Barcelona Chair with Footrest UK: Is the Tan Brown Version Worth £745? An Honest Review

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed the Barcelona Chair in 1929 for the Spanish Royal Pavilion at the Barcelona International Exposition. It was meant to be a throne. Regal, weightless, and unmistakably modernist. Nearly a century later, it's still in production (by Knoll, under license) and still commands the same respect in design circles.

The original Knoll version costs between £5,800 and £8,000 in the UK. The Furnish Meister Tan Brown Barcelona Chair with Footrest costs £745. That gap is exactly what this review is about.

Furnish Meister sells the Barcelona Chair in several colors—black, ivory white, red, and tan brown. Of these, tan brown is consistently the most requested by UK buyers, and the reasons are practical as much as aesthetic.

Tan leather — sometimes referred to as cognac or vintage brown — ages well. Over time it develops a patina that cheaper synthetic leathers simply can't replicate. In warm tones it softens beautifully with use. Against the grey and greige walls that dominate UK homes, it introduces warmth without feeling traditional or dated.

It also photographs well, which matters more than it perhaps should. Tan brown leather reads as expensive and considered in almost any light.

The FurnishMeister tan brown Barcelona chair is sold as a complete set: the main chair and the matching footrest. Some UK sellers list the chair at a lower price—£600, £650—and then charge separately for the footrest, typically £150–£200 on top. The all-in price ends up higher than what Furnish Meister charges upfront.

What you get in the set:

• Main Barcelona Chair—tan brown leather with traditional button-tufted cushion design

• Matching footrest (same leather, same frame specification)

• 304-grade stainless steel X-frame—the signature visual element of the original design

• High-density foam cushioning (not the hollow-feeling polyester fill used in budget versions)

• Free delivery to any UK address

The Barcelona Chair's X-shaped frame is the structural and visual heart of the design. In the original and in quality replicas, this is made from solid stainless steel—mirror-polished to a high shine. The grade matters more than most buyers realize.

304-grade stainless steel is the standard for food-grade industrial use. It doesn't rust, doesn't pit, and maintains its polish over decades with minimal maintenance. Cheaper Barcelona replicas — typically those under £400 — use chrome-plated mild steel. The chrome looks similar initially, but it begins to pit and peel within 18–24 months, particularly in UK homes with central heating that fluctuates ambient humidity.

At £745, this is a genuinely good replica. But let's be clear about what a Knoll original (or a top-tier replica at £900+) gives you that this doesn't:

• Full-grain aniline leather: The Furnish Meister version uses high-quality leather, but aniline leather at the top end develops a richer patina over time. The difference becomes more visible after five or more years.

• The Knoll provenance stamp: If you're buying partly as a collector's piece or for a commercial space where the brand story matters, only an original Knoll carries that history.

• Marginal cushion depth: The highest-end replicas use slightly thicker foam that many reviewers describe as noticeably more comfortable after four or more hours of continuous sitting.

For a home living room or reading corner, these differences are unlikely to affect your daily experience.

A buyer in Bristol put this chair in a bay window of a Victorian terrace alongside a slim floor lamp and a small oak side table. Another customer in Leeds used it in a home study alongside dark wood bookshelves. In both cases the feedback was the same: the chair read as the most deliberate, designed thing in the room.

Dimensions to note: the Barcelona chair is 75 cm wide, 76 cm deep, and 77 cm tall. The footrest, at 56cm wide and 43cm tall, sits naturally in front without requiring you to extend your legs fully.

Furnish Meister ships express across the UK. Delivery typically takes 5–10 business days. The chair arrives in protective packaging with both pieces secured separately. Assembly is minimal and takes roughly 20 minutes with the included instructions.

The 14-day return policy applies to UK orders. If you receive the chair and the color reads differently against your walls than you expected, you can return it within that window. 

The tan brown Barcelona Chair + Footrest — delivered free to your UK address, with a 14-day return window.

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This question comes up more than you'd expect. The short answer: yes, consistently. The Barcelona Chair at its low seat height—40 cm off the floor—naturally invites a reclined, legs-extended position. Without the footrest, your feet either touch the floor (which breaks the posture) or dangle awkwardly. The footrest completes the ergonomic intention of the design.

It's also a visual thing. The Barcelona Chair with a matching footrest reads as a complete, intentional furniture moment. Without it, the chair looks slightly incomplete — like seeing a sofa without its cushions.

Yes, for seated reading, relaxing, or working from a laptop. It is not designed as a full-upright work chair—the seat is lower than a typical sofa, and the design encourages a relaxed posture. For most UK buyers who use it as a reading chair or lounge piece, comfort is consistently rated highly.

More black than white. Tan leather benefits from occasional conditioning (twice a year) to maintain its surface. Light surface marks can usually be buffed out with a dry cloth.

Yes. The original Barcelona Chair design patent has expired. Replicas are entirely legal to purchase and sell in the UK, as long as they are not falsely represented as original Knoll products.

Furnish Meister currently sells online only. However, the 14-day return policy means you can order the chair, receive it at home, and make a final decision in your own space.

Yes. Klarna is available at checkout, allowing you to split the £745 into monthly installments. At 12 months, that is approximately £62 per month.

The Furnish Meister tan brown Barcelona Chair with footrest at £745 is the clearest value proposition in this price range for UK buyers. The color is the most popular among British buyers for good reason—it works in almost any domestic setting. The footrest is included, not a costly add-on. The frame is properly welded stainless steel, not chrome-plated mild steel that peels. And free delivery with a 14-day return takes the risk out of buying furniture online.

Free UK delivery · Footrest included · 14-day returns · Klarna available

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