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Modern Chairs

MODERN STYLE

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”

Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.

Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chaircrafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.

It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.

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Style: Modern
Number in Set: Set of 12 or more
Upholstered Oak Wallace Chair by Hollis & Morris
Located in Geneve, CH
Upholstered oak Wallace chair by Hollis & Morris Dimensions: 19" x 21" x H 32" Materials: solid wood. Cold rolled steel. Fabric. Also available in natural oak, black oak, and wa...
Category

2010s Canadian Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel

INVICTA Dining Chair in Velvet
Located in Frazão, Porto
The Invicta dining chair is a unique piece, and the impressive design with just one leg in the back, in solid wood, will make the dining room a so...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Lacquer

Silhouette Dining Chair, Wood & COM, Insidherland by Joana Santos Barbosa
Located in Maia, Porto
Silhouette is a surreal reminiscence of a woman’s sensual curves that arise designed in an eye-catching dining chair. The joint dimension of people and objects represented by severa...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Minimalist Modern Lounge Chair in Natural Leather and Polished Stainless Steel
Located in Lisbon, PT
Embracing the purpose to take a break, LISBOA chair invites you to just sit and relax. Combining many observations from different cultures of how people use chairs...
Category

2010s Portuguese Modern Chairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

Chubby Chair in Eraser 3D Printed Recycled Plastic
Located in London, GB
Dirk van der Kooij first fell in love with low resolution 3D printing as a student, fulfilling his search for honest and functional ornamentation. The chubby chair...
Category

2010s Dutch Modern Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Stone Stool in Yellow by Marcel Wanders
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Stone is a stool with a simple shape but with a very precious appearance. Made with an essential symmetrical linear shape which is reminiscent of an hourglass, its surface is simply ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Set of 2 Kartell Masters Chairs in White by Philippe Starck & Eugeni Quitllet
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The masters chair is a powerful tribute to three symbolic chairs, re-read and re-interpreted by the creative genius of Starck. The unmistakable silhouett...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Pilastro Stool in Black by Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Pilastro stool is part of the Kartell goes Sottsass, a tribute to Memphis collection, launched in 2015 in homage to design guru Ettore Sottsass....
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Onceava-XI Dinning Chair
Located in Ciudad de México, MX
The Eleventh Chair is part of Noviembre collection, which offers a compelling range of furniture, inviting exploration of form, function, and the serene lines that define each piece....
Category

2010s Mexican Modern Chairs

Materials

Oak, Leather, Wood

Pair Contemporary Counter Bar Stool Black Metal & Black Leather
Located in Alcoy, Alicante
Counter stool in black smoke polished steel and black saddle leather. The phrases "Less is more" and "God is in the detail" from the German-American architect and industrial designe...
Category

2010s Spanish Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel

Bold Dining Chair - Barnum 10
Located in Milano, Lombardia
A testament to a new level of modern design, The Bold Dining Chair seamlessly blends form and function, elevating any dining experience with its refined elegance. Decades of design ...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Chairs

Materials

Bouclé, Upholstery, Wood

Minimal Style, Solid Wood Stool, Bar or Counter Hight, Caning and Leather
Located in Vila Cordeiro, São Paulo
The Wing chair solid wood collection, flexibility, modern aesthetics, comfort and softness are the keywords for this collection. The concept is inspired...
Category

2010s Brazilian Modern Chairs

Materials

Textile, Cane, Wood, Hardwood

Modern Laurence Dining Chairs, Yellow Velvet, Handmade Portugal by Greenapple
Located in Lisboa, PT
Laurence Chair, Contemporary Collection, Handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by Greenapple. Designed by Rute Martins for the Contemporary Collection, the Laurence dining chair was crea...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Chairs

Materials

Velvet, Wood

"Joca" Chair with arms, Solid Wood and Customized Handwoven
Located in Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo
When she created Joca chair, Alessandra Delgado wanted a piece with delicate features, exploring the curves of the wood with a design inspired by the master designer Joaquim Tenreiro...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Chairs

Materials

Leather, Velvet, Polyester, Wood

De Sede DS-2100/156 Chair in Green Upholstery by De Sede Design Team
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The slats on DS-2100 in finest leather adapt to individual body contours and provide – with its embracing feeling – the highest level of comfort. Available as a low-backed, visitor swivel chair, a high-backed executive chair, with headrest, tilt mechanism, height adjustment and casters, and as a visitor chair with a four-star base. Be it in James Bond films or in “Men in Black...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Chairs

Materials

Leather

Chair Art, 0023-CU Julie Beechwood Painted and Thick-Leather Different Colors
Located in MARANO VICENTINO, IT
Julie Collection expands to include a new model featuring a backrest and seat with a interwoven thick leather. The frame in beechwood will be painted or ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs

Materials

Beech

La Prima Minimalistic Chair in Metal and Fabric
Located in London, GB
La Prima is an object that is meant to sit at the table. La Prima, designed by Bodegon Cabinet, follows the lead of La Redonda, changing its scale and adj...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal

Marlen Chair, pink, indoor, chair, made in italy, home, contract
Located in MARANO VICENTINO, IT
Comfort, an ergonomic shape and a hardy structure are the characteristics of the Marlen design, the new Trabà chair designed by EP Studio. Hints of a 1950s vibe can be glimpsed in t...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal

Seletti Pink "Lipsticks" Upholstered Occasional Chair by Toiletpaper
Located in Doral, FL
Mix and match the wildest graphics designed by Toiletpaper and get the most iconic dining room of all. Also available in blue. - Material: Fabrics in polyester, frame in wood with...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Chairs

Materials

Polyester, Wood

Minimal Style, Solid Wood Stool, Textiles or Leather Seatings, Caning Backboard
Located in Vila Cordeiro, São Paulo
The Wing chair solid wood collection, flexibility, modern aesthetics, comfort and softness are the keywords for this collection. The concept is inspired by the B-52 plane design, this inspiration gave us the freedom to create a collection where the design appropriate subtle elements, harmonic transitions and thin but resistant wood thicknesses, that gave life to a unique and contemporary collection. Our studio objective was to abstract most of the figurative elements and arrive in the very sweet spot in this design, driving the details in a three dimensional way. All our objects are drawn using the Da Vinci's "golden section", and the wing collection is not an exception, this assures pleasing proportions. The Wing chair collection is crafted with passion using premium materials and the latest technologies, and a very precise quality control, on its beauty there is the subtle variations between the wood veins in a real living item without ethnic appeal. All this qualities converge in and merge in a collection made to participate in the life of its users like a breeze, comfortably, pleasant and positive. Listing features the black ebonized solid wood stool...
Category

2010s Brazilian Modern Chairs

Materials

Leather, Textile, Cane, Wood, Hardwood

Set of 2 Kartell Louis Ghost Armchairs in Crystal by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A comfortable armchair in transparent and colored polycarbonate in the Louis XV style, it is the quintessence of baroque revisited to dazzle, excite and captivate. Louis Ghost is the...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Armchair in Velvet Molteni&C by Gio Ponti D.154.2 - made in Italy
Located in New York, NY
D.154.2 Lovechair in Velvet by Gio Ponti. Expert-crafted in Italy exclusively by Molteni&C. The mid-century D.154.2 lovechair features a shell-like structure inspired by renowned It...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs

Materials

Velvet

Shaker Backless Counter Stool by Ambrozia, Walnut, Black Steel, Sandle Vinyl
Located in Drummondville, Quebec
The shaker backless modern counter stool chair is made to order from our unique Ambrozia black textured steel tubing frame and a premium vinyl upholstered seat. Leather is available ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel

Oscar Small Dining Chair, in Special Bouclé Fabric, Handcrafted by Duistt
Located in Leça da Palmeira, PT
Oscar Small Dining Chair, in Special Bouclé Fabric, Handcrafted by Duistt Inspired by the poetic curved lines of Oscar Niemeyer’s architecture, Oscar armchair allures for its sensua...
Category

2010s Portuguese Modern Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Wood

Spade Ashwood Corner Chair by Faye Toogood
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Spade chair is an ode to the rural life in the English countryside in which designer Faye Toogood grew up and had her first encounters with shapes and colors of the natural world. Th...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Chairs

Materials

Wood

Lloyd Modern Barrel Back Round Bar Stool
Located in Baltimore City, MD
Lloyd bar stool Solid wood frame / hand rubbed oil finish / brushed brass, bronze or black rungs / leather wrapped back support / recessed leather ...
Category

2010s American Modern Chairs

Materials

Brass, Steel

Minimal Style, Solid Wood Chair, Leather or Textile Seating, Caning Backboard
Located in Vila Cordeiro, São Paulo
The wing chair solid wood collection, flexibility, modern aesthetics, comfort and softness are the keywords for this collection. The concept is inspired by the B-52 plane design, thi...
Category

2010s Brazilian Modern Chairs

Materials

Textile, Cane, Hardwood, Leather

Modern Organic Chair in Solid Wood, Upholstered Flexible Seating
Located in Vila Cordeiro, São Paulo
THE COLLANA SERIES – WHERE ARTISTRY MEETS COMFORT IN EVERY CURVE." Introducing the Collana Chairs, Armchairs and ottomans Collection, a testament to the...
Category

2010s Brazilian Modern Chairs

Materials

Leather, Textile, Upholstery, Hardwood, Fiberglass

e15 Jean Stool Wood by Stefan Diez
Located in New York, NY
The bar stool jean is a natural development of the dynamic chair family Houdini. Jan consists of a seat with circumferential brim, which provides comfort and hold when seated. Betwee...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Chairs

Materials

Wood

Kartell Pilastro Stool in Pink by Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Pilastro stool is part of the Kartell goes Sottsass, a tribute to Memphis collection, launched in 2015 in homage to design guru Ettore Sottsass....
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Amorph Gazelle Dining Chair, Solid Wood, Stained Graphite Walnut
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Dining chair designed by Amorph made out of solid ash wood and leather. It is stained dark walnut. Dimension: 38" H x 20 1/2" L x 18" W seat height: 18" inch. We ask designers to pro...
Category

2010s American Modern Chairs

Materials

Wood, Ash, Leather

Seletti "Revolver" Upholstered Occasional Chair by Toiletpaper
Located in Doral, FL
Mix and match the wildest graphics designed by Toiletpaper and get the most iconic dining room of all. - Material: Fabrics in polyester, frame in wood with polyurethane padding an...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Chairs

Materials

Polyester, Wood

Seletti "Lipsticks" Upholstered Occasional Chair by Toiletpaper
Located in Doral, FL
Mix and match the wildest graphics designed by Toiletpaper and get the most iconic dining room of all. - Material: Fabrics in polyester, frame in wood with polyurethane padding an...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Chairs

Materials

Polyester, Wood

UNA Leather Upholstered Dining Chair in Black Stained Oak by Estudio Persona
Located in Los Angeles, CA
UNA leather upholstered dining chair in black stained oak. Using these fluid shapes allows greater focus on the details of the wood grain and pristinely stitched leather top. Made of solid oak, stained in black, with a black leather seat and black vegetable leather...
Category

2010s American Modern Chairs

Materials

Leather, Oak

"Oscar" Minimalist Chair in Solid Wood with Leather or Fabric
Located in Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo
When she created Oscar chair, Alessandra Delgado was inspired by the master architect Oscar Niemeyer´s work. The Oscar chair is made of solid wood and although very sturdy it is ligh...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Chairs

Materials

Wood, Leather, Canvas, Velvet, Polyester

Roly Poly Polyethylene Armchair in Concrete with Cushions by Faye Toogood
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The distinctive, reassuringly chunky lines of Faye Toogood’s Roly-Poly furniture collection become even more inviting in her new collaboration with Driade. The latest line for the It...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Plastic

Soiree Chair with Stitch Detail in Charcoal, Oscar & Gabriele Buratti for Driade
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The theme of the classic, soft, fabric-covered, padded chair made of a single material is interpreted here in an exceptionally elegant, accurately finished design. Whether dressed in...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal

Sling Hanging Swing Chair Genuine Black Leather 21st Century Modern
Located in Johannesburg, ZA
Stripped away from all excess, this hanging chair has a circular frame with the sheets of soft leather hanging loose within it, to create a sleek, sexy, and oh so comfortable experie...
Category

2010s South African Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel

NIDO Modern Lounge Chair in White Oak & Blush Leather by Estudio Persona
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The NIDO chair was the result of playing with the juxtaposition of shapes. The egg-like shape of the leather upholstered wood seat nesting in the cross shap...
Category

2010s American Modern Chairs

Materials

Oak, Leather

UNA Dining Chair in Black Stained Oak with Leather Back by Estudio Persona
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The UNA chair intersects a round wooden seat and legs with a leather upholstered cylindrical back. Using these fluid shapes allows greater focus on the detai...
Category

2010s American Modern Chairs

Materials

Leather, Oak

Repose Bar Stool w. Backrest, Tan Leather & Aged Brass Powdered Coating Frame
Located in Alcoy, Alicante
The “Repose” contemporary stool belongs to a collection that revisit the director chair collection, serene pieces where exclusivity and precision are shown in small details such as t...
Category

2010s Spanish Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel

Contemporary Dining Chair 'Flock CS2' by Noom, Wool Pink Fabric
Located in Paris, FR
Designer: Kateryna Sokolova Materials: wood, plywood, metal, molded foam, textile Available in a wide range of colors and other finishes and fabrics on request. Dimensions: H 78 cm, ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Modern Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Wool, Bouclé

Contemporary Dining Chair 'Flock CS2' by Noom, Kvadrat Vidar Fabric
Located in Paris, FR
Chair flock CS2 Designer: Kateryna Sokolova Materials: wood, plywood, metal, molded foam, textile Dimensions: H 78 cm, W 55 cm, D 61 cm seat H 47 cm Available in a wide range of fa...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Modern Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Wool, Bouclé

Iconic Eero Aarnio Giant Ball Chair
Located in New York, NY
he Leather Ball Chair Designed by Eero Aarnio 1963 Designed by Eero Aarnio 1963 Designed by Eero Aarnio 1963 Designed by Eero Aarnio 1963 The Ball Chair was designed in the early 196...
Category

2010s Finnish Modern Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Angulo Chair
Located in Ciudad de México, MX
HEMISFERIOS is the act of doing both: the intricate and the simple. It is the palpable philosophy of seeing things from their most complex and basic form. Specifically in this series...
Category

2010s Mexican Modern Chairs

Materials

Oak

Radio Chair
Located in Ciudad de México, MX
HEMISFERIOS is the act of doing both: the intricate and the simple. It is the palpable philosophy of seeing things from their most complex and basic form. Specifically in this series...
Category

2010s Mexican Modern Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Oak

Graffiti Project Chair by Wonwoo Koo
Located in Geneve, CH
Graffiti Project Chair by Wonwoo Koo Dimensions: D 75.4 x W 37 x H 83.9 cm. Materials: Oak wood veneer. Different color options are available: black, beige, white gray, blue or oran...
Category

2010s South Korean Modern Chairs

Materials

Oak

Purple Cielo Bar Stool by Sebastian Herkner
Located in Geneve, CH
Purple Cielo bar stool by Sebastian Herkner Materials: galvanized and powder-coated tubular steel. PVC strings are made from recycled plastic. Technique: made from recycled plastic a...
Category

2010s German Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel

Set of 2 Purple Cielo Bar Stool by Sebastian Herkner
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 purple Cielo bar stool by Sebastian Herkner Materials: Galvanized and powder-coated tubular steel. PVC strings are made from recycled plastic. Technique: Made from recycled ...
Category

2010s German Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel

ISU Lowback Handcrafted Textured Satin Metal Chair by Soraya Osorio
Located in Vero Beach, FL
ISU Lowback chair has a handcrafted satin grazed textured metal finish that sheens when exposed to light. The 1.50" seat cushion is a lustrous black hair on hide. COM accepted upon ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal, Aluminum

Trevor Chair, Chrome Finish Steel Frame in Cream Boucle by Lara Bohinc in Stock
Located in Holland, AMSTERDAM
Trevor dining chair makes a perfect accompaniment for the tea room, its round spheres forming backrest and armrests, floating on thin metal rods, just like bonbons speared on cocktai...
Category

2010s Portuguese Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal

Trevor Chair with Armrests Chrome Finish Steel Frame in Bouclé by Lara Bohinc
Located in Holland, AMSTERDAM
Trevor dining chair makes a perfect accompaniment for the tea room, its round spheres forming backrest and armrests, floating on thin metal rods, just like bonbons speared on cocktai...
Category

2010s Portuguese Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal

Saturn Chair, Chrome Finish Steel Frame and Cream Boucle Wool by Lara Bohinc
Located in Holland, AMSTERDAM
The distinctive Saturn chair is a return to the split sphere concepts Bohinc originally created for her jewelry collections such as Sun and Moon (2007) and Solaris (2012). This form ...
Category

2010s Portuguese Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal

Contemporary Bouclé Dining Chair with Curvy Silhouette
Located in New York, NY
This dining chair features a subtle yet striking sculptural design. Its gentle curves and shape provide a cozy, nest-like feel, inviting relaxation and comfort. The chair rests on a ...
Category

2010s Portuguese Modern Chairs

Materials

Bouclé, Wood

1 Teknion Variable Stacking Chair by by Alessandro Piretti
Located in Pasadena, TX
1 Teknion Variable Stacking Chair by by Alessandro Piretti Designed by Alessandro Piretti, Variable is ideal for informal spaces where reconfiguration is encouraged, yet durability...
Category

Late 20th Century North American Modern Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Baleri Italia Juliette Stackable Chair in Black Steel by Hannes Wettstein
Located in Milan, IT
Out of the frenetic turmoil of Wettstein's design activity, one day emerged the idea of a chair; defying all known logic, the structure of the back, curved forwards. With this idea a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel

Wen Chair by objective OBJECT Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Wen Chair by objective OBJECT Studio Dimensions: D 45.5 x W 53.5 x H 78.5 cm Materials: Wood. objective OBJECT an embodiment of our architectural ethos. We represent an unwaverin...
Category

2010s Chinese Modern Chairs

Materials

Wood

Fen Hua Chair by objective OBJECT Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Fen Hua Chair by objective OBJECT Studio Dimensions: D 48 x W 56 x H 95 cm Materials: Limestone, wood. objective OBJECT an embodiment of our architectural ethos. We represent an u...
Category

2010s Chinese Modern Chairs

Materials

Limestone

Modern chairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique 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, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, fabric and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Modern chairs made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and Scandinavia pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original chairs, popular names associated with this style include Finn Juhl, Jover + Valls, Emeco, and Kartell. 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 $25 and tops out at $103,950 while the average work can sell for $2,723.

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