Vitra Standard chair, Prouvé Gris Vermeer – oak

Vitra’s Standard Chair, designed by Jean Prouvé in 1934, has a unique metal structure inspired by Prouvé’s engineering background. Because most of the weight is carried by the chair’s back legs, Prouvé decided to place large, hollow steel legs on the back and slim ones on the front.

The greenish-gray hue of the chair’s frame is part of Jean Prouvé’s original color chart, which he developed himself. The shade is called Gris Vermeer, “Vermeer gray”, and it alludes to the gray tones in the works of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. With its pleasantly shaped seat and backrest in oak plywood, the Standard Chair makes an excellent dining chair, and its design matches perfectly with Vitra’s EM Table, which was also designed by Prouvé.