Womb chair in Knoll Classic Boucle

We absolutely love reupholstering the Saarinen Womb Chair & Ottoman. Aside from it being aesthetically beautiful, it is also super comfortable -the kind of chair that once you sit, you never want to get up. Click here to get your reupholstery project started!

Eero Saarinen (left photo) was born in Finland, and is one of the pioneers of mid-century modern designs. He is famous for his Womb Chair Model No. 70. It was inspired by one of his bosses, Florence Bassett Knoll, who asked Eero to create a chair that she could curl up in.

The Womb Chair comes in 3 sizes:

Large Womb Chair: 40″ W x 34″ D x 35 1/2″ H with a seat height of 16″ and arm height of 20 1/2″

Large Ottoman: 25 1/2″ W x 20″ D x 16″ H with a seat height of 16″

Medium Womb Chair: 35″ W x 31″ D x 31 1/4″ H with a seat height of 15″ and arm height of 18″

Medium Ottoman: 21″ W x 17 1/2″ D x 14 1/2″ H with a seat height of 14″

Small Womb Chair: 31″ W x 28″ D x 27 1/4″ H with a seat height of 14 1/2″ and arm height of 17″

The small chair doesn't come with a small ottoman.

What is the Womb Chair made of?

The chair is constructed of foam over a molded, reinforced fiberglass shell, and the ottoman is constructed of a foam cushion over a molded plywood platform. The seat and back cushions are removable.

The chair evolved from it's original prototype (photo left) designed in 1946. The major change was the legs, when it finally went into production in 1948.

While the early versions of the chair had black metal bases, the newer versions come in both polished chrome finish & matte black powdercoat.

And how did the chair get it's name, you may ask? Apparently the Saarinen's had a couple over at their home one day, and the wife was pregnant. When Eero saw her sitting comfortably on the chair - belly and all - he decided to call it the "Womb" chair.

Most of the womb chairs that you'll purchase today are upholstered in a wool boucle. We've reupholstered them in boucles, as well as soft textured wools including Maharam Hallingdal, Tonus & Tonica.

How do I know if my Womb Chair is vintage?

The main difference between the early version chair (1970's and earlier) and the newer versions is how the seams on the frame meet.

The seams on the earliest versions were hand-stitched (yup, that's 300" worth of hand-sewing!), and the only piping found is on the removable seat and back cushions.

The chairs made post-1970's have piping all along the frame, and there is minimal hand-sewing on this version.

Today, Knoll only makes this chair with piping along the frame border. At MOD, we can reupholster your chair either way. The quote below is based on doing piping along the frame border. If you're interested in hand-sewn seams, let us know and we will provide you with a quote.

How much does it cost to reupholster the Womb Chair & Ottoman?

To reupholster the Womb chair and replace the foam is $2600, plus the cost of fabric

  --To hand-stitch the border seams on the frame, add $350

To reupholster the Womb ottoman and replace the foam is $800, plus fabric

  --To hand-stitch the border seams on the frame, add $150

Please note, replacing the foam is required even if yours is in good condition. This is because the fabric gets glued to the foam so we can't remove the fabric without removing the foam as well. 

Roundtrip delivery is available in NYC, Long Island, NJ and CT

How many yards of fabric is needed for reupholstery?

The womb chair needs 7 yards, and the ottoman needs 2 yards. Total yardage is 9.

Congrats! You're now fully educated in the Saarinen Womb Chair. The next step is to schedule a consultation and/or pickup. You can do so by filing out a Request Form or by calling us at 347 442 1900.

We look forward to servicing you.