fair in 1966. The chair is one of the most famous and beloved classics of Finni...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Fiberglass
Iconic Eero Aarnio White Leather Bubble Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The bubble chair was designed by Eero Aarnio in 1968. According to Eero’s notes, the Bubble hangs from the ceiling because ‘there is no nice way to make a clear pedestal.’ It shares ...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Stainless Steel
Iconic Eero Aarnio Large Black Mushroom Stool
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Mushroom is one of Eero’s oldest designs and in its fibreglass form is part of the same design family that includes the Ball Chair, Pastil and Tomato. It can be used as a stool or a ...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Iconic Eero Aarnio Black Leather Bubble Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The Bubble chair was designed by Eero Aarnio in 1968. According to Eero’s notes, the Bubble hangs from the ceiling because ‘there is no nice way to make a clear pedestal.’ It shares the same unique acoustics as the Ball chair, a little cocoon that shields off the outside world.
The hanging Bubble chair...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Stainless Steel
Iconic Eero Aarnio White Pony
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Pony is a friendly and characterful addition to any room, but as always, it was designed first and foremost to provide a comfortable seat. Pony has a moulded foam body, feet and ears which are all connected by a tube frame and upholstered in a stretch fabric. Pony chair...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Foam
Iconic Eero Aarnio Black Swivel Ball Lounge Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The ball chair was designed in 1963 and debuted at the Cologne Furniture Fair in 1966. The chair is one of the most famous and beloved classics of Finni...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Fiberglass
Eero Aarnio Small White Screw Table
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Designed by Eero Aarnio 1991
Eero’s approach to industrial design has often seen simple and hidden forms become real and visible objects. Screws are used in most pieces of furniture – but the Screw table...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Eero Aarnio White Oval Parabel Table
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The Parabel was designed in 1993 by Eero Aarnio, and first shown at the International Furniture Fair in Cologne, Germany in January 2002. The table is made of fibreglass and comes in...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Iconic Eero Aarnio Mellow Pink Pony
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Pony is a friendly and characterful addition to any room, but as always, it was designed first and foremost to provide a comfortable seat. Pony has a moulded foam body, feet and ears...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Foam
Eero Aarnio Small Silver Screw Table
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Designed by Eero Aarnio 1991
Eero’s approach to industrial design has often seen simple and hidden forms become real and visible objects. Screws are used in most pieces of furniture – but the Screw table...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Iconic Eero Aarnio Midnight Black Pony
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Pony is a friendly and characterful addition to any room, but as always, it was designed first and foremost to provide a comfortable seat. Pony has a moulded foam body, feet and ears...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Foam
Eero Aarnio Large White Parabel Table
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The Parabel was designed in 1993 by Eero Aarnio, and first shown at the International Furniture Fair in Cologne, Germany in January 2002. The table is made of fibreglass and comes in...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Iconic Eero Aarnio Red Formula Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The Formula chair is similar to the classic Pastil, with an additional backrest. It is the response to Eero’s own personal challenge to combine the sculptural elements of his earlier...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Iconic Eero Aarnio Large White Mushroom Stool
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
He Mushroom is one of Eero’s oldest designs and in its fibreglass form is part of the same design family that includes the ball chair, Pastil and Tomato. It can be used as a stool or...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Iconic Eero Aarnio White Formula Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The formula chair is similar to the Classic Pastil, with an additional backrest. It is the response to Eero’s own personal Challenge to combine the sculptural elements of his earlier...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Iconic Eero Aarnio Small White Mushroom Stool
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Mushroom is one of Eero’s oldest designs and in its fibreglass form is part of the same design family that includes the Ball Chair, Pastil and Tomato. It can be used as a stool or a ...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Eero Aarnio White Copacabana Bench
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Designed by Eero Aarnio, 1991
The Copacabana was designed to go with the Pastil chair; the curved line of the table suits the round shape of the chair. Copacabana can be used as bot...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Eero Aarnio Large Silver Screw Table
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Designed by Eero Aarnio, 1991
Eero’s approach to Industrial Design has often seen simple and hidden forms become real and visible objects. Screws are used...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Eero Aarnio Large White Screw Table
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Designed by Eero Aarnio, 1991
Eero’s approach to industrial design has often seen simple and hidden forms become real and visible objects. Screws are used...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Eero Aarnio Small Black Screw Table
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Designed by Eero Aarnio 1991
Eero’s approach to industrial design has often seen simple and hidden forms become real and visible objects. Screws are used in most pieces of furniture – but the Screw table...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Eero Aarnio Large Black Screw Table
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Designed by Eero Aarnio 1991
Eero’s approach to industrial design has often seen simple and hidden forms become real and visible objects. Screws are used in most pieces of furniture – but the Screw table...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass
Eero Aarnio furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Eero Aarnio furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of plastic and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Eero Aarnio furniture, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 35 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 52 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by Eero Aarnio were created in the modern style in europe during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Aino Aalto, and Mikko Laakkonen. Prices for Eero Aarnio furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $135 and can go as high as $20,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $3,562.
Questions About Eero Aarnio Furniture
- What is the Ball Chair made of?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The iconic Ball Chair is made of fiberglass, creating that rounded shape. The interior of a Ball Chair is upholstered in fine fabrics. Originally designed by Finnish furniture designer Eero Aarnio in 1963, this rounded chair is considered a classic display of industrial design. Shop a collection of Ball Chairs from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 1, 2024Whether or not Eero Aarnio Ball chairs are comfortable or not is largely a matter of personal opinion. When the chair debuted in 1966, the New York Times reporter who saw it at the International Furniture Fair in Cologne suggested that the seating on display was "designed more for laughs than for comfort." However, the distinctive chair brought Aarnio instant commercial success. Today, many people still find the inviting foam-filled fabric seat inside its molded-fiberglass orb to be as comfortable to sit on as it is pleasing to the eye. Shop an assortment of vintage Eero Aarnio Ball chairs on 1stDibs.