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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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 Dining Chair Offered in Brick Velvet
Located in New York, NY
Timeless design in combination with handmade couture techniques. The dining chair features curved wooden upholstered back for greater comfort. Offered...
Category

2010s Portuguese Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Gerrit Rietveld De Stijl Red Blue Chair
Located in New York, NY
Gerrit Rietveld (Dutch, 1888-1964) De Stijl Red Blue Chair, originally designed in 1918 with red, blue, yellow, and black colors applied in 1923, this e...
Category

20th Century Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Wood, Paint

Six Variations on Stainless Steel by Pietro Franceschini
Located in Geneve, CH
Six variations on stainless steel by Pietro Franceschini Two pipes back Dimensions: W 51 x L 61 x H 123 cm Materials: Stainless steel mirror-polished, sheepskin Series of six ...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Steel

Set of 8 Knoll Handkerchief Chairs by Massimo vignelli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage 'Handkerchief' stacking chairs designed by Massimo Vignelli for Knoll, 1983. Grey plastic seat over a painted steel rod base. 18" seat height. Sold as a set of 8.
Category

1980s Vintage Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Steel

Pair of Chic 'Méandre' Side Chairs by Design Frères
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of chic undulating 'Méandre' side chairs by Design Frères. Bronzed steel frames. Natural linen upholstered cushions. These Méandre™ chairs from our exclusive Design Frères® li...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Steel

Solid Bentwood Side Chair Stool, Velvet Upholstery by Raka Studio
Located in Cape Girardeau, MO
A side/filler chair made in solid ashwood by bending wood. Three of the legs have been made using the wood-turning technique to adopt an abstract natural wave-like design. It has bee...
Category

2010s Unknown Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Ash, Bentwood, Velvet

Suelo Modern Side Chair
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
This Suelo modern side chair is beautifully constructed from solid wood in Ohio, USA. The lounge chair's silhouette is simple, modern, and slee...
Category

2010s North American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Hardwood

Opinion Ciatti Tab.u Small Stool
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Take a wooden frame, cover it in aluminium and then work its surface, ""scrunch” it by hand to achieve a crimpled profile. This is the process at the core of the Tab.u Collection, stools and tables with absolutely distinctive lines. The low Tab.u stool, the firstborn in the family, is a really versatile object. It is perfect in any environment and for all uses: around the table for an unexpected guest, in the bathroom to rest objects or towels, in the living room when there is no more room on the sofa or in the bedroom instead of the usual bedside table. Its elder brother, Big Tab.u is a traditional tall bar stool. It is stunning around a counter or a kitchen island, both at home or in the most glamorous clubs. The family is complete with the addition of the Tab.u Mirror and the Tab.u Lamp...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Mid-Century Modern Dining Chairs Set of 8
Located in New York, NY
Mid-Century Modern curved back dining chairs upholstered in black faux leather. Crafted of solid heavy full grain hardwood with walnut finish. Perfect for either casual or formal di...
Category

2010s Portuguese Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Faux Leather, Wood

Kartell Eur Stool in White 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

Tusk Sling Chair - Set of 8 - Ready to Ship in Black Ash
Located in Calgary, CA
Tusk sling dining chair by Möbius Objects - hand-sculpted in solid American Ash in a black stain. Raked legs offer a unique 'wind-swept' silhouette. The veg-tan leather sling is ergo...
Category

2010s Canadian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Leather, Wood

Contemporary Dining Chair Upholstered in Brick Velvet
Located in New York, NY
Timeless design in combination with handmade couture techniques. The dining chair features curved wooden upholstered back for greater comfort. Offered...
Category

2010s Portuguese Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Vanity Seat in Grey Lacquer by Robert Kuo, Limited Edition
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vanity seat. Grey lacquer. Handmade. Wood base. Lacquer is a technique that dates back to the Shang dynasty, circa 1600-1100 B.C. These pieces are made with at least 60 coats of org...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Lacquer

Milo Baughman Attr. Burgundy Leather Tufted Chrome Cube Side Chairs Vintage Pair
Located in North Miami, FL
These gorgeous pair of vintage Milo Baughman attributed architectural side chairs or lounge chairs are a chrome frame with fine leather tufted...
Category

1970s American Vintage Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Chrome

8 Modern Classic Steelcase Warren Snodgrass Dining Chairs Light Oak Bentwood
Located in Topeka, KS
Stellar vintage modern classic Steelcase Snodgrass dining chairs in light oak bentwood by Warren Snodgrass, set of 8. Comprised of bentwood frames, be...
Category

Late 20th Century American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Oak, Bentwood

1970’s Modern Sling Chair Teak & Leather Style Michel Arnoult Made in Argentina
Located in Topeka, KS
Wonderful vintage Modern side sling chair comprised of teak & cognac leather in the style of Michel Arnoult and made in Argentina. Beautiful conditio...
Category

Late 20th Century Argentine Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Hardwood, Leather

Celeste Chair in Boucle Fabric and Brass and Mint Metal by Lara Bohinc
Located in Holland, AMSTERDAM
Celeste chair plays with contrasting shapes, materials and textures. The circles and squares join to make a chair that has both substance and lightness. ...
Category

2010s British Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Metal

Seletti Pink "Lipsticks" Upholstered Occasional Chair by Toiletpaper
Located in Doral, FL
Mix and match the wildest graphics designed by Toiletpaper and get the most iconic dining room of all. Also available in blue. - Material: Fabrics in polyester, frame in wood with...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Polyester, Wood

Seletti "Revolver" Upholstered Occasional Chair by Toiletpaper
Located in Doral, FL
Mix and match the wildest graphics designed by Toiletpaper and get the most iconic dining room of all. - Material: Fabrics in polyester, frame in wood with polyurethane padding an...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Polyester, Wood

Seletti "Lipsticks" Upholstered Occasional Chair by Toiletpaper
Located in Doral, FL
Mix and match the wildest graphics designed by Toiletpaper and get the most iconic dining room of all. - Material: Fabrics in polyester, frame in wood with polyurethane padding an...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Polyester, Wood

Emeco Counter Stool in Brushed Aluminum by Philippe Starck
Located in Hanover, PA
The Museum of Modern Art asked Philippe Starck and Emeco to make a simple stool for the “Mies Van der Rohe in Berlin” retrospective. The result is one of our best selling stools, a c...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Emeco Kong Barstool with Arms in Brushed Aluminum by Philippe Starck
Located in Hanover, PA
Starck first designed the Kong barstool for the Chinese restaurant Kong in Paris. The one armed stool was intended to make it easy and graceful for the su...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Emeco Broom Counter Stool in Green 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% reclaimed wood that would normally be swept into the trash, “Imagine”, says Philippe Starck, “a guy who takes a humble broom...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Emeco Broom Counter Stool in Dark Gray by Jasper Morrison
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% reclaimed wood that would normally be swept into the trash, “Imagine”, says Philippe Starck, “a guy who takes a humble broom...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Emeco Broom Counter Stool in Tan 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 Counter Stool in White 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% reclaimed wood that would normally be swept into the trash, “Imagine”, says Philippe Starck, “a guy who takes a humble broom...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Emeco Broom Stacking Chair in White 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% reclaimed wood fiber that would normally be swept into the trash, “Imagine”, says Philippe Starck, “a guy who takes a humble broom and starts to clean the workshop and with this dust he makes new magic”. That’s why we call it Broom chair...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Emeco Broom Stacking Chair in Green 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% reclaimed wood that would normally be swept into the trash, “Imagine”, says Philippe Starck, “a guy who takes a humble broom...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Plastic

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

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Emeco Broom Barstool in White 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 Alfi Counter Stool in Sand & Ash w/ High Back by Jasper Morrison
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco and Morrison together, designed and engineered The Alfi Collection with the conviction that what you don't see is as important as what you do see. Alfi reflects Emeco and Morri...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Wood

Emeco Icon Chair in Brushed Aluminum by Philippe Starck
Located in Hanover, PA
Icon is a stacking chair cousin to the famous Starck designed Hudson chair. It has been used in hotels, bars and restaurants worldwide, as well as training centres, meeting areas and schools. Starck describes Icon as “the chair I see when I close my eyes” You can expect your Icon chair...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Aluminum Chair "Industry Garden Furniture" by Seletti, White
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 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

Vintage Modern White Molded Plastic Chairs Style of Kartell 4850 by Castiglioni
Located in Topeka, KS
Handsome vintage pair of modern white molded plastic chairs in the style of Kartell’s 4850 chair designed by Giorgina Castiglioni, Geiorgio Gaviraghi, and...
Category

1970s American Vintage Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Set of 10 Custom Round Back Modern Dining Chairs Arrondi Chair
Located in North York, ON
Set of 10 custom round back modern dining chairs Arrondi chair. Featuring sleek black lacquer frame design with modern velvet fabric. New and hand crafted by the Carrocel artisans. A...
Category

2010s Canadian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Velvet, Wood

Pair of Lacquered Goatskin Wrapped "Onasis" Chairs by Karl Springer
Located in San Diego, CA
Pair of lacquered goatskin wrapped "Onasis" chairs by Karl Springer, circa 1980"s. The chairs are in good vintage condition with original upholstery and measure 24"W x 22"D x 30"H wi...
Category

Late 20th Century American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Goatskin, Wood

Past Forges Future Chair/ Functional Art by Markus Friedrich Staab 2022
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
Sculpural design chair. Traditional bavarian kitchen chair contemporized, additional sculpural leg added, re-shaped, painted and multi-lacquered by Markus Friedrich Staab. You can u...
Category

1950s German Vintage Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Coating, Acrylic, Oak

Chile Modern Side Chair
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
This Chile modern side chair is beautifully constructed from solid wood in Ohio, USA. The lounge chair's silhouette is simple, modern, and sleek with comfortable back and seat cushio...
Category

2010s American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Hardwood

Set of Four Chairs in the style of Afra & Tobia Scarpa with Durmast Frame
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1970s - 1980s. This set features a solid durmast frame with a multi-layered durmast seat and brass screws. It is interesting that they are slotted screws, and not sta...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Brass

Spade Ashwood Corner Chair by Faye Toogood
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Spade chair is an ode to the rural life in the English countryside in which designer Faye Toogood grew up and had her first encounters with shapes and colors of the natural world. Th...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Wood

Opinion Ciatti Tab.u Large Stool
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Take a wooden frame, cover it in aluminium and then work its surface, ""scrunch” it by hand to achieve a crimpled profile. This is the process at the core of the Tab.u collection, stools and tables with absolutely distinctive lines. The Tab.u large stool is a traditional tall bar stool. It is perfect in any environment and for all uses: around the table for an unexpected guest, in the bathroom to rest objects or towels, in the living room when there is no more room on the sofa or in the bedroom instead of the usual bedside table. It is stunning around a counter or a kitchen island, both at home or in the most glamorous clubs. The family is complete with the addition of the Tab.u mirror and the Tab.u lamp...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Opinion Ciatti Mammamia Leather Non Stackable Chair
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mammamia leather is the leather-coated version of Mammamia, the chair designed by Marcello Ziliani, whose myriad of versions never cease to astonish. ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Metal

Emeco 111 Navy Chair in Persimmon by Coca-Cola
Located in Hanover, PA
Coca-Cola and Emeco collaborated to solve an environmental problem: Up-cycling consumer waste into a sustainable, timeless, classic chair. Made of 111 recycled PET bottles, the 111 Navy Chair...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Emeco 111 Navy Chair in Grass by Coca-Cola
Located in Hanover, PA
Coca-Cola and Emeco collaborated to solve an environmental problem: Up-cycling consumer waste into a sustainable, timeless, Classic chair. Made of 111 recycled PET bottles, the 111 Navy chair...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Emeco 111 Navy Chair in Beach by Coca-Cola
Located in Hanover, PA
Coca-Cola and Emeco collaborated to solve an environmental problem: Up-cycling consumer waste into a sustainable, timeless, classic chair. Made of 111 recycled PET bottles, the 111 Navy Chair...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Emeco Alfi Chair in Red and Ash with High Back by Jasper Morrison
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco and Morrison together, designed and engineered The Alfi Collection with the conviction that what you don't see is as important as what you do see. Alfi reflects Emeco and Morri...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Wood

Emeco Alfi Counter Stool in Sand & Dark Ash w/ High Back by Jasper Morrison
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco and Morrison together, designed and engineered The Alfi Collection with the conviction that what you don't see is as important as what you do see. Alfi reflects Emeco and Morri...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Wood

Emeco Alfi Counter Stool in Sand and Ash with Low Back by Jasper Morrison
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco and Morrison together, designed and engineered The Alfi collection with the conviction that what you don't see is as important as what you do see. Alfi reflects Emeco and Morri...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Wood

Emeco Icon Chair in Polished Aluminium by Philippe Starck
Located in Hanover, PA
Icon is a stacking chair cousin to the famous Starck designed Hudson chair. It has been used in hotels, bars and restaurants worldwide, as well as training centers, meeting areas and schools. Starck describes Icon as “the chair I see when I close my eyes” You can expect your Icon chair...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Emeco Alfi 3-Seat Bench in Sand and Ash with Low Back by Jasper Morrison
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco and Morrison together, designed and engineered The Alfi collection with the conviction that what you don't see is as important as what you do see. Alfi reflects Emeco and Morri...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Wood

'Sn3' Wood and Metal Stool in the Manner of Pierre Chareau
Located in Glendale, CA
'SN3' wood and metal stool in the manner of Pierre Chareau. Handcrafted in the Los Angeles and French workshops of noted French designer and antiques dealer Denis de le Mesiere...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Steel

Set of 10 Carrocel Custom Verona Dining Chairs
Located in North York, ON
Set of 10 Carrocel Custom Verona Dining Chairs. Featuring sleek curved back leg design composed of oak material. Finished in a satin natural espresso color showcasing the unique knot...
Category

2010s Canadian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Oak

Maxime Velvet and Brass Dining Chair
Located in New York, NY
Modern elegance. A gleaming brass frame with an intriguing crisscross back and our signature sabots cradles a softly curved seat and sculptural back. But don't be fooled by the sinuo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Brass

Herman Miller Chrome & Black Pair of Armchairs Original Fabric
Located in Topeka, KS
Striking pair of Herman Miller chrome & black armchairs wearing their original gray iridescent fabric. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Past forges Future Chair2/ Functional Art by Markus Friedrich Staab 2022
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
Sculpural design chair. Traditional bavarian kitchen chair contemporized, additional sculpural leg added, re-shaped, painted and multi-lacquered by Markus Friedrich Staab. You can us...
Category

1950s German Vintage Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Acrylic, Oak, Coating

Set of 10 Custom Modern Dining Chairs in Beige and White
Located in North York, ON
Set of 10 custom Westmore modern dining chairs in beige and white. Carrocel custom designed tub dining chair. Finished in a Chantilly Lace lacquer and...
Category

2010s Canadian Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Mid-Century Modern Dining Chair
Located in New York, NY
Mid-Century Modern curved back dining chairs upholstered in black faux leather. Crafted of solid black wood frame for either casual or formal dining room or kitchen. This chair is ...
Category

2010s Portuguese Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Faux Leather, Wood

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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