Mies Van der Rohe

Mies Van der Rohe mid-century modern furniture is emblematic of his mantra “less is more.” Check out Chairish’s large collection of Mies Van Der Rohe chairs, including his Knoll collection and tufted leather seats.

Known as one of the pioneers of modernist architecture, Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe also designed a number of chairs, sofas, and tables in his signature minimalist style. Today, his pieces are highly sought after and considered to be the epitome of mid-century modern style. Mies Van der Rohe often collaborated with fellow architect Lilly Reich for his furniture designs. He was known to use a mix of traditional luxurious fabrics, like high-quality leather, with modern chrome frames. Mies Van der Rohe liked to use cantilevers to enhance the feeling of weightlessness, and always had a distinct separation of supporting structures and supporting surfaces in all of his pieces. Among his most iconic works is the Barcelona collection. The tufted leather and stainless steel chair was originally designed for the Spanish Royalty to oversee the opening ceremonies of the German Pavilion. The Barcelona chair was also used in the Villa Tugendhat, a World Heritage Site designed by Mies Van der Rohe himself. His Brno chair, MR50, one of his earliest steel furniture designs, was even featured in the BBC series, Around the World in 80 Treasures as one of the 80 man-made treasures. Most of Mies Van der Rohe’s pieces were created to complement his buildings, never leaving out a single detail in his unique and representative aesthetic. In the 1950s, Mies Van der Rohe gave Knoll exclusive rights to product his designs. His minimalist furniture is truly emblematic of his mantra “less is more.”