Chair: 500 Designs that Matter (2025)
Description
A compelling collection of the world?s most innovative, stylish, and influential chairs from across the globe
Throughout history, the chair has presented designers the world over with infinite opportunities to experiment with new production methods and innovative materials within the set parameters of an object that is primarily there to serve a practical purpose.
Now available with a new cover, Chair: 500 Designs that Matter celebrates the humble chair as never before, from early examples to today?s cutting-edge creations. It invites you to sit back and be taken on a journey through the creative imaginations of hundreds of internationally renowned designers.
Featured designers include: Alvar Aalto, Eero Aarnio, Ron Arad, Cini Boeri, Erwan and Ronan Bouroullec, Marcel Breuer, Campana Brothers, Charles and Ray Eames, Naoto Fukasawa, Frank Gehry, Jaime Hay.n, Arne Jacobsen, Hella Jongerius, Finn Juhl, Shiro Kuramata, Erwine and Estelle Laverne, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Jasper Morrison, George Nakashima, George Nelson, nendo, Charlotte Perriand, Gaetano Pesce, Jean Prouvé, Snarkitecture, Patricia Urquiola, Otto Wagner, and Hans Wegner.
Reviews / Votes
'Whether you favour primitive wooden creations, mid-century design classis or cutting-edge contemporary pieces, Chair: 500 Designs that Matter champions the skill behind some of the most prestigious seating designs.' - Homes & Antiques'A fascinating insight into the evolution of this household staple... Aligning the chair designs with their eras makes for thought-provoking and surprising reading.' - English Home
'This quirky tome celebrates the humble chair as never before, from early examples to today's cutting-edge creations. It invites the reader to sit back and be taken on a journey through the creative imaginations of hundreds of internationally renowned designers.' - New Design
'If you obsess with details of interior design and worship at the altar of Charles & Ray Eames then you probably need Phaidon's new Chair book on your shelf.' - Acquire Mag
'A celebration of the humble chair, showcasing cutting-edge creations and all-time classics. If you appreciate interior design, whether it's modern, quirky, or timeless, you'll find chairs here that jive with your style.' - Cool Material
'Phaidon's glossy new tome delves into the high art of sitting down... Just don't call it a coffee table book.' - UrbanDaddy
'[A] beautiful survey of design; page after page features seating ingenuity that proves an object of utility can also be beautiful or thought-provokingly conceptual.' - Vogue
'Compelling... sit back and be taken on a journey through the creative imaginations of hundreds of internationally renowned designers... venture no further if you're looking for something funky to furnish your newly completed interiors.' - Self Build & Design
'Pulls together some of the most noteworthy [chairs] from antiquity to the modern era.' - Uncrate
'The chairs make a statement.' - New York Post
'Showcases our fascination with chairs by pairing examples together - sometimes decades or centuries apart - and highlighting similarities... Fascinating and diverse, one doesn't need to be a furniture aficionado to appreciate these eclectic designs.' - The Lady
'Few forms excite a designer's mind more than a chair... Phaidon's squat little compendium of chairs includes some of the hits... As well as some lesser known experimental designs.' - New York Magazine
'Chair: 500 Designs That Matter explores the infinite ways designers have experimented with methods and materials to elevate and reinterpret the parameters of an object that primarily exists for one very practical purpose. From Eames to Van der Rohe, the plain to the sculptural and the playful to the practical, discover how the chair's evolution has changed not only the way we sit, but also how we interact with furniture and interior spaces.' - Elle Decoration (South Africa)
'A delight... We have all seen many books about chairs. This one is the most fun, with a healthy dose of scholarship, as well.' - Interior Design
'It's rare for a book on interior design to span a millennium but Chair: 500 Designs that Matter from Phaidon is an exception. From the Chinese Yoke-Back dated around 1000AD to today's optical illusion Slip Chair by Snarkitecture, it's an expansive study of the chair in all its forms. Presented in smart visual pairings, highlighting links across the centuries in design or construction, it also includes a detailed timeline explaining each piece's history and influence.' - Themodernist.house
'A book that celebrates the humble chair as never before, from early examples to today's cutting-edge creations.' - Mosa Magazine