Finding chic and stylish folding chairs might seem like a quest for the Holy Grail: nigh on impossible to accomplish!  We all grew up with the ubiquitous folding chairs; they were the go to for school assemblies, extended family lunches and card parties (they often came with the matching folding card table).  I am glad/horrified to see my family’s own set of avocado green chairs still regularly make an appearance at Thanksgiving and Christmas as the expanded circle of family and friends has outgrown our dining room.  But a few weeks ago at a dinner party with friends in their Tribeca loft, my world changed when I discovered that the folding chair of yesteryear has been given a makeover to drag it into the home of the 21^st century!

The Isadore Million Chair Co. of New York has been cranking out folding chairs since the 1920s, but lately they have amped up the flair factor by creating little works of design in chic finishes and designer colors and fabrics.  They still use the same classic frames for their chairs, but they can customize them in three distinct colors, white, black smoke or copper.  Then to help guide you in the fabric selection, they offer three styles: “Old Sport” which uses beautiful leathers in classic shades like navy and ox blood; “Modern Vintage” which adds patterned fabrics into the mix like ikats and paisleys; and “Atomic Age” that references the bold psychedelic colors that our parents only dreamed were available to them in the 1960s.  Think tangerine, lime, hot pink and lemon.  And if their fabric/leather selection does not work for you, you can have these stylish folding chairs upholster in custom coverings – imagine cowhide, crocodile, python, cashmere, Mongolian lamb fur, etc., etc.

The best part about Izzy Million’s stylish folding chairs is that you can combine frame colors and fabrics to get just the right look for your own space.  My Tribeca friends had chairs in “luggage” leather with black frames that had a warm, vintage feel.  One of the guests at the party already “in the know” about this new design treasure had a set in forest green leather with the copper frames made for her house in Locust Valley where she uses them outdoors as well.  A folding chair is such an incredibly useful piece of furniture to have, and now you don’t have to settle for the utilitarian metal or plastic variety one can find in common box stores.

Richard Rabel is a New York Interior Designer and Principal at Richard Rabel: Interiors+ Art, a design studio offering residential design, decorating and art advising services.

image credits: Isadore (Izzy) Million Chair Company, Brooklyn