A well-chosen armchair is enough to change the perception of an entire environment. Interior designers know this well: these small seats are compositional tools, capable of giving rhythm to a living room, lightening a dining area or creating a conversation corner that didn’t exist before.
The famous armchairs are the ones that have stood the test of time. Designed by masters such as Gio Ponti, Charles & Ray Eames or Arne Jacobsen were able to anticipate the housing needs of their eras and today they continue to be re-proposed by historic brands and auction houses as collector’s items. Some have become iconic armchairs , recognizable at a glance by their shapes just think of the enveloping silhouette of the Egg Chair or the tubular structure of the LC7 .
Alongside historical models, the contemporary panorama sees the birth of signature armchairs designed by emerging designers and protagonists of sustainable design, who work with recycled materials, bio-based padding and innovative fabrics. Choosing an armchair today means making a conscious gesture: selecting an object that is not only comfortable and beautiful, but which conveys a precise identity.
The armchairs that made the history of design
The most famous armchairs were not born by chance: they are often the result of technical and formal experiments that marked an era. Some of them are exhibited in design museums around the world, others have become must-haves for architects and collectors. Here are five models that have written indelible pages in the history of furniture.
1. LC7 Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret (1927)
Designed for the iconic Villa La Roche project in Paris, the LC7 represents the perfect synthesis between functionality and elegance. The tubular chromed steel structure and the padded swivel seat mark the beginning of a new way of conceiving furniture: industrial, replicable, but at the same time refined. Today it is produced by Cassina in its collection I Maestri , and continues to be chosen for contemporary living rooms that require a timeless piece.
2. Egg Chair Arne Jacobsen (1958)
Created for the SAS Royal hotel in Copenhagen, the Egg Chair is more than an armchair: it is a private microspace. Its enveloping and sculptural shape, designed to guarantee privacy in public spaces, makes it perfect even today for lounges and open space offices. The original design is produced by Fritz Hansen and is covered with the highest quality fabrics or leathers, confirming itself as one of the most iconic seats of Scandinavian design.
3. Eames Lounge Chair & Ottoman (1956) Charles & Ray Eames
Although technically it is a lounge chair, in its more compact version it is often used as a conversation armchair. The curved wooden shell and leather padding have become synonymous with comfort and prestige. Produced by Vitra in Europe and Herman Miller in the USA, it is one of the most photographed and desired objects by design lovers.
4. Vanity Fair Poltrona Frau (1930, re-edition 1984)
Perhaps the most recognizable armchair in designItalian, the Vanity Fair was born as an evolution of the English bergère. Its rounded shape and Pelle Frau covering make it a symbolic object, synonymous with bourgeois elegance. Today Poltrona Frau offers it in updated versions, with new leather shades and finishes designed for modern environments.
5. Barcelona Chair Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich (1929)
Designed for the German Pavilion at the Barcelona Expo, the Barcelona is one of the most iconic armchairs ever. Chromed steel structure and tufted leather cushions, it is a symbol of international modernism and continues to be produced by Knoll.
6. Womb Chair Eero Saarinen (1948)
Designed for Knoll, the Womb Chair was born from the challenge launched by Florence Knoll to Saarinen: to create “a chair you can curl up in”. The result is a sculptural and welcoming armchair, perfect for reading and relaxing.
7. CH25 Lounge Chair Hans J. Wegner (1950)
A Scandinavian design classic: the CH25 combines a solid wood frame with a hand-woven rope seat. It is a masterful example of craftsmanship and comfort, still produced by Carl Hansen & Son.
8. Lady Chair Marco Zanuso (1951)
Winner of the Compasso d’Oro in 1951, the Lady for Arflex was the first armchair with latex foam padding and elastic ribbon, a technical revolution for the time. It is a fundamental piece of post-war Italian design.
9. Elda Chair Joe Colombo (1963)
Futuristic and futuristic, the Elda is made with a fiberglass body (among the first examples in furniture design) and large leather cushions. Ideal for scenic environments, it is still a collector’s item and symbol of the 1960s.
10. LC1 Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand (1928)
An icon of the rational approach to design, the LC1 is an armchair with essential shapes but extremely innovative for its time. Designed to offer maximum comfort with minimal space, it stands out for its tilting backrest and chromed steel structure. The leather or leather seat, stretched between the uprights, gives a light but decisive appearance. Like the LC7, the LC1 is also produced by Cassina in the I Maestri collection and represents a perfect balance between form, function and modernist experimentation.
From myth to contemporaneity: how armchairs are changing today
If historic armchairs have dictated the formal canons of design, today we are facing a new chapter. Contemporary projects do not only focus on aesthetics, but on hybrid functionality , sustainability and customization . Big brands re-edit classics with recycled and certified materials, while emerging designers propose bolder solutions, using bioplastics, regenerated fabrics and low-impact production processes.
The armchairs thus become dynamic micro-architectures: pieces that move, reconfigure themselves, interact with home offices and living rooms, but also with boutique hotels and spascoworking uncles. No longer just symbols of status, but design tools to create atmosphere and well-being.
Contemporary and experimental armchairs: innovation, ethics and new forms
In recent years the armchair has become a privileged field of experimentation. Designers don’t just reinterpret the classics: they work on innovative materials, sustainable production processes and new user experiences. These compact seats represent a paradigm shift: no longer just decorative pieces, but micro-architectures designed to interact with increasingly fluid and multifunctional spaces.
Exemplary projects of famous and designer modern armchairs
Salvage Chair Jay Sae Jung Oh
A small armchair-sculpture that uses recycled materials and waste objects covered with braided cords. Each piece is unique and demonstrates how design can transform waste into beauty, speaking about sustainability in a powerful and poetic way.
Mart B&B Italia
A contemporary classic characterized by a thermoformed leather shell and a range of bases that allow it to be used in both domestic and contract contexts. It is an example of how historic brands continue to innovate technically, with elastic materials and advanced production processes.
Up 5_6 Gaetano Pesce
Re-proposed on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary, this armchair remains a manifesto of radical Italian design. The new editions use more sustainable fabrics and padding, demonstrating that even an icon can evolve without betraying its identity.
Lady 2020 Arflex
Contemporary evolution of Marco Zanuso’s Lady, updated with padding in bio-based materials and a range of coverings that include recycled fabrics. An example of continuity between heritage and innovation.
Roly-Poly Chair Faye Toogood
Monolithic armchair with playful and totemic shapes. Made of recycled polyethylene or fibreglass, it is an object that functions as a seat but also as a domestic sculpture, capable of defining the atmosphere of an environment.
Modern armchairs: market trends
Today’s armchairs speak a new language, which brings together comfort, material research and environmental responsibility. The editorial staff of Elle Decor and Architectural Digest have signaled a decisive return to soft and enveloping shapes for 2025: curved backrests, armrests that seem to embrace the user, silhouettes designed to give a sense of protection and intimacy . The small size becomes a plus: designers work on compact seats , perfect for smaller living rooms or to create conversation corners even in hybrid spaces such as home offices and boutique hotels. At the same time, attention to materials is growing: certified wood, bio-based padding, recycled fabrics and natural finishes are now requested by customers and often described as added value by the brands themselves.
Anotherelement that defines the contemporary armchair is the material mix : metal structures combined with velvet coverings, visible stitching that becomes a graphic sign, details in brass or brushed bronze. It is the so-called quiet luxury evolved, less ostentatious than in the past but always linked to quality and durability over time . In parallel, many designers recover historical suggestions from the rationalism of the 1930s to Art Déco, up to the patterns of the 1970s reinterpreting them with current techniques and more generous proportions. The result is a rich and multifaceted panorama, in which the armchair is no longer just a complement but a narrative object, capable of communicating style, sustainability and identity in a single design gesture.
