Chairs
Mid-20th Century Dutch Industrial Chairs
Metal
1950s Dutch Industrial Vintage Chairs
Metal
Late 20th Century Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Satin, Wood
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Chairs
Leather, Teak
1950s Italian Vintage Chairs
Walnut, Glass, Maple
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Wood
1950s Swiss Vintage Chairs
Steel
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Chairs
Leather, Teak
1950s Japanese Vintage Chairs
Steel
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Metal, Steel
20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Textile, Beech
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Beech
20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Textile, Wool, Beech
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Chrome
20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Textile, Beech
Mid-20th Century German Louis XVI Chairs
Wood
20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Textile, Beech
20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Textile, Beech
20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Textile, Beech
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Metal
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Plywood, Beech
19th Century French Belle Époque Antique Chairs
Tapestry, Wood
Late 20th Century Indian Chairs
Iron
Early 20th Century French Directoire Chairs
Wood, Upholstery, Paint
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Faux Leather, Teak
1950s French Vintage Chairs
Upholstery, Bouclé, Oak
Late 20th Century Italian Chairs
Steel
1970s Slovenian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Metal
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Aluminum
1950s French Vintage Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century Dutch French Provincial Chairs
Rope, Oak
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Aluminum, Chrome
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Chairs
Oak
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Leather, Teak
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.
Read More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
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Is Lionel Jadot the Willy Wonka of Upcycled Belgian Design?
From his massive collaborative workshop in a former paper factory, the designer concocts funky furniture from disused materials, as well as luxe hotel interiors like the new Mix Brussels.
Learn Why Designer Maarten Baas Set This Charles Rennie Mackintosh Chair on Fire
What happens when you do something to a piece of furniture that you shouldn’t? It becomes an entirely new object.
Kaleidoscopic Upholstery Makes This Edward Wormley Chair a Showstopper
What at first glance seems an unusual choice jibes perfectly with the designer's aesthetic.
Design Icon Ilse Crawford on Her Colorful New Hans Wegner Chairs
If anyone is brave, humble and adept enough to recolor these mid-century masterpieces, it’s Ilse Crawford. Here, she gives us the details on her five earthy paint choices and tells us how she feels about design collaborations.
How to Reupholster a Chair
Want to update an old chair that still has good bones? We spoke to experts to find out how they approach reupholstering antique furniture.
How to Spot Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI Chairs
A field guide for anyone who wants to brush up on their knowledge of French antiques
The Ball Chair, Eero Aarnio’s Space Age Masterpiece, Was Almost Never Made
Now considered emblematic of 1960s mod aesthetics, the Finnish designer's famous creation was far from an overnight success.