Eero Saarinen’s Womb Chair

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Welcome to this week’s installment of The Midmod Corner.

Ever wish your chair let you sit however you liked, without judgment? In 1946, one bold request reshaped the future of lounging—and comfort has never been the same since.

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Unlike Harry Bertoia, who designed a single collection for Knoll, Eero Saarinen left a lasting mark with multiple iconic designs that became closely tied to the company’s legacy.

One of his most famous pieces, the Womb Chair, was born in 1946 at the request of Florence Knoll, a friend he met at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. “I was fed up with the long, narrow lounge chairs,” Knoll remarked. “I wanted a chair I could sit in any way I pleased—sideways, curled up—whatever felt comfortable.”

At the time, lounge chairs followed the rigid norms of how women were expected to sit—upright, with ankles crossed and hands neatly folded. Florence, cofounder of the renowned American furniture company, envisioned something different. She wanted a chair that would allow freedom of movement, offering comfort no matter how one chose to sit.

Saarinen accepted the challenge, designing a chair that embraced multiple seating positions. Originally called No. 70, it quickly earned the nickname “Womb Chair” for its cozy, enveloping shape. “The idea was that most people haven’t felt truly comfortable since they left the womb,” Saarinen explained.

Beyond its unique form, the Womb Chair broke new ground structurally. Saarinen aimed to craft it from a single piece of material, drawing inspiration from shipbuilding techniques. His solution? A padded, upholstered fiberglass shell perched on a polished chrome steel frame, merging simplicity with comfort and adaptability.

Released in 1948, the Womb Chair swiftly became a cultural icon. Santa Claus was famously shown lounging in one in a 1958 Coca-Cola ad, and it even made appearances in The New Yorker and on a Saturday Evening Post cover by Norman Rockwell.

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