Every object around us is a result of imagination, not only to beautify spaces, but also to provide functionality and make life easier. Let’s explore the 10 iconic design chairs that every interior design lover must know.
Panton Chair
The S-shaped plastic chair was created by Danish designer Verner Panton in the 1960s. The Panton Chair is a classic in the history of furniture design. It was the first chair to be manufactured entirely from a single piece of plastic.
Dining room Panton Chair
His goal was to create a comfortable, sculptural, and innovative chair made from a single piece that could be used anywhere. After searching for a manufacturer for several years, Panton contacted Vitra in 1963. Together they developed the Panton Chair, which was first introduced in 1967.
Panton Chair Set
Due to its innovative form, this timeless piece is perfect for use in modern spaces. The comfort of this chair is the result of combining a rigid structure with an anthropomorphic shape and a slightly flexible material. Owning one of these pieces means owning a 20th-century masterpiece, an iconic work that brings movement and beauty into a space as if it were a sculpture.
Wishbone Chair / CH24
An essential subject when talking about iconic masterpieces, especially in Scandinavian style. This is a timeless symbol of modern Danish design, created by Hans Wegner in 1949 for Carl Hansen & Søn.
More than 100 steps are required to manufacture each Wishbone Chair, most of which are done by hand. The Wishbone Chair offers comfort and stability as well as satisfying aesthetic desires for an elegant form. This masterpiece is often used in interior design to add warmth, luxury, and movement to a space.
Fact: nearly 120 meters of paper cord woven into the Wishbone Chair is said to have a lifespan of around 50 years.
Diamond Chair
In the 1950s, when most chairs were made of solid wood, the innovative Diamond Chair emerged, designed by Harry Bertoia. The Diamond Chair is an astounding study in space, form, and function by one of the master sculptors of the last century.
Harry Bertoia had a unique and distinctive approach to design. For him, there was no distinction between sculpture and furniture. Behind that design philosophy, Bertoia created the Diamond Chair to make space and air a part of it: creating a floating effect.
Due to their visual lightness, these chairs are ideal for use in small yet stylish spaces. The Diamond Chair is a versatile sculptural form made from welded steel wire mesh that soon became one of the most popular furniture pieces of the mid-century.
“If you look at these chairs, they are mainly made of air, like sculpture. Space passes right through them.”
Egg Chair
The Egg Chair was designed in typical Jacobsen style, using modern materials. Arne Jacobsen designed the “Egg” for the lobby and reception areas of the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. The commission to design every element of the hotel building as well as the furniture was Jacobsen’s great opportunity to put his theories of integrated design and architecture into practice.
The Egg Chair comes in a wide variety of fabric as well as leather upholstery, always paired with a satin-polished aluminum star-shaped base and a wide range of colors, bringing charm and organic shapes into the space.
Fact: Like a sculptor, Jacobsen first sculpted the Egg Chair out of clay in his garage so he could perfect the chair’s shape.
Barcelona Chair
As one of the most recognized objects of the 20th century and an icon of the modern movement, the Barcelona Chair exudes simple elegance.
Barcelona Chair
The Barcelona was designed for the German Pavilion at the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition by Mies van der Rohe in collaboration with Lilly Reich. His style was simple with clean lines and the use of modern materials; Mies’s design philosophy was: “less is more”. Each Barcelona product is a tribute to the combination of modern design innovation and exceptional craftsmanship.
Barcelona Chair with stainless steel legs
The Barcelona Chair is well-suited for your home and works exceptionally well in living areas or offices. The slightly industrial feel of the chair frame combined with luxurious leather upholstery is both modern and timeless.
Fact: If you ever visit Barcelona, do not forget to visit the pavilion designed by Mies van der Rohe, where you will find the Barcelona Chair displayed in the original space for which it was created.
Eames Plastic Chair
One of the most iconic furniture designs of all time, the plastic chair was designed in 1950 by Charles and Ray Eames. When Charles and Ray Eames created this extraordinary object, they did not think they were creating an icon. They simply wanted to create something considered “extremely useful” for those who use it.
Today, these chairs are everywhere and used as a universal seating option, but for design enthusiasts, this is one of the brightest highlights in design history: an authentic, timeless icon.
Its versatility, simple design, and characteristic shape make it an important part of interior design, from modern and Scandinavian to contemporary spaces.
Fact: The original prototype was created for the “International Competition for Low-Cost Furniture Design”.
Butterfly Chair
The Butterfly Chair was designed in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1938 by architects Antonio Bonet, Juan Kurchan, and Jorge Ferrari.
Its design features a tubular frame and a large sling suspended from the highest points of the frame, creating a suspended seat.
Fact: The chair was named the BKF chair, from the initials of its creators “Bonet-Kurchan-Ferrari”.
The low iron-legged chair with leather upholstery is easy to move, easy to clean, and very comfortable. This chair is one of the most iconic pieces created in Latin America. Today, we can see it frequently used as an important element in the most modern and sophisticated interior designs.
Fact: more than five million copies were produced during the 1950s.
Eames Lounge Chair
Another iconic piece designed by the husband-and-wife duo Charles and Ray Eames. The 1956 Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman probably needs no introduction; it is the most iconic piece of furniture of the 20th century, representing the ultimate in luxury and comfort.
Eames Lounge Chair
In the 1950s, Charles and Ray participated in a project to design a high-end, luxurious chair. It had to be modern, stylish, and comfortable; the Eames Lounge Chair was born as the most iconic product of all time.
Made from three molded plywood shells and leather, it was a revolutionary design for its time. Not only was it modern and stylish, with fluid curves reflecting post-war futuristic aesthetics, but plywood had never been used like this before.
Eames Lounge Chair
This chair is used in interiors to add style and function; its comfort and sculptural beauty make it a piece that will accompany interior designers for generations to come.
Tulip Chair
The Tulip Chair was designed by Eero Saarinen in 1957. The chair features the smooth lines characteristic of modern style. It was innovative and experimental with materials for its time.
Tulip Chair
The chair is considered a classic of industrial design. The shape of the chair resembles a tulip blooming from the floor, which is how the chair got its name. The Tulip Chair is often used around dining tables or as an office chair.
The chair is often considered “space age” due to its curvaceous appearance.
Womb Chair
This mid-century classic was designed in 1948 by Eero Saarinen. Eero was eager to explore the possibility of chairs achieving comfort through the shape of the shell itself, rather than the depth of the cushioning.
The Womb Chair is one of the most iconic and comfortable chairs of the modern furniture movement.
Like many of Saarinen’s other furniture designs, the Womb Chair required manufacturing techniques and materials that were still in their infancy, making it an iconic piece due to its immense technical innovation.
This is an ideal piece of furniture that provides shape and color to a space. Due to the organic form and soft lines that define this design, it is perfect when used in an interior as an accent piece to be enjoyed from different vantage points and perspectives.
Fact: Saarinen found a boatbuilder in New Jersey who was experimenting with fiberglass and resin to help develop new production methods for the Womb Chair.
