My Barcelona Chair

Have I mentioned how much I like Mid-Century Modern furniture? Yeah, I know I have. I recently bought a reproduction Tulip Table and Panton S Chairs to match. Until now, I haven’t written about my reproduction Barcelona Chair. Piece by piece, my place is getting Modernized.

The Barcelona chair was designed in 1929 by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a German architect. He created the chair for the International Expo being held in Spain that year. It’s still every bit as modern now as it was then. Pure designing genius. Mies van der Rohe eventually sold the rights to Knoll; the Barcelona Chair can be purchased through them—for about $4000.

The biggest challenge for me (other than finding a reasonably priced source) was finding a non-leather version of the chair. Even if I had four grand to fork over on a chair, the real deal is cowhide. Not very vegan. After much research, I found a manufactured in China who will make the chair in leather or polyurethane. The price was reasonable (shipping almost doubled the cost, but the grand total was still under $500).

I had to take a big gamble: Send a money order to an unknown company halfway around the world. Lucky for me, the people at Pretty Stores were responsive and helpful. About six weeks later, the chair arrived at my front door.

I can’t believe how comfortable this chair is. Since it’s not a “comfy-looking” overstuffed style, I wondered about it. I’ve read entire books cover to cover in one sitting—in this chair. The quality is great. It’s constructed of a one-piece steel frame with PU cushions. I’ve had the chair for a year now and it’s sturdy and stable and the cover hasn’t cracked or stretched.

If you ever decide to order from Pretty Stores, going in with friends and buying several pieces at once significantly lowers the freight charges. They have a ton of furniture—tables and chairs especially—so buying all at one time is smart.

Another time, I’ll write about the Picasso on the wall above the chair and the painting above the fireplace.