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10 Easy Pieces: Classic Outdoor Chair Designs

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MidcenturyIssue 14 — By Design

10 Easy Pieces: Classic Outdoor Chair Designs

August 9, 2024

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 12 favorite classic outdoor chair designs.

Designed for the Festival of Britain in \195\1 by Ernest Race, the Antelope Standard Chair is made of powder-coated steel and a molded plywood seat; it&#8\2\17;s still available today via LOF Direct in the UK and comes in a few options for the frame and seat finish; £ 378.
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.
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; \$795.
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; $795.
Verner Panton’s Bachelor Chair was designed in \1955 with tubular stainless steel and a stretched acrylic canvas seat (available in a range of colors). The chair is really more of an indoor/outdoor chair, or as retailer Danish Design Store puts it, the chair “can also withstand a trip into the garden and then back into the sitting room.” It’s \$535 at Einrichten Design.
Above: Verner Panton’s Bachelor Chair was designed in 1955 with tubular stainless steel and a stretched acrylic canvas seat (available in a range of colors). The chair is really more of an indoor/outdoor chair, or as retailer Danish Design Store puts it, the chair “can also withstand a trip into the garden and then back into the sitting room.” It’s $535 at Einrichten Design.
The BK\1\1 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 \$\1,4\15 at Danish Design Store.
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 $1,415 at Danish Design Store.
Above: The iconic Bertoia Diamond Chair by Harry Bertoia was introduced in 1952. Itcan be used outdoors with limited exposure to the elements; $1,848 at DWR.
Then, of course, there’s the classic Tolix Fauteuil A56 Chair designed in \19\27 by Xavier Pauchard (and later, by son Jean Pauchard) made of lightweight sheet steel with a sealed finish; £\278 at TwentyTwentyOne in the UK.
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; £278 at TwentyTwentyOne in the UK.
Another Verner Panton design, 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; \$505 at DWR.
Above: Another Verner Panton design, 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; $505 at DWR.
Charlotte Perriand’s 5\2\2 Tokyo Chaise Lounge was originally designed in \1940 when Perriand took inspiration from Japanese architecture, but the chair wasn’t produced until \20\1\2 by Cassina. It’s made of \1\2 curved teak or bamboo strips and comes with water-draining polyurethane upholstery and stain-resistant polyester yarn coated in PVC (for outdoor use). The chaise should not be exposed to rain or prolonged humidity and comes with a waterproof cover for the winter season. Available through Cassina.
Above: Charlotte Perriand’s 522 Tokyo Chaise Lounge was originally designed in 1940 when Perriand took inspiration from Japanese architecture, but the chair wasn’t produced until 2012 by Cassina. It’s made of 12 curved teak or bamboo strips and comes with water-draining polyurethane upholstery and stain-resistant polyester yarn coated in PVC (for outdoor use). The chaise should not be exposed to rain or prolonged humidity and comes with a waterproof cover for the winter season. Available through Cassina.
The Fermob Luxembourg Chair is modeled after the \19\23 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); \$457 for \2.
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); $457 for 2.
Jens Risom’s Outdoor Side Chair is part of his original \194\1 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; \$\1396 at Hive.
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; $1396 at Hive.
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 \$\1,4\10 at Unique Garden Decor.
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 $1,410 at Unique Garden Decor.
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 \20\1\2, 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; \$\1,375 at Ripen.
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; $1,375 at Ripen.

Looking for more outdoor furniture? See our posts:

N.B.: This post was first published April 2019; it’s been updated with new links, prices, and products.

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