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Modern Side 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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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
Contemporary Pink Lounge Chair Handcrafted 100% Recycled Plastic by Anqa Studios
Located in Camischolas, CH
Contemporary Pink Lounge Chair Hand-Crafted 100% Recycled Plastic by Anqa Studios Add a modern icon to your space with this statement chair. The symmetric...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Plastic

21st Century Harlem Chair in Leather by Gianfranco Ferré Home
Located in Cantù, Lombardia
A slender and light structure, with tapered legs and a dynamically shaped backrest for the Harlem chair. In the name, there is a reference to the famous district of New York, renowned for its jazz clubs and historic soul clubs...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Leather, Foam, Wood

Contemporary Italian Dining Chairs Upholstered in Leather, Set of 8
Located in New York, NY
Steam-bent wood lacquered in light grey. Upholstered in antique rose Italian leather. The chair can be customized thanks to the combinations of the upholst...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Leather, Wood

Opinion Ciatti Mammamia Diamond Non Stackable Chair
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mammamia knows how to be chic, very chic, incredibly chic! Mammamia Diamond is definitely the most sophisticated chair in the Mammamia range and stems from the co-operation between O...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Metal

Set of 4 Taupe Leather Chairs with Bronze Cantilever Frame
Located in Chicago, IL
The Magnum cantilever chair is a design classic that you would stand up for – if it weren’t so comfortable. Because despite its delicate and slim appearance, it offers the comfort of...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Leather

21st C. 4 White Leather and Gilt Metal Side Chairs - Style of Milo Baughman
Located in Morristown, NJ
21st c., A set of four custom contemporary white leather side chairs in the style of Milo Baughman, with gilt metal frames, unmarked. These chairs are from a residence decorated by the incomparable designer/architect Daniel Romualdez who has been listed in Architectural Digest’s AD100 on numerous occasions. Dimensions: 37.5"h x 19.75"w x 24.5"d, 19"h (to seat) Condition: Good, minor marks, scuffs, and creases to leather consistent with age and use. Show well. Ready to place. Provenance: A Daniel Romualdez Commission, 660 Madison Avenue, New York Romualdez design philosophy is a simple one : “Form follows function—a home, no matter how beautiful, does not succeed if it’s not comfortable.”. He made comfort of clients his top priority, creating interiors which are equally gorgeous and inviting. His first project, done while he was still at Yale, was the renovation of his parents’ Stanford White house on Long Island. Romualdez has created homes for inter alia Tory Burch, Daphne Guinness, Ina Garten, Cornelia Guest...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Metal

Italian Modern Chromed Metal and Cotton Sof Sof Chairs, Enzo Mari, Driade, 1980
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern chromed metal and checked cotton set of three Sof Sof chairs by Enzo Mari for Driade, 1980s Fantastic set of three Sof Sof model chairs in chro...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Metal

Dakota Jackson Leather Ocean Side Chair's'
Located in Houston, TX
Ready to ship, vintage custom solid white oak Dakota Jackson Ocean side chair(s) upholstered in a beige taupe leather seat. Inspired by bold forms seen in African Ashanti prayer stools...
Category

20th Century American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Leather, Oak

Dakota Jackson Leather Ocean Armchair 's'
Located in Houston, TX
Ready to ship, vintage custom solid white oak Dakota Jackson Ocean armchair(s) upholstered in a beige taupe leather seat. Inspired by bold forms seen in African Ashanti prayer stools...
Category

20th Century American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Leather, Oak

Aluminum Table "Industry Garden Furniture" by Seletti, Sky Blue
Located in Doral, FL
From its very first year in 1964, Seletti in Cicognara, Mantova, has followed its principle of professionality service and constant research to strive for betterness innovation and o...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Modern Leather Dining Chair in Exotic Wood by Costantini, Bruno, Quick Ship
Located in New York, NY
Bruno Modern dining chair in Exotic Argentine Rosewood and Leather by Costantini Design - Quick Ship Measurements are 21" D x 19" W x 32" H with a 18" Seat...
Category

2010s Argentine Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Leather, Wood

Side Chair Modern Medieval Handmade Horsehair Iron Handwoven Fringe Accent Mane
Located in Bronx, NY
HORSECHAIR NO. 2 J.M. Szymanski d. 2021 Contemporary furniture at its finest. Horsehair textile and blackened iron are combined to create an exciting juxtaposition of elements....
Category

2010s American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Steel, Iron

Arman "Cello" Chair, circa 1990, France
Located in Girona, Spain
Arman "Cello" Chair, circa 1990, France. Arman "Cello" chair editions Hugues Chevalier n°9/50. Signed and numbered under the seat on a brass plate. Made with ebonized beech. Circ...
Category

1990s French Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Beech

Pair of Modernist Tall Back "Throne Chairs"
Located in New York, NY
" Throne chairs " A pair of Modernist tall back side chairs. Thuja root with ebonized inlaid details.
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Ebony, Burl, Wood

Twig Side Chair in Cast Bronze with Leather Seat by Elan Atelier (Preorder)
Located in New York, NY
Made to order Twig Side Chair / Armchair in Cast Bronze with Leather Seat Cushion by Elan Atelier. Inspired by Giacometti, the twig chair is a sculptural form cast in solid bronze w...
Category

2010s European Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Bronze

111 Navy Mini Chair by Coca-Cola
Located in Hanover, PA
The 111 Navy Mini is a story of innovation, turning waste plastic into something that lasts. Each stool is made of 111 recycled PET bottles. Like the original 111 Navy stool...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Cappellini Sunset Armchair in Beech with Fabric or Leather by Christophe Pillet
Located in New York, NY
The Sunset armchair by Christophe Pillet has a swiveling design and backrest and seat made of curved beech wood; the base is made of satined stainless steel. The padding of the Sunse...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

Granville Bridge Side Chair Ivory Ultra Matte Lacquered & Client Own Material
Located in Toronto, ON
Towering above Granville Island – Vancouver’s beloved artistic and cultural hub – the cantilevered Granville Street Bridge runs through the heart of the city into the buzzing downtow...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Oak

Granville Bridge Side Chair Mist Matte Lacquered Oak & Client Own Material
Located in Toronto, ON
Towering above Granville Island – Vancouver’s beloved artistic and cultural hub – the cantilevered Granville Street Bridge runs through the heart of the city into the buzzing downtow...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Oak

Kartell Masters Bar Stool in Rust Orange by Philippe Starck & Eugeni Quitllet
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Kartell also offers a stool version of the Masters chair, winner of the Good Design Award 2010 and the Red Dot Award 2013 and a worldwide best seller. The legs are lengthened and the seat is shrunk, but the frame's unmistakable graphic look, created by the weave of the silhouettes of three iconic chairs, remains the same. Masters stool...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Lever Barstool in Natural Oak
Located in New York, NY
The hardness and symmetry of structure is the main concept of the Lever collection. The barstool is composed of two tall oak panels that encompass a soft, oversized cushion pads to c...
Category

2010s Portuguese Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

Modern Leather Wrapped Covet Dining Chair II Designed by Steve Leung
Located in Atlanta, GA
Showroom new - pair of Theodore Alexander covet dining chair II designed by Steve Leung. Ivory leather wrapped tailored back. Seat and in-back are covered in a luxurious grey velvet. Solid brushed beech legs in a Cigar Club...
Category

2010s American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Bronze

Modern Suelo Side Chair, Turned Leg
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
This modern Suelo side chair, turned leg is beautifully constructed from solid wood in Ohio, USA. The sofa's Silhouette is simple, modern, and sleek w...
Category

2010s American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Maple

Emeco Hudson Counter Stool in Polished Aluminum by Philippe Starck
Located in Hanover, PA
The Hudson, designed for the Hudson hotel in NYC, is Emeco and Starck’s first collaboration. Starck described the chair as “washing the details from the Navy Chair”. It takes an addi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Emeco 20-06 Counter Stool in Brushed Aluminum by Norman Foster
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco’s collaboration with Norman Foster resulted in the “20-06” chair. Foster envisioned a “neutral” chair - visually and physically lightweight. But th...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

DS-5020 Cylindrical Leather Tall Side Table by De Sede
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Tall side table DS-5020/61 by De Sede. Available in two different heights, this elegant table construction presents itself in a cylindrical shape, encased all-round in high-quality l...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Leather

Modern Lucite Chair Rainbow Graduated Back Slats Attr Shlomi Haziza for H Studio
Located in Topeka, KS
Wonderful modern Lucite chair attributed to Shlomi Haziza for H. Studio with graduating back slats in colors of transparent lavender, teal, pink, ...
Category

Late 20th Century Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Faux Leather, Lucite

Opinion Ciatti Mammamia Non Stackable Chair, Set of 2
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mammamia chair with die-cast aluminum shell and steel structure. For indoor/outdoor use. Non-stackable. Available in gold structure with white or black ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Metal

Lever Dining Chair in Natural Oak
Located in New York, NY
The hardness and symmetry of structure is the main concept of the Lever collection. The chair is composed of wood panels that encompass a soft, oversized cushion pads to create a har...
Category

2010s Portuguese Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Upholstery, Oak

BERNHARDT Opus XIX Tufted Dining Side Chair - Pair B
Located in Charlotte, NC
A pair of Contemporary style dining side chairs by Bernhardt Furniture, from their Opus XIX Collection. Solid wood frame with a walnut finish and fabric upholstered. Features a high ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Walnut

Sculptural chair, one of a kind, hand crafted
Located in London, GB
Indicative of the designer's anomalous creative approach, this one of a kind sculptural chair ('Prima') is a prominent design piece. Handcrafted in stucco marmo (scagliola), the meth...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Steel

Icon Chair in Powder Coated Steel and Leather by Christopher Kreiling
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Icon Chair is made of steel and has a black powder-coated finish. Its joints are meticulously welded, creating a streamlined design. The lines of the fr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Steel

Hayche WW chair CS4, Stained Oak & Metal Rods, UK, Made to Order
Located in Liverpool, GB
Based on a modern Windsor design, the WW Chair, where the first 'W' stands for Windsor and the second for Wire is an iconic piece of furniture. Produced from ...
Category

2010s British Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Metal

Kartell Eur Stool in Gray by Fabio Novembre
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The EUR stool by Fabio Novembre is a cube printed with shapes and geometries inspired, to scale, by Italian rationalist architecture of the 1930s and 1940s. The stool can be multi-pu...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Antwerp Side Chair by DeMuro Das with Hand-Cast Legs in Solid Black Satin Bronze
Located in New York, NY
The Antwerp side chair by DeMuro Das features a generously curved frame supported by tapered hand-cast legs in solid black satin bronze. Constructio...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Bronze

Granville Bridge Side Chair Nude Ultra Matte Lacquered Oak & Client Own Material
Located in Toronto, ON
Towering above Granville Island – Vancouver’s beloved artistic and cultural hub – the cantilevered Granville Street Bridge runs through the heart of the city into the buzzing downtow...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Oak

Hayche WW Chair CS3, Stained Oak & Metal Rods, UK, Made to Order
Located in Liverpool, GB
Based on a modern Windsor design, the WW Chair, where the first 'W' stands for Windsor and the second for Wire is an iconic piece of furniture. Produced from ...
Category

2010s British Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Metal

Bench/Daybed Modern/Handmade Black Leather Modern/Contemporary Waxed Steel
Located in Bronx, NY
Bench/daybed No. 2 J.M. Szymanski d. 2021 A dynamic bench or daybed with carved iron details at the base. The channeled leather cushion is completed by a leather and suede bol...
Category

2010s American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Iron, Wrought Iron, Steel

Set of 2 Kartell Lizz Mat Chairs in Black by Patricia Urquiola
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A lightweight chair, with essential, strict lines, in synch with the minimalist and refined style of its designer, Piero Lissoni. Lizz is now also av...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Contemporary Dining Chairs Set of 6, Deep Red Velvet
Located in New York, NY
Fully upholstered dining chairs in deep red velvet. Stainless steel caps in polished chrome. 100% European handmade product. Available in COM and other velvet and metal finishes. Con...
Category

2010s Spanish Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

21st Century Wynwood Chair in Leather by Gianfranco Ferré Home
Located in Cantù, Lombardia
A minimalist aesthetic and a comfortable seat are emphasized by the sensual nubuck upholstery for the Wynwood chair. Height, size and design are studied to complement refined but sob...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Leather, Foam, Wood

Rare Set of Five Stainless Steel Chairs by Maison Jansen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rare set of five stainless steel (acier inoxydable) chairs by Maison Jansen. Manufactured by Usinox. Original green leather seat and back covers that need to be replaced with C. O. M...
Category

1970s French Vintage Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Steel

21st Century Wynwood Chair with Armrests in Leather by Gianfranco Ferré Home
Located in Cantù, Lombardia
A minimalist aesthetic and a comfortable seat are emphasized by the sensual nubuck upholstery for the Wynwood chair. Height, size and design are studied to complement refined but sober desks or dining tables. Wynwood Chair with armrests with structure in solid beech wood dyed Smokey Grey, shaped with variable sections, irregular curves and finger joints...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Leather, Foam, Wood

Aluminum Table "Industry Garden Furniture" by Seletti, Black
Located in Doral, FL
From its very first year in 1964, Seletti in Cicognara, Mantova, has followed its principle of professionality service and constant research to strive for betterness innovation and o...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

BERNHARDT Opus XIX Tufted Dining Side Chair - Pair C
Located in Charlotte, NC
A pair of Contemporary style dining side chairs by Bernhardt Furniture, from their Opus XIX Collection. Solid wood frame with a walnut finish and fabric upholstered. Features a high ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Walnut

Kartell Attila Table-Stool in Gold by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Attila table-stool, is a charismatic personality of striking originality and anti-conformism. Stools and tables which are cute and humorous but with one eye on functionality, thought...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Hayche WW Chair CS1, Stained Oak & Metal Rods, UK, Made to Order
Located in Liverpool, GB
Based on a modern Windsor design, the WW Chair, where the first 'W' stands for Windsor and the second for Wire is an iconic piece of furniture. Produced from ...
Category

2010s British Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Metal

Set of 4 Cortona Chairs by Joe Ricchio for HBF
By Joe Ricchio, HBF
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Joe Ricchio creates the Cortona Series as a complement to his highly-successful Cortona guest chair for HBF. Expressing the force and beauty of simplicity, this light-scaled group...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Metal

Hayche WW Chair CS5, Stained Oak & Metal Rods, UK, Made to Order
Located in Liverpool, GB
Based on a modern Windsor design, the WW Chair, where the first 'W' stands for Windsor and the second for Wire is an iconic piece of furniture. Produced from ...
Category

2010s British Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Metal

Emeco 20-06 Barstool in Brushed Aluminum by Norman Foster
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco’s collaboration with Norman Foster resulted in the “20-06” chair. Foster envisioned a “neutral” chair - visually and physically lightweight. But th...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Emeco Broom Counter Stool in Orange by Philippe Starck
Located in Hanover, PA
Philippe Starck and Emeco came together to create a new chair that is reclaimed, repurposed, recyclable – and designed to last. The chair is made from 75% waste polypropylene and 15%...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Emeco Broom Barstool in Orange by Philippe Starck
Located in Hanover, PA
Philippe Starck and Emeco came together to create a new chair that is reclaimed, repurposed, recyclable – and designed to last. The chair is made from 75% waste polypropylene and 15%...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Emeco Broom Barstool in Yellow by Philippe Starck
Located in Hanover, PA
Philippe Starck and Emeco came together to create a new chair that is reclaimed, repurposed, recyclable – and designed to last. The chair is made from 75% waste polypropylene and 15%...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Noa Chair Oak Mustard
Located in Cincinnati, US
Is it possible for an inanimate object to truly embody the essence of a yogi? To possess strength and harmony simultaneously? To effortlessly stand in the face of the seemingly impossible and make it’s own reality? Ultimately balance is the beating heart of the Noa chair...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Sheet Metal

Bentwood Chair, Side Chair by Torck
Located in Antwerp, BE
Bentwood armchair by Torck Belgium. Torck is known as manufacturer of toys and furniture. It's a beautiful shaped chair with bentwood armrests. Stamped - signed at the back by ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Belgian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Wood

Contemporary Elegant Dining Chairs Crafted in Italy
Located in New York, NY
Featuring navy blue velvet upholstery, wooden legs lacquered in black and a curved silhouette worth sinking into, a timeless elegant design crafted to blend easily with any décor sty...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Wood, Velvet

Olifant Modern Luxury, Handmade Ceramic, Ceruse Oak & Black Leather Dining Chair
Located in Bothas Hill, KZN
The Olifant handmade ceramic, luxury dining chair is designed by Egg Designs and manufactured in South Africa. The dining chair is available in ...
Category

2010s South African Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Brass

Vintage Modern to Post Modern White Lacquered Side Chair with Arched Top
Located in Topeka, KS
Lovely vintage modern to postmodern white lacquered side chair with arched top. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that this is vintage and not new so will have signs of use and we...
Category

Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Wood, Lacquer

Modern side chairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Modern side 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 side chairs created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating, tables, decorative objects and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Modern side chairs made in a specific country, there are Europe, North America, and United States pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original side chairs, popular names associated with this style include Emeco, Jasper Morrison, Philippe Starck, and Sir Norman Foster. 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 side chairs differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $65 and tops out at $90,000 while the average work can sell for $2,120.

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