A56 Tolix Chair

With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the a56 tolix chair you’re looking for. Frequently made of metal, steel and stainless steel, every a56 tolix chair was constructed with great care. There are 1 variations of the antique or vintage a56 tolix chair you’re looking for, while we also have 15 modern editions of this piece to choose from as well. You’ve searched high and low for the perfect a56 tolix chair — we have versions that date back to the 20th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century are available. You’ll likely find more than one a56 tolix chair that is appealing in its simplicity, but Tolix produced versions that are worth a look.

Prices for an a56 tolix chair start at $227 and top out at $533 with the average selling for $262.

The sturdy and sleek furniture designed by Tolix has become a standard of trendy cafés and retro diners. For nearly a century, the French company has become synonymous with café culture in France and beyond. 

In 1908, Xavier Pauchard, nicknamed Mr. X, founded Tolix in Burgundy, France. A zinc roofer by trade, Pauchard focused on making household items from sheet metal and using zinc to galvanize his products. Clean-lined and practical, Tolix’s metal furniture marked an early expression of mid-century modern style. 

Pauchard designed Tolix’s flagship industrial-style chair, the Chaise A, in the mid-1920s. Also known as the Model A chair, it was designed with small holes in the seat to allow rainwater to drain without sacrificing comfort or durability. In 1934, Pauchard improved the Chaise A with the slimmer, more lightweight Marais A chair. Stackable up to 25 chairs high, it quickly became a favorite among hospitals, schools and factories.

There is debate about whether Joseph Mathieu’s designs influenced Pauchard’s creation of the Multipl, another stacking metal chair from the mid-20th century. 

Major museums have exhibited Tolix’s designs, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Vitra Design Museum in Rhein, Germany. In 2006, the brand received the label of Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant, a formal acknowledgment from the French Ministry of Economics and Finance of its industrial excellence and mastery.

Due to a shift in design trends, Tolix fell out of favor near the end of the 20th century and filed for bankruptcy. The company rebounded in 2004 under the ownership of its chief financial officer, Chantal Andriot. Strengthened by a high demand for industrial furniture, Tolix is now experiencing a resurgence in popularity, especially in cafés, breweries and restaurants.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of Tolix dining chairs, tables, stools and more.

With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.

Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.

Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.

The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.

Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.

With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.

Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.

No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.