Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MID-CENTURY MODERN STYLE
Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.
ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Emerged during the mid-20th century
- Informed by European modernism, Bauhaus, International style, Scandinavian modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture
- A heyday of innovation in postwar America
- Experimentation with new ideas, new materials and new forms flourished in Scandinavia, Italy, the former Czechoslovakia and elsewhere in Europe
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Simplicity, organic forms, clean lines
- A blend of neutral and bold Pop art colors
- Use of natural and man-made materials — alluring woods such as teak, rosewood and oak; steel, fiberglass and molded plywood
- Light-filled spaces with colorful upholstery
- Glass walls and an emphasis on the outdoors
- Promotion of functionality
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
- Charles and Ray Eames
- Eero Saarinen
- Milo Baughman
- Florence Knoll
- Harry Bertoia
- Isamu Noguchi
- George Nelson
- Danish modernists Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, whose emphasis on natural materials and craftsmanship influenced American designers and vice versa
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
- Eames lounge chair
- Nelson daybed
- Florence Knoll sofa
- Egg chair
- Womb chair
- Noguchi coffee table
- Barcelona chair
VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.
Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.
Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer.
Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by legendary manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.
Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.
877
290
2
to
30
689
456
1,169
464
552
3,729
1,169
240
87
41
24
24
10
9
6
6
6
5
4
3
2
290
879
1
90
34
1
6
22
27
18
10
2
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
4,119
3,229
1,534
2,630
1,344
2,258
1,207
1,737
1,169
1,389
1,123
1,688
886
479
336
286
283
847
239
238
221
208
135
131
125
105
79
Style: Mid-Century Modern
Number in Set: Set of 9
Contemporary Roma Chair Handcrafted by James by Jimmy Delaurentis
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Meet Roma, a confident piece that commands attention whether he is placed at the head of your dining table or in a power position in your office. Covered in leather or supple mohair ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Leather, Mohair, Velvet, Faux Leather, Acrylic, Wood
Chair, 1970s Metal Frame
By Stol Kamnik
Located in Ljubljana, SI
Vintage chairs, 1970s, BLACK frame
Manufacturer: Stol Kamnik, Slovenia, Yugoslavia
Materials: metal frame, plywood (LAMINATED)
Colour: Black frame, ligh...
Category
1970s Slovenian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal, Iron
Mid-Century Style Paloma Chair
Located in Westwood, NJ
A Mid-Century style whitewashed finish slatted back chair with linen upholstered seat. It includes one loose cushion for the back.
Dimensions: 25" W x 26" D x 31" H
Seat - 18" H...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Wood
Black Lacquer Wooden With Velvet And Fabric Chair
Located in Tourcoing, FR
Midcentury style chair in a black lacquered wooden frame with gold feet finish adorned with graphic fabric back and velvet seat. Around the di...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Velvet, Wood
Mid-Century Modern Style Dining Chair in Pink Velvet and Gold Stainless Steel
Located in Porto, PT
Samira Dining Chair is sophisticated in the shape of a chair. This modern dining chair is upholstered matches wonderfully in any contemporary or luxury dining table.
Materials: Upho...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Brass
Charlotte Perriand Ombra Tokyo Oak Chair by Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1954. Relaunched by Cassina in 2009.
Manufactured by Cassina in Italy.
With the Ombra Tokyo chair, Charlo...
Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Wood
Banquet Hall, Meeting, Restaurant, Conference Chairs
Located in Cranbrook, Kent
Mid-Century Modern style Banquet hall, meeting, conference chairs
Dual leather colours available
Material steel 1" x 1" thickness 3/16"
Painted frame finish
Seat cushion 2-3/8"
Minim...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Dinning Chair Ava Brass Fittings Textured Blue Seat and Solid Dark Blue Backrest
Located in Lisbon, PT
Comfortable and elegant, Ava chair is a versatile piece where creativity meets no boundaries: fabrics, solid wood, lacquered wood and brass fittings are chosen and combined to produc...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Brass
Leather and Steel Mid-Century Modern Chair
Located in PARIS, FR
Comfortable and elegant, the Mayet Chair combines the warmth of premium leather with the strength of hand-welded steel. The contrasts between these high end materials, along with the...
Category
2010s Romanian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Mid Century Butterfly Dining Chair, Pink Boucle, Europe, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Dining chair called "Butterfly" with dark wenge stained beech legs and fully upholstered seat and back in beautiful boucle italian fabric (color number 03).
This chair can be cus...
Category
20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Beech
Mid-Century Butterfly Dining Chair, Peony Cotton, Poland, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Dining chair called "Butterfly" with medium light stained beech legs and fully upholstered seat and back in beautiful Ian Mankin fabric (70% Cotton, 20% Viscose, 10% Linen).
This...
Category
20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Cotton, Fabric, Linen, Bouclé, Beech
MCM Design Style Beige Bouclé Fabric and Brass Finishes Dining Chair
Located in Tourcoing, FR
Beige Bouclé fabric and brass finishes dining chair.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
1950s Scandinavian Design Style Wood and Cane with Beige Fabric Chair
Located in Tourcoing, FR
1950s Scandinavian design style patina wooden structure with wicker cane back and beige fabric seat chair.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Wicker, Fabric, Wood
Michael van Beuren 'Edimburgo' Armchair
Located in Kalamazoo, MI
Superb and rare armchair by Michael Van Beuren for his company, made in Mexico in the 1960s. The beautiful chair boasts a nice combination of woods with a stunning teak backrest -- this is not a chair you should keep up against the wall! The original leather seat is in good vintage condition with some signs of wear (photos show examples of this). Frame shows signs of use but is good overall and ready for immediate use. The Van Beuren label is affixed underneath the chair and is great shape, with all text clearly visible -- a rare find for one of these 1960s Mexican modern chairs.
Category
Mid-20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Leather, Teak
Dark Red Wine Kangaroo Chair Designed by Ernst Moeckl, Germany, 1968
By Ernst Moeckl
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
This model is called Z-chair. Designed in 1968 in the GDR by Ernst Moeckl and Siegfried Mehl, German Version of the Panton chair. Also called kangaroo chair or variopur chair. Produced in eastern Germany.
Chair is after full renovation, glossy red wine color lacquer (RAL 3005...
Category
20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Fiberglass
Egg, Model 3316, Arne Jacobsen, 1958
Located in Lejre, DK
The egg, model 3316 designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1958. The chair has original upholstery in cognac elegance leather manufactored by Fritz Hansen
This product will be inspected th...
Category
1950s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
Erik Gunnar Asplund 501 Göteborg Chair by Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Erik Gunnar in 1934-1937. Relaunched in 1983.
Manufactured by Cassina in Italy.
The Göteborg chair is Erik Gunnar Asplund’s poetic...
Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Zig Zag Chair by Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld in 1934. Relaunched in 1973/ 2011.
Manufactured by Cassina in Italy.
Designed by Gerrit Rietveld, this chair provided an early example of...
Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Wood
Le Corbusier, P. Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand LC2 Poltrona Armchair by Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Armchair designed by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand in 1928.
Manufactured by Cassina in Italy.
Timeless, unique, and profoundly authentic, the LC2 armchair ha...
Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
MCM Design Black Lacquer Wooden and Rattan Woven Cane Armchair
Located in Tourcoing, FR
Black lacquer wooden structure adorned with woven cane panels and armchair.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Cane, Wood
Franco Albini Luisa Chair for Cassina, Italy, new
By Franco Albini, Cassina
Located in Berlin, DE
Chair designed by Franco Albini in 1953. Relaunched in 2013. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. The price given applies to the chair as seen in the first picture.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Leather, Wood, Fabric
Handmade Walnut KUNAI Captain Chair with Black Leather Upholstery
By Chris Earl
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Solid wood constructed dining chair available in any American domestic hardwoods specifically walnut, oak, ebonized oak, or ash. Featuring hand-shaped legs, a custom upholstered seat...
Category
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Leather, Wood, Ash, Oak
Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Kvadrat Fabric by Karakter
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Joe Colombo in 1965.
Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, Chair 300 is a beautiful example of his functional design sensibility. Uphol...
Category
2010s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
1950s French Design Style Brass Compass Feet with Beige Bouclé Fabric Armchair
Located in Tourcoing, FR
1950s French design style brass compass feet with Bouclé Fabric Lounge armchair.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Stainless Steel
1950s Danish Design and Scandinavian Style Wooden and Bouclé Fabric Armchair
Located in Tourcoing, FR
1950s Danish design and Scandinavian style black wooden and grey bouclé fabric armchair.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Kvadrat Fabric by Karakter
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Joe Colombo in 1965.
Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, Chair 300 is a beautiful example of his functional design sensibility. Uphol...
Category
2010s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
1950s Design Style Yellow Velvet Chair
Located in Tourcoing, FR
1950s design style yellow velvet chair with black lacquered stainless steel feet and gild metal finishes.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Stainless Steel
1960s Scandinavian Design Style Black Wooden and Bouclé Fabric Armchair
Located in Tourcoing, FR
1960s Scandinavian design style armchair with brass structure, black wooden finishes and bouclé fabric back and seat.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Brass
1960s Italian Design Style Rattan and Beige Fabric Armchair
Located in Tourcoing, FR
1960s Italian Design Style sculptural and gorgeous armchair all in rattan aerial structure with beige fabric cushions.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Rattan
Mid Century Whitewash Armchair
Located in Westwood, NJ
Mid Century Whitewash armchair with an oak whitewashed finish, beige fabric and a slatted backrest.
Dimensions: 22" W x 26" D x 36" H
Seat - 19" H
Arm - 26" H
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Wood
Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Kvadrat Fabric by Karakter
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Joe Colombo in 1965.
Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, Chair 300 is a beautiful example of his functional design sensibility. Uphol...
Category
2010s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Butterfly Dining Chair, Gray Boucle, Dark Wood, by Vintola Studio, Poland, Europe
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Dining chair called "Butterfly" with dark wenge stained beech legs and fully upholstered seat and back in beautiful boucle italian fabric (color number 07).
This chair can be customized to your specifications or COM. Wood, stain, finish, fabric and custom dimensions options are available. Please ask for more informations and check the last picture with boucle color samples.
Hand made in small fabric in West Poland, which is caring about details.
Designed by polish brand - Vintola Studio.
Category
2010s Polish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Bouclé, Fabric, Beech
Mid Century Green Boucle Chair, Walnut Wood, Rajmund Halas, Poland, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Chair designed by Prof. Rajmund Halas. Made of beechwood. Chair is after a complete upholstery renovation, the woodwork has been refreshed. Seat is dressed in green, durable and plea...
Category
20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Velvet, Beech
suite of 9 chairs in ash and imitation leather, reconstruction period, circa 1950
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
suite of 9 chairs in ash and imitation leather, reconstruction period, circa 1950
a table and buffet are also offered in two other listings
Category
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Faux Leather, Ash
Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' by Karakter
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Joe Colombo in 1965.
Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, Chair 300 is a beautiful example of his functional design sensibility. Uphol...
Category
2010s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Wood
Mid-Century Stacking Chairs w/ Grey Plastic Seats & Black Textured Frame
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mid-Century Stacking School or Restaurant Chairs with Grey Plastic Seating and Black Enameled Frame. In original condition with wear consistent with ...
Category
1970s Dutch Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Plastic
Vintage Style and French Design All in Beige Bouclé Fabric Swivel Armchair
Located in Tourcoing, FR
Vintage style and MCM 1970s French Design all in black bouclé fabric and brush brass base swivel armchair.
The matching swivel footstool is available too a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric
Luc Bar Stool in Solid Wood, Brass and Upholstered Seat
Located in Lisbon, PT
When it comes to Luc bar stool, the playing field is the cross-section where functional design and craftsmanship of the highest quality meet art. This chair is made of solid wood str...
Category
2010s Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Arne Jacobsen Model 3110 Drop
Located in Berkeley, CA
The fully upholstered Drop™ blends elegantly into a wide variety of settings as a great example of furniture design that is able to influence and elevate an entire room by its mere p...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Oak
Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Kvadrat Fabric by Karakter
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Joe Colombo in 1965.
Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, Chair 300 is a beautiful example of his functional design sensibility. Uphol...
Category
2010s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Large Set of Italian Black Patio Chairs
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Dining patio chairs, lacquered steel, Italy, 1960s
This collection of patio chairs from Italy has a strikingly refined design that is emblematic of the quintessential Italian patio ...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Rare Red Prouve Style Stacking Chairs with Dark Metal Compass Legs
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Prouve style Industrial Stacking chairs with Fritz Hansen style shell seat in red with dark Enameled metal frames by Galvanitas. Creative linking to make rows. In original condition ...
Category
1970s Dutch Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
1950s Italian Design Style Bouclé Fabric And Brass Feet Armchair
Located in Tourcoing, FR
Welcoming and rounded shaped armchair in an Italian 1950s Design Look with beige bouclé fabric with brass finishes feet.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric
Luc Bar Chair in Solid Wood, Brass and Upholstered Seat
Located in Lisbon, PT
When it comes to Luc bar stool, the playing field is the cross-section where functional design and craftsmanship of the highest quality meet art. This chair is made of solid oakwood ...
Category
2010s Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Upholstery, Rattan, Wood
Mid Century Gazelle ii Beige Velvet, Walnut Wood Chair, Europe, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Chairs designed by prof. Rajmund Halas. They have been made of beechwood. They have undergone a complete upholstery renovation, the woodwork has been refreshed. Seats were dressed in...
Category
20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Textile, Beech
Scandinavian Design and MCM Style Black Feet and Beige Bouclé Fabric Armchair
Located in Tourcoing, FR
Vintage style and MCM design black wooden feet with beige Bouclé fabric rounded shaped armchair.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Wood, Fabric
Le Corbusier, P.Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand LC2 Poltrona Armchair by Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Armchair designed by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand in 1928.
Manufactured by Cassina in Italy.
Timeless, unique, and profoundly authentic, the LC2 armchair ha...
Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Ember Chair Leather by Sun at Six, Sienna/Umber, Midcentury Chair, Made to Order
By Sun at Six
Located in San Jose, CA
Sun at six is a contemporary furniture design studio working with traditional Chinese joinery masters to handcraft our pieces using traditional joinery. The Ember chair...
Category
2010s Chinese Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Oak
Friso Kramer Revolt Chairs for Ahrend de Cirkel 1963
By Friso Kramer
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Super nice and scarce set 6 Revolt chairs designed by Friso Kramer for Ahrend de Cirkel, Holland 1953. Though the Revolt chair was already designed in 1953, the production started in...
Category
1960s Dutch Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
20th Century Light Crème Boucle Walnut Wood Butterfly Chair, Europe, 1960.
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Chair designed by Prof. Rajmund Halas. Made of beechwood in walnut color. Chair is after a complete upholstery renovation; the woodwork has been refreshed. Seat and back is dressed i...
Category
20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Velvet, Beech
Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Kvadrat Fabric by Karakter
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Joe Colombo in 1965.
Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, Chair 300 is a beautiful example of his functional design sensibility. Uphol...
Category
2010s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Gallagher Lounge Chair Walnut Black Leather
Located in Cincinnati, US
Simple, minimal and clean lounge chair.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Cord, Wood, Leather
Counter Chair State with Lacquered Metal and Upholstery
Located in Lisbon, PT
Custom Seat Height 60cm
Frame color Lipstick
Seat and Back Paris Safira
Piping Paris Dark Blue.
Elegant and light piece that is comfortable and versatile, upholstery in velvet (s...
Category
2010s Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Mid-Century Graphite Gray Boucle Chair, Walnut Wood, M. Zielinski, Europe 1960
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
A beautiful beech chair designed by M. Zielinski, type 200 / 100B. Manufactured by the Opole Furniture Industry Center at the end of the 1960s in Poland. The chair is after undergone...
Category
20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Bouclé, Beech
Mosquito Dining Chair in Walnut, Wooden Frame and Plywood, Mid-Century Modern
By Niko Kralj
Located in Ljubljana, SI
Named after its wing-like seat, the mosquito chair is a genuine eyecatcher, an elegant piece with a touch of poetry. This innovative design proved too demanding for 1950s manufacturing methods. But thanks to the recent efforts of Rex Kralj...
Category
2010s Slovenian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Walnut
Gerrit Rietveld Zeilmaker Version of Black Red and Blue Chair by Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Gerrit Rietveld in 1920. Relaunched in 2015.
Manufactured by Cassina in Italy.
One of the versions of the iconic model dated 1918. The structure is in black-stained beechwood with white contrasting parts. Seat and back in green lacquered multiplywood.
The black red and blue (Zeilmaker version) born from Rietveld’s chromatic experimentation
While researching the origins of the red and blue model in collaboration with the Rietveld heirs, it emerged that the key idea of the first prototypes was based on the concept of spatial organization expressed through the monochrome tones of its elements. The first version was in fact produced in 1918 in completely unpainted wood.
In the following years Rietveld proposed various examples, either monochrome or painted in different colors, depending on the requirements of his customers and the interiors for which the chairs were intended. As such, it comes as no surprise to find this 1920s version, presented as part of Cassina’s MutAzioni selection, created for the school teacher Wicher Zeilmaker with a black frame with white ends and a dark green painted seat and backrest.
It was Rietveld’s ever-increasing involvement in the De Stijl movement that led him to also use primary colors on this model in 1923, and as such the chair became a veritable manifesto for the emerging neoplastic movement. Initially dubbed slat chair, Rietveld only gave it the name red and blue in the 1950s following its chromatic evolution.
The various owners of the different examples used the chair as an abstract-realist sculpture in their interiors and, in some cases, as a simple tool for sitting on, adding cushions to make it more comfortable, just like Cassina offers for the black red and blue today.
Important information regarding images of products:
Please note that some of the images show other colors and variations of the model, these images are only to present interior design proposals. The item that is selling is on the first image.
Important information regarding color(s) of products:
Actual colors may vary. This is due to the fact that every computer monitor, laptop, tablet and phone screen has a different capability to display colors and that everyone sees these colors differently. We try to edit our photos to show all of our products as life-like as possible, but please understand the actual color may vary slightly from your monitor
About the designer:
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, born in Utrecht on 24 June 1888, seems possessed of two personalities, each so distinct that one might take his work to be that of more than one artist. The first personality is that seen in the craftsman cabinet-maker working in a primordial idiom, re-inventing chairs and other furniture as if no one had ever built them before him and following a structural code all of his own; the second is that of the architect working with elegant formulas, determined to drive home the rationalist and neoplastic message in the context of European architecture. The two activities alternate, overlap, and fuse in a perfect osmosis unfolding then into a logical sequence. In 1918 Rietveld joined the “De Stijl” movement which had sprung up around the review of that name founded the year before by Theo van Doesburg. The group assimilated and translated into ideology certain laws on the dynamic breakdown of compositions (carrying them to an extreme) that had already been expressed in painting by the cubists: the “De Stijl” artists also carefully studied the architectonic lesson taught by the great Frank Lloyd Wright, whose influence was widely felt in Europe at that time.
Collaborating first with Robert van’t Hoff and Vilmos Huszar, then with Theo van Doesburg and Cornelius van Eesteren, Rietveld soon became one of the most distinguished interpreters of the neoplastic message.
Among his most important works are:
the Schröder house at Utrecht (1924); the “Row Houses” at Utrecht (1931-1934); the Dutch pavilion at the Venice Biennial (1954); the sculpture pavilion in the Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller at Otterloo and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam (1955). Out of his equally important furniture, Cassina has chosen for its own production: the “Red and Blue” (1918), the “Zig-Zag” (1934), the “Schröder 1...
Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Leather, Wood
Large Set of Dutch Chairs with Chrome Tubular Frame
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Foldable chairs, chrome-plated metal and plywood, The Netherlands, circa 1930
This very large set of midcentury Dutch School chairs would be a gre...
Category
1930s Dutch Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Egon Eiermann Chair Wilde & Spieth Modell SE68 Hopsak Brown 1 of 16
Located in Munich, Bavaria
Egon Eiermann chair Modell SE 68 for Wilde & Spieth.
This is the brighter seating version .It is not stackable.
Brown Hopsak fabric and black feet.
Produced in 1993 and in good co...
Category
1960s German Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Mid-century Modern chairs for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern 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, building and garden elements, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, fabric and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern 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 Cassina, Hans J. Wegner, GETAMA, and Fritz Hansen. 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 $84 and tops out at $244,500 while the average work can sell for $2,904.
Read More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
May’s Most Popular Interiors on Instagram
Our feed is filled with the world's most beautiful spaces. See the rooms our followers have deemed the best of the best this month.
April’s Most-Liked Interiors on Instagram
Our feed is filled with the world's most beautiful spaces. See the 10 our followers have deemed the best of the best this month.
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Wegner Woven
Mid Century Italian Plywood Chair
Baroque Style Chair
Arts And Crafts Oak Chair Antique
Ribbon Back Chairs
Used Steel Folding Chairs
Geometric Office Chair
Gold Italian Dining Chairs
Hollywood Regency Velvet Chair
Heart Chair Retro
Mahogany French Art Deco Chair
Ponti Style Dining Chairs
Low Back Side Chair
Modern Circle Chair
Ear Chair
Mid Century Wood Square Chairs
Ornately Carved Chairs
Red Patterned Chair