Frank Lloyd Wright Barrel Chair

The designer behind the Barrel Chair, Frank Lloyd Wright, believed that "Every chair must be designed for the building it will be in." The Barrel Chair was originally designed for Herbert Fisk Johnson, Jr.

- a part of the famous SC Johnson company. Wright designed Johnson's house in 1937, which is famously known as Wingspread. The Barrel Chair incorporated the features of the house such that the main material used was wood with a leather upholstered seat. Wright viewed the design of the Barrel Chair as an architectural challenge, and wanted to create something that could be manufactured easily by machines. He saw the chair as a 'screen' when placed around a table, which accounts for the grate-like back.

Although Frank Lloyd Wright is remembered primarily as an architect, his furniture designs have also stood the test of time, perhaps with his commitment to creating furniture that worked within a house, versus indulging an artistic whimsy. The Barrel Chair is an example of a modern piece, using traditional wood and ensuring a timeless design.

The Copeland Furniture company bought the rights to Frank Lloyd Wright's designs in Fall 2006, and plans to reissue many of his pieces by incorporating state-of-the-art manufacturing with the classic aesthetic.