Retro furniture is making a comeback: combined well, design classics bring past eras back to life and create a nostalgic atmosphere in your home. Discover the most important chairs in design history – retro chairs with charm, character and a story to tell.
The most important retro chairs and their stories:
- The Ant
- The Series 7
- The Drop chair
- The Eames Plastic Chairs
- The Panton Chair
- The Saarinen Tulip chair
- The Acapulco Chair
- The Bertoia chair
- The CH24 Wishbone Chair
- The Masters chair
The Ant – a design pioneer
Arne Jacobsen developed the Ant in collaboration with Fritz Hansen in 1951. With its unusual look and just three legs, the chair was initially met with scepticism – a fate it shares with many products that are ahead of their time.
Even the manufacturer, who would go on to work with Jacobsen on many more projects, doubted its success at first and limited the initial run to 300 pieces.
Over the years, however, it was precisely its graceful, minimalist design that turned the Ant into one of the best-selling chairs in the world. In black, white or natural, the retro chair is now regarded as a true classic.
Series 7 – the retro chairs of the 1950s
Jacobsen developed the Series 7 in 1955 as an evolution of the Ant. Thanks to him, the number seven has become a symbol of timeless elegance and artistic skill and craftsmanship of the highest order.
Today, the retro-style design chair is known around the world – not least thanks to Christine Keeler. In 1963, the model was photographed sitting astride the chair, and the image quickly travelled around the globe.
The chair is not only popular as a retro-style kitchen or office chair. It can also be found in many public buildings – including the town hall in Mainz in Germany and the restaurant of the Royal SAS Hotel, which Jacobsen also designed.
Today there are many different versions of the Series 7 chair, including a monochrome collection.
The Drop chair – the classic retro mix of materials
Three years later came another design that is hugely popular as a retro chair today: the Drop chair. Originally designed for Jacobsen's Royal SAS Hotel and never intended for mass production, it quickly became a sought-after collector's item.
It makes a striking statement and enhances any room simply by being there. Today the chair is available in a wide range of versions: upholstered in fabric or leather, or in plastic with or without a seat cushion – all materials that are typical of retro furniture.
Eames Plastic Chair – the legendary retro shell chair
Retro style also means plenty of plastic in bold colours. The design label Vitra impresses with its colourful chairs, which consistently meet high standards of comfort and appearance.
Probably the best-known design chair with retro charm is the Eames Plastic Chair. It helped establish Charles and Ray Eames as two of the most influential designers of the 20th century and is regarded as a true classic for the home.
It was created in 1948 for the Museum of Modern Art's "International Competition for Low-Cost Furniture Design". Production began just two years later. As the first mass-produced plastic chair, it made design history.
The Eames plastic shell chairs are the best example of a re-edition of retro chairs: the chair was originally produced with a fibreglass seat shell. In the early 1990s, however, production of fibreglass shells was discontinued for environmental reasons. From then on, the seat shells were made of polypropylene.
Thanks to improved manufacturing processes, Vitra has now – years later – returned to the roots of the Eames chair and once again offers it in fibreglass-reinforced polyester resin in some of the original colours. Complete with the charm of visible glass fibres, just like the originals.
The Eames classics are now available in countless versions – in different colours, with and without armrests, with various bases and with or without upholstery.
The Panton Chair – Verner Panton's vision
Verner Panton's collaboration with Vitra produced another icon of 20th-century design: the Panton Chair. Panton's idea was to create a flowing form from a single material. The result was the first chair made from a single piece of moulded plastic.
Since its launch in 1967, the design has gone through several production phases. Its wave-like form follows the natural shape of the body, which makes it particularly comfortable.
The Saarinen Tulip chair – inspired by flowers
One of the gems in the Knoll collection is the Tulip chair, designed by Eero Saarinen in the mid-1950s. The design is based on a tulip in bloom and combines modern and classic design.
Today the white retro chair is available in many different versions. As an upholstered chair with retro charm, with or without armrests – the Tulip chair is remarkably versatile.
The Acapulco Chair – a retro chair with Hollywood glamour
The Acapulco Chair is a true retro classic. It is named after the town where it was originally made. In the 1950s, Acapulco was a meeting place for Hollywood stars and the Mexican elite.
Today it is produced by the Danish design label OK Design, among others, which has kept the classic retro design but replaced the materials. The retro chair is made of PVC and powder-coated steel, which makes it surprisingly light and suitable for outdoor use. With a matching seat cushion, it also becomes a cosy reading chair in the living room.
The Bertoia chair with an industrial feel
The Bertoia chair, named after Harry Bertoia, is regarded as an emblematic design of the forward-looking, innovative 1950s.
The chair is made by hand in a complex process. Its rather delicate appearance cleverly conceals how sturdy it is. The vintage piece is versatile, suitable for indoor and outdoor use and, alongside the Diamond Chair, one of the most famous designs of the 20th century.
The CH24 Wishbone Chair by Carl Hansen
The Y chair, or CH24, is designer Hans J. Wegner's best-known work. In 1949 he created a living and dining room chair with retro charm whose natural elegance keeps it highly relevant today.
With its characteristic Y-shaped backrest, which gave the chair its nickname, the design reflects Wegner's pursuit of organic, lively forms. It became a bestseller as soon as it was launched.
Today the retro chair is produced by Carl Hansen. In Denmark it is simply known as the "Y-stol" – the Y chair – and it is held in high esteem among design connoisseurs.
The Masters chair by Kartell – a tribute to three design classics
The Masters chair by Kartell skilfully combines three different designs. Eero Saarinen's Tulip Armchair, Charles Eames's Eiffel chair and Arne Jacobsen's Series 7 have been merged into a single Masters chair.
The real eye-catcher of the Masters chair is, of course, its striking backrest with its sweeping curves. The different styles of the three classics merge into a newly interpreted work of art. And it's not just the flowing design that convinces: the Masters chair is also suitable for outdoor use, lightweight and stackable.
If you like our ten retro chair designs, take a look at our chairs category, where you'll find many more classic chairs of today and tomorrow. You can also find more information and inspiration on retro furniture here.
