New and vintage bouclé chairs — and other pieces of bouclé seating — are synonymous with comfort.
Bouclé is an impossibly soft fabric that is characterized by an irregular pattern of looped threads which yield its rich texture and volume. The yarn from which bouclé fabric is made — the name is French for “buckled” or “curled” and refers to the yarn and the fabric — comprises twisted fibers.
It has been used in furniture to reproduce the look and coarse feel of traditional handwoven textiles since the 1800s. But it was architect and designer Eero Saarinen’s revered Womb chair, crafted for Knoll in the 1940s, that turned this cozy but breathable fabric into a staple of modern furniture design.
Bouclé fabric can be found in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles on 1stDibs. You can also browse our bouclé chairs by designers and firms, including Pierre Paulin, Christian Sorensen, Fritz Hansen and, of course, Knoll.
Given that Florence Knoll — a revolutionary modernist designer and former protégé of Eero Saarinen's father, Eliel, at Cranbrook Academy of Art — hoped for "something I could curl up in" when she requested what would become the famous Womb chair (and series), could it have been upholstered in anything other than her company's trademark "Classic Bouclé"?
Shop a varied selection of new and vintage bouclé chairs, lounge chairs, swivel chairs and armchairs on 1stDibs today.