Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
1990s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Mahogany
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Steel
1930s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Chrome
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
1970s Spanish Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Steel
1910s Austrian Vienna Secession Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Beech
1970s American Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
1940s American Industrial Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Chrome
1890s English Arts and Crafts Antique Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Rush, Walnut
Early 2000s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
1930s German Bauhaus Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Chrome
1930s Czech Bauhaus Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Steel
Early 2000s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Early 20th Century Austrian Jugendstil Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Beech
Late 19th Century French Empire Antique Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Wood
2010s Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather
20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Wood
2010s Danish Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Chrome
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Rosewood
Early 2000s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Steel
20th Century Dutch Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Chrome
1930s French Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Steel
Early 2000s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Steel
2010s Ukrainian Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Fabric, Textile, Bouclé
Early 20th Century American Industrial Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Steel
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Oak
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Brass
1950s Indian Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Cane, Teak
1940s French Rococo Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather
2010s Italian Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
2010s Danish Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Chrome
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Steel
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Fiberglass
19th Century European Jacobean Antique Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Indian Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Cane, Teak
Late 19th Century French Baroque Revival Antique Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Silk, Cane, Walnut
1990s French Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Wood
Late 20th Century American Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Chrome
Late 19th Century Industrial Antique Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Maple
1970s American Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Chrome
1880s French Louis XVI Antique Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Czech Bauhaus Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Chrome
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Brass
1860s Danish Mid-Century Modern Antique Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Faux Leather, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary American Georgian Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather
20th Century Italian Rococo Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Wood
Antique and Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
An essential part of every office or home workstation, office chairs and desk chairs are critically important to your comfort and getting the job done.
Desk chairs have evolved over time. While writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson pined for a wider range of motion and introduced some improvements to his English-style Windsor chair, inventing the swivel chair along the way. So the next time you roll, recline or swivel at your vintage desk, remember: The third president of the United States had a lot to do with that functionality.
Changes in the availability of resources have also led to innovations in desk chair design. After World War II, for example, optimistic American designers made use of wartime materials in their efforts to create practical domestic goods.
Mid-century modernism is the name given to the broad postwar time period that prioritized thoughtful design. Journalist Cara Greenberg, who coined the term “mid-century modernism,” cites “ergonomic wisdom” as part of the reason for the longevity of the era’s furnishings, and when it comes to sitting in a desk chair for hours at a time, what could be more important than ergonomic support?
As mid-century modernism was marked by resourcefulness and boundless creativity — and produced designers who, in most cases, prioritized comfort and support — it follows that all mid-century chairs are not the same. Nowhere is this perhaps more evident than at Herman Miller. The legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer got its start in the office, with design director George Nelson enlisting the likes of Charles and Ray Eames to produce desk chairs and lounge chairs that are still celebrated today. Elsewhere at the time, the numerous pieces Florence Knoll created for Knoll’s office furniture line were envisioned as design solutions for the changing needs of residential and office spaces.
If you’re working remotely and streamlined seating isn’t your thing, don’t be afraid of making a statement with your office chair. Introduce a touch of drama to your video calls by way of 19th-century desk accessories and the alluring forms we typically associate with antique desk chairs designed in the Empire and Regency styles. For a minimalist touch, a spare, utilitarian Industrial-style office chair can work in any space but will fit in particularly well amid the exposed brick and steel architecture that characterizes a loft apartment.
An inspiring home office cleverly mixes materials and styles to create a welcoming place of productivity and comfort, and if you’re gathering with colleagues at your company HQ, an array of wood, leather and metal office chairs can help integrate disparate textures in a conference room or any other collaborative space. On 1stDibs, explore a diverse collection of office and desk chairs today.
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