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In Stock in Los Angeles, Set of 2 Black Leather Bella Dining Chairs
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Set of 2 x black leather dining chairs
The Bella armchair has a high back upholstered entirely in leather. The padding is in flame-retardant polyurethane foam and the frame is made ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
Materials
Steel
Gaulino Easy Chair by Oscar Tysquets black lacquered ashwood, contemporary
By Oscar Tusquets Blanca
Located in Barcelona, ES
“The challenge was to design a light armchair, not too high, using wood and leather. At the beginning, it was going in a different direction, but after making various models, prototy...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Armchairs
Materials
Hide, Ash
H 29.93 in W 27.56 in D 21.66 in
Black Chubby Chair in 3d Printed Recycled Plastic
Located in London, GB
Dirk van der Kooij first fell in love with low resolution 3D printing as a student, fulfilling his search for honest and functional ornamentation. The chubby chair remains his most p...
Category
2010s Dutch Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Plastic
Moooi Smoke Armchair in Shade Pitch Black Upholstery by Maarten Baas
By Maarten Baas, Moooi
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Furniture finished with fire. The beauty and character of burned wood is now captured in a long lasting material, creating the strange sensation of sitting on burnt furniture Maarten...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Armchairs
Materials
Upholstery
"EATER" Modern Steel Chair (any color is possible) by oitoproducts
By Ivan Voitovych
Located in Gstaad, CH
We've always wanted to create a chair with two legs. After long experiments with different sizes, angles, the cross-section of the pipes, we found the golden mean.
It's hard to surp...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Steel
Customizable e15 That Lounge Chair by Stefan Diez
By Stefan Diez, e15
Located in New York, NY
The lounge chair That is part of the distinct This That Other seating series. Named after the famous card trick, Stefan Diez uses the same plywood material as for the iconic Houdini ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Oak
Pair of Armchairs, Italy, 1990s
Located in New York, NY
Inox steel frames featuring wraparound backs upholstered in dark brown leather, the seats and backs upholstered in the original crushed velvet with leaf pattern. These chairs were de...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Armchairs
Materials
Steel
Modern Mary Swivel Bar Stool, Black Leather, Handmade in Portugal by Greenapple
By Greenapple
Located in Lisboa, PT
Mary Swivel Bar Stool, Contemporary Collection, Handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by Greenapple.
Designed by Rute Martins for the Contemporary Collection, the Mary bar stool transcen...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Chairs
Materials
Brass, Stainless Steel
H 39.38 in W 23.63 in D 21.66 in
Modern Mary Dining Chair, Black Italian Leather, Handmade Portugal by Greenapple
By Greenapple
Located in Lisboa, PT
Mary Chair, Contemporary Collection, Handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by Greenapple.
Designed by Rute Martins for the Contemporary Collection, the Mary leather dining chair transcen...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Chairs
Materials
Stainless Steel, Brass
H 31.5 in W 24.02 in D 21.66 in
De Sede DS-51 Chair in Umbra Upholstery by Antonella Scarpitta
By De Sede, Antonella Scarpitta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The DS-51 swivel armchair helped establish De Sede’s worldwide reputation for Swiss hand craftsmanship and production of the highest quality. Optionally available with or without arm...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Chairs
Materials
Leather
De Sede DS-51 Chair in Black Upholstery by Antonella Scarpitta
By Antonella Scarpitta, De Sede
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The DS-51 swivel armchair helped establish De Sede’s worldwide reputation for Swiss hand craftsmanship and production of the highest quality. Optionally available with or without arm...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Chairs
Materials
Leather
Kartell Pilastro Stool in Black by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Pilastro stool is part of the Kartell goes Sottsass, a tribute to Memphis collection, launched in 2015 in homage to design guru Ettore Sottsass. Pilastro, stands out for its arch...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Stools
Materials
Plastic
Sling Hanging Swing Chair Genuine Brown Leather 21st Century Modern
By Joanina and David Pastoll
Located in Johannesburg, ZA
Stripped away from all excess, this hanging chair has a circular frame with a sheet of natural thick leather hanging loose within it, to create a sleek, sexy, and oh so comfortable e...
Category
2010s South African Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Iconic Eero Aarnio Black Leather Swivel Ball Lounge Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The ball chair was designed in 1963 and debuted at the Cologne Furniture Fair in 1966. The chair is one of the most famous and beloved classics of Finnish design and it was the inter...
Category
2010s Finnish Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Leather, Fiberglass
Armchair in Boucle Fabric Molteni&C by Gio Ponti D.154.2 - made in Italy
By Gio Ponti, Molteni & C
Located in New York, NY
D.154.2 Lovechair in Bouclé Fabric by Gio Ponti.
Expert-crafted in Italy exclusively by Molteni&C.
The mid-century D.154.2 lovechair features a shell-like structure inspired by ren...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
Materials
Bouclé
UNA Leather Upholstered Dining Chair in Black Stained Oak by Estudio Persona
By Estudio Persona
Located in Los Angeles, CA
UNA leather upholstered dining chair in black stained oak. Using these fluid shapes allows greater focus on the details of the wood grain and pristinely stitched leather top.
Made o...
Category
2010s American Modern Chairs
Materials
Leather, Oak
H 31.5 in W 18 in D 19.63 in
Soiree Chair with Stitch Detail in Charcoal, Oscar & Gabriele Buratti for Driade
By Oscar e Gabriele Buratti, Driade
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The theme of the classic, soft, fabric-covered, padded chair made of a single material is interpreted here in an exceptionally elegant, accurately finished design. Whether dressed in...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
H 31.6 in W 18.8 in D 22 in
UNA Dining Chair in Black Stained Oak with Leather Back by Estudio Persona
By Estudio Persona
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The UNA chair intersects a round wooden seat and legs with a leather upholstered cylindrical back. Using these fluid shapes allows greater focus on the details of the wood grain and ...
Category
2010s American Modern Chairs
Materials
Leather, Oak
H 31.5 in W 18 in D 19.63 in
Wassily Style Leather Chair in the Manner of Marcel Breuer
By Marcel Breuer
Located in Austin, TX
A fine, comfortable Wassily style lounge chair from France featuring bands of stitched leather attached to a seamless tubular chrome frame, inspired by Marcel Breuer’s original desig...
Category
20th Century French Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Art Deco Margot Dining Chairs, Faux Fur Velvet, Handmade Portugal by Greenapple
By Greenapple
Located in Lisboa, PT
Margot chair, modern collection, handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by GF Modern.
The Margot fur dining chair stands as a art deco piece that redefines the standards of modern living....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Chairs
Materials
Faux Fur, Leather, Velvet, Bouclé, Fabric
H 35.44 in W 25.2 in D 26.78 in
In Stock in Los Angeles, Bella, Black Leather Dining Chair, Made in Italy
By Renzo Fauciglietti & Graziella Bianchi
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Scroll down and click "view all from Seller" to see more than 400 other unique products. (1.8)
In Stock in Los Angeles
The Bella dining chair has a high back upholstered entirely in...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Steel
H 37.01 in W 17.72 in D 21.26 in
GTV Thonet Postsparkasse Chair in Black and Aluminium by Otto Wagner
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Adolf Loos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Extreme shape synthesis. Minimalism, exclusivity and an eye for detail. The “Postsparkasse” series was designed in 1906 by Otto Wagner for the headquarters of the Post Office Savings...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Chairs
Materials
Wood
Handcrafted Black Outdoor Cali Wire Lounge Chair, Powder-Coated Steel
By Leon Leon Design
Located in Mexico City, Delegación Cuauhtémoc
This outdoor lounge chair is a unique creation by León León design from Mexico City.
It features a solid powder-coated steel structure and can be used either indoor or outdoor.
H...
Category
2010s Mexican Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Steel
H 27.17 in W 30.32 in D 31.11 in
Chair in Black Ashwood and Black Leather Molteni&C by Tobia Scarpa - Miss
By Tobia Scarpa, Molteni & C
Located in New York, NY
Miss Chair in Black Ashwood and Black Leather by Afra and Tobia Scarpa. Expert-crafted in Italy exclusively by Molteni&C.
Husband and wife powerhouse designers Afra and Tobias Scar...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Ash, Leather
Shaker Backless Counter Stool by Ambrozia, Walnut, Black Steel, Sandle Vinyl
By AMBROZIA
Located in Drummondville, Quebec
The shaker backless modern counter stool chair is made to order from our unique Ambrozia black textured steel tubing frame and a premium vinyl upholstered seat. Leather is available ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Stools
Materials
Steel
H 25.5 in W 17 in D 15 in
Bondi Stackable Dining Chair in Ashwood
By Please Wait to be Seated, Fräg Woodall
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Please Wait to be Seated Bondi chair is inspired by designer Frag Woodall's earliest memories of watching artisans at work, fascinated by the way they joined and fitted timber. The s...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Wood
Iola Upholstered Chair in Black Metal Base, by E-ggs
By Miniforms, E-GGS
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Iola chair comes with a seat, back and armrests in a injected flameretardant polyurethane foam covered with the listed fabrics. The structure base is available for custom orders in W...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Metal
Opinion Ciatti Mammamia Stool with Adjustable Height
By Opinion Ciatti, Marcello Zilliani
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mammamia Stool is a swivel stool with die-cast aluminium shell. Chrome-plated steel structure, base and footrest. Adjustable in height with gas piston. For indoor use. Available in c...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Stools
Materials
Metal
Modern Black Green Gray White Orange Pink Red Purple or Blue Rabbit Accent Chair
By Qeeboo, Stefano Giovannoni
Located in Origgio (VA), IT
Rabbit is a family of products with a strong media impact, one of Stefano Giovannoni's hat tricks, and immediately became a pop icon, a symbol of love and fertility, which brings goo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Plastic
e15 Jean Stool Wood by Stefan Diez
By e15, Stefan Diez
Located in New York, NY
The bar stool jean is a natural development of the dynamic chair family Houdini. Jan consists of a seat with circumferential brim, which provides comfort and hold when seated. Betwee...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Stools
Materials
Wood
Minimal Style, Bar Stool in Solid wood, Textiles or Leather Seat, Black finish
By SIMONINI
Located in Vila Cordeiro, São Paulo
The Wing chair solid wood collection, flexibility, modern aesthetics, comfort and softness are the keywords for this collection. The concept is inspired by the B-52 plane design, thi...
Category
2010s Brazilian Modern Chairs
Materials
Textile, Cane, Wood, Hardwood
H 38.59 in W 16.54 in D 17.72 in
Roly Poly Armchair in Peat by Faye Toogood for Driade
By Driade, Faye Toogood
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The distinctive, reassuringly chunky lines of Faye Toogood’s Roly-Poly furniture collection become even more inviting in her new collaboration with Driade. The latest line for the It...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Plastic
Sling Hanging Swing Chair Genuine Black Leather 21st Century Modern
By Joanina and David Pastoll
Located in Johannesburg, ZA
Stripped away from all excess, this hanging chair has a circular frame with the sheets of soft leather hanging loose within it, to create a sleek, sexy, and oh so comfortable experie...
Category
2010s South African Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Hayche Dulwich with Armrest - Black, UK, Made to Order
Located in Liverpool, GB
Elevating the classic Dulwich design with the addition of armrests, this Dulwich chair with armrests offers enhanced comfort and support without compromising its timeless appeal. The...
Category
2010s European Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Desk ‘Bird’ Chair by Preben Fabricius for Alfred Kill
By Jørgen Kastholm & Preben Fabricius
Located in Stamford, CT
A Bird chair by Jorgen Kastholm and Preben Fabricius for Alfred Kill. This desk chair model has the rarer Casters. Newly recovered in black Sorensen leather.
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Pair Kazuhide Takahama Kazuki Chairs for Simon Gavina International, Italy 1969
By Simon International, Gavina, Kazuhide Takahama
Located in London, GB
Set of four or six available.
Kazuhide Takahama was born in Japan in 1930 and after completing his studies in Architecture in Tokyo he started working in Kazuo Fuioka’s studio. In ...
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Lacquer
H 41.74 in W 18.12 in D 18.12 in
Eight Wheeled B&B MaxAlto Collection Alcantara Armchairs, 1990s
By Maxalto
Located in IT
Eight wheeled B&B Max Alto Collection Alcantara armchairs from Italy from 1990s. Suitable both for office and living room chairs.
No restoration needed. Excellent conditions.
A vid...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Acrylic
Tacchini Kelly C Chair in Thuya 01 Fabric by Claesson Koivisto Rune
By Tacchini, Claesson Koivisto Rune
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The designer drew inspiration from the work of minimalist artist Ellsworth Kelly, creating a chair with slender metal legs and a padded shell with a simple, linear shape. An essentia...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric
INVICTA dining chair with contrast piping
Located in Frazão, Porto
The INVICTA dining chair is a unique piece, and the impressive design with just one leg in the back, in solid wood, will make the dining room a sophisticated space. Upholstered in f...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Lacquer
Chair in Wood and Leather Molteni&C by Tobia Scarpa - Made in Italy - Miss
By Tobia Scarpa, Molteni & C
Located in New York, NY
Miss Chair in Wood and Leather by Afra and Tobia Scarpa.
Expert-crafted in Italy exclusively by Molteni&C.
Husband and wife powerhouse designers Afra and Tobias Scarpa conceived o...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Ash
Tube Chair in Canaletto Walnut, Upholster Seat, by Giopato & Coombes
By Miniforms, Giopato & Coombes
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This tube chair is available with a Canaletto wood structure, and an upholstered seat in the listed fabrics. The tube chair is also available in beech and solid oak wood.
Cristian...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Wood, Upholstery
Opinion Ciatti Con Fort Set of 2 Steel Folding Chairs
By Opinion Ciatti, Maurizio Galante and Tal Lancman
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Foldable and light, with an adjustable back, Con fort is a contemporary reinterpretation of one of the Industrial era’s first work chairs. Designed by Maurizio Galante and Tal Lancma...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
Opinion Ciatti Mammamia Leather Non Stackable Chair
By Marcello Zilliani, Opinion Ciatti
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. The sinuous and elongated lines ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Moroso Bloomy Table by Patricia Urquiola
By Patricia Urquiola, Moroso
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Base is black or white varnished steel; column is steel with white or black ABS plastic sleeve; tops are in Laminam. Tops are not interchangeable.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Matte Black Modern Ribbon Plastic Dining or Side Chair Set of 2
By Qeeboo, Nika Zupanc
Located in Origgio (VA), IT
Ribbon chair, evoking an extraordinarily romantic world, is the feminine chair par excellence. A successful chair, with a strong identity and characterized by a bow designed as a bac...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Plastic
e15 This Side Chair by Stefan Diez
By Stefan Diez, e15
Located in New York, NY
The deceptively simple side chair this illustrates e15's key philosophy in exposing and featuring elements essential to the construction of a product. Named after the famous card tri...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Side Chairs
Materials
Oak
e15 Mr. Collins Stool by Stefan Diez
By e15, Stefan Diez
Located in New York, NY
With its dynamic form and ergonomic comfort, Mr. Collins is an endearing stool applicable in diverse arrangements for living or working situations. Based on couture construction meth...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Stools
Materials
Wood
Roly Poly Polyethylene Armchair in Charcoal by Faye Toogood for Driade
By Driade, Faye Toogood
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The distinctive, reassuringly chunky lines of Faye Toogood’s Roly-Poly furniture collection become even more inviting in her new collaboration with Driade. The latest line for the It...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Plastic
Lounge Chair in Carbon Dyed Ash and Black Sheepskin by Hinterland Design
By Hinterland Design
Located in Vancouver, BC
Hinterland's first lounge chair offering, the Shepherd's Chair is the culmination of years of design and prototyping. Inspired by the close relationship between a traditional herders...
Category
2010s Canadian Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Sheepskin, Upholstery, Hardwood, Ash
Thonet Pair of black stained wood chairs
By Thonet
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Thonet bentwood chairs.
There is some wear and tear, but they are sturdy.
They have been sanded and stained.
These are from a CFDA member hat designer's showroom. A full set ...
Category
20th Century European Modern Chairs
Materials
Bentwood
"Minivarius" chair tubular steel painted in anodic black by Oscar Tusquets Spain
By Oscar Tusquets Blanca
Located in Barcelona, ES
In 2008 Oscar Tusquets reviewed his famous Various chair design, and came up with this smaller and updated version presented in a painted Anodic Black.
The seat is available in a ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Steel
H 32.29 in W 20.48 in D 20.87 in
4x Shaker Swivel Bar Chairs, by Ambrozia, Walnut, Black Metal & Smokey Leather
By AMBROZIA
Located in Drummondville, Quebec
The Shaker Swivel Bar Chair is made to order from our unique Ambrozia black textured steel tubing frame. This contemporary / modern swivel bar chair is available in a large variety o...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Swivel Chairs
Materials
Steel
H 44 in W 20 in D 18 in
Nest Chair by CEU Studio, Represented by Tuleste Factory
By CEU Studio
Located in New York, NY
Nest Chair by CEU
39" dia x 26" H
All sales are final.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Modern Chairs
Materials
Natural Fiber, Rattan
Avoa Chair • Handmade Edition • in Steel by Pedro Paulo-Venzon
By Pedro Paulo Venzon
Located in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina
The motivation for the development of the Avoa Chair (MMXIII) is autotelia, the autonomous design discourse. The challenge was to think of an object as a quote, a resumption of the m...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
UNA Counter Stool in Black Stained Ash and Upholstered Back by Estudio Persona
By Estudio Persona
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The UNA counter stool intersects a round wooden seat and legs with a leather upholstered cylindrical back. Using these fluid shapes allows greater focus on the details of the wood gr...
Category
2010s American Modern Chairs
Materials
Leather, Ash
H 37.25 in W 19.5 in D 18 in
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Czech Black Armchair with Upholstered Seat & Beech
By Hermann Czech, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Designed in 1994, the Hermann Czech chair represents the turning point of modern furniture towards the passion of reminiscence and intimacy: a contemporary design that evokes memorie...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Chairs
Materials
Wood
H 33.4 in W 21.6 in D 20.1 in
Mantis Chair in Carved, Solid Wood by Craig Bassam
By BassamFellows
Located in Ridgefield, CT
Inspired by the noble praying mantis, the signature stance and powerful limbs of this chair offers a study in contrasts. Strong and elegant, sharp and curved, thick and thin, the Man...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Wood
De Sede Leather Beanbag Longue Chair
By De Sede
Located in Brooklyn, NY
DS-9087/60 beanbag chair by De Sede. Styrofoam ball filling.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Chairs
Materials
Leather
Nika Zupanc Maid Chair, A LOT OF Brasil Collection, Brazil, 2013
By Nika Zupanc
Located in São Paulo, BR
The Maid chair created by designer Nika Zupanc is a high quality piece of art design by A LOT OF Brasil. Made of fiberglass, aluminum swivel base with automotive paint. The piece is ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
Shaker Modern Chair by Ambrozia, Solid Walnut, Black Steel & Light Grey Vinyl
By AMBROZIA
Located in Drummondville, Quebec
The shaker modern dining chair is handmade to order from our unique Ambrozia black textured steel tubing frame with a premium vinyl upholstered seat and back. We have a large variety...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
H 32 in W 18 in D 19 in
- 1
- ...
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Black Modern Chairs For Sale on 1stDibs
Find a variety of black modern chairs available on 1stDibs. Frequently made of animal skin, metal and leather, all black modern chairs available were constructed with great care. Find 216 antique and vintage black modern chairs at 1stDibs now, or shop our selection of 865 modern versions for a more contemporary example of this long-cherished furniture. Black modern chairs have been made for many years, and versions that date back to the 20th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century. Many black modern chairs are appealing in their simplicity, but Carl Hansen & Søn, Hans J. Wegner and Emeco produced popular black modern chairs that are worth a look.
How Much are Black Modern Chairs?
Black modern chairs can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price at 1stDibs is $1,563, while the lowest priced sells for $7 and the highest can go for as much as $60,000.
A Close Look at Modern Furniture
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 chair — crafted 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.
Finding the Right Chairs for You
Chairs are an indispensable component of your home and office. Can you imagine your life without the vintage, new or antique chairs you love?
With the exception of rocking chairs, the majority of the seating in our homes today — Windsor chairs, chaise longues, wingback chairs — originated in either England or France. Art Nouveau chairs, the style of which also originated in those regions, embraced the inherent magnificence of the natural world with decorative flourishes and refined designs that blended both curved and geometric contour lines. While craftsmanship and styles have evolved in the past century, chairs have had a singular significance in our lives, no matter what your favorite chair looks like.
“The chair is the piece of furniture that is closest to human beings,” said Hans Wegner. The revered Danish cabinetmaker and furniture designer was prolific, having designed nearly 500 chairs over the course of his lifetime. His beloved designs include the Wishbone chair, the wingback Papa Bear chair and many more.
Other designers of Scandinavian modernist chairs introduced new dynamics to this staple with sculptural flowing lines, curvaceous shapes and efficient functionality. The Paimio armchair, Swan chair and Panton chair are vintage works of Finnish and Danish seating that left an indelible mark on the history of good furniture design.
“What works good is better than what looks good, because what works good lasts,” said Ray Eames.
Visionary polymaths Ray and Charles Eames experimented with bent plywood and fiberglass with the goal of producing affordable furniture for a mass market. Like other celebrated mid-century modern furniture designers of elegant low-profile furnishings — among them Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Finn Juhl — the Eameses considered ergonomic support, durability and cost, all of which should be top of mind when shopping for the perfect chair. The mid-century years yielded many popular chairs.
The Eameses introduced numerous icons for manufacturer Herman Miller, such as the Eames lounge chair and ottoman, molded plywood dining chairs the DCM and DCW (which can be artfully mismatched around your dining table) and a wealth of other treasured pieces for the home and office.
A good chair anchors us to a place and can become an object of timeless appeal. Take a seat and browse the rich variety of vintage, new and antique chairs on 1stDibs today.
Questions About Black Modern Chairs
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Yes, Wassily chairs are indeed considered mid-century modern. Although the chair was initially designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925, it was re-released in the 1960s. Shop a collection of mid-century modern goods from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 5, 2021There are multiple chair colors that can be matched with a black table, it’s really a matter of preference. You could choose to go with black or a contrasting color or even think outside the box in order to add unlikely pops of color to a space. Visit 1stDibs for a wide selection of chairs and tables available in different colors.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023Some iconic chairs from the mid-century modern era include the Egg chair by Arne Jacobson, the La Chaise by Charles and Ray Eames and the Womb chair by Eero Saarinen. With their clean lines, organic shapes and simple details, these chairs reflect some of the key features of the style. Shop a variety of mid-century modern chairs on 1stDibs.
Read More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Eileen Gray’s Famed Cliffside Villa in the South of France Is Returned to Its Modernist Glory
After years of diligent restoration, E-1027, the designer-cum-architect’s marriage of romance and modernism, is finally complete.
See How New York City Designers Experiment on Their Own Homes
There are many lessons to be learned from the lofts, apartments and townhouses of architects and decorators in Manhattan and beyond.
Why Drew McGukin’s Colorful Home Differs from Those of His Clients
The New York–based designer has a high-impact style that's all his own, as his loft in the Chelsea Flower District makes abundantly clear.
Jeff Andrews Captures Old Hollywood Glamour in His Cinematic Spaces
Having created extravagant homes for reality TV’s biggest stars, the designer is stepping into the spotlight with his first book.
New Orleans’ Lee Ledbetter Makes Design Magic by Mixing Past and Present
The Louisiana-born and -bred architect talks to 1stdibs about the art of making timeless places that matter.
How a Modernist Hamptons Home on the Water Became the Ideal Weekend Refuge
Damon Liss and Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects collaborated on this serene getaway for a minimalism-minded Manhattan family of four.
Desert Modern Designer Arthur Elrod Finally Gets His Day in the Sun
The Palm Springs interior decorator developed a mid-century style that defined the vacation homes of celebrities and other notables, including Bob Hope and Lucille Ball.
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