Get the Look: 30 Modern Rocking Chairs

A few weeks  ago I did a small roundup of modern rocking chairs to accompany a decor story in the Boston Globe. (Every Monday my lovely colleague Jaci Conroy writes an interior design article for the Globe and I pull together a corresponding group of furnishings & accessories.) I found so many great modern rocking chairs + contemporary rocking chairs that I figured a blog post was in order.

These all have great styling and are a far departure from traditional rockers or overstuffed gliders for the nursery. We have an Eames molded plastic rocker in sky blue on the Cape that we bought for my son, though I think it’s in our room now. Sometimes I use it on our little deck. I didn’t include that iconic example here, but there are other examples (mid-century modern furniture replicas), like the #16, the Swerve which has jaunty cut-outs and a full wooden base.

I love the look of  #5, a very spare rocker from NYC shop Matter, and of love the tall mint-upholstered one by Normann Copenhagen. And if only I could place that blush colored Artifort rocker in the model apartment I’m decorating. Probably thought, the one that makes the most sense for my lifestyle is Gus Modern’s GT rocker (#13). It is definitely a contemporary rocking chair in style, but with enough cushion to be comfy.

Shop 30 modern rocking chairs from StyleCarrot partners and other favorite shops.

Contemporary & Modern Rocking Chairs

1 Comback Rocking Chair by Patricia Urquiola for Kartell, $890 at YLiving.

2 Taxed Rocking Chair by Segis, $1,309.99 at AllModern.

3 First Rocking Chair, $3,170 at Matter

4 Buttercup Rocker by Blu Dot, $899 at Lumens.

5 Era Rocking Chair by Normann Copenhagen & Simon Legald, $1,860 at A+R.  

6 Terra Rocking Chair by Antonio Forteleoni for ATIPIC, $1,172 at AllModern. 

Contemporary & Modern Rocking Chairs

7 Outback II Rocking Chair, $329 at CB2.  

8 Hand-Woven Rocker, $299 at Urban Outfitters.

9 Geneva Wood Patio Rocking Chair by Safavieh, $216 at Target

10 500 Series Rocking Chair by Artifort, $4,006 at YLiving. 

11 Stingray Rocker by Thomas Pedersen, $4,537 at Danish Design Store.

12 Luxembourg Rocking Chair by Fermob, $1,024 at Horne. 

Contemporary & Modern Rocking Chairs

13 GT Rocker by Gus Modern, $1,150 at 2modern

14 Rapson Rocker by Ralph Rapson for Loll Designs, $1,159 at YLiving.

15 Aquios Bentwood Rocking Chair by CorLiving, $102.05 at Overstock

16 Swerve Rocking Chair by Modway, $299 at IFN Modern

17 Regatta Rocking Chair, $499 at Crate & Barrel.

18 POÄNG Rocking Chair, $169 at Ikea.  

Contemporary & Modern Rocking Chairs

19 Risom Rocker, $2,470 at DWR.  

20 Version 5 Rocker by A. Jacob Marks for Skram, $5,302 at Lumens.

21 Voido Rocking Chair by Ron Arad for Magis, $985 at YLiving

22 Mod RockerBy Iglooplay, $326 at 2modern

23 Mid-Century Rocking Chair, $599 at Land of Nod. 

24 Mod Lounger by Lisa Albin for OFFI, $599 at YLiving

Contemporary & Modern Rocking Chairs

25 Rocker Chair by Guidecraft, $109.95 at AllModern.

26 Sleepytime Rocker by Nursery Works, $499 at YLiving

27 Rapson Greenbelt Rocker with Arms by Ralph Rapson, $1,695 at YLiving.

28 Wicker & Chrome Mid-Century Rocking Chair, $850 at Chairish

29 Springwood Rocking Chair, $799 at Land of Nod

30 Mademoiselle Rocking Chair by Artek, $1,538 at 2modern

Contemporary & Modern Rocking Chairs

31 Windsorrondack Single Rocker by Board by Design, $4,100 at Aha Life

32 Rocking Chair in Scrapwood by Piet Hein Eek, $921 at The Future Perfect. 

33 Rocking Chair by Adrian Pearsall,$3,000 at Azalea Modern, 1stdibs.

34 Upholstered Mid Century Rocking Chair, $281.71 at shopladder, eBay. 

35 Rocking Bent Wood Chairs, $1,875 at S.Julian, 1stdibs.

36 Do Do Rocking Chair by Jean-Marie Massaud for Poltrona Frau at Switch Modern.

Design Diary: Girl’s Study by Erin Gates

Elements of Style blogger and interior designer Erin Gates designed this lovely work space for a nine-year-old girl  in Newton, Mass. Gates decorated most of the rooms in the family’s house, which are featured in her book, but recently went back to update this room. I wrote about it in a StyleWatch column for the Boston Globe Magazine, published this past Sunday. More decor details and sourcing links (some of which are StyleCarrot partners) included here. The beautiful photos are by Boston-based photographer Sarah Winchester.

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The goal was to create a space sweet enough for a young girl, but modern enough that guests would feel comfortable there (and so she wouldn’t quickly outgrow it). The starting point was the existing purple/grey wall color Benjamin Moore Coastline. The color was a perfect match for the large scale, Arts & Crafts influenced Farrow & Ball Lotus wallpaper, which the client had had her eye on for some time.

A tufted grey velvet daybed from Restoration Hardware Baby & Child anchors the room. She points out, “A daybed is comfortable for reading and doesn’t take up as much room as a bed with a headboard.” (I also like this more streamlined grey velvet daybed from World Market.)

Rather than opting for more obvious silver-toned accents, Gates used gold tones for contrast. Visual Comfort’s French Library wall lamps in antique brass from Circa Lighting provide plenty of reading light and cord covers eliminated the need to hire an electrician to hard wire them.

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They found inexpensive butterfly prints, which were under $20 each, on Etsy, which Gates custom framed in gold metal frames. Gates says, “We looked for art in purple tones that we could layer on top of the wallpaper, and these have a nice, girly feel.”

Gates mixed three different pillow patterns against the dramatic pattern of the wallpaper. The European squares are a painterly geometric ikat and the smaller geometric is by Pindler & Pindler. The pairing of these prints provide a nice combination of softness and structure. Kelly Wearstler “Sea Urchin” fabric by Groundworks from Lee Jofa adds an organic element to the mix, while providing some texture.”The secret to mixing,” Gates says, “is to use a monochromatic color palette and play with scale.”

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An inexpensive gold side table echoes the finish of the brass sconces. In choosing a table height to work with the swooped arm of the daybed, Gates advises it be somewhere in the middle of the high and low point for ease of use as a nightstand and side table.

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It was important that a desk provide enough room for more than one person, so Gates positioned the white lacquer Parsons table from West Elm perpendicular to the wall. The hammered brass table lamp and the gold frame around the linen-covered pinboard from Pavona Interiors on Etsy ties in with the gold accents on the other side of the room.

Gates opted for a grey velvet side chair instead of a rolling desk chair since it would function better on the carpet. The homeowner already owned the purple pagoda pillow from the Happy Chic by Jonathan Adler collection at JCPenney.

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The tall and narrow metal bookshelf on casters from CB2 is the perfect dimension for the space between the windows, leaving a bit of breathing room on each side so the curtains don’t bunch up behind it. The family already owned the Eames rocker.

Makkas Drapery Workroom in Framingham, Mass.made the custom ivory and gray linen curtains. (They made the pillow covers too.)  “Custom drapes look so much more finished, so I always advise going custom if it’s in the budget,” says Gates. She opted for a Parisian pleat, which is the only one she uses, preferring the clean lines that are less fussy look than a traditional pleat, which fans out at the top.

Gates hung the curtain rods as high as possible, right under the crown molding, to add height, which is important in rooms with eight- or nine-foot ceilings. As for the length, she says, “I like them to just kiss the floor. Puddled drapes just collect dust.”

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