Eames Soft Pad Executive Chair
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs ...
Leather
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Chrome
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Chrome
1990s American Modern Chairs
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Early 2000s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1970s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Early 2000s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
2010s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
2010s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
2010s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
2010s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs ...
Aluminum, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
1990s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
1990s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Early 2000s North American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
2010s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1970s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs ...
Aluminum, Steel
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
Vintage 1960s Dining Room Chairs
Aluminum
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Aluminum
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
1990s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Aluminum
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Chrome
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Early 2000s Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
Vintage 1960s American Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Aluminum
20th Century American Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
Late 20th Century American Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
Late 20th Century Swivel Chairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
- 1
Eames Soft Pad Executive Chair For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Eames Soft Pad Executive Chair?
Herman Miller for sale on 1stDibs
No other business of its kind did more than the Herman Miller Furniture Company to introduce modern design into American homes. Working with legendary designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and Alexander Girard, the Zeeland, Michigan-based firm fostered some of the boldest expressions of what we now call mid-century modern style. In doing so, Herman Miller produced some of the most beautiful, iconic and, one can even say, noblest chairs, sofas, tables and other furniture ever.
Founded in 1923, Herman Miller was originally known for grand historicist bedroom suites: heavily ornamented wood furniture that appealed to a high-minded, wealthier clientele. The company — named for its chief financial backer — began to suffer in the early 1930s as the Great Depression hit, and D.J. De Pree, the company’s CEO, feared bankruptcy. In 1932, aid came in the form of Gilbert Rohde, a self-taught furniture designer who had traveled widely in Europe, absorbing details of the Art Deco movement and other modernist influences. After persuading De Pree that the growing middle class required smaller, lighter household furnishings, Rohde set a new course for Herman Miller, creating sleek chairs, tables and cabinetry that were the essence of the Streamline Moderne style.
Rohde died suddenly in 1944. The following year, De Pree turned to George Nelson, an architect who had written widely about modern furniture design. Under Nelson’s leadership, Herman Miller would embrace new technologies and materials and audacious biomorphic forms.
Some of the pieces the company produced are now emblems of 20th century American design, including the Eames lounge chair and ottoman and Nelson’s Marshmallow sofa and Coconut chair. Such instantly recognizable furnishings have become timeless — staples of a modernist décor; striking, offbeat notes in traditional environments.
Find a range of vintage Herman Miller office chairs, desks, coffee tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right Office-chairs-desk-chairs for You
An essential part of every office or home workstation, office chairs and desk chairs are critically important to your comfort and getting the job done.
Desk chairs have evolved over time. While writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson pined for a wider range of motion and introduced some improvements to his English-style Windsor chair, inventing the swivel chair along the way. So the next time you roll, recline or swivel at your vintage desk, remember: The third president of the United States had a lot to do with that functionality.
Changes in the availability of resources have also led to innovations in desk chair design. After World War II, for example, optimistic American designers made use of wartime materials in their efforts to create practical domestic goods.
Mid-century modernism is the name given to the broad postwar time period that prioritized thoughtful design. Journalist Cara Greenberg, who coined the term “mid-century modernism,” cites “ergonomic wisdom” as part of the reason for the longevity of the era’s furnishings, and when it comes to sitting in a desk chair for hours at a time, what could be more important than ergonomic support?
As mid-century modernism was marked by resourcefulness and boundless creativity — and produced designers who, in most cases, prioritized comfort and support — it follows that all mid-century chairs are not the same. Nowhere is this perhaps more evident than at Herman Miller. The legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer got its start in the office, with design director George Nelson enlisting the likes of Charles and Ray Eames to produce desk chairs and lounge chairs that are still celebrated today. Elsewhere at the time, the numerous pieces Florence Knoll created for Knoll’s office furniture line were envisioned as design solutions for the changing needs of residential and office spaces.
If you’re working remotely and streamlined seating isn’t your thing, don’t be afraid of making a statement with your office chair. Introduce a touch of drama to your video calls by way of 19th-century desk accessories and the alluring forms we typically associate with antique desk chairs designed in the Empire and Regency styles. For a minimalist touch, a spare, utilitarian Industrial-style office chair can work in any space but will fit in particularly well amid the exposed brick and steel architecture that characterizes a loft apartment.
An inspiring home office cleverly mixes materials and styles to create a welcoming place of productivity and comfort, and if you’re gathering with colleagues at your company HQ, an array of wood, leather and metal office chairs can help integrate disparate textures in a conference room or any other collaborative space. On 1stDibs, explore a diverse collection of office and desk chairs today.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 28, 2021The best Herman Miller chair is going to vary by owner. There have been many revered chairs and other seating manufactured by the legendary American furniture company over the years. Chairs by Herman Miller are often alluring in appearance, comfortable, and long-lasting. 1stDibs offers a variety of vintage and new Herman Miller chairs that are contemporary in design and durable.
Read More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Herman Miller Got Its Start in the Office, but Its Legacy Is in the Home
The brand that turned Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi and George Nelson into mid-century household names is just as relevant today as it was six decades ago.