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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 chair — crafted 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
Period: Mid-20th Century
1960s Verner Panton for Fritz Hansen Outdoor Box Wire Chair w/ Black Frames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a single (multiple chairs are available, though sold separately) Verner Panton for Fritz Hansen box chair, produced circa mid 1960s. These are gorgeous and iconic ...
Category
1960s Danish Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Set of Three Emeco 1951 Bar Stools by Adrian van Hooydonk and BMW Designworks
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a set of three 1951 series bar stools, designed by Adrian van Hooydonk from BMW Designworks. This is a phenomenal design, which was a reinterpretation and reintrod...
Category
1950s American Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
1962 Rare Kurt Ostervig Lounge Chair for Henry Rolschau Mobler of Vejen Denmark
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is an exceptionally rare lounge chair, designed by architect Kurt Ostervig and produced by Henry Rolschau Mobler in Vejen, Denmark, circa 1962. The chair arrived to o...
Category
1960s Danish Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Aluminum, Metal
1965 Pair of Hans Wegner Johannes Hansen JH 507 Oak Dining Chairs from Harvard
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a pair of JH 507 dining chair with arms, designed by Hans Wegner, produced by Johannes Hansen. This pair of chairs came from Harvard University and is accompanied ...
Category
1960s Danish Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Oak, Leather
Pair Uno & Östen Kristiansson Hunting Chair for Luxus Sweden 1954 Wegner Danish
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is an original pair of very rare 1954 Hunting chairs, produced by Luxus in Sweden. The chairs were designed by Uno & Östen Kristiansson. These examples are in excelle...
Category
1950s Swedish Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Leather, Teak
Sedie Kazuki in legno laccato rosso di Kazuhide Takahama per Simon Gavina, 1969
Located in MIlano, IT
Set di quattro sedie modello Kazuki con struttura interamente in legno laccato color rosso arancione, dalle linee geometriche, con finitura lucida ed angoli stondati. Provviste dei l...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Wood
Set of six chairs "CM 196" by Pierre Paulin 1960's Thonet edition
Located in Paris, FR
Set of six chairs "CM 196" by Pierre Paulin 1960's Thonet edition
Category
1960s French Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Vintage Set of Four Attributed to Mathieu Matégot Dining Chairs, France, 1950s
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Striking set of four vintage dining chairs attributed to Mathieu Matégot in his trademark perforated and lacquered sheet steel. Wonderful lightness to these, masterful use of steel e...
Category
1950s French Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Charlotte Perriand High Berger Stool Authentic & Rare Mid-Century Modern
Located in Zürich, CH
Charlotte Perriand counts as one of the masters of French modernist design together with Le Corbusier, Jean Prouvé or Pierre Jeanneret. Her works are highly valued until the present ...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Modern Chairs
Materials
Elm
Kazuki Armchair by Kazuhide Takahama for Gavina
Located in Carpi, IT
Kazuhide Takahama was born in Japan in 1930 and after completing his studies in Architecture in Tokyo he started working in Kazuo Fuioka’s studio. In 1957, he went to Italy to visit ...
Category
1960s Japanese Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Wood
Safari or Oasi 85 armchair with armrests by Gian Franco Legler for Zanotta, 1960s
Located in MIlano, IT
Armchair model Oasi 85 or Safari, with a light wood frame, attached by interlocking, while the seat and back are composed of beige-colored coarse-fiber cotton fabric, and finally, th...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Set of 2 Pamplona style Italian dining chairs
Located in Milano, Lombardia
The set of two Pamplona style chairs brings a touch of timeless elegance and comfort to any interior space. Crafted from sturdy, high-quality wood, these chairs boast a classic design with a modern twist. The combination of the wooden frame and the soft, inviting white boucle upholstery creates a harmonious blend of sophistication and coziness.
The wooden frame showcases meticulous craftsmanship, featuring sleek, clean lines that accentuate the chairs' graceful silhouette. The natural wood finish adds warmth and a hint of rustic charm, making these chairs an ideal addition to both traditional and contemporary settings.
Upholstered in white boucle fabric, the chairs offer a soft and sumptuous seating experience. The boucle texture not only looks visually appealing but also adds a layer of comfort to the chairs, inviting you to linger and relax for hours. The Pamplona style chairs offer more than just aesthetic appeal; they are designed with ergonomics in mind. The curved backrest provides excellent lumbar support, promoting a comfortable and posture-friendly seating position. Whether you're enjoying a leisurely meal or engaging in conversations with friends...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Bouclé, Wood
Pair of Thonet Bentwood Cafe Bistro Dining Chairs
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Only 2 available, price is per chair. Bentwood cafe chairs sold in a set of 2. Chairs all match, even in terms of use. They are all very tight and well-constructed, having been made...
Category
1960s Romanian Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Beech
Pierre Paulin for Artifort Green F560 Mushroom Chair
Located in London, GB
Originally designed by Pierre Paulin in 1960 in collaboration with Artifort, the Mushroom chair, also known as the F560, is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, making it a true design icon.
Inspired by women’s swimming...
Category
1960s Dutch Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric
Vintage French School Chairs, Set of Four
Located in High Point, NC
A set of four vintage school chairs with high armrests manufactured in France circa 1950. These authentic metal chairs feature low backrests and ...
Category
1950s French Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Early Kaare Klint Red Chairs in Cuban Mahogany, circa 1930s
Located in Oakland, CA
Early model "Red" chairs model 3758 designed by Kaare Klint for Rud Rasmussen c1930s with original Niger leather with brass nails on Cuban Mahogany frames. Very rare design with orig...
Category
1930s Danish Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Leather, Mahogany
Early Kaare Klint Red Chairs in Cuban Mahogany, circa 1930s
Located in Oakland, CA
Early model "Red" chairs model 3758 designed by Kaare Klint for Rud Rasmussen c1930s with original Niger leather with brass nails on Cuban Mahogany frames. Very rare design with orig...
Category
1930s Danish Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Leather, Mahogany
Niels Moller Model 57 Rosewood Carver Chair Jl Møller
Located in Jensen Beach, FL
Ultra-rare chair handcrafted in Denmark of the finest solid rosewood. A functional work of art.
Seat interior width: 18”
Arm height: 9.5”
Seat interior depth: 18”
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Modern Chairs
Materials
Rosewood
Vintage Mid-Century Modern Danish Oak & Blue Fabric Chair by Hans J. Wegner
By Hans J. Wegner, GETAMA
Located in Warszawa, Mazowieckie
This modernist office chair was designed by Hans J. Wegner for the Danish manufacturer GETAMA Gedsted during the 1960s. The raw, geometric frame...
Category
1960s Danish Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Oak, Fabric
Guillerme et Chambron, Set of 8 Oak Chairs, Edition Votre Maison, circa 1960
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Guillerme et Chambron, set of eight oak chairs. Edition Votre Maison, circa 1970.
the fabric is in good condition
the small wooden screw covers are miss...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Modern Chairs
Materials
Oak, Upholstery
Teve Chair by Alf Svensson
By Alf Svensson
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Alf Svensson Scandinavian low chair named teve chairs translates as TV chair designed in 1953 for watching television. Manufactured by Studio Ljungs Industrier AB Malmö during the 19...
Category
1950s Swedish Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Velvet, Wood
Set of Four Thonet Bentwood Cafe Dining Chairs Romania
By Thonet
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Set of 4 very sturdy and tight bentwood sweetheart chairs by Thonet and crafted in Romania. Brown vinyl seat seat covering that can be changed easi...
Category
1960s Romanian Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Beech, Naugahyde
Jean Prouvé Pair of "Standard Chairs" / Authentic Mid-Century Modern
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Zürich, CH
Pair of "Standard chairs" by Jean Prouvé is raw yet elegant and classic modernist furniture. Because of their simplistic design the chairs have become one of the most popular objects...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Midcentury Italian Medea Chair by Vittorio Nobili, Set of 2
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Medea chairs are a classic design created by Italian architect and designer Vittorio Nobili in 1955. The chairs are named after the mythical Greek sorceress Medea, known for her inte...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Oak
Midcentury Italian Medea Chair by Vittorio Nobili, Set of 4
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Medea chairs are a classic design created by Italian architect and designer Vittorio Nobili in 1955. The chairs are named after the mythical Greek sorceress Medea, known for her inte...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Oak
Tito Agnoli Matteo Grassi Model Sistina Oxred Leather Dining Chair Set of 4
Located in Munich, Bavaria
Tito Agnoli designed this highly comfortable dining chair for Matteo Grassi.
Model Sistina.It has a slim design.The back is nicely curved and also the seating area..
The frame of t...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
Sculptural Concrete Chairs and Table, 1960s, Switzerland
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Incredible outdoor table and chairs set consisting of four chairs with a matching table, all made of solid concrete in Switzerland, circa ...
Category
1960s Swiss Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Concrete
Rosewood and Leather Chair by Tobia Scarpa
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Classic Bastiano chair win straight grain rosewood veneer, brass hardware and original slate grey leather cushions. For the Italian firm Gavina.
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Rosewood, Leather
1930s Czech Modern Upholstered Dining Chairs, Set of Six
Located in High Point, NC
A set of wooden upholstered dining chairs from 1930s Czechia. This early 1930s set of chairs evokes the sense of geometric design of Central E...
Category
1930s Czech Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Wood
Jindrich Halabala Chairs, Czechoslovakia, 1930s
Located in Greding, DE
Eight chairs by Jindrich Halabala with ebonised legs and trapezoidal backrest. The chairs are restored and in very good condition.
Category
1930s Czech Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Wood
Ice Cream Parlor Chairs
Located in San Francisco, CA
Pair of soda fountain wrought iron ice cream parlor chairs. The frame is painted in a dark green and good condition and some surface disco...
Category
1950s American Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Iron
Pair of Antique French Folding Theater Chairs, circa 1960
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Pair of antique folding theater chairs.
By unknown manufacturer, France, circa 1960.
In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age...
Category
1960s French Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Charlotte Perriand Berger Stool Authentic & Rare Mid-Century Modern
Located in Zürich, CH
Charlotte Perriand counts as one of the masters of French modernist design together with Le Corbusier, Jean Prouvé or Pierre Jeanneret. Her works are highly valued until present time...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Modern Chairs
Materials
Elm
Italian Modern Plona Armchairs by Giancarlo Piretti for Anonima Castelli, 1969
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern transparent plastic and aluminum pair of Plona armchairs by Giancarlo Piretti for Anonima Castelli, 1969.
Pair of Plona model armchairs with aluminum tube structure a...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Pair of John Vesey "Maximilian Lounge Chairs"
By John Vesey
Located in New York, NY
The “Maximilian Lounge Chair” was John Vesey’s finest and most celebrated chair design — it was also his most expensive one to produce, and appeared in a 1959 issue of Vogue. The aluminum frame was wrought rather than cast, solid rather than assembled, and polished to a seamless satiny sheen. An industrial-aluminum screen supports the black-leather upholstery tufted in a pattern that harks back to the 19th century. So too does the chair’s form that’s based on low-slung Latin American planters’ chairs. One that belonged to the ill-fated Emperor Maximilian of Mexico...
Category
1950s American Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
Guillerme et Chambron, Rare Oak Armchairs Edition Votre Maison circa 1960
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Guillerme et Chambron,rare oak armchairs. Edition Votre Maison, circa 1960.
full restored.
Category
Mid-20th Century French Modern Chairs
Materials
Oak
American Military Airplane Seat Armchair, Mid-20th Century
Located in San Francisco, CA
Space age hyper-modern aluminum and steel aircraft chair. Extremely comfortable and needless to say very sturdy and durable. Was originally coated in p...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Modern Chairs
Materials
Chrome
Pair of Vintage GF GoodForm Aluminum Task Chairs
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of vintage GF GoodForm aluminum task chairs.
Category
1960s American Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
Set of 6: Pierre Jeanneret Office Chairs Ahmedabad
Located in New York, NY
A breathtaking set of very early Pierre Jeanneret Office Chairs. With so many Jeanneret chairs on the market why are these exceptional? First: the thickness of the wood is perfect and in accordance with some of the best examples ever sold. Second: rich, expressive patina on each chair. Third: matching catalog letters. Fourth: double support bars under the chair. Undoubtedly, these are extremely rare examples.
Also it is worth noting that these chairs come from Ahmedabad, a city historically active in India’s textile...
Category
1950s Indian Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Teak
Lounge Chair and Footstool by Warren Platner, 1966
Located in Berlin, Berlin
VINTAGE Easy chair and footstool designed by Warren Platner. U.S.A, Knoll International, 1966.
The lounge chair, model number 1725. Welded curved steel and wool upholstery. Beautifu...
Category
1960s American Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Piretti Castelli Lucite 'Plia ' Folding Chairs, 4
Located in New York, NY
Four Modern Giancarlo Piretti (b. 1940) for Castelli Furniture "Plia" folding chairs, acrylic in chromed steel frames. 29.5" H x 18.25" W x 18.75" D x Seat 18" H. Fading, surface scu...
Category
Mid-20th Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Chrome
Set of Stackable 40/4 Chairs By David Rowland in Green and Black
By David Rowland, Howe
Located in Cape Town, WC
Recognised as the first truly stackable chair, the 40/4 Chair is a feat of elegance and ergonomics; encompassing the full range of multi-function that has come to challenge modernist...
Category
1960s North American Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Pair of Sculptural Concrete Club Chairs, 1940s Belgium
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning and extremely rare pair of sculptural outdoor chairs made of concrete. Hand made in the 1940s in Belgium. Club chair design with a ho...
Category
1940s Belgian Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Concrete
Eames Wire Bikini Chair DKR-2 with Black Cover, Design 1951
Located in Greding, DE
Set of five DKR-2 Eames Wire chairs with black bikini upholstery on Eiffel Tower frame. Signs of age and use.
Category
1950s Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Verner Panton Set of Eight ‘S-Stuhls’, Model 276, Chairs
Located in New York, NY
A set of eight Verner Panton chairs executed by A. Sommer for Gebruder Thonet, Germany. Made of bent laminated wood.
Category
1950s German Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Wood
Set Eight Teak Danish Dining Chairs Svend Madsen for Moreddi
By Moreddi 1
Located in Toledo, OH
Eight teak Danish dining chairs by Svend Madsen for Moreddi. Removeable floating seats. Very nice condition circa 1960's. Arm chair measures 24' wide x 23" deep x36" tall. Side chair...
Category
1960s European Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Teak
Pair of Mies van der Rohe for Knoll MR 30/5 Lounge Chairs
Located in Chicago, IL
A rare pair of Mies van Der Rohe for Knoll MR 30/5 lounge chairs constructed from tubular chromed steel frames and with their original brown saddle lea...
Category
1960s American Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Hans Wegner "The" Chair Johannes Hansen Oak Original Danish
Located in San Francisco, CA
A pair of oak armchairs featuring an inset black leather seat, each having a shaped crest above a black leather seat and tapered legs.
Hans J Wegner "The Chair"
Stamped C M Madse...
Category
1950s Danish Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Oak
Vintage Marcello Cuneo "Luisa" Folding Chair
Located in Brooklyn, NY
With an elegant frame, upholstered seat, and bright chrome finish, this vintage Italian folding chair offers style in a compact design. P...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Chrome
Jacques Adnet Eight Armchairs
Located in Georges Mills, NH
Set of eight hand-stitched leather armchairs with brass-plated sabots. Designed for the U.N.E.S.C.O headquarters in Paris; 1958. Each chair is individually numbered on an embossed al...
Category
1950s French Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Brass
White-Painted Children's Chairs
Located in New York, NY
White painted children's chairs, "Pottery Barn Kids" with straight crest rail and slatted back above molded seat on square tapering legs.
Measures:...
Category
Mid-20th Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Paint
Armchair, Model '109', by Finn Juhl, 1946/56
Located in Berlin, DE
This armchair was designed in 1946 by Finn Juhl and manufactured in a slight version in 1956 by Bovirke/Niels Vodder.
It is made of solid teak wood, original ocher colored synthetic ...
Category
1950s Danish Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Teak, Synthetic
Soriana Series by Afra & Tobia Scarpa Cassina Italy Chair
Located in Toledo, OH
Vintage Italian lounge chair in the style of Soriana series by Afra & Scarpa for Cassina Italy. Dark red original fabric with very minimal wear.
Category
1960s Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Wool
Rare set of High Backed T Leather Chairs by Katavolos, Littell & Kelley
Located in Los Angeles, CA
William Katavolos in partnership with Douglas Kelley & Ross Littell designed the iconic sling-back T chair in 1952 as part of the Laverne International's sculptural New Furniture ser...
Category
1950s American Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Mid 20th Century Upholstered Chrome Cantilever Chairs - Pair
Located in Charlotte, NC
A pair of mid 20th century Contemporary style cantilever chairs, unbranded. Chrome frame, barrel back design, purplish blue & beige color fabric upholstered backs, arms and seats. Ma...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Modern Chairs
Materials
Chrome
Matteo Grassi Black Saddle Leather Chair Armchair Golfo Dei Poti
Located in Munich, Bavaria
Jacques Toussaint and Patrizia Angeloni designed this armchair for Matteo Grassi.
It can be used as office Chair also on the dining table.
It is made of black lacquered aluminium a...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
Franco Albini Chair "47", 1949
Located in Berlin, DE
Elegant chair model "47" with renewed high quality woolen fabric, designed by Franco Albini in 1949 and manufactured by Knoll international, Belgium. Very elegant and rational design...
Category
1940s European Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Set of Swedish Pine Wood Chairs, 'Uto' by Axel Einar Hjorth, 1930
Located in Berlin, DE
This set of 6 beautiful "Uto" chairs by Swedish mid century designer and architect Axel Einar Hjorth is made of solid pine wood, very smooth surface.
Category
1930s European Vintage Modern Chairs
Materials
Pine
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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