The Shiny Shiny guide to buying Retro Desk Chairs

At the moment we love all things vintage, and find nothing more satisfying than stumbling across the perfect artefact that brings a bit of chic to an otherwise practical item, like a chair. However it takes time rooting through your local second hand furniture shops and auction rooms (fun though it can be), and the randomness of what’s current can be frustrating if you’re looking for a particular item.

Fortunately whether you are the down-the-line authentic vintage or open to replica variations, there’s lots of cool retro desk chair choices to choose from. When opting for used vintage, there’s the usual risks when buying second-hand anything, so be prepared to invest more than the purchase price to restore it to it’s former glory, or upcycle further by selecting the fabric of your choice and getting it re-upholstered.

Beware of purely going for aesthetics with a desk chair, as we all know spending a long time hunched over your desk in a not-so-comfortable chair can result in ‘vintage backache’. So, at the risk of sounding like your mother, the first thing to consider when shopping around for a desk chair is how much time you will be spending at your desk, as some chairs are more suited for longer use and comfort, ie height adjustment, padding and arms should be top of your list if you’re the WFH type.