Scandinavia has perhaps left its deepest imprint on design chairs: as industrialisation arrived later, woodworking was omnipresent when design developed, giving rise to an extremely warm modernity.
Our range includes all the classic chairs of Scandinavian design, including many timeless icons of world renown - from the moulded wood veneer chairs of Alvar Aalto and Arne Jacobsen to the organic delicacies of Finn Juhl and the perfectly ergonomic chairs of Hans Wegner, not to mention the sometimes iconoclastic innovations of Verner Panton.
But in the wake of these giants we also find a host of contemporary talents, who have the intelligence to adapt their rich heritage by reinventing it in line with the needs and techniques of the modern world.
DESIGN WOODEN CHAIRS
Wood is the material of choice for Nordic furniture manufacturers, and a number of Scandinavian wooden chairs are among the great icons in the history of world design furniture - for example, the Wishbone Chair by Danish designer Hans Wegner (1950), published by Carl Hansen & Søn, the 66 Chair by Finnish architect and designer Alvaar Aalto (1935), published by Artek, the J39 Chair by Danish designer Børge Mogensen (1947), published by Fredericia, and many others.
In addition to these historic wooden designer chairs, there are a host of attractive contemporary chairs available from dynamic manufacturers such as Hay, Muuto, Gubi, & Tradition, Normann Copenhagen, Audo Copenhagen and others.
Wooden chairs with upholstered seats provide warmth and comfort. In Scandinavian design, upholstery typically consists of a layer of foam fixed to wood and covered with fabric or leather: the seat never becomes soft, but the gain in comfort is substantial.
Scandinavian upholstered wooden chairs can almost always be customised using the range of fabrics and leathers offered by the manufacturer. They are made to order, with lead times generally between 6 and 8 weeks, excluding some standard versions in stock. The range of fabrics and leathers on offer often comprises several hundred variants.
DESIGN METAL CHAIRS
The archetypal metal-legged chair is the work of Danish architect and designer Arne Jacobsen, one of the founding fathers of Scandinavian design: his experiments with the combination of multi-ply wood and tubular steel frames led him to develop first the iconic "Ant chair" (1952), then the famous "Series 7 chair" (1955), which remains without doubt the best-selling chair in the history of world design.
Arne Jacobsen's work has inspired countless designers past and present, and on this page you'll find a host of attractively shaped designer chairs, stackable and non-stackable, for kitchens and dining rooms alike.
Upholstered Scandinavian chairs with metal legs are designed for extended sitting, around the dining table or in front of a desk. The metal base adds a visual lightness that contrasts with the upholstered seat covered in leather or fabric.
Upholstered chairs are almost always customisable and made to order, with lead times often between 6 and 8 weeks (excluding some standard versions in stock for rapid delivery). There are often hundreds of covers available. To help you, Scandinavia Design offers a system of large free samples in return for a deposit.
PLASTIC SHELL CHAIRS
The category of Scandinavian chairs with wooden legs and plastic shells has enjoyed dazzling success over the last twenty years. These are lightweight chairs, often less expensive than all-wood chairs, and particularly comfortable thanks to the natural elasticity of the shell and the ergonomic design.
Aesthetically, wood/plastic chairs have the advantage of being able to combine a wide choice of shell colours with the natural beauty of wood. Shells are often available with or without armrests.
The term 'plastic' is a misnomer, hiding a multitude of often highly innovative materials, including recycled polypropylene, sometimes mixed with fragments of wood or plastic from post-consumer waste.
Scandinavian chairs with plastic shells are almost always available with wooden or metal legs: the latter are particularly light and strong, and can sometimes be stacked for maximum practicality. The use of metal rather than wood also makes them more affordable. The legs can be chrome-plated, plated or painted, allowing for interesting colour combinations with the shell.
OTHER DESIGNER CHAIRS
Because creativity and technical progress have no limits, the world of design is constantly inventing new ways of doing things and new materials - to be discovered in this last category, the most heterogeneous of all.
Consequence of the Covid crisis: many stockouts.
We advise you to anticipate your Christmas gifts as much as possible to receive them on time.
Exceptionally, until the end of the month, the code XMAS15 will give you
15% off on almost our entire catalog.
(this offer cannot be combined with other code, offers and current campaign)