Design classics aren’t just for interiors. In fact, a crop of notable 20th-century designers made dining and lounge chairs for the outdoors (and/or their designs were later reworked for outdoor use). From the Eameses to Jens Risom to brands including Tolix and Fermob, here are our 11 favorite classic outdoor chair designs.
Above: Designed for the Festival of Britain in 1951 by Ernest Race, the Antelope Standard Chair is made of powder-coated steel and a molded plywood seat; it’s still available today via LOF Direct in the UK and comes in a few options for the frame and seat finish; £ 378.
Above: In the 1950s Charles and Ray Eames experimented with bent and welded wire to recreate their iconic shell chair. The experiments resulted in the Eames Wire Outdoor Chair produced today through Herman Miller in black or white powder-coating; $596.25.
Above: The BK11 Lounge Chair by Bodil Kjær for Carl Hansen & Son is intended for outdoor use as part of a 1959 collection of outdoor furniture by Kjær. It’s made of oiled teak for $1,500 at Lumens.
Above: The iconic Bertoia Diamond Chair by Harry Bertoia was introduced in 1952. Itcan be used outdoors with limited exposure to the elements; $1,886 at DWR.
Above: Then, of course, there’s the classic Tolix Fauteuil A56 Chair designed in 1927 by Xavier Pauchard (and later, by son Jean Pauchard) made of lightweight sheet steel with a sealed finish;$336.39 at Mohd.
Above: The Panton Chair, shown in White, was designed in 1960 from durable colored polypropylene with a matte finish. It has an ergonomically shaped seat, is suitable for outdoor use, and still manufactured through Vitra; $515 at DWR.
Above: Back in production, the Woodard Chair, “inspired by the airiness of wicker,” debuted in 1956; $906.50 at DWR.
Above: The Fermob Luxembourg Chair is modeled after the 1923 Fermob chairs at the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris, updated for private gardens and homes. It’s available in a range of colors, including the green color seen around Paris (see our post 10 Easy Pieces: Sage Green Outdoor Chairs for the Parisian Garden); $460 for 2.
Above: Jens Risom’s Outdoor Side Chair is part of his original 1941 collection for Knoll made of teak and canvas webbing. The chair has been re-engineered for outdoor use by Knoll with the teak frame now finished and sealed with oil and the canvas webbing swapped for Sunbrella fabric; $1,713 at DWR.
Above: Swiss industrial designer Willy Guhl made the Loop Chair in 1954 of lightweight natural fiber cement (cement, powdered limestone, cellulose, and synthetic fibers). While it’s made for either outdoor or indoor spaces, it’s typically seen as an outdoor lounge chair (see the top image from a garden featured in our book Gardenista: The Definitive Guide to Stylish Outdoor Spaces). It’s $1,460 at Unique Garden Decor.
Above: Last but not least, the Paulistano Armchair was designed in 1957 by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha for the Paulistano Athletic Club in São Paulo, Brazil. In 2012, it was adapted by Mendes da Rocha as the Paulistano Outdoor Chair with a waterproof and stain-resistant canvas cover, as opposed to the leather cover of its indoor counterpart. It comes in 8 different colors of canvas and the option of black or white steel; $1,387.50 at Ripen.
Looking for more outdoor furniture? See our posts:
- 10 Easy Pieces: Powder-Coated Metal Dining Sets
- 10 Easy Pieces: Wooden Garden Benches
- 10 Easy Pieces: Rectangular Wooden Outdoor Dining Tables
N.B.: This post was first published April 2019; it’s been updated with new links, prices, and products.
