French Oak Armchairs with Woven Rush Seat, France 1950s

Mid-century designers were eager to break free from the aesthetics of the past and experiment with new forms, and techniques. At the same time, especially in Europe, the modernist design movement was often based on traditional styles and techniques, such as turned chairs. Turned chairs — sometimes called thrown chairs or spindle chairs — represent a style of Elizabethan or Jacobean turned furniture that had a vogue in the late 16th and early 17th century. The technique was carried on to the 20th century and was widespread in Europe as well, where craftsmen created durable pieces for various interiors and purposes. In turned furniture, the individual wooden spindles of the piece were made by shaping them with chisels and gouges while they were being spun, or turned between the centre points of a lathe. The construction of this pair is evocative of the more robust Arts and Crafts Movement, featuring subtle decorative elements such as the finials atop the backs. The sphere-shaped finials aren’t the only ornamentations on the design; the shape of the two splats on the back, the carved stretchers and carving on the feet are all decorative features that make this pair visually arresting. In later turned chairs, like this pair, rush seats were common. Here, the seats are woven around the frames with a light colour that beautifully contrasts to the dark, patinated wood. The partnership of the two natural materials is very effective as well; the wood and rush pair...

‎In mid-century French design, timeless elegance and craftsmanship dominated the era and organic materials such as wood and papercord. Crafted from the warm, reddish-brown hues of ch...

Although the designs of the mid-century era were wide-ranging in style, they often shared such characteristics as clean lines, organic shapes, and functionality. These elaborate armc...

The designs of most of Danish mid-century modern furniture designers and architects aimed at functionality, an equally minimalist and appealing appearance and easy accessibility. Thi...

Great and rare pair of French wooden armchairs in elm wood and straw seats in the style of Charlotte Perriand produced in France, 1950s. In good original and matching condition. Stab...

French Provincial Oak and Rush Armchairs, France, 1950s Upgrade your living space with this enchanting set of two rustic armchairs, each a stunning example of Mid-20th-century Frenc...

A beautifully simple pair of armchairs made by a French Breton cabinetmaker in the 1950s. The elegant mid to dark oak frames are complimented by the natural, original braided straw...

Set of 2 Mid Century Oak and Rush Armchairs, Europe, 1950s. A rare and wonderful set of 2 armchairs in solid oak with rush seats. These chairs are the pinnacle of untouched mid Cen...