Although now dubbed the King of Slovenian Design, Niko Kralj was for many years one of the great unsung heroes of industrial design.
The late architect and furniture designer Kralj was known for groundbreaking seating and tables that seamlessly blend functionality with an elegant economy of line. He received little recognition outside his own country, despite registering 120-plus patents and models, including those for the Mosquito bar stool — named for its winglike seat and first produced in 2012 — and a number of inventive “foldables,” like the Rex coffee table and Rex daybed for children.
Sleek and space-saving, Kralj's iconic foldable Rex rocking chair was created in 1956 — it epitomizes his sleek and laconic minimalism, conveying a sense of strength and fluidity, both in its pleasingly geometric open form and its gracefully arching folded silhouette. A contemporary version of Kralj’s mid-century masterwork is produced by the Ljubljana-based furniture company Rex Kralj.
Over the course of his career, Kralj also established close ties with such design giants as Charles and Ray Eames, Richard Buckminster Fuller, Olof Pira and Ilmari Tapiovaara, all proponents, like him, of an aesthetic that inhabits the sweet spot between elegant simplicity and pragmatism.
Today, Kralj’s timeless rocking chairs are in the collections of a number of international museums, including New York’s Museum of Modern Art, Copenhagen’s Designmuseum Denmark and the National Technical Museum Prague.
Find vintage Niko Kralj furniture on 1stDibs.
Mosquito Dining Chair in Walnut, Wooden Frame and Plywood, Mid-Century Modern
By Niko Kralj
Located in Ljubljana, SI
Named after its wing-like seat, the mosquito chair is a genuine eyecatcher, an elegant piece with a touch of poetry. This innovative design proved too demanding for 1950s manufacturing methods. But thanks to the recent efforts of Rex Kralj...
Walnut
Mosquito Dining Chair in Natural Oak, Wooden Frame + Plywood, Mid-Century Modern
By Niko Kralj
Located in Ljubljana, SI
Named after its wing-like seat, the Mosquito chair is a genuine eyecatcher, an elegant piece with a touch of poetry. This innovative design proved too demanding for 1950s manufacturing methods. But thanks to the recent efforts of Rex Kralj...
Oak
1960 Chair in Natural Oak with Metal Frame and Plywood, Mid-Century Modern Style
By Niko Kralj
Located in Ljubljana, SI
Geometric lines meet smooth curves in the 1960 chair. The fluent curves of the plywood are supported by a square frame, which creates a lightweight chair wi...
Oak
1960 Wood Chair Natural Walnut, Solid Frame + Plywood, MidCentury Modern Style
By Niko Kralj
Located in Ljubljana, SI
Designed at a time when the combination of solid wood and plywood led to an unbeatable type of chair, the 1960 wood chair embodies retro chic and is built to last. The chair is easy ...
Walnut
1960 Wood Chair Natural Oak, Solid Frame + Plywood, MidCentury Modern Style
By Niko Kralj
Located in Ljubljana, SI
Designed at a time when the combination of solid wood and plywood led to an unbeatable type of chair, the 1960 wood chair embodies retro chic and is built to last. The chair is easy ...
Oak
Mosquito Dining Chair in Black Oak, Wooden Frame and Plywood, Mid-Century Modern
By Niko Kralj
Located in Ljubljana, SI
Named after its wing-like seat, the Mosquito Chair is a genuine eyecatcher, an elegant piece with a touch of poetry. This innovative design proved too demanding for 1950s manufacturing methods. But thanks to the recent efforts of Rex Kralj...
Oak
Jean Prouvé “Antony” Chair — Limited Edition, Red Frame / Plywood Seat
By Jean Prouvé, Vitra
Located in Dronten, NL
A rare limited-edition example of the iconic Antony Chair, originally designed in 1954 by Jean Prouvé and produced by Vitra. This sculptural piece is celebrated for its striking bala...
Steel
Tria Wood Chair, Red Asch Veneered Coat, Solid Oak Legs Contemporary Design Icon
By Lorenz+Kaz
Located in Milan, Lombardy
Tria wood chair is the icon of our collection. It's a table chair, but many people use it as a sculpture for the Ambience, in an entrance, a bedroom, i...
Paint, Oak, Plywood
Eames Molded Plywood Dining Chair Wood Base (DCW) in Red Stained Birch excellent
By Charles and Ray Eames, Charles Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Hudson, NY
Eames Molded Plywood Dining Chair Wood Base (DCW) in Red stained Ash The Eames Molded Plywood Dining Chair (1946) began as an experiment in Charles and Ray Eameses’ apartment and be...
Rubber, Wood, Birch
Red Astoria Vintage Side Chair by J.O.Wladar and V. Moedlhammer Sonett c 1955
By Karl Fostel Sen’s Erben
Located in Vienna, AT
Mid Century Modern vintage side chair or chair model Astoria in red color designed by the architects J.O. Wladar & V. Moedlhammer circa 1955 and executed by Sonett Karl Fostel. A gor...
Metal
Mid Century Red Cado Chair, Steen Østergaard, Europe, 1960s
By Ostergaard Steen
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Polish production chairs from Plastics Factory 'Krywald' in Knurow have embossed signatures. They come from the 70s. The author of this project is the Danish architect Steen Østergaa...
Plastic
Jean Prouvé Standard Chair in Natural Oak and Japanese Red for Vitra
By Jean Prouvé, Vitra
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jean Prouvé Standard chair in Natural Oak and Japanese Red for Vitra. The Standard chair is an early masterpiece by the French designer and engineer Jean Prouvé. Originally designe...
Steel
