9 Iconic Design Chairs That Still Influence Contemporary Interiors

Diariodesign has curated a selection of nine iconic chairs that remain influential in contemporary architecture and interior design. The list spans from 1859 to 1968, highlighting pieces by Michael Thonet, Charles and Ray Eames, Marcel Breuer, Eero Saarinen, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, Vico Magistretti, and Giancarlo Piretti. Thonet's No. 14 chair, produced since 1859, exemplifies mass production with bentwood. The Eames' Stacking Side Chair (1955) addressed collective spaces with stackable fiberglass or polypropylene seats. Breuer's Wassily (1925) used chromed steel and leather, inspired by bicycle handlebars. Saarinen's Tulip (1955-56) eliminated the 'forest of legs' with a single central base. Breuer's Cesca (1928) introduced tubular steel cantilevers with rattan. Mies van der Rohe and Reich's Barcelona (1929) featured chromed steel and leather, designed for the German Pavilion at the Barcelona International Exhibition. Magistretti's Selene (1968) was an early monobloc fiberglass chair. Piretti's Plia (1967) for Castelli offered a folding system for minimal storage. The Eames' Low Side Chair (1946) pioneered molded plywood. All chairs remain in production or widely referenced, demonstrating enduring design principles. Photographs courtesy of MoMA.