It’s perhaps surprising that the Louis Ghost chair by Philippe Starck (b. 1949) has been around for less than two decades when you consider its impressive international stature. When Starck introduced the design for Kartell in 2002, it became an instant icon. Now it’s easily one of the most recognized (and copied) designs in the world.
The prolific designer started his own company in 1968 and subsequently secured an art director role with fashion designer Pierre Cardin, for whom he designed furniture. In the 1970s, interior design projects for nightclubs and more led to his being commissioned to design the private quarters in the Élysée Palace of President François Mitterrand in 1982. Starck soon began to produce a wide range of housewares and furniture for manufacturers like Vitra, Alessi and Kartell. His collaborations with the latter are particularly notable for the company’s innovative approach to utilizing plastic, which Starck has long championed as part of his philosophy of “democratic design” — high-quality products, accessible to many people at affordable prices.
The Louis Ghost chair is a postmodern take on the classic Louis XVI armchair, a style that emerged under the fraught reign of King Louis-Auguste and Queen Marie Antoinette. This style represents the birth of neoclassicism in France and was characterized by a relative restraint compared to the Rococo flourishes of previous eras. It was also called the goût grec (“Greek taste”). The second half of the chair’s name refers to its materiality. It wasn’t Starck’s first plastic chair for Kartell (that would be the La Marie chair) but it was the first time that it was able to use a single polycarbonate plastic mold in the process, creating a structure completely free of joints. Formally, Starck distilled the geometry of his antique reference to its main elements: the oval-shaped backrest, curved armrests and straight legs.
The Louis Ghost chair's “ghostly” silhouette renders it a versatile fit for any environment, while its sturdy, weather-resistant body makes it a good option for outdoor spaces. The chair became so popular that it spawned a series of related designs, including the Victoria Ghost chair, the One More barstool and a counter stool. While the original — and arguably, most revered — version is clear, Kartell has since expanded its offerings to include a variety of soft translucent shades alongside two opaque options, black and white. It may be relatively young, but Starck’s beloved Louis Ghost chair is here for the long haul.
Early 21st Century Set of 4 Charles Ghost Bar Stools by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Early 21st century set of 4 Charles Ghost patio bar stools by Philippe Starck for Kartell. Light scratching commensurate with age & use. 11 3/8" dia. seat. 16.75" x 16.75" at flo...
Lucite
Kartell Earl of Wood Desk by Philippe Stark in Light Wood and Chrome Frame
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Earl of wood is a simple new desk with a curved wooden surface, offering the perfect solution to the Office and Habitat worlds on account of its myriad diffe...
Wood
Philippe Starck Louis Ghost Arm Chair in Crystal for Kartell
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Miami, FL
Single Louis Ghost arm chair in crystal designed by Philippe Starck for Kartell. Louis Ghost is the world’s bravest example of the injection of polycarbonate in a single mould. A ch...
Plastic
MARLENE Square Wall Mirror, by Philippe Starck with S. Schito for Glas Italia
By Glas Italia, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Marlene wall mirror is shown here in the white back finish. A collection of elegant wall mirrors, created by bending a slab of extralight 6 mm. glass, molded and shiny ground polishe...
Mirror
$1,271 / item
Kartell Eleganza Nia Chair by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Elegance and its discreet charm. Philippe Starck has re-thought the essential lines of Italian style with a timeless chair that combines the world of Haute Couture with bon ton. Dist...
Fabric, Plastic
Set of 2 Kartell Louis Ghost Armchairs in Crystal by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A comfortable armchair in transparent and colored polycarbonate in the Louis XV style, it is the quintessence of baroque revisited to dazzle, excite and captivate. Louis Ghost is the...
Plastic
MARLENE Rectangular Wall Mirror by Philippe Starck & S. Schito for Glas Italia
By Philippe Starck, Glas Italia
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Marlene rectangular wall mirror is shown here in the white back finish. A collection of elegant wall mirrors, created by bending a slab of extralig...
Mirror
Italian modern Yellow plastic chairs Louis Ghost by Starck Kartell, 2000-2010s
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Yellow-trasparent plastic chairs Louis Ghost by Philippe Starck for Kartell, 2000-2010s Set of 4 chairs mod. Louis Ghost entirely in transparent-yellow plastic. The ba...
Plastic
Kartell Ghost Buster Nightstand in Black by Philippe Starck & Eugeni Quitllet
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Night table version of the Ghost Buster commode. A little squared cube on four legs, available in completely transparent, colored or matte versions made o...
Resin
Set of 2 Kartell Louis Ghost Armchairs in Straw Yellow by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A comfortable armchair in transparent and colored polycarbonate in the Louis XV style, it is the quintessence of baroque revisited to dazzle, excite and captivate. Louis Ghost is the...
Plastic
Set of 2 Kartell Louis Ghost Armchairs in Black by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A comfortable armchair in transparent and coloured polycarbonate in the Louis XV style, it is the Quintessence of Baroque revisited to dazzle, excite and captivate. Louis Ghost is th...
Plastic
$1,815 / item
Khan Suspension Lamp in Black by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Many different styles, from 18th century eclecticism to contemporary minimalism, come together in Philippe Starck’s Khan chandelier to create a new icon of elegance and modernity. The symbolism of the design is complemented by the technological innovation of Kartell’s new...
Plastic
Kartell Louis Ghost Armchair in Crystal by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Kartell Louis Ghost armchair in crystal polycarbonate by Philippe Starck special series with face.
Plastic
$1,380 / set
H 35.5 in W 15 in D 15.5 in
Kartell Grey Ghost Side Chairs, by Phillipe Starck - Set of 4
By Kartell
Located in Wichita, KS
Set of four charcoal grey Ghost Chairs by Phillipe Starck for Kartell - good condition with minor abrasions consistent with age. made of polycarbonate material To view all of our...
Plastic
$913 / set
H 35.88 in W 15.5 in D 19.5 in
Set of 2 Kartell Victoria Ghost Chairs in Crystal by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This is a chair born of Classic lines with a rounded backrest that recalls the shape of antique medallions, whilst the seat is linear and geometric. Victoria ghost...
Plastic
$3,522
H 29.14 in W 55.04 in D 23.82 in
Glass, Painted wood & Chrome Plated Metal 1990s desk by Gallotti e Radice
By Gallotti & Radice
Located in Varese, Lombardia
Minimal Desk with wheeled chest of drawers in white lacquered wood, thick cut glass and chrome plated metal. Minimal and elegant Desk with chest of drawers on wheels in white lacqu...
Metal, Chrome
$3,200 / set
H 29 in W 20 in D 18.5 in
6 Kartell Italy Mademoiselle Chairs by Philippe Starck Black Fabric Lucite
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage Set of 6 Mademoiselle dining or armchairs in the original black cotton upholstery and with transparent Lucite frames. Designed by Philippe Starck and made in Italy by Kartel...
Fabric, Foam, Lucite
Kartell Madame Chair in Milan Print by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Thanks to its neutral colour palette, this chair makes the ideal furniture piece for inserting in sophisticated residential interiors or the most refin...
Fabric
$688 / item
H 42.88 in W 19.25 in D 20.5 in
Kartell Masters Bar Stool in Grey by Philippe Starck & Eugeni Quitllet
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Kartell also offers a stool version of the Masters chair, winner of the Good Design Award 2010 and the Red Dot Award 2013, and a worldwide best seller. The legs are lengthened and the seat is shrunk, but the frame's unmistakable graphic look, created by the weave of the silhouettes of three iconic chairs, remains the same. Masters Stool...
Plastic
$913 / set
H 25.65 in W 16.75 in D 16.75 in
Set of 2 Kartell Charles Ghost Medium Stools in Crystal by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The shape conjures up stools of the 1800s and the line of the legs is rounded and slightly upturned, an icon of the classic high stool. Charles Ghost is ...
Crystal
$1,254 / set
H 43.25 in W 14.75 in D 19.63 in
Set of 2 Kartell One More Please Square Bar Stools in Crystal by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
If you want to sip a drink at the bar in peace and quiet, you need a comfortable tall stool with a back to lean against. Sometimes one drink is not enough, and you need "One more" and sometimes "One more please...
Plastic
Kartell Uncle Jim Armchair in Clear by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Uncle collection designed by Philippe Starck adds the Uncle Jim armchair. The armchair echoes the lines and sinuosity of Uncle Jack and lends itself to b...
Plastic
$620Sale Price|27% Off
H 28.5 in W 23.5 in D 23.5 in
'TopTop' Lucite Round Café Table by Philippe Starck for Kartell, Italy
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A sleek and sculptural café or bistro table designed by Philippe Starck with Eugeni Quitllet for Kartell, this piece is part of the iconic 'TopTop' series. Featuring a white round to...
Lucite
$891 / set
H 29.5 in W 20.67 in D 20 in
Set of 2 Kartell Venice Chairs in Glossy White by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A tribute to the city of Venice in a chair for both the table and the living room, which combines classic lines with comfort. Venice is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
Plastic
$688 / item
H 42.88 in W 19.25 in D 20.5 in
Kartell Masters Bar Stool in Black by Philippe Starck & Eugeni Quitllet
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Kartell also offers a stool version of the Masters chair, winner of the Good Design Award 2010 and the Red Dot Award 2013, and a worldwide best seller. The legs are lengthened and the seat is shrunk, but the frame's unmistakable graphic look, created by the weave of the silhouettes of three iconic chairs, remains the same. Masters Stool...
Plastic
Louis Ghost Chairs by Kartell in Crystal
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT Price is for the set of four. Available in transparent Crystal. The Louis Ghost Armchair is a postmodern triumph of technical innovation and historical style – a reinvention...
Acrylic
Philippe Starck "Louis Ghost" Chairs, 6
By Philippe Starck
Located in Astoria, NY
Set of Six Philippe Starck "Louis Ghost" Lucite Side Chairs. 35.5" H x 14" W x 18.25" D; seat: 19" H. Provenance: From an 850 Park Avenue Collection.
Lucite
Sold
H 28.75 in W 18.9 in D 19.3 in
Postmodern Chair model Dr.Glob by Philippe Starck for Kartell, Italy 80s
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Lucija, SI
Very RARE Postmodern plastic Chair, model Dr Glob, was designed by Philippe Starck for Kartell Italy in '80s; exactly 1986. This retro, plastic Chair is in very good vintage conditi...
Metal
Dr Sonderbar Armchair by Philippe Starck for Xo, 1980s
By Philippe Starck
Located in PARIS, FR
Dr Sonderbar armchair by Philippe Starck for XO. The armchair is produced in chromed steel. The seat is openwork and welded to the structure. It has been ...
Steel
Joe Ship Coffee Table by Philippe Starck, 1980s
By Philippe Starck
Located in PARIS, FR
Coffee table Joe Ship by Philippe Starck edited for Les 3 suisses in 1984. Composed of a glass top and 4 adjustable black metal legs. Very good vintage condit...
Metal
Sold
H 35.83 in W 15.36 in D 15.75 in
Set of 6 Green Transparent Chairs Ghost Kartell Designed by Starck, Used 2018
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Cuneo, Italy (CN)
Set of 6 green transparent polycarbonate chairs, designed by Philippe starck and produced by Kartell with the name of Ghost chairs, are a used set ...
Plexiglass
Sold
H 31.89 in W 18.51 in D 20.48 in
Set of Four 1980s 'Costes' Dining-Chairs by Philippe Starck for Driade, Italy
By Philippe Starck, Driade
Located in Antwerp, BE
A set of four beautiful elegant and timeless design plywood arm chairs with three-legged frame and black leather seat designed by Philippe Starck in ...
Metal
Sold
H 15.65 in W 14.65 in L 15.65 in
Kartell Lou Lou Children's Ghost Chair in Crystal Dinosaur by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The miniature version of one of the most famous design chairs joins the Kartell Kids line in several new versions. Philippe Starck's Lou Lou Ghost gets new and customisable graphics ...
Plastic
