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International Style Chairs

INTERNATIONAL STYLE

The International Style, a modernist movement within architecture and furniture design that was given its name by American architect Philip Johnson and historian Henry-Russell Hitchcock, was born during the 1920s and ’30s. It gained steam initially in Europe and then in the United States as a response to the first World War. Building projects associated with the movement, as well as vintage International Style chairs, tables and other furnishings, are minimal and pared back. 

Pioneers of the International Style — architect Walter Gropius and his Bauhaus colleagues Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer, De Stijl advocate and Dutch architect J.J.P. Oud and visionary designer Le Corbusier — stripped away decorative elements and placed considerable value on functionality and clean lines, integrating the use of industrial materials like steel, concrete and large sheets of glass in their work. Quite aptly, this mode of design and architectural style coincided with an era now known as the Machine Age and became a global symbol of modernism. The primary motive of its practitioners was to address the changing needs of a rapidly industrializing society, especially the demand for office complexes and apartments in large cities, through economical, technologically advanced, yet aesthetically pleasing designs for furniture and buildings. 

“Space and light and order. Those are the things that men need just as much as they need bread or a place to sleep,” said Le Corbusier of the philosophy behind his practical modernist architecture

The International Style’s designers and architects were inspired by the advantages afforded them by the era’s new technology and industrial machinery as well as state-of-the-art materials. Le Corbusier was fond of framing his buildings in steel but reinforced concrete made far more economic sense. He is probably most admired for the iconic private homes and commercial buildings that he designed or codesigned with his cousin Pierre Jeanneret, which are spread across the world, from New York City to Paris to Chandigarh, India. Today, Breuer’s Wassily Lounge chair; the elegant LC series created by Le Corbusier, Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand; and Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair, crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich, are emblems of progressive modernist design and all make prominent use of tubular steel. Vintage originals are the prized cornerstone of collections.

“The International Style is probably the first fundamentally original and widely distributed style since the Gothic,” posited Johnson in the book that accompanied “Modern Architecture: International Exhibition,” an architectural show he cocurated with Hitchcock that featured the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Richard Neutra and others. While the term “International Style” had previously been circulating in Europe, when the show opened at the Museum of Modern Art in 1932, it yielded a much broader application of this important style of design. 

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Style: International Style
Five Italian Side Chairs
Located in New York, NY
Side chair from the 1930s with early example of plywood seat. Chairs can be sold separately. $1500.00 per chair.
Category

20th Century Italian International Style Chairs

Materials

Plywood

Mid Century NY Folding Lounge Chair and Ottoman by Takeshi Nii, Japan, c. 1950's
Located in Deland, FL
A permanent part of the collection of MOMA, the ‘NY’ chair is a highly respected example of modern design. First produced in 1958 by Japanese designer Takeshi Nii, the layout of the ...
Category

1960s Japanese Vintage International Style Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Willy Guhl Loop Chair 1st edition with original wood 1950
Located in Rio De Janeiro, RJ
Incredible original from the 50s Loop Chair by Willy Guhl with wood in the base in perfect conditions. Fantastic.
Category

1950s Brazilian Vintage International Style Chairs

Materials

Concrete

Pr. Cube Form Club Chairs by Charles Pfister for Knoll
Located in New York, NY
Chic pair of leather club chairs designed by Charles Pfister for Knoll. Executed in grayish blue leather, close to a slate blue in tone. Chairs are matching in color, they appear different in the pictures as a result of uneven lighting. The chairs are in very good, original condition, showing only light cosmetic wear, normal and consistent with age. Priced and offered as a pair, please view the matching loveseat we have listed separately at Barbarella Home...
Category

Late 20th Century American International Style Chairs

Materials

Leather

Contemporary Matias Sagaria Velvet Dining Room Chair Metal Italian Walnut Black
Located in San Polo, Parma
Culaccino is a sculptural chair, designed by Studio Sagaría. Culaccino in chair in an irreverent take on geometry, proportions and colors. It is coming from a complex, coherent a...
Category

2010s Italian International Style Chairs

Materials

Metal

Contemporary Leather Flex Chair
Located in Boston, MA
Charcoal and sand. Structure with strips of solid wood and natural finishing. Natural or faux leather.
Category

2010s Brazilian International Style Chairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

Take a Seat, International Style Chair, Dining Chair, Office Chair
Located in İstanbul, İstanbul
Designed for whom to write their own Tabula Rasa in comfort and style. Take a seat is one of the chair interpretations of Kontra which consists a solid wal...
Category

2010s Turkish International Style Chairs

Materials

Leather, Oak, Walnut

Take a Seat, International Style Chair, Dining Chair, Office Chair
Located in İstanbul, İstanbul
Designed for whom to write their own Tabula Rasa in comfort and style. Take a seat is one of the chair interpretations of Kontra which consists a solid wa...
Category

2010s Turkish International Style Chairs

Materials

Leather, Oak, Walnut

Femur Black Dining Chair in Walnut and Leather 'Set x 6' by Atra
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Femur chair dining set in walnut and Velvet by Atra. Designer - Alexander Diaz Anderson. L 58.5cm/23.00” W 45.7cm/17.9” H 83.8cm/32.9” Seat Height 47.0c...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Mexican International Style Chairs

Materials

Walnut

Mattia Biagi, "Sit on My Face", Chair, 2022
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The “Sit On My Face” chair sculpture and the "Light Up My Face" sconce reveal the artist's intimate investigation of life and death, nature and civilizatio...
Category

2010s American International Style Chairs

Materials

Carrara Marble

Carlo Hauner brazilian blue and white chair in wood polychromed and iron 1960
Located in Rio De Janeiro, RJ
Incredible Carlo Hauner blue and white chair in wood and iron circa 1950.
Category

1960s Brazilian Vintage International Style Chairs

Materials

Iron

Related Items
Willy Guhl Loop Chair, Switzerland
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fantastic cement chair by Swiss designer Willy Guhl for Eternit. Brand new. Hand mage in Switzerland. One of the most iconic chairs ever designed. Priced as a single chair.
Category

2010s Swiss International Style Chairs

Materials

Cement

Willy Guhl Loop Chair, Switzerland
Willy Guhl Loop Chair, Switzerland
H 24 in W 21 in D 31 in
Klismos Walnut Wood Saber Legs Black Velvet Dining Chairs, Customizable
Located in IT
Klismos walnut wood customizable dining chairs Italian production, black velvet upholstery. Other colors and upholstery are available. Walnut wood ch...
Category

2010s Italian International Style Chairs

Materials

Walnut, Leather, Nutwood, Cotton

Set of New Production Willy Guhl Loop Chairs and Matching Table, Switzerland
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fantastic new production pair of cement chairs with matching table by Swiss designer Willy Guhl for Eternit. One of the most iconic chairs ever designed. Priced as a pair with matchi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Swiss International Style Chairs

Materials

Cement

1950s Italian Brass Chiavari Side Chair
Located in Stamford, CT
Italian brass Chiavari chair. New seat cushion upholstered in Lee Jofa louvered maze cut velvet fabric. Overall as found unpolished patina to the solid brass frame.
Category

1950s Italian Vintage International Style Chairs

Materials

Brass

Guhl Chair by Willy Guhl '1. Edition, Special Sealed, Safe Surface'
Located in Zürich, CH
Here the silhouette is strong. It is presented through the outline and shape of the piece. The object exudes an aura. It’s not about the shape or about the material; its auratic qual...
Category

Mid-20th Century Swiss International Style Chairs

Materials

Concrete

Charles Pfister Petite Sofa by Knoll
Located in Highland, IN
Pfister's clean-lined design is a subtle, understated design that works beautifully in almost any interior. We particularly love how the small, inset legs give the sofa a floating qu...
Category

1970s American Vintage International Style Chairs

Materials

Steel

Charles Pfister Petite Sofa by Knoll
Charles Pfister Petite Sofa by Knoll
H 26 in W 76.5 in D 29.5 in
Pair 1979 Charles Pfister Club Chairs
Located in South Charleston, WV
With the interiors in exquisite condition (foam and feathers), these chairs only require reupholstery. 33" x 33" x 23.5" tall No odors or penetration to the cushioning below. Set of ...
Category

1970s American Vintage International Style Chairs

Materials

Bentwood

Pair 1979 Charles Pfister Club Chairs
Pair 1979 Charles Pfister Club Chairs
H 23.5 in W 33 in D 33 in
Pair of Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
Located in Buchanan, NY
A sophisticated pair of 1950s Italian sidechairs in green leather with wicker backs and brass detailing. Add some classic mid-century modern elegance to your home with this gorgeous pair of 1950s Italian side chairs...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage International Style Chairs

Materials

Upholstery

Contemporary Chair 'FF Swivel' Chrome, Dakar Leather
Located in Paris, IDF
The 'FF Swivel' chair designed by Ida L. Hildebrand for Friends & Founders Model shown in main picture: - Chrome frame - Leather Dakar Nevotex 0197 Upholstery available in a wide range of fabrics and leathers Price may vary depending on the fabric and type of metal for the legs. Contemporary design studio Friends & Founders was founded in 2003 by Ida Linea and Rasmus Hilderbrand in Copenhagen, Denmark. For this couple, designing and creating is a “geometrical performance act”. The lines and shapes are sleek and pure; often organic. And sometimes, it contrasts with the masculinity of the materials used, as marble or metal. The creations signed by Friends & Founders may look simple. In reality, the pieces are a perfect balance between functional comfort and elegance of lines and design. The FF COLLECTION was developed with a focus on sustainability. At first glance the FF chairs...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish International Style Chairs

Materials

Steel

Contemporary Chair 'FF 4-Legs', Full Black, Dakar Leather
Located in Paris, IDF
Dining chair 'FF' 4-Legs designed by Ida L. Hildebrand for Friends & Founders Dimensions: H. 75 / W. 55 / D. 55 cm H. 29.53" / W. 21.65" / D. 21.65" Model shown on main picture: Fa...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish International Style Chairs

Materials

Leather

Mid-Century Tufted Lounge Chair by Fairfield Chair Co
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mid-Century Modern walnut frame lounge chair with barrel back rest and tufted green upholstery. A wide design with overstuffed seating ensuring maximum comfort. Quality craftsmanship...
Category

1960s American Vintage International Style Chairs

Materials

Walnut

Postmodern Handmade Geometrical Solid Beech and Walnut Side Chair, Italy 1980s
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Handmade in Italy, 1980s. This chair features a solid beech and walnut frame. It is a vintage item, therefore it might show slight traces of use, but it can be considered as in very...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage International Style Chairs

Materials

Beech, Walnut

Previously Available Items
Pr. Meis Van Der Rohe Designed Brno Chairs by Knoll in Brown Leather
Located in New York, NY
Chic pair of classic Brno chairs, designed by Meis van Der Rohe, made by Knoll. The chairs are in original brown leather upholstery, which is in nicely worn condition, showing cosmet...
Category

Mid-20th Century American International Style Chairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

Set of Two '2' Leather Safari Chairs by Wilhelm Kienzle for Wohnbedarf, c. 1950s
Located in Deland, FL
Utilitarian, delightfully-aged and absolutely sophisticated this set of two safari chairs designed by Wilhelm Kienzle for Wohnbedarf, Switzerland is sure to grab attention and add character to any space. Originally designed in 1928 and manufactured in the early 1950s as a homage to field chairs...
Category

1950s Swiss Vintage International Style Chairs

Materials

Teak

Set of Six Cesca Chairs Designed by Marcel Breuer c. 1970's
Located in New York, NY
Nice clean set of six Cesca chairs, originally designed by Marcel Breuer, these chair were produced in Italy in the 1970's. The chairs feature caned backrests and newly upholstered w...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage International Style Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Irish international style black and chromed metal chair by Eileen Gray, 1970s
Located in MIlano, IT
Irish international style black and chromed metal chair with armrests by Eileen Gray, 1970s Chair with black metal armrests, with chromed tubular steel on the whole frame and backres...
Category

1960s Northern Irish Vintage International Style Chairs

Materials

Metal

Genuine French Tolix Steel Stacking Chairs (4) Brilliant Blue Showroom Samples
Located in Chicago, IL
Genuine Tolix steel stacking chairs originally designed by Xavier Pauchard around the early 1900's. Mr. Pauchard invented a process for protecting metal from rusting. The now famous Tolix steel stacking chairs and steel stacking stools did not start production until the 1930’s. By 1956 Xavier finally perfected the stackable Tolix steel chairs...
Category

2010s French International Style Chairs

Materials

Steel

Pr. Vintage Barcelona Chairs Ca. 1970's
Located in New York, NY
Chic pair of vintage Barcelona Chairs, having leather seats, and bright chrome frames. These chairs are vintage 1970's probably made in Italy, ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian International Style Chairs

Materials

Steel

Breuer Wassily Canvas and Chromed Lounge Chair
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A hard to find canvas slung Wassily lounge chair with sculptural steel chromed frame by Marcel Breuer finished in a yellowish canvas material. Model # B3 designed in the late 1930's ...
Category

Late 20th Century Unknown International Style Chairs

Materials

Canvas

20th Century Wood and Rattan Chiavari High Back Chair by Paolo Buffa, 1950s
Located in Bunnik, NL
A unique example of "Chiavari" chair with an original rattan seat in very good condition. Probably made in the mid 50's. The chair is not signed, but it is attributed to Paolo Buffa ...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage International Style Chairs

Materials

Rattan, Wood

Functional Art Chair / Throne "'Spring Swab" by Lionel Jadot
Located in Antwerp, BE
Collectible design / Functional art, Lionel Jadot for Everyday Gallery, Belgium 2020 Born in Brussels in 1969, Lionel Jadot is an interior designer, artist, designer, filmmaker, adventurer. But all at once, preferably. Lionel Jadot is firing on all cylinders. ‘I never throw anything, I pick up everything. Not having a green thumb, I’m trying cuttings, weddings against nature. I never forget a line.’ He’s inviting us in subtle, off-beat worlds, on the edge of reality. Its material is made of dilated time. A wandering spirit, he seeks a protective balance in a hostile world. It is his constant questioning: what happens to the place where we live? For Lionel Jadot, everything is object, everything is history. He draws from other places, other times, and seeks what’s linking them. He sews, stitches, unpicks, blends materials, combines eras. He will enshrine some wood essence in metal, some mineral in a plant, the old in the new. ‘I take extra care to the joint between two materials.’ With him, there is always some play in the parts, as in a piece of machinery. From a kingdom to another, he provokes organic, viral growths, generating energy. Linking past and future, he never forgets a line. ‘I accumulate them.’ He’s inviting us in subtle worlds, off-beat, on the edge of reality. Are we in 1930 or in 2030? Both, no doubt. Its material is made of dilated time. The eye goes hand in hand with the ear. ‘When I walk into a place, I listen to the good (or bad) it does to me. An ineffable feeling.’ He recreates mutant buildings, like the future Royal Botanique, a 5 stars hotel housed in the Church of the Gesu, a former convent behind a 1940 façade. He talks about a ‘hotel object’, which he holds and turns around in his hand. A wandering spirit, he’s flirting with retro-futurism. The Jam, another hotel, is intended for urban travelers, fans of swiftness, fluidity and hospitality. He designs interiors as a set of objects: a motorcycle cut in concrete becomes a bar counter. He finds gothic cartoon echoes, from the likes of Moebius, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Enki Bilal, sets from Garage Hermétique and Blade Runner, a protective balance in a hostile world. Discovering Jadot’s little cosmos of collected and accumulated goods, it becomes clear that every element has its own story. I tried to collect them and in turn, devour them in the coming paragraphs. But first: the show is best experienced seated, barring the distinction between object of use and object of attention, they invite for different types of conversation. The seats, chairs, thrones all make us think of our own physical comportment, and of how the seat lends grandeur to the person sitting on it, by crowning its presence. The crackling floor, the felt walls and the diffuse light slow you down into an oddly absorbing environment, in which you are left puzzled. In the eclectic collages of objects, bits and pieces collected all over the world come together in ways practical, and logical, though possibly only in the artist’s mind. All his finds eventually seem to fall into place. Starting with the mere conception of a chair, rather than with a set-out plan or sketch, the works are intuitively construed out of an archive that one can only imagine the dimensions of. Things forgotten by others, precious for him, were all once designed for their own purpose. Here they find their fit as a base, a closing system or a balancing element. The first piece that opens the exhibition, the most throne-like of all seats in the show, builds around a chair of his grandmother, protected by mops, and harassed with bed springs. As you enter the space, you pass by a shell leaning over a yellow seat that stems from his old Mustang, and find a white stool piece with Mexican leather dog training whips— the white building blocks of which turn out to be dried molding material, as found and broken out of a bucket by workers every morning. Further, the stone piece that reminds one of the stone age, is indeed made of 400 million old rocks, and the soft seats are lent from construction, where these strokes of textile carry up the heaviest goods. In the corner — but as you walk this walk please be seated on any of the thrones and experience the work for a moment— the green fluffy cover is made by XXXX who remakes cartographies of warzones, one of which is here mounted on a flexible fishing chair. On an experience level, the conversation chair enhances self-confidence, while putting you literally in a good spot with the person you’re conversing with. The lamp perfectly shows the playful Cadavre Exquis...
Category

2010s Belgian International Style Chairs

Materials

Metal

Marcel Breuer Cesca Dining Armchairs Made in Italy
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A set of six satin black framed Cesca dining armchairs with sculptural chrome tube frames and woven cane backs and bottoms. A comfortable chair having the...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian International Style Chairs

Materials

Wood

Pr. Mies Mr 10 Dining Chairs Woven Wicker on Chrome Frames
Located in New York, NY
Iconic design mr 10 chairs designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. These chair are circa 1960s-1970s, we believe they were made in Italy for Knoll, but they are unsigned. Both are in g...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian International Style Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Pair of Meis Barcelona Chairs by Knoll
Located in New York, NY
Impressive pair of Knoll (Park Ave.) Barcelona chairs in wonderful baseball glove worn brown leather. Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the Barcelona chair practically singularly...
Category

Mid-20th Century American International Style Chairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

International Style chairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique International Style chairs for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage chairs created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, fabric and other materials. If you’re shopping for used International Style chairs made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original chairs, popular names associated with this style include Bontempi Casa, Alexander Diaz Andersson, ATRA, and kontra. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for chairs differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $209 and tops out at $60,000 while the average work can sell for $991.

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