What can be more inviting than a soft, reclining armchair, embracing you after a long hard day at work? Armchairs have their special place at home, but aside from lending their soft cushions for us to rest on, they can brighten up decor and color it chic. These beautiful armchairs were made in the best traditions of modern design, so expect simple lines, elegant curves, and just a little bit of drama.
Beautiful Armchairs Made in Leather
When you think about creating modernist decor, consider adding leather to you interior. It’s not only luxe but can last for ages with proper maintenance.
Patricia Urquiola created this armchair as part of her Altay collection, distinguished by solid beech in black glossy finish and full-grain leather.
Paulo Mendes da Rocha turned a simple chair into an elegant mix of an armchair and a lounge with a continuous solid steel frame and a leather slip.
Created back in 1957, the chair was made with phosphatized carbon steel that oxidizes with time along with leather that ages too, creating a feeling of evolving design. The seat is now also available in stainless steel, if you don’t want additional maintenance.
Two of the most modern natural materials, leather and wood, meet in NINNA armchair by designer Carlo Contin, who presented it at Salone del Mobile in 2013.
Its suspended leather seat wraps around the rounded back that also doubles as armrests bringing a twinge of childhood nostalgia.
In this beautiful leather Armada armchair meet the sophisticated chic of leather and polished wood. Its exquisite frame also lacks the armrests, freeing up space for you to hold a book or a preferred device.
Made in multiple wood variations, Armada comes with black and brown leather seat, resembling that of a canvas chair. Supplemented with an ottoman, it becomes a sophisticated lounge chair.
Beautiful Armchairs With High Backs
Modern, gorgeous, and a bit dramatic, Emma armchair from the wood wizards Färg & Blanche makes us pause every time we see its high hand-sewn back.
Tailored to impress, Emma can become your personal throne or a crowning jewel of your decor.
Brabbu make incredibly luxe and surprisingly modernist furniture. Their Sika armchair is an epitome of elegance and it’s no wonder, as it was inspired by a Japanese sacred deer.
A wingback seat is finished in leather and decorated with brass details and arm tackles that are taking after the deer’s antlers.
Resembling a classic modernist lounge chair, Ro is a perfect piece for any contemporary living room. Sleek, curvy, and streamlined, it truly symbolizes tranquillity after which it was named (in Danish).
Inviting you with its winged back and a deep seat, Ro is a beautiful compromise between modern and contemporary design.
Round Back Armchairs
If you’re looking for something more modernist-looking, Edam swivel chair from West Elm is definitely going to fit the bill. Its slightly sloped frame is made of FSC-certified maple and its upholstery options are almost limitless.
Sit back and enjoy a glass of your favorite spirit to some old tune or simply admire its chic silhouette, decorating an awkward corner of your living room.
Inspired by unpredictability of nature, Rift is part futuristic, part contemporary piece that, in leather finish, can look pretty modernist.
Also available in a small version, Rift looks interestingly similar to a row of fingers hugging a blocky seat.
Without its patterned cane panels this steam bent Targa armchair would look pretty basic. Comprised of a soft upholstered seat and a thin screened back, it looks quite different from all the other modern designs.
Enhancing both the back and the sides of the chair, a patterned screen panel creates a more private space for a person sitting in it.
Wooden Frame Armchairs
Channeling Danish mid-century designs, Anthropologie’s Haverhill armchair is looking to inject some glamour into any living or other room where it happens to find its place.
Combing the sophistication of materials like oatmeal linen and tapered brass accents, the seat also brings an intriguing wooden frame shape with it.
Designer Jader Almeida creates elegant, exquisite furnishings drawing inspiration from Scandinavian and Brazilian modernism.
Linna armchair is one of the designs that channels modernism through clear lines and simple shapes, but shows a great deal of contemporaneity in sleek wooden construction achieved through cutting edge process.
Couture is a completely unique piece from Färg & Blanche who can turn wood into anything their vision tells them. This contemporary armchair is a true masterpiece.
Layered pieces of dyed stitched wood create a beautiful ombre effect that resembles a wave or a ripple in the blue of water.
60’s-inspired armchair Hudson comes with a few tweaks that make it extra special. Its polished brass legs, for one, lend it an extra dose of glamour. And its curved wooden armrests give it a look of importance and formality.
Its pleated back deserves a side note, as it stands out in the sea of tufts and stitching. The dyed leather versions especially benefit from these elegant details.
Small but Beautiful Armchairs
Shaped after a mid-century modern Italian armchair, this tufted leather seat might become a special accent in a modern home.
Additionally dressed in velvet and linen, the simple armchair gains a lot from its different numerous colors.
Another one of Patricia Urquiola’s armchair designs comes in designing form that is like nothing else we’ve ever seen. Its fluted hooded back provides with privacy while a curved seat adds a playful flair to the piece.
A wooden frame looks different as well. Each leg stands at an angle, creating a unique dynamic, especially in combination with those other elements.
With a circular shape and a fluted stitched back the otherwise minimal armchair Coupe looks pretty charming. Each leg is stitched separately, hence, resembling funny clown trousers.
Designed for OFFECCT, Coupe looks intriguing from each and every side. We could even argue that it looks much more so from the back.
Embodying every aspect of modern design, Oliver chair looks positively mid-century modern. Simple and unassuming, it’s made for bright upholstery or, if you want, you could choose it for playing a second flute in decor.
It will not stand out much in a neutral color, but will provide with comfort and functional modernist aesthetic.
Beautiful Armchairs With Soft Padding
Not all modern interiors come in a single style. So if you’re yearning for a modernized traditional armchair, Chester might be just the thing you need.
Sitting in a metal frame the soft upholstery is stitched in a familiar pattern and generally looks recognizable. The modern part of it lends it a surprising aesthetic.
Norwegian designer Andreas Engesvik beefed up a lounge chair with some oversized cushions, and look what happened. A contemporary modern design looks playful and inviting.
Each separate part of the construction padded with separate cushions creates an effect that is as plush as it is cartoonish.
Sancal came up with an armchair that draws attention regardless of color or finish by reinterpreting classic designs and shapes.
Perched on a caged base, these armchairs are perfect for creating an airy look that is also filled with comfort.
Showing retro shapes and colors, Lobby is as soft as a pile of cushions and as bright as the 60’s art. Greatly postmodern it defies symmetry and is bound to stand out even in most extravagant decor.
While it provokes conversations, Lobby looks positively comfy to burrow in after a long day or even take a quick nap.
Angular Armchairs That Bring Dynamic Home
If you need something comfy but also airy, Colony is a perfect representation of both of those qualities. Though made of wood and rattan, it is spacious enough to house some soft cushions.
Its angular pattern design is both dynamic and functional. And its sky blue version is just too pretty to pass up.
Another dynamic design is from Sien Studio. 2R Armchair looks somewhat like a raw diamond with its angled and textured wooden frame.
Constructed from white oak, its geometric silhouette comes as a welcome departure from the soft curves and rounded armchair backs.
Beautiful Velvet Armchairs for Chic Interiors
How about an original 1960 design? Scape is one of the most beautiful armchairs we’ve even seen. Everything from its black wooden frame to the soft velvet cushions looks sophisticated and more than agreeable to us.
Though the design is more than 50 years old, Scape will easily fit a contemporary room, bringing modernist elegance to it along with the undeniable chic of velvet.
Elowen velvet armchair is a simple straightforward design dressed up fancy. Though minimal, its shape is elegant and pleasant while its brass legs with round tips are simply adorable.
Modernism has produced the most beautiful armchairs that are still revered and loved by interior designers and decor enthusiasts from all backgrounds. The best thing about decorating with these armchairs is that you can just put them in place and enjoy your decorated space.
