Ilmari Tapiovaara Armchairs 'Domus' in Beech and Patinated Leather
View Similar Items
Ilmari Tapiovaara Armchairs 'Domus' in Beech and Patinated Leather
About the Item
- Creator:Ilmari Tapiovaara (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.11 in (79 cm)Width: 23.23 in (59 cm)Depth: 20.87 in (53 cm)Seat Height: 17.72 in (45 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1953
- Condition:Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use. Every item Morentz offers is checked by our team of 30 craftsmen in our in-house workshop. Special restoration or reupholstery requests can be done. We guarantee a very high-quality standard, ask our design specialists for detailed information.
- Seller Location:Waalwijk, NL
- Reference Number:Seller: 45004380 1stDibs: LU933124008132
Ilmari Tapiovaara
During the mid-20th century, Finnish furniture designer Ilmari Tapiovaara worked with pine, teak and his country’s native birch to create sleek and sculptural chairs, dining room tables and bookcases in the Scandinavian modern style. Tapiovaara’s areas of expertise expanded beyond furniture to include interior architecture, wooden sculptures, film posters and cutlery.
After completing his studies at the Central School of Applied Arts in Helsinki, Tapiovaara embarked on a design career that would envelop his entire life. As a young man, Tapiovaara idolized revered architect and furniture designer Alvar Aalto — whom, with his wife, Aino Aalto, cofounded Artek, the company that would eventually manufacture the majority of Tapiovaara’s creations. The budding designer had one of Aalto’s chairs in his apartment while he was a student. After graduating, he worked as an assistant in an office at Le Corbusier, then as a designer and artistic director at Asko.
By 1951, Tapiovaara and his wife, Annikki, had established their own studio. A few years previous, the pair had designed the now-legendary Domus chair while creating interiors and furnishings for a new student housing complex in Helsinki. Made of molded plywood and easily stackable, the ergonomic Domus chair, with its slender form, featured a modest silhouette — its lightweight structure allowed for easy exporting, and iconic mid-century modern furniture manufacturer Knoll added a low-backed version to its offerings in the early 1950s. (It was marketed as the Finn chair in the United States.)
Tapiovaara went on to design pieces for Pihlgren ja Ritola and Santa and Cole. His experience earned him teaching positions at the Institute of Applied Arts, the Helsinki University of Technology and the Illinois Institute of Technology. While in Chicago for the latter, he worked in the office of Mies van der Rohe.
Tapiovaara centered his passion for design on social responsibility. He wanted his creations to be accessible to everyone, which was the concept behind his democratic approach. In Finland’s postwar era, the goal was exemplary, affordable designs. With this in mind, he created products such as stackable chairs and “knock-down” pieces packed flat, so they shipped efficiently and cost less.
An influential champion of his profession, he spent two decades as a United Nations ambassador, working to improve design’s contribution to society. His lasting, collectible furniture is a testament to the designer’s goal to create humane, radiant and intimate spaces. The United Nations project included traveling to Paraguay to create much-needed furniture. A similar project followed in Mauritius.
Tapiovaara’s success as an industrial and mass producer of everyday furniture was widely recognized and awarded. He received six gold medals for his chairs alone at the Milan Triennials. He also accepted a Good Design award, the Finnish State Design Award, a prize from the Finnish Culture Foundation and the Furniture Prize of the SIO Interior Architects’ Association of Finland.
Find vintage Ilmari Tapiovaara seating, tables and lighting on 1stDibs.
Established in 2006, Morentz has a team of approximately 55 restorers, upholsterers, interior advisers and art historians, making it a gallery, workshop and upholstery studio, all in one. Every day, a carefully selected array of 20th-century furniture arrives from all over the world at the firm’s warehouse, where the team thoroughly examines each piece to determine what, if any, work needs to be done. Whether that means new upholstery or a complete restoration, Morentz's aim is always to honor the designer’s intention while fulfilling the wishes of the client. The team is up to any challenge, from restoring a single piece to its original glory to furnishing a large-scale hotel project.
- Ilmari Tapiovaara Set of Four ‘Domus’ Dining Chairs in Black Stained TeakBy Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Waalwijk, NLIlmari Tapiovaara, set of four armchairs, stained teak, metal, Finland, 1953 This is a wonderful set of early ‘Domus’ armchairs by Finnish designer Ilmari Tapiovaara. Executed in a ...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Ilmari Tapiovaara Set of Six ‘Domus’ Dining Chairs in Black Stained TeakBy Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Waalwijk, NLIlmari Tapiovaara, set of six armchairs, stained teak, metal, Finland, 1953 This is a wonderful set of early ‘Domus’ armchairs by Finnish designer Ilmari Tapiovaara. Executed in a b...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Ilmari Tapiovaara for Artek Lounge Chair 'Domus Lux' in BirchBy Ilmari Tapiovaara, ArtekLocated in Waalwijk, NLIlmari Tapiovaara for Artek, lounge chair model 'Domus Lux', lacquered wood, birch, Finland, designed in 1948, recent production. This wonderfully sculpted lounge chair is characte...Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWood, Birch
- Ilmari Tapiovaara for Laukaan Puu Set of Four 'Pirkka' ChairsBy Laukaan Puu, Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Waalwijk, NLIlmari Tapiovaara for Laukaan Puu, set of four 'Pirkka' dining chairs, beech, pine, Finland, design 1955 This set of ‘Pirkka’ chairs by Finish designer I...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBeech, Pine
- Kurt Østervig Pair of Armchairs in Teak and Beige LeatherBy Kurt ØstervigLocated in Waalwijk, NLKurt Østervig for Brande Møbelindustri, pair of armchairs model 27, teak, leather, Denmark, 1950s. Beautiful pair of dining chairs designed by Kurt Østervig for Brande Møbelindustri...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Ole Wanscher for Poul Jeppesen Armchair in Teak and Black LeatherBy Ole Wanscher, Poul Jeppesens MøbelfabrikLocated in Waalwijk, NLOle Wanscher for P. Jeppesens Møbelfabrik, armchair, model 'PJ412', teak, leather, Denmark, 1960s Modest pair of dining chairs designed by Ole Wanscher in the 1960s. These chairs a...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Ilmari Tapiovaara Domus ArmchairBy Keravan Puuteollisuus Oy, Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Highland, INA wonderful 1946 design by Ilmari Tapiovaara, the Domus chair was offered entirely of wood, with an upholstered seat, or an upholstered seat and back. This nice example, has beautifu...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Beech
- Ilmari Tapiovaara Wooden Domus Armchair, Green Faux Leather, Finland 1950'sBy Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Den Haag, NLIlmari Tapiovaara Domus Armchair, Finland 1950's Early edition with it's original green faux leather upholstery.Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
MaterialsFaux Leather, Wood
- Set of Three Domus Armchairs by Ilmari Tapiovaara, FinlandBy Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Antwerp, BESet of three wooden chairs designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara, produced in 1953 by Keravan Puuteollisuus of Finland for U.S. distribution by Knoll. The seat is re-upholstered in camel...Category
Vintage 1950s Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Wood
$765 Sale Price / item30% Off - Ilmari Tapiovaara, Domus`Armchair , Keravan Puuteollisuus Ltd.By Keravan Puuteollisuus Oy, Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Helsinki, FIThe iconic Domus lounge chair was originally designed for the student housing project Domus Academica in Helsinki in 1947. This beautiful early version is stamped with the first pro...Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
MaterialsBirch, Plywood
- 1950s Ilmari Tapiovaara Chairs in Leather and BeechBy Ilmari Tapiovaara, La Permanente Mobili CantùLocated in Madrid, ESIlmari Tapiovaara chairs in beech and natural leather for La Permanente Mobili Cantu. Italia, 50´s. Condition consistent with age and use.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Beech
- Set of Eight Armchairs by TapiovaaraBy Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Brooklyn, NYOriginal set of armchairs.Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFruitwood
$7,800 / set
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
You Don’t Need a Fictional Fairy to Get This Real Pinocchio Lamp
Warm chalet style meets cool Bauhaus functionality in Pietro Cascella’s cleverly carved creation.
Morentz Writes the Next Chapter for Furniture with a Storied Past
Dutch dealer Matthijs Hoveijn specializes in the best of mid-century modern design, selling it to discerning clients around the world.