07/17/2026
For centuries, chair design focused on intricate decoration and complex craftsmanship to project status. Even the phrase “the seat of authority” is a metaphor we use to show how furniture historically signaled power.
After the First World War, however, a new mindset emerged: an object’s beauty should come directly from its function, and every part of daily life was seen as worthy of good design.
Modern movements replaced elaborate ornamentation with clean geometry.
And innovative materials, like bent plywood, completely transformed how furniture was designed and valued.
A chair’s significance no longer depended solely on costly materials or labor-intensive flourishes. Its value could also lie in the strength and originality of the design itself.
You can see this evolution unfold inside our exhibition “Modern Design Across Borders,” which closes this weekend.
The journey begins with Alvar Aalto’s iconic Paimio Chair and ends with the bold, contemporary Kolho Chair—revealing how generations of experimentation with form, materials, and function transformed something even as simple as a chair into a powerful expression of modern design.
Collection, Gift of John C. Waddell, New York City
🪑 Paimio Chair, 1931–32. Alvar Aalto, designer. Korhonen factory, Turku, Finland, manufacturer.
Special thanks to our lender: Made by Choice, Halikko, Finland
🪑 Chair, Kolho Chair, 2019. Matthew Day Jackson, designer. Made by Choice, Halikko, Finland, manufacturer.
All other images are from The Wolfsonian collection.
