Few mid-century pieces solve the small-space dilemma as gracefully as the Plia. Drawn in 1967 by Giancarlo Piretti for Anonima Castelli, this folding chair compresses to barely an inch and a half thick — yet sits with the poise of a sculptural dining chair when unfolded. Below are four colorways that turn the Plia into a styling decision as much as a space-saving one, each pulling the dining room in a different direction.
Clear Acrylic
The clear acrylic Plia is the quietest of the four — and often the most strategic. In tight apartments and open-plan dining rooms, the transparent seat and back let the architecture, the table, and the floor read straight through, so the chair contributes function without visual weight. The chromed tubular steel frame catches daylight and adds a subtle Italian-modern shimmer, while the polished acrylic stays crisp against everything from terrazzo to wide-plank oak. It is the colorway to choose when the goal is to expand a room, not decorate it.
Transparent Amber
Amber is the Plia at its most cinematic. The translucent honey panels filter light the way stained glass does, casting warm shadows across the table and floor in late afternoon. Pair amber with walnut, brushed brass, and travertine for a richly layered seventies-inspired dining room, or place a single chair against a pale wall to let the color do the work of an accent piece. It keeps the Plia's lightness while introducing the kind of warmth that flat-colored chairs can't replicate.
Solid White
The solid white Plia leans into the Italian rationalist tradition the design comes from. With opaque seat and back panels, the chair reads as a soft architectural shape rather than a transparent silhouette — perfect for minimalist rooms, Scandinavian-leaning palettes, and dining nooks where everything else is already textured. White also makes the chrome frame more graphic, sharpening the line where the legs cross and the back folds. It's the version that photographs cleanest and quietly disappears when the chairs are stacked away.
Solid Black
Solid black gives the Plia its most graphic, gallery-ready face. The matte panels and polished frame create the strongest contrast of the four colorways, anchoring eclectic dining rooms and pairing easily with wood tables, concrete floors, and dark-painted walls. Where clear acrylic disappears, black declares — useful when the chair is meant to punctuate a long table or stand on its own as a guest seat. Black is also the easiest colorway to mix-and-match with chrome accessories, pendant lighting, and the rest of the BreuerHome catalog.
Dimensions
Unfolded, the Plia stands at standard dining height; folded, it collapses to roughly 50 mm thick so several chairs hang flat against a wall or slide behind a door. The dimensions below are identical across all four colors.
Shop the Pieces
- Plia Folding Chair — Iconic Piretti silhouette in Clear, Amber, Solid White, or Solid Black acrylic with chromed steel frame. From $193.33
- Plia Folding Chairs (Set of 12) — Bulk set built for dinner parties, event seating, and full-table refreshes — same four colorways. From $2,123.98
Browse the full Giancarlo Piretti Plia collection →
