Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Early 1800s English Aesthetic Movement Antique Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Oak
16th Century Antique Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Walnut
1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Early 20th Century Unknown Industrial Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Chrome
Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Antique Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Bentwood
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Chrome
20th Century English Arts and Crafts Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Walnut
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Iron
1970s American Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Wood
1930s Czech Art Deco Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary French Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Stainless Steel
Late 20th Century Unknown Other Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Hardwood
2010s Ukrainian Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Bouclé, Fabric, Textile
1910s Austrian Jugendstil Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Walnut
20th Century Danish Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather
1920s Czech Art Deco Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Walnut
1970s Italian Brutalist Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Walnut
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Chrome
2010s Italian Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Chrome
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
18th Century American Chippendale Antique Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Mahogany, Maple
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
2010s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
Early 20th Century Javanese Regency Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Wood, Rattan
1980s American Post-Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal, Chrome, Wire
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Steel
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Steel
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather
2010s European Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
1990s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Plastic
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
1860s English High Victorian Antique Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Hardwood
1940s American Organic Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Birch
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal, Chrome
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
1970s Central American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
2010s German Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Brass, Enamel, Iron
1980s American Post-Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Beech
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Mohair, Walnut
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Chrome
20th Century American Regency Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Indonesian Industrial Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Wood
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
1940s Swedish Industrial Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Steel
Early 20th Century American Industrial Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Iron
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Oak
20th Century Baroque Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1930s Polish Art Deco Vintage Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Walnut
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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