Original Steelcase Office Armchair
About the Item
- Creator:Steelcase (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.5 in (80.01 cm)Width: 24 in (60.96 cm)Depth: 19 in (48.26 cm)Seat Height: 17.5 in (44.45 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:unknown
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Medina, OH
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU6735235864332
Steelcase
The Michigan-based furniture maker Steelcase has a long and distinguished history, but collectors focus on its vintage office furniture and desk chairs from the 1950s to the ’70s, when, along with such companies as Knoll and Herman Miller, the firm helped define the aesthetics of American mid-century modernism.
Steelcase was founded in Grand Rapids in 1912 as the Metal Office Furniture Company, promoting steel desks and other furnishings as safer, fireproof alternatives to wooden pieces at a time when smoking in the workplace was common. Boston’s first skyscraper — the 32-story Customs House — was furnished by the company in 1915. Frank Lloyd Wright, an American architect and furniture designer whose work had a profound influence on the shape of modern life, turned to the firm in 1937 to fabricate the enameled metal chairs and desks for his Johnson Wax Headquarters in Racine, Wisconsin.
In the 1950s, when Steelcase formally adopted the name it still uses today, the company developed a sleek and functional style employing rectilinear chrome frames for glass-topped tables and upholstered seating pieces. The look is similar to that of the minimal, Bauhaus-inspired designs of Florence Knoll, another icon of furniture design who helped shape the ethos of the postwar business world.
By the 1970s, Steelcase had enlivened its styling, offering such pieces as chairs and side tables designed by Gardner Leaver, with circular bases and curving supports. As you will see on these pages, Steelcase designs offer a perfect foundation for a modernist decor, with a touch of flair.
Find vintage Steelcase furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Medina, OH
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
More From This Seller
View AllVintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Upholstery, Oak, Bentwood
Vintage 1980s Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Fabric
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Vintage 1980s Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Velvet, Lacquer
Vintage 1980s Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Velvet, Lacquer
20th Century American Hollywood Regency Armchairs
Bamboo, Rattan
You May Also Like
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Steel
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
Early 2000s Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
2010s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Steel
