Chairs are an essential part of our homes. We use them in living rooms, dining rooms, entryways and bedrooms. They’re a convenient place to sit and put on your shoes at the start of the day and a welcome respite as you wind down in the evenings. From their form to their function, chairs are an irreplaceable piece of furniture in your indoor and outdoor spaces. We’ve gathered a collection of iconic chairs from the past to learn more about the all-important furniture piece.
Arne Jacobsen’s The Egg Chair (1960) Designed by Arne Jacobsen, a Danish functionalism architect, the Egg Chair was initially created to buffer the sounds that circulate through the SAS Royal Hotel’s busy lobby. Instead of the typical hard framed wood, the Egg is shaped from a hard foam material that is then padded and upholstered. At the head of the chair, the upper corners fold in at the sides, blocking whoever is seated in and creating a private space in a busy area.
The Bistro Chair (1889) An iconic and immediately recognizable chair, the Bistro Chair was created by Fermob in 1889. The design was made with French cafe owners in mind. Easy to fold and store away, the chairs made it simple for Parisian customers to have a place to sit and spared cafe owners of additional rent on their terrace.
The Ray & Charles Eames Lounge Chair (1956) Often accompanied with an ottoman, this chair was created with the intention of recreating the feel of a “well-used first baseman’s mitt.” The chair made its initial debut on television in 1956, appearing on an NBC network television home show. The chair is as stylish and chic as it is comfortable with plastic and plywood being the base materials in its design.
Wiggle Side Chair (1969) Designed by architect Frank Gehry in 1969, the Wiggle Side Chair is part of his ‘Easy Edges’ furniture series. The curved, sculpted seat is constructed out of cardboard and offers an eye-catching place to rest. The main material used to create this futuristic chair is cardboard. Each cardboard piece is placed in an opposite direction, this allows the cardboard to hold a substantial amount of weight and provides a more economical design material.
Womb Chair (1948) Designed by Eero Saarinen in 1948, this chair was requested by furniture designer Florence Knoll who was looking for a cozy chair to curl up in. Saarinen wanted to create a chair that was comfortable because of the shape of the shell, not the depth of its cushioning. A boat builder in New Jersey assisted with the fiberglass and resin used to create the fiber-reinforced plastic of the chair with additional elbow room for added comfort.
The Wishbone Chair (1949) Inspired by the thrones of the Ming dynasty, Danish designer Hans Wegner created the Wishbone Chair with a high-backed wooden frame and wide woven seat. Its comfortable design and durable materials make it a common choice for homeowners looking to incorporate new, long-lasting chairs into their homes. The paper that is woven into the seat has a life cycle of about 50 years and the design has remained popular over the chair’s 75-year lifespan.
