1. The Wassily Chair, Marcel Breuer, 1925 
History: Breuer was an apprentice at the Bauhaus in 1925 when he came up with the design idea for this chair. The frame was inspired by the tubular frame of a bicycle and it was revolutionary in the use of the materials (bent tubular steel and canvas) and methods of manufacturing. It is now considered one of the most iconic chairs of the 20th Century.
History: Breuer was an apprentice at the Bauhaus in 1925 when he came up with the design idea for this chair. The frame was inspired by the tubular frame of a bicycle and it was revolutionary in the use of the materials (bent tubular steel and canvas) and methods of manufacturing. It is now considered one of the most iconic chairs of the 20th Century.
Her Story: Incredible design...great side chairs.
2. Le Corbusier Grand Confort Chair, Le Corbusier,1929
History: Le Corbusier designed this for the Salon d'Automne installation, Equipment for the Home in 1929 in Paris. The "Grand Confort," armchair has a chrome-plated tubular steel frame and the five voluminous, orthogonal leather cushions, evoking both comfort and formal reduction.
History: Le Corbusier designed this for the Salon d'Automne installation, Equipment for the Home in 1929 in Paris. The "Grand Confort," armchair has a chrome-plated tubular steel frame and the five voluminous, orthogonal leather cushions, evoking both comfort and formal reduction.
Her Story: This may not be the most "confortable" chair but I always feel like a little kid when sitting in one of these.
3. The Barcelona Chair, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1929 
History: Commissioned exclusively for the German pavilion at the World Exposition in Barcelona, Spain, it was designed to be used by the King and Queen of Spain during the opening ceremony. The architect looked for inspiration to the throne-like form of the curule chair, a stool used by senior Roman magistrates, translating an ancient and regal design into a modern setting.
History: Commissioned exclusively for the German pavilion at the World Exposition in Barcelona, Spain, it was designed to be used by the King and Queen of Spain during the opening ceremony. The architect looked for inspiration to the throne-like form of the curule chair, a stool used by senior Roman magistrates, translating an ancient and regal design into a modern setting.
Her Story: This works anywhere and you feel like royalty when sitting in one of these. Also great for toga parties!
4. The Bibendum Chair, Eileen Gray, 1929 
History: The Bibendum chair remains unique in the sense that no one else has produced a chair quite like it. A striking combination of slender steel and voluptuous leather-clad curves, the sumptuous Bibendum was designed for comfort. While highly regarded by many as a leading designer of her time, Gray did not receive widespread recognition until she was in her nineties, and the iconic chair – inspired by Michelin's mascot Bibendum Man – was largely forgotten about until it reappeared nearly 40 years later, prompting a new production of this design classic.
Her Story: I would totally annoy people by saying Bibendum a meeellion times a day if I had one of these...."I left it on the bibendum"...."no, you take the bibendum, I'll be fine on the sofa"...
History: The Bibendum chair remains unique in the sense that no one else has produced a chair quite like it. A striking combination of slender steel and voluptuous leather-clad curves, the sumptuous Bibendum was designed for comfort. While highly regarded by many as a leading designer of her time, Gray did not receive widespread recognition until she was in her nineties, and the iconic chair – inspired by Michelin's mascot Bibendum Man – was largely forgotten about until it reappeared nearly 40 years later, prompting a new production of this design classic.
Her Story: I would totally annoy people by saying Bibendum a meeellion times a day if I had one of these...."I left it on the bibendum"...."no, you take the bibendum, I'll be fine on the sofa"...
5. Bird Lounge Chair,Harry Bertoia, 1952
History: Bertoia’s Bird chair resulted from a 1950 experiment with bending metal rods into practical art. Innovative, comfortable and strikingly handsome, the chair’s delicate filigree appearance belies its strength and durability. In Bertoia’s own words, “If you look at these chairs, they are mainly made of air, like sculpture. Space passes through them.”
History: Bertoia’s Bird chair resulted from a 1950 experiment with bending metal rods into practical art. Innovative, comfortable and strikingly handsome, the chair’s delicate filigree appearance belies its strength and durability. In Bertoia’s own words, “If you look at these chairs, they are mainly made of air, like sculpture. Space passes through them.”
Her Story: Fun in a kids room...reminds me of a nest.
6. The Tulip Chair, Eero Saarinen, 1955
History: Designed as an exercise in clarifying form, Saarinen's Tulip chair sought out the essential idea and reduced it to the most effective structural solution looking at its setting, rather than a particular shape. "In any design problem, one should seek the solution in terms of the next largest thing." he said. "If the problem is a chair, then its solution must be found in the way it relates to the room..." The Tulip is Saarinen's genius solution to clearing up the "slum of legs" that populates the under-carriage of most dining sets.
Her Story: I now despise my "slum of legs" and yearn for a landscape of these around my dining table.
7. Lounge Chair, Charles & Ray Eames, 1956 
History: The culmination of Charles and Ray Eames' efforts to create a club chair using the molded plywood technology that they pioneered in the '40s. In Charles Eames' words, the vision was a chair with the "warm, receptive look of a well-used first baseman's mitt." The result has become the consummate lounge set, timelessly blending old-fashioned comfort and visionary modernism.
History: The culmination of Charles and Ray Eames' efforts to create a club chair using the molded plywood technology that they pioneered in the '40s. In Charles Eames' words, the vision was a chair with the "warm, receptive look of a well-used first baseman's mitt." The result has become the consummate lounge set, timelessly blending old-fashioned comfort and visionary modernism.
Her Story: Perfect for curling up with a book...but I'd have to be reading something intellectual.
8. The Egg chair, Arne Jacobsen, 1958
History: Designed exclusively for the Radisson SAS hotel in Copenhagen and made a memorable appearance in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Jacobsen had a passion for modernism and his love for Scandinavian simplicity gave birth to some of the most recognizable chairs in the design world - the Series 7 chair and the Swan chair.
Her story: Mama! As a kid I thought we'd all be lounging in one of these numbers in silver jumpsuits by 2001.
9. The Panton Chair, Verner Panton, 1967 
History: From the moment this chair was presented to Vitra it was intended for mass production. The first models were made from fiberglass-reinforced polyester but later versions were made in hard-foamed polyurethane. Vitra makes these now in injection-molded polypropylene, which is UV and weatherproof and can be used both indoors and outdoors. Panton’s other famous designs - the Cone chair and the Flying chair.
History: From the moment this chair was presented to Vitra it was intended for mass production. The first models were made from fiberglass-reinforced polyester but later versions were made in hard-foamed polyurethane. Vitra makes these now in injection-molded polypropylene, which is UV and weatherproof and can be used both indoors and outdoors. Panton’s other famous designs - the Cone chair and the Flying chair.
Her Story: I would love a couple of these (in orange please!) for my front deck.
10. The Ball Chair, Eero Aarnio, 1968
History: It's easy to picture the inspiration behind Eero Aarnio's ball chair - the ball itself. The ball chair has been described as a 'room within a room' since it encompasses its sitter in a cozy environment that is almost independent of its surrounding. The ball is made from fiberglass with upholstered interior. The chair spins on its axis, offering the sitter a view of the room in every direction.
Her Story: So Austin Powers...I'd need white go-go boots though.
11. LEMS stool, Shin and Tomoko Azumi, 2000 
History: Designed for Lapalma, Shin and Tomoko Azumi's LEM Piston Stool reveals rigorous and original rethinking of the form and function of seating. The LEM Piston Stool's sculptural leather, stainless steel or beech wood seat not only swivels, but also adjusts easily from a counter height (26.5") to a bar height (31") with a lever that activates a gas cylinder. While utility strongly determines the form of this unique stool, it also has a visual lightness that creates the illusion of freedom from gravity.
History: Designed for Lapalma, Shin and Tomoko Azumi's LEM Piston Stool reveals rigorous and original rethinking of the form and function of seating. The LEM Piston Stool's sculptural leather, stainless steel or beech wood seat not only swivels, but also adjusts easily from a counter height (26.5") to a bar height (31") with a lever that activates a gas cylinder. While utility strongly determines the form of this unique stool, it also has a visual lightness that creates the illusion of freedom from gravity.
Her Story: Four of these lining my kitchen island...perfection!
12. Louis ghost chair, Phillipe Starck, 2002
History: Originally designed for the ‘Kong’ restaurant in Paris, Starck's elegant yet
ironic nod to the Louis XV style. The Ghost chair is the most daring example of injected polycarbonate in a single mould and despite its evanescent and crystalline
appearance, the chair is stable and durable, shock, scratch and weather resistant and can be stacked six high.
Her Story: Perfect for my next garden party.
