Iconic Armchairs – Design Classics from B&B Italia, Flexform & Poliform
Iconic Armchairs – Design Classics from B&B Italia, Flexform & Poliform
By Stephen A Gee
Creative Director & Proprietor – Stephen Neall Interior Furnishers
Iconic Armchairs – Design Classics from B&B Italia, Flexform & Poliform
By Stephen A Gee
Creative Director & Proprietor – Stephen Neall Interior Furnishers
Every home deserves an anchor piece – a chair that captures character, craftsmanship and comfort in perfect equilibrium. Across my career, I’ve witnessed how the world’s most enduring armchairs transcend fashion. They invite conversation, cradle reflection and quietly define the spirit of a room. From the futuristic lines of Marcel Breuer’s Wassily Chair to the sculptural sensuality of B&B Italia’s UP50, these are the pieces that shape design history – and, more importantly, the way we live with design today.
B&B Italia UP50
Gaetano Pesce’s Vision Reborn
B&B Italia UP50
Gaetano Pesce’s Vision Reborn
Originally conceived in 1969 as part of the revolutionary Serie Up, Gaetano Pesce’s UP5_6 – reborn as UP50 – remains one of the most recognisable silhouettes in modern furniture and B&B Italia’s line of products. A triumph of form and symbolism, the chair’s feminine curves and spherical ottoman evoke both strength and softness. Re-released to celebrate fifty years of innovation, the B&B Italia UP50 retains its elastic, self-expanding polyurethane form, upholstered in vivid stretch fabric. It is as playful as it is provocative – a conversation between art and comfort, now engineered for the contemporary interior.
Flexform A.B.C Chair
Minimalism with Poise
Flexform A.B.C Chair
Minimalism with Poise
The A.B.C Chair by Antonio Citterio distils luxury to its purest essence. With a squared metal frame and perfectly proportioned cushions, it exemplifies Flexform’s understated mastery – modernist precision balanced by tactile warmth. Low, architectural, and impeccably detailed, the ABC invites relaxation with quiet sophistication. It is a piece that whispers rather than shouts, perfectly suited to both residential and hospitality settings. Learn more about Flexform.
Wassily Chair
The Modernist Blueprint
Wassily Chair
The Modernist Blueprint
Few chairs carry the gravitas of Marcel Breuer’s Wassily, designed in 1925 at the Bauhaus. Tubular steel, taut leather and geometric clarity defined an era – and continue to inspire industrial design a century later. Its enduring relevance lies in purity of structure: a chair that appears weightless, almost floating within its frame. In a contemporary context, the Wassily brings contrast – a piece of design history that grounds modern spaces in authenticity and heritage.
B&B Italia Le Bambole
Mario Bellini’s Soft Sculpture
B&B Italia Le Bambole
Mario Bellini’s Soft Sculpture
When Mario Bellini introduced Le Bambole in 1972, he redefined what comfort could look like. Rather than rigid frames, Le Bambole is all about volume, elasticity and effortless sensuality. The re-edition by B&B Italia refines the concept with sustainable materials and removable covers while preserving its voluptuous character. It’s a chair that blurs the line between fashion and furnishing – exuberant, inviting and entirely timeless.
A notable recent chapter in Le Bambole’s story is the Stella McCartney x B&B Italia capsule collection, created to mark the chair’s 50th anniversary. Featuring a hand drawn “Fungi Forest” print upholstery drawn from McCartney’s Summer 22 runway collection, the collaboration celebrates a shared commitment to circularity and responsible design.
Poliform Mad Chair
Expressive Elegance
Poliform Mad Chair
Expressive Elegance
Designed by Marcel Wanders, the Mad Chair epitomises Poliform’s ethos: expressive yet composed, sculptural yet supremely comfortable. Its sweeping backrest wraps the sitter like an embrace, supported by elegant wooden legs that ground the form in craftsmanship. Available in fine leathers or textured fabrics, the Mad Chair lends architectural drama to both living and reading spaces – a signature of contemporary Italian refinement. Featured below is the Mad King Armchair.
Baxter Sorrento Chair
A Study in Material Luxury
Baxter Sorrento Chair
A Study in Material Luxury
Baxter’s Sorrento Chair is less a seat, more a statement. Hand-stitched in supple, full-grain leather, it demonstrates why Baxter remains at the forefront of Italian upholstery. The chair’s generous form and artisanal patina celebrate imperfection – every crease, every nuance of hide telling a story. In a world of mass production, Sorrento stands as a reminder that true luxury lies in the hand of the craftsman. Discover the art of leather with Baxter.
Poliform Wallace Chair
Sculptural Strength
Poliform Wallace Chair
Sculptural Strength
The Wallace Chair, designed by Jean-Marie Massaud for Poliform, brings a sculptor’s sensibility to the living room. Its intersecting planes create an architectural form that feels grounded yet dynamic. Inside, soft polyurethane and tailored upholstery ensure exceptional comfort; outside, the form reads as pure modern art. Wallace exemplifies the Poliform balance between technical mastery and emotional presence – a chair that commands attention while remaining profoundly liveable.
Flexform Boss Armchair
Authority in Proportion
Flexform Boss Armchair
Authority in Proportion
Finally, the Flexform Boss Chair by Antonio Citterio encapsulates quiet authority. Defined by precise tailoring and plush cushioning it delivers both gravitas and grace. Whether in a study, a lounge, or a refined commercial space, the Boss Chair from Flexform offers that rare equilibrium between corporate strength and domestic warmth — a reminder that design leadership can indeed be comfortable.
In Conclusion
In Conclusion
Across decades, materials, and design philosophies, these armchairs share a single truth: they endure because they are human. Each expresses a different facet of comfort – sensual, sculptural, or serene – yet all are bound by craftsmanship and intent. At Stephen Neall Interiors, we curate these icons not as museum pieces, but as living companions. They remind us that great design is not about trends; it is about time – and how beautifully we choose to spend it.
