Description
Steltman Chair (1963) – Arch. Gerrit Rietveld
Made in PLA. Ideal for decorating desks and shelves, adding style and personality to your space.
Dimensions:
Width: 8 cm
Height: 11 cm
Depth: 8 cm
Weight: 65 g
(Available in other colors and sizes upon request)
History:
The Steltman Chair, designed by Gerrit Rietveld in 1963, is considered his final work before his passing and one of the most powerful conclusions to his career in modern design. It was commissioned for a jewelry store in The Hague, where Rietveld designed not only the furniture but the entire interior. The chair was intended for customers selecting rings—especially engagement rings—giving it a symbolic background linked to interaction and intimacy.
From a formal standpoint, the Steltman Chair represents a pure synthesis of Rietveld’s design language: planes, straight lines, and a clear geometric composition. Its most distinctive feature is its asymmetry, as it exists in two versions (left and right), designed to be placed together, forming a kind of “sofa” that encourages dialogue between people. This duality reinforces the idea of relationship and complementarity, while its apparent simplicity conceals a highly sophisticated spatial exploration where void and solid carry equal weight.
Regarding materials and evolution, the earliest versions were upholstered in white leather, while later iterations became widely known in solid wood (especially oak), which remains the most recognizable version today. More than just a chair, the Steltman is understood as a sculptural piece and an icon of late modern design, demonstrating how Rietveld continued to innovate until the end of his life, pushing formal reduction and constructive clarity to their limits.
