Plycraft Norman Cherner Side Chairs
View Similar Items
Plycraft Norman Cherner Side Chairs
About the Item
- Creator:Norman Cherner (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.25 in (79.38 cm)Width: 17 in (43.18 cm)Depth: 20 in (50.8 cm)Seat Height: 17 in (43.18 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 4
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s-1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. In excellent estate found vintage condition.
- Seller Location:Cincinnati, OH
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU92514512753
Norman Cherner
Norman Cherner was an influential designer who explored postwar technological innovations and how to incorporate them into furniture production and architecture. And while its history is complicated, his Cherner chair is one of the most successful examples of mid-century modern molded plywood seating.
Born in New York City, Cherner was an architect and a prolific designer who taught at Columbia University’s Teachers College. An enthusiast of the Bauhaus, he gave lectures in the late 1940s on the principles of the legendary German design school at the Museum of Modern Art.
Cherner was fascinated with the concept of cost-efficient design, and this extended into his pioneering ideas for prefabricated housing. His philosophy was that a modular home should be a complete design concept that included economical furniture and lighting. He published several DIY books, such as How to Build a House for $6,000. Cherner caught the interest of a housing cooperative in upstate New York and was contracted to design and oversee the construction of prefabricated housing in the town of Ramapo. The U.S. Department of Housing assembled a pre-built Cherner home for exhibition in Vienna.
But he is best known for his chair.
In the 1950s, one of George Nelson’s designers, John F. Pile, created the Pretzel chair. It had structural problems and proved too costly to make at Herman Miller, where Nelson was director of design. Production was subcontracted to Massachusetts company Plycraft, but the agreement didn’t last long owing to a dispute between the furniture manufacturers. Based on a recommendation from Nelson, Plycraft sought out Cherner to redesign the chair so that it would be durable and affordable to produce.
Cherner submitted his redesign only to be told that Plycraft had shelved the project. However, Plycraft secretly began producing what would become the Cherner chair under a different name — and Cherner later stumbled across his seat in New York. Cherner sued Plycraft and won. The chair became instantly popular after being featured in a Norman Rockwell illustration for a Saturday Evening Post cover in September of 1961.
Other noteworthy Cherner designs include his Konwiser furniture line, Multiflex storage units and tube lighting. The Museum of Modern Art praised his Konwiser collection as “some of the most progressive furniture designs available to the American public.”
In 1972, Plycraft discontinued production of his chair, and Cherner died in 1987. In 1999, his two sons founded the Cherner Chair Company and began making furniture based on their father's original designs for armchairs, chairs — including the Cherner chair — tables and credenzas.
Find vintage Norman Cherner furniture on 1stDibs today.
- Teak Upholstered High Back Dining ChairsBy OtmarLocated in Cincinnati, OHA pair of head dining chairs upholstered in a tightly woven cranberry Danish styled fabric having teak wood frames and saber rear legs. These chairs ...Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery
$1,600 / set - Charles Hollis Jones High Back Lucite Upholstered Dining ChairsBy Charles Hollis JonesLocated in Cincinnati, OHA set of six high back Lucite dining chairs with four side chairs and two chairs having sculptural arms . The back forms the back leg structure and is detailed with chrome studs at t...Category
Mid-20th Century American Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Lucite
- Rare Sculptural Arm / Lounge Chair by Norman Chener for PlycraftBy PlycraftLocated in Cincinnati, OHA sculptural bent wood framed arm chair / lounge chair with ribbed black leatherette upholstery. This rare form shares it's DNA with the other pie...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Mid Century Styled Walnut Dining Table by Benjamin Cherner for Cherner Chair Co.By Benjamin ChernerLocated in Cincinnati, OHA round walnut dining table with matching tapered bent wood legs in the manner of the iconic Cherner chair designed by Norman Cherner. This table is manufactured and retains the label by the Cherner Chair Company and designed by Benjamin Cherner numbered 04767. A simple piece ready for dining room or eat in kitchen.Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Ta...
MaterialsWalnut
- 1970's Belotti Spaghetti Dining Chair ItalyBy Giandomenico BelottiLocated in Cincinnati, OHA set of four white PVC steel framed dining chairs with nylon rope woven seat and back called the Spaghetti chair designed by Giandomenico Be...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
$1,400 / set - 4 Arne Jacobsen Swiveling Oxford Dining Chairs, DenmarkBy Arne JacobsenLocated in Cincinnati, OHA set of four swiveling upholstered Oxford dining chairs in a tightly woven dark purple contract fabric with chromed shaft and cast aluminum star base having plastic feet to protect ...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery
- Pair of Norman Cherner Side ChairsBy Norman ChernerLocated in Berlin, BerlinPair of side chairs designed by Norman Cherner. U.S.A., Cherner, 1958. A pair of recent production side chairs in classic walnut laminate on moulded plywood...Category
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsWalnut
$1,898 / set - Plycraft Chairs by Norman ChernerBy Norman ChernerLocated in Van Nuys, CAThis is a set of 4 colorful chairs designed by Norman Cherner for Plycraft. Each chair is painted in its own unique color: red, green, blue, and yellow....Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsWood
$5,060 / set - Set of 5 Norman Cherner For Plycraft Steam Bent PlywoodBy Norman Cherner, PlycraftLocated in New York, NYSET of 5 American Mid-Century dining chairs with beige painted steam bent plywood frames and orange vinyl upholstered backs and seats. (NORMAN CHERNER FOR P...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
$22,500 / set - Set of Norman Cherner Pretzel Dining Chairs, Made by Plycraft, USA, 1960sBy Norman Cherner, PlycraftLocated in London, GBA set of four original Norman Cherner pretzel dining chairs, made by Plycraft, USA, in the 1960s. Bentwood frames. Priced for the s...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsWood
- Set of 4 Norman Cherner Directional Side Chairs PlycraftBy Plycraft, Directional, Norman ChernerLocated in Fraser, MIPlease feel free to reach out for accurate shipping to your location. Set of 4 Norman Cherner side chairs. Walnut veneer on chrome bases. These chairs have rare Directional labels. ...Category
Vintage 1960s Chairs
MaterialsChrome
$2,156 Sale Price / set25% Off - Iconic Mid Century Cherner Plycraft Bent Ply ChairBy Plycraft, Norman ChernerLocated in New York, NYIconic Mid Century bent plywood chair designed by Norman Cherner for Plycraft with original Plycraft label, dated 1964. This example is...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Plywood