Chairs
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Metal
1950s Italian Minimalist Vintage Chairs
Steel
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Chairs
Fabric, Birch
20th Century Chinese Chairs
Wood
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Beech
1950s French Vintage Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Plastic
Late 20th Century Spanish Chairs
Wicker
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Upholstery, Ash
Mid-20th Century European Bauhaus Chairs
Steel, Chrome
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Chrome
1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Chrome
1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Metal
2010s American Chairs
Steel, Aluminum
20th Century French Space Age Chairs
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Chairs
Leather, Mahogany
1970s American Vintage Chairs
Chrome, Steel
Shop Antique and Vintage Chairs on 1stDibs: Lounge Chairs, Dining Chairs and Other Seating for Sale
Chairs are an indispensable component of your home and office. Can you imagine your life without the vintage, new or antique chairs you love?
With the exception of rocking chairs, the majority of the seating in our homes today — Windsor chairs, chaise longues, wingback chairs — originated in either England or France. Art Nouveau chairs, the style of which also originated in those regions, embraced the inherent magnificence of the natural world with decorative flourishes and refined designs that blended both curved and geometric contour lines. While craftsmanship and styles have evolved in the past century, chairs have had a singular significance in our lives, no matter what your favorite chair looks like.
“The chair is the piece of furniture that is closest to human beings,” said Hans Wegner. The revered Danish cabinetmaker and furniture designer was prolific, having designed nearly 500 chairs over the course of his lifetime. His beloved designs include the Wishbone chair, the wingback Papa Bear chair and many more.
Other designers of Scandinavian modernist chairs introduced new dynamics to this staple with sculptural flowing lines, curvaceous shapes and efficient functionality. The Paimio armchair, Swan chair and Panton chair are vintage works of Finnish and Danish seating that left an indelible mark on the history of good furniture design.
“What works good is better than what looks good, because what works good lasts,” said Ray Eames.
Visionary polymaths Ray and Charles Eames experimented with bent plywood and fiberglass with the goal of producing affordable furniture for a mass market. Like other celebrated mid-century modern furniture designers of elegant low-profile furnishings — among them Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Finn Juhl — the Eameses considered ergonomic support, durability and cost, all of which should be top of mind when shopping for the perfect chair. The mid-century years yielded many popular chairs.
The Eameses introduced numerous icons for manufacturer Herman Miller, such as the Eames lounge chair and ottoman, molded plywood dining chairs the DCM and DCW (which can be artfully mismatched around your dining table) and a wealth of other treasured pieces for the home and office.
A good chair anchors us to a place and can become an object of timeless appeal. Take a seat and browse the rich variety of vintage, new and antique chairs on 1stDibs today.
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