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When tasked with furnishing the German pavilion at the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition, German-American architect Mies van der Rohe conceived a chair fit for royalty—but in keeping with his modernist aesthetic. The leather-and-chrome seat (and accompanying ottoman) have been produced by Knoll ever since. Designed by Hans J. Wegner, the Circle Chair is a testament to expert craftsmanship.
Mono-material metal furniture
For an updated take on France's old-school elegance, reach for the Louis Ghost Chair. Inspired by Louis XVI armchair, the cousin to the aforementioned Louis XIV style, designer Philippe Starck reimagined this fancy silhouette in a single-piece injection-molded transparent polycarbonate. Turns out, Ming Dynasty furniture is so influential that actually inspired another iconic chair design. When creating the iconic Wishbone Chair in 1944, Hans Wegner was inspired by a painting of Danish merchants in Ming Chairs. Since then, it's become a mainstay in stylish dining rooms and offices alike. The Wishbone Chair might look simple, but it actually requires over 100 manufacturing steps.
Uchronia founder designs own home as "love letter to French craft"
Also crafted for the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen by Arne Jacobsen in 1958, this pedestal lounge chair has also endured alongside its sister chair (the Egg chair). A similarly cocooning piece made of molded synthetic material on a steel-and-aluminum base that lets its sitters swivel on a 360-degree rotation, the Swan chair was a technological innovation in furniture design. A sitter that easily adapts to lobbies, lounges, and homes across the world, the Swan chair is still in production today at Fritz Hansen. We picked out chairs for our dream ski chalets, our grand dining rooms, and our cozy family rooms, considering iconic designers such as Pierre Jeanneret and Hans J. Wegner.
Bentwood Thonet 209 Armchair
In the German countryside, a Xanadu for modern furniture fanatics - The Washington Post
In the German countryside, a Xanadu for modern furniture fanatics.
Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Stunningly intricate in design, these armchairs, native to the Yoruba tribes of Western Africa, are covered in a pattern created entirely from beads. Originally designed for ceremonial purposes, the chairs can comprise over 100,000 beads, each hand-applied to the armchair. For Govan, the collaboration with Las Vegas Museum of Art is the natural next step in his 21st century-museum paradigm shift.
The modernist furniture movement ushered in a new wave of simplistic, functional design married with a striking, sleek appearance. Given that the Ming dynasty ruled China from 1368 to 1644, there's a wide range of furniture styles from the period. Towards the later years, though, the nation saw the production of intricate, carved wood furniture, much of it produced—thanks to discoveries in joinery—without the use of nails.
Modern Living Room Chairs
Available in a wide range of colors and designs, modern chairs make it easy to give your space an update. For fabulous finds that won’t break the bank, peruse our curated collections of well-priced furniture to revamp your space without going off budget. Set the scene with a casual dining spot indoors or out with our Dining Tables Under $1000 and pair with a couple seats from our collection of Dining Chairs Under $499, including iconic best sellers like the Panton Chair or Hot Mesh Chair. For a true designer steal, shop our Modern Furniture On Sale for Under $500 collection for a variety of indoor and outdoor designs ready to elevate your space at special 2Modern pricing.
There's a reason why Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's chair has been a crowd-pleaser since 1929. With boxy cushions, eye-catching tufting, and a sleek frame, this chair exudes modern elegance. While the Barcelona Chair might look simple, it's actually upholstered with 40 individual panels. Did you know designer Arne Jacobsen perfected the Egg Chair's innovative silhouette by experimenting with wire and plaster in his garage?

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Barcelona Chair
Jacobsen's innovative, never-before-seen foam inner shell was revolutionary for its time. Take a walk down memory lane — in the chicest way possible, naturally — with Eero Aarnio's Ball Chair. This unapologetically mod style debuted at the Cologne Furniture Fair in 1966, and has been a design mainstay ever since.
Govan does not expect any conflicts of interest to arise, and points out that many arts leaders occupy multiple board seats across the city and the country. Wynn, who is a LACMA board co-chair, has already given LACMA $50 million — one of the largest single gifts in LACMA’s history — Govan notes, adding that he doesn’t know how much more the L.A. A new AP19 chair, creatively dubbed by a journalist the Papa Bear chair, by Hans J. Wegner retails for approximately $18,400.
There can be a seat made out of a different material, or just the continuation of the grid wire. It’s ergonomic for sure, but if you’re looking for premium comfort, include a cushion. It has also been adapted into a more practical side chair without the side wings. Let’s take a look at some of the most iconic mid-century modern chairs that continue to be adored today.
As a Mid-Century Modern architect, Breuer incorporated elements of the movement into the Wassily Chair, including a minimalist aesthetic and the use of angles and geometry. When tasked to design this chair for Florence Knoll in 1948, Eero Saarinen wanted to create "a chair that was like a basket full of pillows." Mission accomplished. Many mid-century designers preferred to create chairs that blended form and function.
Fast-forward 65 years, and this pick continues to be the grand slam of chairs. Designed by Hans Wegner in 1963, this chair is the ultimate blend of comfort and style. It’s seat is made of a gently curved piece of wood and it’s sometimes called the “Smiling chair” for that reason! It was initially rejected by the Copenhagen public for its three legs, but over time it became iconic of Wegner’s genius.
Originally designed for the French ski resort of Les Arcs in 1967, this aptly-named chair—with its tubular chrome frame covered in cognac leather—is quite rare today. Its creator, architect/designer Charlotte Perriand, is one of the few women to have made an indelible mark on Midcentury design. With the growing popularity of shearling, Clam chairs are always popping up in home décor, but this iconic chair design dates back to 1940s Denmark. A lot of mystery surrounds this chair, as it was initially attributed to two other designers—Viggo Boesen and Martin Olsen—but it was later discovered to be the work of Philip Arctander.
Las Vegas, with a metro area population of nearly 3 million, is one of the largest cities in the country without an art museum. Which explains a recent announcement that LACMA is partnering with the upcoming Las Vegas Museum of Art to share both expertise and, eventually, its collection. After serving his military term, Baughman returned to California to study product & architectural design at the ArtCenter College of Design.
The Swiss also contributed to some of the best mid-century modern chair designs and Pierre Jeanneret was one of the most well-known. His “Chandigarh” armchair is a block style chair made of wood and cane with a flat seat base and v-shaped supports. There is a slight angle at the back of the chair and the armrests are parallel to the seat.