10 Most wanted vintage designer chairs of the moment
Trends, trends, trends. We love to hate them (don’t we?), but also can’t wait to find out what’s coming up next in the home and decor industry. We often think of trends as the crazy drivers of consumerism and we’re sometimes quick to dismiss them as shallow and short-lived.
Yet, some interior trends are everything but temporary, always evolving to fit the latest interior buzz. Like the little black dress, iconic designer chairs are forever in style proving once and for all that you cannot put an expiration date on those high-quality designs.
We find ourselves obsessing over their sleek lines and playing around their shapes and hues to come up with the new look – fit for the modern-day interior tastes. No matter how strongly a certain chair may have peaked in popularity (before facing an inevitable decline), due to its incredible resilience and superb quality of its design, it won’t be long before it is once again rediscovered.
Inspired by our recent strolls down the Instagram avenue, we bring you the most wanted vintage designer chairs of the moment.
1. Warren Platner Armchair
Image source: Cool Chic Style Fashion
In the days when curvy, harmonious, tubular and graphic become the most wanted furniture characteristics, the Platner armchair finds itself in the spotlight. Designed back in 1966, this brilliant lounge chair is actually a rethink of a Louis XV-style chair, adapted for modern home use. Incredibly graceful and luxurious, Platner’s armchair marries molded fiberglass and steel wire rods with nickel finish, promising an incredible experience for both the eye and the spine. It works well with a variety of interior styles from contemporary to eclectic and is known to hold value over time.
Nickel & Steel Armchair By Warren Platner For Knoll International, 2000s
2. The Ekstrem chair by Terje Ekstrøm
Image source: @justmakeyourselfathome
We are so excited to announce that the ‘80s icon, Ekstrem chair is back! This avant-garde work of Norwegian designer Terje Ekstrøm may look nutty to some, but when it comes to ergonomics it is a pure genius. Challenging traditional conventions, the Ekstrem chair uses the unexpected form of a cylinder to create a highly flexible conversation chair that supports several different sitting orientations. It is a perfect statement piece for Modern and Post-Modern (but lately even eclectic and Scandinavian) interiors, while simultaneously providing unparalleled comfort.
Ekstrem Chair, Iconic Design By Terje Ekstrøm
3. Thonet No. 209
Image source: Missmoss
This one is no brainer – the model No. 209 chair by Thonet has been trending for as long as we can remember. Designed by the oldest furniture company in the world, No. 209 chair is a fine example of its celebrated signature look. Similar to the No. 214 chair, No. 209 is also bentwood, but with the added backrest and armrest made of a single piece of solid beech wood. They are mostly used as dining and office chairs in Scandi-inspired interiors but don’t be surprised if you spot them just about anywhere.
No. 209 Or Vienna Chair From Thonet, 1920s
4. The Lady chair by Marco Zanuso
Image source: Elle Decor
Designed over 60 years ago for Cassina, the Lady chair by Marco Zanuso won a gold medal at the 1951 Milan Triennale. This elegant chair is one of the landmark pieces of the midcentury modernist aesthetic, playing the appealing organic curves and technological experimentation.
We’ve been mesmerised by Irakli Zaria’s glorious interpretation of the Lady from the moment we’ve first seen it in Elle Decor (see the image above).
“Lady” Chairs By Marco Zanuso, Manufactured By Arflex, Italy, 1951
5. The Barcelona lounge chair by Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe
Image source: Design Sponge
One of the most famous designs of the 20th century and a highly coveted collectible, the Barcelona chair by Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe still appears as refined as on the day when it was first introduced (1929). Perhaps not the most comfortable chair on this list, but definitely one of the most sought after.
Barcelona Lounge Chairs By Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe In Original Cognac Leather
6. Wishbone chair by Hans Wegner
Image source: @reserve_home
A celebrated Mid-century icon, Ch24 or the Wishbone chair by Hans Wagner features a charming sculptural silhouette, curvy back and handwoven seat. Thanks to its effortless Scandi chic and the ability to evoke serenity, it’s been making waves on both European and American soil lately.
Mid Century ‘Ch24’ Wishbone Chairs By Hans Wegner For Carl Hansen & Søn, 1960s, Set Of 4
7. The Cesca chair by Marcel Breuer
Image source: The Guardian
Unless you’ve been taking your social media detox extremely seriously, you must have noticed that the Cesca trend is taking Instagram by storm. Our great love of Cesca resides in its ability to reconcile the two extremes – industrial and the natural world, empowering both of them to show the very best they’ve got.
Cesca B32 Side Chairs By Marcel Breuer For Thonet
8. Pierre Jeanneret Office Chair Chandigarh
The Chandigarh office chair comes with a slightly different story. Designed back in the 1950s by Le Corbusier’s cousin, Pierre Jeanneret, this teak chair was supposed to be a practical and durable solution for people of the utopian city of Chandigarh, India. It was intended to be humidity and bug-resistant, so it can survive the Indian climate for decades. After people started adopting a more contemporary aesthetic, many Chandigarh chairs were discarded as trash. Today, they are seen as luxury items and adorn celebrity homes (like Kourtney Kardashian).
Pierre Jeanneret Office Chair Chandigarh, India: Model Pj Si 28 A, 1950s
9. The Ghost chair by Philippe Starck
Image source: Homepolish
The omnipresent Ghost chair was designed back in the 1970s to grace Parisian nightclubs. Bringing together the Louis XVI chair and modern-day technology, Philippe Starck created this swooping single-piece plastic masterpiece. Today, you will spot it in a wild range of different interior styles, from luxurious contemporary, to eclectic.
Ghost Chair By Philippe Starck For Kartell Made In Italy
10. Original Thonet chair
Image source: @mreiness
If timeless is your word of choice when it comes to decorating, think of the original Thonet chair as the little black dress – never too much, never too little. It’s always appropriate and chic!
Lovely Pair Of Original Label Thonet Bentwood Cafe Chairs
What’s your favourite?
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