Design chairs are gaining momentum as investment pieces, and Catawiki reveals the five brands with the highest value growth in 2025
Artifort, Thonet, B&B Italia, Cassina, and Fritz Hansen lead the surge
Catawiki’s Art of Sitting auction celebrates 125 years of iconic seating, live until the 15th of June
Amsterdam, 10 June From the first cup of coffee in the morning to the last glass of wine at night, we live our lives in chairs. And more than ever, they are not just functional. They are design statements, cultural snapshots, and increasingly, investment-worthy objects. This June, Catawiki, the leading online marketplace for special objects, has turned to its data and expertise to explore the Art of Sitting. The result is a curated auction that celebrates 125 years of iconic seating, set against the backdrop of the five hottest chairs of 2025.
The Art of Sitting auction journeys through some of the most iconic chairs in history: from Josef Hoffmann’s early 1900s elegance to Marcel Breuer’s Bauhaus breakthrough, from the sculptural 1960s boldness of Pierre Paulin’s Artifort Butterfly to Mario Bellini’s beloved Cab Chairs. Recent decades are just as well represented, with standout pieces like Dieter Zimmermann’s Sitzskulptur and Studio Greca’s 2025 Ettore armchair. Together, they tell a quiet yet authentic history of design.
While design icons may define the timeline, they are not the only pieces achieving stardom. In terms of volume sold, Kartell chairs lead the pack in 2025 as the brand with the most chairs sold on Catawiki, followed by Thonet chairs, Driade Armchair, Stokke children’s chairs, and Vitra chairs. Between strong design identity, functional appeal, and long-term relevance, these brands broke ground when they launched and continue to earn their place in homes today thanks to a delicate blend of functionality and aesthetic power.
But beyond popularity lies another kind of story: value growth. For those seeking both design excellence and investment potential, Catawiki reveals the hottest chairs of 2025. These five brands have recorded the highest increase in average sale price compared to 2024, reflecting growing demand and rising potential:
1. Artifort (+109%): Dutch modernism returns to center stage. Known for designers like Pierre Paulin, Artifort’s bold, colorful curves are finding renewed interest. Catawiki experts say this increase is likely fueled by rising mid-century nostalgia and social media revival of statement interiors.
(Left to right: Butterfly chair, Ribbon chair)
(Left to right: Armchair model no. 6534, Armchair model no. 6517)
3. B&B Italia (+51%): Polished luxury meets enduring collectability. B&B Italia’s collaborations with visionaries like Antonio Citterio and Gaetano Pesce blend innovation with Italian elegance, creating design icons that continue to rise in both taste and value.
(Left to right: Africa chairs, Lounge chair - UP collection)
(Left to right: Mario Bellini’s dining chairs, 522 Tokyo Lounge Chair)
(Left to right: Egg Chair, Grand Prix chairs)
"Scarcity is what’s driving the value,” says Jochen Kloeters, design expert at Catawiki. “Fewer of these iconic chairs are appearing in the market, and that only increases their appeal. It’s a classic case of less available, more desirable. When something becomes harder to find, it also becomes harder to ignore.”
