Scandinavian style interiors are still just as hot as ever. Have you been planning a Nordic interior makeover? This post will give you a great head start - we've collected a huge list of our 50 favorite Scandinavian inspired chairs for every room, and of course, for every budget. Here you'll find collector pieces from iconic names like Arne Jacobsen as well as general pieces to fit an IKEA budget. Not all of these chairs are from designers that hail from the North – these pieces come from all around the world, but each one would fit into a Scandinavian decor theme with ease.
BUY IT About A Chair by Hee Welling: Prolific designer Hee Welling studied art and design in Helsinki and mastered in furniture design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. His fabulous Copenhagen studio produces fine Scandinavian wares like this increasingly iconic chair consisting of a smooth and simple shell on bent beech legs with soaped oak veneer. It’s a modern chair with timeless appeal, perfect for home or office settings.
BUY IT Wegner Wishbone Style Chair: The beautiful Wishbone chair is one of Hans J. Wegner’s most recognizable designs, but you don’t have to wait for a rare original to hit the market. This solid walnut reproduction is the perfect final touch for an interior design based on the natural side of Scandinavian design.
BUY ITWegner Elbow Style Chair: Here’s another style inspired by a Wegner mainstay. The Elbow Chair (also known as CH20) came to life in 1956 but looks just as fresh and modern as ever. This sturdy reproduction features a comfortable leatherette seat, but the upholstery is black unlike the white in the photo, better suited to a darker or more traditional interior.
BUY ITWegner CH33 Style Chair: It’s hard to comb through design magazines without coming across this beautiful and versatile chair. This is another reproduction based on a highly sought after design Hans J. Wegner, a subtle and high quality piece that makes its primary statement through the gorgeous curves that please the eye from every angle. This set is available with a choice of oak or chestnut finish, with beige fabric or black faux leather upholstery.
BUY ITHans Wegner Style “Presidential Election” Round Chair: Wegner’s round chair gained its presidential designation in a spectacular way. In the very first televised debate between United States presidential candidates Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy, both took their seats in this stylish 1949 design. If you often invite important clients to your office, this little piece of history could make for an interesting talking point – all while reaffirming your great taste in Wegner chairs.
BUY ITArne Jacobsen Style Series 7 Style Side Chair: Just as famous for his architectural work as he was his furniture design, Arne Jacobsen was educated at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and later returned as a professor to teach a fresh generation of brilliant Scandinavian artists. The Series 7 Chair was among his best-selling creations, and this accurate reproduction makes this instantly recognizable classic available to a much wider audience.
BUY ITEames Style Dining Chair: Although both Charles and Ray Eames were born and educated in the United States, both admired and were influenced by the work of Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen (you might be familiar with his son, Eero). These chairs take inspiration from the famous 1951 Side Chair developed by this power duo and include the recognizable wood dowel base in beech wood. Thankfully, the Eames tendency to use molded forms ensured that today’s decorators can enjoy affordable and accurate reproductions like these.
BUY ITEames Style Rocking Chair: Here’s another great chair inspired by the Eames style. Like others from this era, this chair sits low to the ground – great for interiors that maintain a low profile. This rocking armchair is available in black, blue, red, green, and versatile white.
BUY IT Panton S Style Chair: Perhaps one of Denmark’s most boundary-pushing furniture designers, Verner Panton made his mark on the world with a futuristic aesthetic that has since grown into the contemporary lexicon. The famous Panton Chair features sensual curves that add mid-century flair to any modern interior. Just like the original, these reproduction Panton chairs are stackable for easy storage.
BUY IT Muuto Nerd Dining Chair: Are you looking for something more contemporary? This is a 2012 design created by David Geckeler, an up-and-comer who studied in both Berlin and Copenhagen and effectively blends the best of both worlds. The Nerd Chair is constructed from pressed plywood with solid legs in walnut, oak, or lacquered ash – but the most impressive feature is the lack of visible screws and other mounting hardware. This cleverly streamlined chair would look right at home in any minimalist interior.
BUY ITKartell Masters Chair: Philippe Starck is a French designer who channeled the forms of the world’s three most iconic chairs within one elegant form. The Masters Chair combines the shapes of the Tulip Armchair by Eero Saarinen, the Eiffel Chair by Eames, and the Series 7 by Arne Jacobsen. Each one is lightweight at just 9 pounds, suitable for indoor or outdoor use, and stands at just over 33 inches tall. This original is available in black, grey, yellow, red, sage green, and classic white.
BUY IT Arne Jacobsen Drop Chair: Here’s something with a little undeniable retro flavor! Arne Jacobsen’s Drop Chair is as sculptural as it is comfortable. It was impossible to obtain an authorized version of this chair for more than 50 years but has recently come out of its hiatus for Scandinavian design fans to enjoy. This series is currently available in greyscale tones including a subtle blue tint. Consider picking up a set of these to complete your atomic age dining room or to offset straight lines in a geometric interior.
BUY IT Muuto Cover Chair: Copenhagen-based designer Thomas Bentzen created this chair for collectors with an eye for detail. It’s a contemporary design made without any metal parts at all, relying on the natural strength of the wood armrests and their exceptionally clever engineering. These chairs are a fitting complement to any modern kitchen, but especially ones with an architecturally focused design. Each chair stands at 30 inches tall with an 18-inch high seat. They can serve as great modern dining chairs too.
BUY IT Arne Jacobsen Grand Prix Chair: Can’t get enough authentic Arne Jacobsen? The 1957 Grand Prix chair was an ambitious undertaking that resulted in an unconventional yet striking form tailored to the human body. This classic is available in a rainbow of vivid colors, carefully stained to retain the intricate grain of its wood veneer. Tubular steel legs place them firmly within the realm of sensible mid-century modern design.
BUY IT Muuto Fiber Chair: Aleksej Iskos and Boris Berlin collaborated to create this ultra-smooth and sculptural chair. This is a 2014 design crafted from an uncommon composite material including wood fiber. This collection is available with either Kvadrat fabric or full-grain leather upholstery in a variety of neutrals. The legs are solid walnut.
BUY ITEames Molded Plywood Style Dining Chair: These reproduction Eames chairs are manufactured strictly according to the original specifications, resulting in a true-to-inspiration investment piece for fans of the designers. But they’re also practical and surprisingly comfortable, suitable for home or commercial applications alike.
BUY IT Salt Chair by Tom Kelley: Designer Tom Kelley lived, studied, and worked with companies all across the world. It’s no wonder that a little Scandinavian influence entered his personal lexicon. The Salt Chair definitely hints at classic Swedish styles but has the distinct advantage of a compact and modern form. The most defining feature is the legs – they don’t splay outward, making for a small footprint perfect for small spaces like eat-in kitchens or cozy restaurants.
BUY IT J104 Chair: Jørgen Bækmark is one of the many influential designers to come from Denmark’s famous FDB Mobler and this chair is certainly a representative work of the design house’s clean and natural style. Even within a minimalist or modern interior without other Scandinavian influences, the providence of this piece will still shine through clearly. Black, red, white, and grey lacquer options join the traditional soaped beech for endless decor options.
BUY IT Thonet Style Chair: Although the Thonet name comes from a masterful woodwork company in Germany, this distinctive chair style has become famous the world over. Its elegant curves look as if they were made for a delicate cottage chic home with Scandinavian flair – but the truth is that this ubiquitous choice would look good anywhere. While the original works by the Thonet family are preciously hard to find today, these solid elm chairs do a fabulous job of imitating the quality and smoothness of the iconic bentwood construction.
BUY IT Kai Kristiansen Style Model 42 Chair: These are a perfect style for anybody who craves a Scandinavian take on mid-century modern but want something darker and with more refined upholstery. Of all the sculptural chairs that Kai Kristiansen ever designed, these sculptural masterpieces suit modern tastes more perfectly than any others – the crisp angles and smooth lines look right at home in minimalist environments and traditional homes alike. These re-creations are made of solid walnut with comfortable grey fabric seats.
BUY ITSaarinen Style Tulip Side Chair: Eero Saarinen is the architect that gave life to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, a larger-than-life representation of his love for sculpture and form. The Tulip Chair combines the best of funky atomic age style with mid-century sensibility, a carefully crafted piece of functional artwork for the home. This replica is formed with a vinyl seat and a sturdy aluminum base. The removable cloth cushions are available in every color of the rainbow so you can update your dining set as your interior design tastes change over time.
BUY ITPhilippe Starck Louis Ghost Style Chair: While the classic Louis Chair form is a historically significant holdover from classic French design, Philippe Starck’s Ghost Chair brought it into the world of modernism. This re-creation is injection molded, stackable, and available in a wide variety of translucent colors to suit any interior. These see-through chairs are great for small or dark interiors where preservation of natural sunlight proves most important.
BUY ITWegner Style Shell Chair: Now it’s time to look at some lounge chairs for the living room, bedroom, library, and more. Wegner’s iconic Shell Chair captivated the world with its distinctive shape that looks good from every angle – ideal for a chair that interacts with the environment rather than sitting pushed up against a wall. This is a top quality reproduction made with walnut veneer and Italian leather.
BUY ITEames Style Molded Plywood Lounge Chair: The renowned Eames name truly elevated the status of plywood in the design world. This re-creation includes a rubber shock mount that shifts with the position of the sitter to ensure enduring comfort. Like many mid-century modern lounge chairs, this one sits very low with a seat height of only 14 inches. It’s available in several colors and finishes including a brilliant fire engine red.
BUY IT Cuba Lounge Chair: Danish designer Morten Gøttler created this piece in 1997 yet it still looks just as fresh as ever and will likely serve as an enviable collector’s piece for generations to come. Incredible attention to detail goes into the construction of each one – the cotton straps are hand woven, the oak frame carefully soaped or lacquered, the hardware forged from sturdy brass. But perhaps the best thing about this lounge chair is its folding design, making it easy to stow away when extra floor space is required.
BUY ITJens Risom Style Lounge Chair: Educated at the School for Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen, Jens Risom is famously credited for helping to popularize Scandinavian design in the United States after emigrating at the age of 26. These lounge chairs demonstrate a fantastic merge between both influences. This replica uses woven cotton straps for an embracing yet sturdy feel.
BUY ITWegner Style CH25 Easy Chair: Solid ash and handmade paper rattan come together in this casual yet ever stylish lounge. It has a distinctive organic aesthetic suitable for natural, Nordic, or even traditional interiors.
BUY ITFinn Juhl Model 45 Style Chair: Another leader in the movement to bring Scandinavian design to the United States, Finn Juhl created Danish Modern furniture that appealed to a wide variety of collectors not only for its style but also for its unmistakable quality. This reproduction of the Model 45 attempts to make the design more accessible without compromising durability, crafted from walnut-colored beech wood and a cotton/linen blend rather than the leather featured above.
BUY IT Jens Chair: Available in oak or walnut and in a huge array of upholstery colors, this Jens Risom original (initially released in 1949) is a versatile chair that can bring mid-century Danish charm to interiors of every style. This sort of versatility was always a hallmark of Risom’s design philosophy and especially well with this piece.
BUY IT Risom Rocker Chair: Here’s another original by Jens Risom, this time with a more distinctive mid-century form – the shape of the backrest is unforgettable. It’s actually one of the most recent creations by the visionary designer, released in 2009. One of the most interesting things about this rocking chair is the attention to functional engineering, using balance and weight to ensure incredible fluidity of motion. This piece would be an excellent addition to a nursery, bedroom, or anywhere else where relaxation is essential.
BUY IT Selig Z Style Chair: Poul Jensen’s fascinating Z Chair has an iconic profile, and this re-creation is true to form. The frame is sculpted from sturdy hardwood and the upholstery is available in blue, grey, or white. The seat height stands at 18 inches with an overall chair height of 32 inches, perfect for low-profile interiors like the one pictured above.
BUY ITIKEA Poang Chair: Scandinavian design fans on a budget can always count on IKEA to deliver attractive products at an incredible value. This piece has a very sculptural form that draws the eye immediately. Like many IKEA products, this chair features removable cushions for easy cleaning or replacement, a huge benefit for anybody who enjoys changing styles often.
BUY ITBarcelona Style Chair: The Barcelona Chair is a hugely famous design by the renown German-American architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, but that doesn’t stop it from looking wonderful in Scandinavian inspired interiors. This replica is available in a choice of white, black, or vibrant red Italian leather. It’s hard to find a better reproduction than this one.
BUY ITLe Corbusier Grand Confort Style Chair: Swiss-French architect Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (more famously known as Le Corbusier) designed the Grand Confort armchair in 1928 – a style very far ahead of its time. The Museum of Modern Art holds a few examples as permanent members of its collection, but this reproduction makes it accessible to collectors of high-end furniture. It’s available in black or tan leather contained in a stainless steel frame. This piece is easy to place in the running if you’re looking to adopt a darker Nordic-inspired interior with industrial undertones.
BUY IT Saarinen Style Womb Chair: Eero Saarinen designed the original Womb Chair in 1948 and it quickly became a classic staple of mid-century modern furniture design. This reproduction is crafted from a fiberglass shell and upholstered in fine hand-stitched cashmere for a dreamily soft touch. It’s available in a wide range of colors ranging from orange to purple and includes the equally beautiful and versatile ottoman.
BUY ITEames Style Lounge Chair: Perhaps one of the most recognizable designs by Eames, this lounge often finds its way into Scandinavian themed spreads in magazines despite its American origin. This reproduction feels soft to the touch thanks to high quality Italian leather upholstery and exceeds decorative expectation with its walnut veneer shell. This famously comfortable lounge is ideal for a reading nook, library, or media room.
BUY ITLC4 Lounge Style Chair: Rivaling the Eames lounge in icon status, the LC4 is a renowned Le Corbusier masterpiece. This streamlined replica is a great stand-in for those that can’t afford the multi-thousand-dollar price tag of the original. Top grain leather upholstery and a steel base ensure it will last, and it’s available in black, white, or brown to suit a variety of interiors. Like the original, it’s easily adjustable to suit your desired level of relaxation.
BUY ITArne Jacobsen Style Egg Chair: Even those who are unfamiliar with the work of Arne Jacobsen are likely to recognize this distinctive chair. This look-alike is available in a huge variety of colors – including metallic and leather options – to suit your home or office style.
BUY IT Butterfly Sling Chair: While the Hardoy model is the most known among designers, the style itself has been recreated and reinvented many times over in the decades since its 1938 reveal. The chair in the link is rather unique thanks to its bold stitching and leather surface, lending it a more formal appeal than most of the models on the market.
BUY ITGrant Featherston Style Contour Wing Chair: The original 1951 chair by Australian designer Grant Featherston is ubiquitous with the Atomic Age aesthetic. It is now considered a piece of modern art and fetches lucrative prices at auction, but the strong market for look-alikes ensures there are always options available at a reasonable price.
BUY ITWegner Teddy Bear Style Chair: Named for its embracing form, the Papa Bear Chair (also known as the Teddy Bear Chair) is a beloved design by Hans J. Wegner. This clone takes its namesake seriously – the frame is American walnut and alder wood, with upholstery in super-soft cashmere.
BUY ITWegner Style Ox Chair: Wegner’s Ox design is big, bold, and completely unlike any other wing chair. This one is a reproduction manufactured with high quality Italian leather. It’s a statement piece unlike any other.
BUY IT Oslo Chair: Designed by Torbjørn Anderssen and Espen Voll, the Oslo Chair embodies several features that define contemporary furniture of this generation – the crisp lines, exacting curves, and the unmistakable attention to detail. This original is manufactured in Norway and upholstered in Denmark using only the highest quality fabrics. While most people are more familiar with the Scandinavian furniture that originated in the 50s and 60s, this piece will place your interior firmly in the present.
BUY ITArne Jacobsen Swan Style Chair: The original Swan Chair is a versatile piece, but the reproduction linked in this post makes it just perfect for the office. It even includes a hydraulic base for use at the desk!
BUY IT Nutshell Lounge Chair: This handsome lounge mimics the curves of Pierre Paulin’s Slice Chair but maintains a more subtle form overall. The range of colors definitely speaks to the era of the original – black, brown, white, and especially the rusty orange and marbled tan.
BUY ITLumiSource Vintage Mod Accent Chair: Molded wood and simple tapered chair legs are a staple of the mid-century modern style, but they’ll never go out of fashion. This model sits a little higher than many accent chairs inspired by the same era with a seat height of almost 18 inches. The legs and veneer are walnut and the upholstery is available in versatile black or white.
BUY ITWassily Style Chair: Hungarian-born architect Marcel Breuer produced great Bauhaus style furniture but his famous Wassily Chair is flexible enough to suit a variety of interior styles. The patent on the original has expired since its original creation in 1925, allowing for relatively affordable reproductions like this one. The link leads to three styles that deviate from the black design most people are familiar with, including tan or white with the typical steel framing and a gorgeous brown and copper tone model.
BUY ITBertoia Style Diamond Chair: If you’re looking to bring a touch of industrial aesthetic to your interior, wire chairs are an effortless go-to solution. Although Harry Bertoia was born in Italy and practiced in the United States, his popular Diamond Chair design is a common addition to Scandinavian inspired decor – especially as pictured here, with a simple fur or wool throw draped over. The combination is a gorgeous way to embrace both worlds.
BUY ITEero Aarnio Style Ball Chair: While the original serves as a true piece of industrial design history (and regularly fetches prices far exceeding $$,000) this re-creation makes it possible to bring this sculptural piece of furniture into your own home. Choose from green, orange, red, or yellow and embrace the quirky fun of one of the most recognizable chairs of the 60s.
BUY ITZig Zag Style Chair: Based on a 1934 design by Dutch designer Gerrit Rietveld, the Zig Zag chair was definitely ahead of its time. It was designed for the Rietveld Schroder House, known as one of the first and only homes constructed entirely according to the De Stijl movement’s aesthetics and ideals. This fascinating and artistic piece adds fun and whimsy to any setting, sure to become a talking point at your next gathering. This re-creation is constructed from solid ash with a natural finish and includes rubber footpads to protect your floor. The handle on the back makes it easy to rearrange or store away.
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