In the 1950s, following the success of their molded chairs, Ray and Charles Eames were challenged to design outdoor seating. If the standard Eames chair isn’t your style however, don’t fret-no one does the vintage office chair quite like Herman Miller. While the standard, molded Eames chairs are part of the brand’s residential lines, they do, of course, work perfectly when paired up with a plank-style desk. If you already associated Herman Miller with office furniture because of their omnipresent molded fiberglass Eames chair, consider us impressed. Indeed, this chair is a literal manifestation of how 4:30 on a Friday feels. While the chair’s focus was comfort contouring, we can’t get over the bold colored upholstery they sport. Identifiable by the tagline “The chair that loves people,” the 430 was a precursor to the ergonomic chairs that dominate the market today. While Steelcase has continued to innovate the office chair into the new millennium, it’s their original 430 Chair, introduced in 1974, that still captivates us most. Johnson Wax Building in Wisconsin and Chicago’s Sears Tower bolstered their office cred. Meanwhile, installations in famed office buildings like Frank Lloyd Wright’s S.C. Founded in 1912, Steelcase began experimenting with color early on, introducing office sets in colors like flame, cordovan (that’s a burgundy rose), and bamboo in the 1950s.
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We love any company that promotes a workday full of Margaritaville color. An aluminum rim and tufting on the upholstery are extra glamorous rifts that finish the look. A molded seat offers up supreme comfort, while an upholstered lining provides a pop of color on the chair front. Consider this one a plush, futuristic take on the boss’s chair.Ī curved, shell-like seat makes you the pearl in the oyster that is Charles Pollock’s Executive Chair. Featuring a sculpted, womb-like shape, inset cushions, and a stainless swivel base, the chair can frequently be found upholstered in popsicle-right colors. Regardless of which version you fall for, its pod-like shape cradles the body, ensuring that feeling overworked is a thing of the past.įollowing Eero Saarinen, it was Max Pearson’s secretarial chair that assumed the role of the Planning Unit’s standard task chair, and in 1966 Pearson introduced his own version of the executive chair. Originally docked on stationary, antenna-like legs, this vintage office chair can now also be found with a swivel base. Introduced in 1950, the Saarinen Executive Armchair is notable for its swooping, bat-like shape and crescent back cut-out. Below are the Knoll designers who did it best. Likewise, Knoll employed a number of makers to design office furniture. An acronym-heavy roster of clients included IBM, CBS, and GM. While the company is, of course, recognizable for its additions to residential spaces (hello, Tulip Table!), Florence Knoll created Knoll’s Planning Unit, a committee that specialized in office space planning and yes, vintage office chairs. Throughout the Mid-Century, founders Hans Knoll and his wife Florence actively sought out emerging designers, including what are now marquee-worthy names like Eero Saarinen and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. While American-based Knoll originally had plans to import furniture from Europe, WWII scrambled their plans and led to their rise as one of America’s leading furniture manufacturers. Consider these secondhand office chairs our must-hires! Below, we’ve highlighted some our favorite used office chair makers, along with a roundup of their most iconic designs. In fact, a number of top designers that most associate solely with residential furniture actually specialized in complements to the water cooler at some point. Well, for one, knowing the designers who specialize in vintage office chairs and desks is a must. Likewise, a vintage office chair that’s fine for the office-we’re looking at you style-less ergonomic chair with the heart of gold!-might not cut it in your carefully edited abode. And maybe it’s just us, but when you consider that a vintage office chair is going to spend up to eight hours a day hugging your backside, you want it to be a chair you trust.
When it comes to vintage office chairs, let’s be honest, it’s hard to know who’s really got your back. TAKE NOTE: OUR FAVORITE VINTAGE OFFICE CHAIRS No matter your choice, pair it up with a vintage desk and a cache of cute desk accessories for a look that will deem you promotion-worthy! Go ergonomic and opt for a classic like Knoll’s Pollock Executive Chair, or nail down a vintage find from Steelcase. With used office chairs, expect durable upholstery in colors borrowed straight from the fruit bowl, serious swivel, and plenty of tufting. Whether you’re a boss (or simply fancy yourself one), nothing will cement the feeling quite like a vintage office chair.