History of Furniture – Chairs

Chairs are a necessity of every home today, and can be easily used to refresh the look of the house. Armchairs, Slipper Chairs, Study Chairs, Dining Chairsetc. are some of the innumerable kinds of chairs to select from.

A chairbrings together practicality,creativity and most importantly engineering.

Although it has been used since ancient times, for many centuries it was only used by theroyalty and nobility.

But, if we go back into history, we didn’t use chairs as much as we use it today. If need be, early humanssat on bare ground or logs or rocks. But because these forms had their own challenges, different forms of seatsbegan to evolve and thus, chairs came into existence and have now become an essential part of our living.

Pre 12th Century, seats were primarily three-legged stools or benches, with no back. They were primitive, crudely made, and purely functional.

In the following centuries, a backand a fourth leg were added and henceforth, it became a chair.Until the 15th Century,Carved Gothic styles and high-backed straight cathedral chairs were typical.

A primitive 3-legged stool

During the Renaissance,Chairs became more refined, comfortable anddecorative. Looks became as important as function. European kings, in particular King Louis XIV, introduced luxurious ornamentation, veneers, rich fabrics, exotic wood, stones, gold and silver.

The18th Century took theopulence and the formal look to the next level. French and EnglishMonarchs marked the beginning of Rococo forms, curved lines, floral decorations, and even more ornamentation. Instead of a single form, seating now took various forms like stools, dining chairs, side chairs, armchairs,etc.

Victorian Style Chair with Silver leafing by Kaath 

After the French Revolution, heavy, straight neoclassical lines replaced Rococo forms. Large “Empire” chairs became popular. Around mid-century, in the opulentVictorian era, heavy fabrics, like dark-coloured velvetsstarted being used. Alongside this style,during the Federal movement, a colonial, classical look also came into existence in America.

Earliest known type of American easy chair

Industrial Revolution had a dramatic impact on lifestyles as it brought wealth to the middle-class, allowing thema chance to change the decors of their homes. Crafted modern stylebecamepopular. Some styles that followed were Bauhaus, Art nouveau, modernism, art deco.

Art Deco- Grussoni Chair by Kaath

Midcentury-modernism took off after World War II, with designs now focusing more on function and minimalism. Chairs were light &sleek withNeutral color palettes. Materials like molded plastic, plywood, metal, steel, and glass started being usedfor the structure while microfiber, suede and upholsteries like leather, linen, chenille, velvet were being used for finishing.

Kasbah Chair by Kaath – A Contemporary High Back Chair

20th Century was the golden age of the modern chairs.The technological innovations and the upward mobility of the masses drove the world’s best designers to seize the creative challenge of re-inventing this piece of furniture. Some of these contemporary inventions are exemplary pieces that can grace your homes.

Here are some of our favorite picks of these iconic chairs:

Versatile Ghost Chair by Philippe Starck

Contemporary version of the Curule Chair

The Iconic Klismos Chair

Tom Dixon’s iconic design of the Wingback chair

Wishbone chair by HansWegner is an icon of mid-century modern style

Eames Lounge Chair, by Charles and Ray Eames, was introduced in 1956

Wassily chair by Marcel Breuer, also called the Model B3 chair