The Barcelona chair is one of the most beloved objects to ever make an appearance in the world of home design. Created by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich in 1929, this lounger was originally intended as a seating for Spanish Royalty.
Fast forward almost 90 years later and the Barcelona chair, rather than losing its appeal, has become one of the last enduring monoliths from the beginnings of the mid-century modernist period. It is probably one of the oldest surviving Bauhaus designs that you can still find as a brand new object in many houses today.
Suggested Item: Barcelona Chair & Ottoman
That’s great and all but, will it fit my apartment?
This is a question many people ask themselves when they look at the Barcelona chair, but the truth is that it will most likely fit any type of space. If you’re buying original (or a true-to-design replica), your chair will most likely be an average of 30 inches wide and long, which is only about 80 centimeters in total.
Most couches are well over a meter and a half in length, so if you’re planning to include one of these in your home, you’re probably good to go. Don’t think about it too much. What’s left now is figuring out how to make the most of this gorgeous piece of both modern and classic design. Here are three ways to do it properly:
Suggested Item: Barcelona Chair Replica
- Two chairs with a table between them
Surely you’re now imagining two Barcelona chairs facing each other, probably with a nice looking coffee table in the middle. You can do this if your apartment is very small (studio size, most likely). If your space is a little bigger, why not set them as a sort of two-seat couch? That is, side by side. You can forgo the table and set it right in front of them and play around a little with the overall alignment.
- As a corner chair
Quick note: We know these chairs are expensive. Your best bet is to find yourself a great replica, such as the one sold by Barcelona Designs, which is less than $1,000. Remember how small the chair actually is: it would serve you better as a reading chair (accompanied by a floor lamp) in a quiet corner of your living room, or even your bedroom.
Suggested Item: Barcelona Chair
- As a resting chair
Back to your bedroom now. The chair is probably too small for you to sleep on it, but its big enough to become a counterpart to your bed: somewhere you can properly relax without laying down and falling asleep. Think about how it would work in front of your bed, either facing it or in front of it, or right next to it (if you have a corner bed, twin size).