SEATING
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe once famously said that a chair was harder to design than a skyscraper. We respectfully disagree; purchasing the right chair is harder than designing a skyscraper. Aside from surface materials and rooflines, there is nothing more important to the integrity of a modern structure than the seating contained within. No other item in the household defines its owners as much as the chair. Would a Tulip chair person cohabitate with a Louis Ghost chair person? (Would a vegan wear a fur coat? Should anyone outside of an L.L.Bean catalog own a golden retriever?)
Unlike accessories and case goods, a modern home can never have too many chairs—as long as they’re made by the right designers. Granted, most chairs in a truly modern home aren’t used for sitting. Instead, they’re displayed as sculpture. Winning arrangements include the obligatory spartan seat placed in the corner of the bedroom, perpendicular to the bed. A cluster of small, unyielding chairs in the living areas should appear to enjoy their own company. Dining rooms either display an array of painstakingly mismatched vintage finds or a solid row of clean-lined designs from top European manufacturers, such as Cappellini or Kristalia. Cushy, upholstered furniture—other than Eero Saarinen’s Womb chair—should be used sparingly, if at all.
Cheat Seat
When it comes to the four-legged, S-curved, and zigzagged form, we’ve developed an easy-to-use chart that not only allows you to dialogue about famous furniture designers like a pro, but to find your perfect seat. After an exhaustive poll in which we surveyed hundreds, we bring you the most thorough and reliable guide to choosing the right chair.
Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context—a chair in a room, a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan.
EERO SAARINEN (1910–1961)
Born on the same day as his father, Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen, Eero immigrated to the United States with his family when he was thirteen. He worked for his father and then for himself, designing many prominent public and private residences. Friends with Charles and Ray Eames and Florence Knoll, Saarinen was part of the modernist design Rat Pack of the 1950s. He divorced sculptor Lilian Swann in 1953 and named his son with his second wife, New York Times art critic Aline Louchhem, Eames.
Notable Works: Tulip chair. St. Louis Gateway Arch. Womb chair.
Sitting Pretty
Once you’ve chosen the right chair, use these floorplans to orient the seat correctly.
BEDROOM
In the bedroom, the chair should be positioned in a far corner, facing the bed.
LIVING ROOM ONE
An Eames lounge chair should be alone, facing the sofa.
LIVING ROOM TWO
No more than three chairs should be clustered around a small side table, with a low bench—preferably the Nelson platform bench—serving as a sort of table.
DINING ROOM ONE
For an eclectic look, arrange a collection of vintage seats around the dining table.
DINING ROOM TWO
For a severe and unmarred aesthetic, line angular chairs along each side of the dining table, with none at the heads.
BATHROOM
Choose a steel seat for the bath and use it to hold a single folded towel.
