A 20th-century design icon - do you already have your own „Chierowski”?

It was a July afternoon when I walked past a bin near my family home. It was pouring with rain, it was cold, and all I wanted was to get inside somewhere warm. But my eye was caught by that bin - and by what I saw in it.

Timidly protruding from the container were beautiful armrests with a gently rounded shape that I already associated with furniture from the previous political era. „I know this!” I thought. „It has to be a Chierowski!” And I was not mistaken.

Without thinking twice, I dragged the soaking wet armchair out and revelled in my find, already planning its restoration in my head. That is how I found my „Chierowski” - in the pouring rain, forgotten and unwanted. I could not watch such design go to waste, so I had to rescue it. It now sits in my small office and I cannot imagine my slightly retro interior without it.

Why does an ordinary armchair cause such excitement?

Not everyone will recognise the name Józef Chierowski, but most of us know his famous 366 armchair. This icon of Polish post-war design filled homes and public buildings throughout the 1960s.

The design of this armchair is outstanding - which is hard to believe given the era it came from. Communist-era Poland is usually associated with carelessly made components, scarcity and poor-quality materials. In this case, nothing could be further from the truth. The form of this piece is timeless.

Furniture for Small Flats

The armchair was designed according to the principles of the Furniture for Small Flats programme (MMM). This meant it had to be ergonomic - able to fit into the small flats of the era - functional and made from readily available materials. And that is exactly what it is.

The construction is simple: a seat integrated with the backrest, supported by crossed legs. The legs came in three types of wood - beech, oak and ash. The rounded armrests are what make it so comfortable.

The designer and the fire that launched a career

Józef Chierowski (1927-2007), an industrial designer, worked with the Lower Silesian Furniture Factories in Świebodzice, among others. It was there that production began on the piece known as the Chierowski 366 armchair.

As often happens in a designer's life, the armchair's career did not begin with admiration for its construction or form, but with a stroke of fate - a fire that broke out in the factory in 1962. With an urgent need for new designs and a relatively low production cost, the model 366 went into production.

A few facts about the 366 armchair

• Between the 1960s and 1980s, over 500,000 model 366 armchairs were produced.
• It was designed under the Furniture for Small Flats programme (MMM) - models that were as affordable and compact as possible.
• Production started after the 1962 fire at the Świebodzice factory, driven by the need for new furniture designs.
• The legs form crossed scissors with visible assembly screws. This was not the designer's original intention - screws were used because suitable fixings were unavailable.
• Since 2014 the patent rights and production of this cult model have belonged to the Polish company 366 Concept.
• 366 Concept manufactures the armchair according to the designer's original intent - the screws joining the seat to the legs are now concealed.

So, do you have your own Chierowski yet?

If not, I encourage you: visit your grandmother's flat, search the cellar or attic of an old family home, or - like me - keep an eye on nearby bins. Or simply buy a new one. But there is no greater joy than finding and restoring a piece yourself.

The model 366 armchair works equally well in Scandinavian, loft and vintage interiors. It all comes down to creativity and the colour combinations you choose.

Its minimalist, timeless form will certainly find its place in your interior too. Good luck with the hunt!

Photography: Katarzyna Kozłowska-Maciejak, Dariusz Majgier