Diamond Chair by Harry Bertoia, 1952

• Designed By - Harry Bertoia
• When - 1952
• Made From - Welded steel rods, upholstery
• Manufactured By - Knoll
• More Info - It is quite a sculptural chair. When talking about his chairs Bertoia said “they are mostly made of air...space passes right through them”. This is what makes this chair so interesting. Bertoia began experimenting with bending metal rods in 1950. This chair has been in continuous production since 1952. There is a vinyl seat cushion that snaps on and a fully upholstered version available. The metal can be finished in polished chrome, satin chrome or white or black polyester coating. There is also a larger model.

Spanish Chair by Børge Mogensen, 1959

• Designed By - Børge Mogensen
• When - 1959
• Made From - Oak and leather
• Manufactured By - Fredericia Furniture
• More Info - This chair was inspired Mogensen’s trip to Spain in 1958, which was how the chair got it’s name. The chunky rectangular shapes and thick leather make it a strong, masculine looking chair. It is available in natural or black stained oak and with either tan coloured or black leather.

DSX Chair by Charles and Ray Eames, 1950

• Designed By - Charles and Ray Eames
• When - 1950
• Made From - Polypropylene and stainless steel
• Manufactured By - Vitra
• More Info - This simple, ergonomic chair was originally design for the Museum of Modern Art in New York's Low-Cost Furniture Design Competition. It was the first industrially manufactured plastic chair. It is suitable for indoor and outdoor use and the plastic contain special additives which slow down the fading process caused by ultraviolet rays. The seat is available in loads of colours and the base on chrome or a powder-coated grey or black finish. There are also versions that are fully upholstered or with just the seat upholstered.

CH25 Easy Chair by Hans J. Wegner, 1950

• Designed By - Hans J. Wegner
• When - 1950
• Made From - Black Oak and papercord
• Manufactured by - Carl Hanson & Son
• More Info - The seat and back of this chair is hand woven using more than 400 meters of paper cord (available in natural or black) in a unique pattern. It takes a trained craftsman 10 hours to complete one chair. This chair is very easy to get up from, despite the low seat and reclining back. Paper cord is available in unbleached/natural or black.

Antelope Chair by Ernst Race, 1951

• Designed By - Ernst Race
• When - 1951
• Made From - Steel rod and moulded plywood
• Manufactured By - Race Furniture Ltd.
• More Info - This chair with it’s minimal frame and ball feet, the Antelope Chair is a classic 1950’s design. It was originally commissioned to furnish the outdoor terraces of the newly built Royal Festival Hall for the 1951 Festival of Britain. It won a silver medal at the Milan Triennale in 1954. The seat is available in six colours, red is the most popular.

R160 Contour Chair by Grant Featherston, 1951

• Designed By - Grant Featherston
• When - 1951
• Made From - Solid ash frame, foam padding, wool upholstery
• Manufactured By - ?
• More Info - This chair is an icon of Australian design and is shown in museums all over the world. The design for the Contour Chair came to Featherston while sitting on a tram, casually bending his tram ticket around with his hand. He noticed the shape which was formed by the two ends arched towards each other. It is a very padded, comfortable lounge chair. The big body compared to the thin tapered legs makes the chair look very inviting. The upholstery is available in leather, wool and cashmere in a variety of colours. There is also a matching ottoman. 

Drop Chair by Arne Jacobsen, 1958

• Designed By - Arne Jacobsen
• When - 1958
• Made From - Leather and tubular steel
• Manufactured By - Fritz Hansen
• More Info - This minimalist futuristic looking chair was designed for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen and only 315 were made: 40 for the bar and one for each of the 275 rooms. It is available upholstered in a range of colours of leather and fabric.

Bird Chair by Harry Bertoia, 1952

• Designed By - Harry Bertoia
• When - 1952
• Made From - Steel
• Manufactured By - Knoll
• More Info - This beautiful wire chair was designed as part of the Bertoia Seating Collection in 1952. It is available with no upholstery, only seat upholstery or fully upholstered and in a range of colours. There is also a matching ottoman.

Lady Chair by Marco Zanuso, 1951

• Designed By - Marco Zanuso
• When - 1951
• Made From - Wooden frame, chromed tubular metal, foam and fabric
• Manufactured By - Arflex
• More Info - It was awarded a Gold Medal at the Milan Triennale of 1951 for its design, concept and production method. The fabric upholstery is available in many colours and patterns. The metal legs come in aluminium, gold or black colour.

C1 Lounge Chair by Verner Panton, 1959

• Designed By - Verner Panton
• When - 1959
• Made From - Laminated body, brushed stainless steel base and central tube, polyurethane foam upholstery
• Manufactured By - Vitra
• More Info - This chairs shape is basically a section of a sphere that  is on a tilt mounted on a very simple base. It is comfortable leaning back and sitting upright in. It is available an many colours and has a matching ottoman.

PK22 by Poul Kjaerholm, 1956

• Designed By - Poul Kjaerholm
• When - 1956
• Made From - Stainless steel frame and leather
• Manufactured By - Fritz Hansen
• More Info - The design of this chair was inspired by a chair made by the Ancient Greeks. It is very simple and minimalist and is available in wicker, canvas, suede or leather. The is stitching across the back of the chair in a cross shape but it is only there for aesthetic reasons. It In 1957, the chair was awarded the Grand Prix at the Milan Triennale. Winning this prize made Kjaerholm famous worldwide and is now an icon of his work.

Swivel Chair by Hans J. Wegner, 1955

• Designed By - Hans J. Wegner
• When - 1955
• Made From - Teak, chrome pipes, leather and casters
• Manufactured By - Johannes Hansen
• More Info - The use of chrome pipes is rare in Wegner’s designs, as he used only wood for most of the designs, which makes this chair even more special. The model number is PP502 and PP Mobler took over production of this chair in 1991.The seat is available upholstered in leather or fabric.

Antony Chair by Jean Prouvé

• Designed By - Jean Prouvé
• When - 1954
• Made From - Black lacquered steel, plywood, oak veneer
• Manufactured By - Vitra
• More Info - This chair was designed by Prouvé for the Cité Universitaire at Antony, near Paris. It was one of the last pieces of furniture designed by Prouvé. It has a very unique and lovely shape and construction. The wonderful design of the frame makes this chair look more interesting from the back or underneath than the front. The small gap between the plywood form and the frame make it look like it is floating slightly which is a nice touch.

T Chair by Ole Wanscher, 1957

• Designed By - Ole Wanscher
• When - 1957
• Made From - Rosewood and leather
• Manufactured By - A. J. Iversen
• More Info - This simple chair got it’s name from the t-shaped back. It is available in mahogany or rosewood and with either black, white or red leather upholstery.

Ant Chair by Arne Jacobsen, 1952

• Designed By - Arne Jacobsen
• When - 1952
• Made From - Steel pipe and laminated wood
• Manufactured By - Fritz Hansen
• More Info - This was Jacobsen's first stacking chair and one of his best-known designs.  It is available in either natural wood veneer or colours in lacquer or lazur. At first most people were sceptical about it because it only had three legs and no arms. Despite it being very minimal it is actually very comfortable. It was originally designed for use in the canteen of the Danish pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk.  It was designed to be light, stable and easy to stack up. The Ant Chair can refer to model 3100 which has three legs, or model 3101 which has four, that was added in 1980.

Hanging Egg Chair by Nanna Ditzel, 1959

• Designed By - Nanna Ditzel
• When - 1959
• Made From - Lacquered steel frame, stainless steel chain, woven wicker and a fabric covered foam cushion
• Manufactured By - Pierantonio Bonacina
• More Info - Sometimes known as just the Hanging Chair, this iconic chair was designed for Italian furniture makers Pierantonio Bonacina. The chair is now available in a man-made fibre making it suitable for outdoor use. There are also ones that have a steel stand rather than being attached to the ceiling. The seat cushion is available in six colours.

Swan Chair by Arne Jacobsen, 1958

• Designed By - Arne Jacobsen
• When - 1958
• Made From - Moulded fibreglass seat shell, foam and wool upholstery, steel and aluminium base
• Manufactured By - Fritz Hansen
• More Info - This chair was originally designed for the lobby of the Royal SAS Hotel in Copenhagen. It was technologically innovative for the time, as there were no straight lines. The swivel base consists of a satin-polished, welded steel tube and a 4-star base in injection moulded aluminium. It has been in constant production since it was first designed as it is a very popular and timeless piece. It's soft curves and organic form make it very appealing and although looking great on it's own it looks best in groups. It was originally designed as a side chair but a higher version for use at tables is now available. . It is also available upholstered in leather, vinyl or fabric. There is also a sofa version of this chair.