Iconic modern furniture 'at auction'

Ever think about adding an iconic piece of modern furniture to your decor? Maybe a Charles and Ray Eames, or a Mies Van der Rohe, or an Arne Jacobsen?

 From Remodelista

In this Spanish apartment in Barcelona, we see examples of or iconic designs. In the top photo, there is a leather Charles and Ray Eames lounge chair and ottoman along with a Saarinen side table. In the bottom photo, we have a pair of Arne Jacobsen Swan chairs in a warm brown leather.

Auctions are a great place to get pieces that are vintage, and maybe even at a good price. There are some auctions coming up that will provide just such an opportunity.

The Bonhams 20th Century Decorative Arts sale coming up October 16th in Los Angeles is chock a block with iconic pieces. Let's start with Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe. This pair of chrome steel and leather Brno chairs are Lot 5209. They were designed circa 1930, and produced by Knoll. These provide instant modern design credentials! These are estimate at $2,000 - $4,000.

I love the Hans Wegener Papa Bear chair and ottoman for comfort. Not all modern chair designs are that comfortable!  This one is teak and wool upholstered and was designed in 1951. It's Lot 5195 in the Bonhams sale, and has an auction estimate of $2,500 - $3,500.

This yellow version of the Charles and Ray Eames DAR chairs just makes me want to smile. These are Lot 5253 in the Bonhams sale, and are described as being an early version 1950's. They have an auction estimate of $1,200 - $1,800.

Another Eames classic is this rosewood and leather lounge chair and ottoman. This would be great for curling up with a good book, and feeling cool at the same time! This is Lot 5250 in the Bonhams sale with an auction estimate of $2,000 - $4,000.

Poul Jensen may not be quite as well known as the above three designers, but these chairs caught my eye. They exude mid-century style. These were designed for Selig and have an auction estimate of $800 - $1,200 (Lot 5197).

We have to include Arne Jacobsen on our list of iconic modern designers. The Danish master designed the Swan chair, and this pair sold at a Christies auction for $2,250 off an auction estimate of $2,000 - $3,000. These are upholstered in a fun bright blue fabric, and would be a great punch of color in your decor. The Swan chair was designed in 1958 for Fritz Hansen.

Elle Decor

Modern interior design often relies on iconic designers as the base from which to build the look. In these Elle Decor photos we have an Arne Jacobsen Egg chair in the top photo, and the Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe classic in the bottom photo. It looks very stylish and cool, and auctions are a great place to buy vintage modern designs.