Pair of Steelcase Mid-Century Modern Lounge Armchairs in Original Upholstery

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This pair of early-1960s Steelcase lounge armchairs has not just survived more than six decades; it has graduated to vintage. … Read more This pair of early-1960s Steelcase lounge armchairs has not just survived more than six decades; it has graduated to vintage. Manufactured in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the chairs date to August 1962 and November 1963 and have clearly traveled much of their long lives together. Both retain their original Steelcase labels, Home Life Insurance Company inventory tags, and, surprisingly, their original upholstery.

And that upholstery is in remarkable condition. One chair wears a rich teal blue and the other a wonderfully period olive green, both in beautifully textured woven fabric with crisp welting and very little evidence that more than six decades have passed. You'd wish your skin looked this good in your 60s.

Their design is equally special: slender welded-steel frames in a carbon gray-black finish create an architectural silhouette, with the seat and back appearing almost to float within the frame. Long wood-laminate arm caps add warmth against the steel and make the chairs as pleasing to touch as they are to look at. The proportions are generous without being bulky, and the slight rake of the back gives them an especially handsome profile.

The two upholstery colors make them companions rather than identical twins, and after all these years together, it's only right that they continue the journey as a pair.

They were constant conversation pieces in my office. Their combination of restrained mid-century design, commercial-grade Steelcase construction, wonderfully preserved original materials, and documented history gives them a presence that photographs only begin to capture.

More than sixty years after they were made, they remain sturdy, comfortable, strikingly modern, and ready for wherever they go next. See less