chairsmith

bear essentials

2012-03-02T00:22:00.002Z

We're usually immune to all forms of marketing material, but this brochure appears to be talking to us. 'You owe yourself the pleasure of relaxing in this outstanding piece of handcrafted furniture' - um, yes, yes, we do. 'For people of discriminating contemporary taste' - yeap, that's us, that's us! So, it would appear we need a Pappa Bear. Who knew!

Images: Classic Design

unscientific

2012-03-01T00:01:00.002Z

In 1946, when Eero Saarinen designed a curved shell, the science in plastic was still in it's infancy and the inability to obtain smooth surfaces meant that said curved shell had to be masked with foam rubber and upholstery*. So there you have it - lack of scientific know-how = Womb chair. Who knew? Here are two unscientific examples for you to enjoy!

Images: WrightNow via Deconet

barred

2012-02-27T00:01:00.001Z

So what have we got? A couple of bar stools designed by Harry Bertoia constructed from vinyl-coated bent and welded steel, with white seat shells and contrasting black bases. So what haven't we got? A bar. We haven't got a bar. Dammit, we need to get a bar!

Images: Adore Modern via Deconet

rick, rock

2012-02-25T00:01:00.001Z

We're going on a chair hunt, we're going to catch a big one, what a beautiful day, we're not scared.

Oooo, a rocker, a remarkable Danish mid-century teak rocker.

We can't go over it, we can't go under it, we'll just have to sit in it ..... rick, rock, rick rock.

Images: Kinzco via flickr

small print

2012-02-24T00:01:00.001Z

Since telling you - OK, OK, showing off - about our new old Eames lounger and ottoman, we've been trying to find out a little bit more about the association between Herman Miller and Hille. So far we've drawn a blank, a big fat zero. However we did stumble upon this vintage brochure which, if we could read the text, might actually shed some light on the matter. Unfortunately, we've been able to source a copy of this brochure in a readable format, but the pictures of the chairs tell a story of sorts!

Image: ModernDesign901

pleasure beach

2012-02-13T00:01:00.001Z

We're off to the beach for a few days - here's hoping the wind is strong, the weather crisp, and we return refreshed and raring to go!

Image: Time of the Aquarius

design>icons

2012-02-10T13:12:00.001Z

The very first Design>Icons - a 20th century furniture fair - will take place in Amsterdam this weekend at a former shipyard which has been fully restored to provide a stunning industrial backdrop for the event. The only fair in Holland dedicated to original design from the 20th century, Design>Icons aims to be a unique trade show centred around modernism, authenticity, form or function, and the history of the design icons that inspire us. OK, OK, we're not going - more's the pity - but we wanted to wish RetroStart - the initiators behind the Design>Icons concept - all the very best for the weekend; we hope you have a blast!

Credits/Images: Design>Icons, RetroStart

670/671

2012-02-07T00:01:00.001Z

Last week was a good week in the acquisitions department. We began with an Eames shell (which quite frankly has seen better days) and come Friday we'd gained an Eames lounger and ottoman (which quite frankly have both seen better days). Unfortunately we're in between cameras at the moment, so no snaps of our own to show you .... but these images provide a fairly good likeness in terms of condition - except our 670/671 were produced by Hille of London Ltd under a licence granted by Herman Miller, so our bases differ slightly from those below. So, the total chair count at chez chairsmith - excluding footstools, ottomans and the like - currently stands at 31. THIRTY ONE .... that's completely ridiculous. Perhaps we should open a shop. Now there's an idea!

Images: Modern50

and another

2012-01-31T00:01:00.002Z

Just bought another shell, again. Needs some TLC, again. Cream, again. No base, again. EXCITED, again!

Image: The North Elevation

choices

2012-01-27T00:01:00.001Z

We've been considering black Eiffel bases for our orange shells. Whilst we're fond of the dowel bases, we're not entirely convinced walnut, maple or oak sit well with this tangy tangerine colour. The only other option is a zinc Eiffel, but we're thinking too shiny, no?

Images: More Ways to Waste Time

eeny, meeny, miny, mo

2012-01-26T00:01:00.000Z

Now here's a space that is quite obviously occupied by a chair fanatic. We love the way the owner is entirely at ease with the mix 'n' match approach .... see a chair you love, buy it and move on to the next one. Ahhh, a man, or indeed woman, after our own heart!

Images: bo-laget

adorable

2012-01-24T14:01:00.003Z

Now, where were we? Ah, yes ..... adore the sheepskin on this equally adorable Lamina chair. What say you?

Images: Vervolgenjaren

screw this

2012-01-20T00:01:00.005Z

The restoration is coming along nicely, thank you for asking! We bid farewell and good riddance to the demon adhesive some time ago, whereupon we promptly rewarded our efforts by downing tools. But hey, there's no rest for the wicked. As you'll know if you follow us over on twitter, we managed to bag ourselves a H base long before we had a shell to go with it. Now we have the shell, but uh-oh, no screws to attach the former to the latter, or the latter to the former - whichever! Enter Modern Conscience, who happen to have a vintage bases, spares and parts department. So far, so good ...... but golly, their screw selection was mind-boggling. Knowing little about our shell and next to nothing - OK, nothing - about which set of screws we required, we took a quick pic of the mounts and fired it across to the extremely helpful folk at Modern Conscience - and their response was just the ticket:

"Lovely example, probably early 60's. I love the little Herman Miller logo on the mounts. The square impressions in the mounts mean that this was originally a rocker. Fine thread screws are what you want .... the basic vintage fine thread version is the most likely one to have been on your seat originally."

We were sold and placed our order tout suite. The screws arrived in one piece, so to speak, and looked all the better for their 4,500 mile journey. And yeap, they fit ...... yeee-ha! So, there you have it - one original shell with its original shock mounts, four vintage screws and an original Herman Miller H base ...... let's just hope the base aligns with the mounts!

garden party

2012-01-18T00:01:00.001Z

So it's freezing outside and the last place on earth we'd want to be right now is lounging around on the lawn in near arctic conditions, but this set of 'Garden Party' furniture by Luigi Colani feels like summer don't you think? OK, OK, so the thought of bikini weather is giving you goose-bumps ....... then bring the party inside!

Images: Deconet

teeny-weeny

2012-01-13T00:01:00.001Z

A teeny-weeny RAR or giant-sized books ...... who knows?

Image: HappyHippyHuanita via flickr

double take

2012-01-10T00:01:00.000Z

Yeap, nice, very nice ..... but hey Mr. Orange, what's going on down there?

Images: Le Grenier Props

oh folke

2012-01-09T00:01:00.000Z

We're not opposed to a pop of colour, but we are naturally drawn to the simplicity of blacks, whites and greys - and it was this combination of colours coupled with the fluidity of shapes and sculptural curves that drew us to this Arabesk sofa set by Swedish designer Folke Jansson. Quite an usual design don't you think, even for the experimental era of the mid-1950s?

Images: City Furniture

purely academic

2012-01-05T00:01:00.001Z

Eiffel base, dowel base, rocker base, cats cradle, H base, La Fonda, bench. Bench? Yeap, bench. These wooden benches date from the 1950s and originate from a German university. They're unusual to say the least, but hugely fascinating. What say you?

Images: Original in Berlin via Deconet

top of the pops

2012-01-04T00:01:00.000Z

Last year, Hans Wegner's Flag Halyard chair was, by far and away, the most viewed chair on the blog. So will it top your top of the pops again this year? We're only four days into 2012, but the suspense is killing us. Stayed tuned for the results .... all will be revealed in just 362 days time! Exciting stuff, yes? We quite dig these ones with the natural flax dyed black. But hey, whilst that deer cushion's OK, where's the sheepskin?

Images: PP Møbler, Mr Stephen Beck

light fantastic

2012-01-03T06:44:00.000Z

After a brief interlude, we're back and raring to go ..... well, sort of! We've been busy making adjustments which include a new, all-singing, all-dancing logo. Designed and made by our good selves - which is why it looks a bit amateurish to say the least - we wanted a circle, and a circle is what we've got! In other news, as well as bringing you more of the same - chairs and the like - we'll be musing on the home front as we attempt to document our quest to make our humble abode more, well, becoming etc ...... yeah, we wanna SHOW OFF! Ahem. So, there you have it. Oh, and what of the light? Well, that's our challenge for 2012 - we don't do resolutions - and we'll have it built and hung by, by ...... the end of the year, just you wait and see!

Image: Lindsey Adelman

ho ho ho

2011-12-24T00:57:00.001Z

Image: Knoll

faultless

2011-12-23T00:01:00.002Z

It's difficult to find fault with this space - in fact we'd go as far as saying we wouldn't mind living here ...... and we wouldn't change a thing. Yeap, we think it's safe to say the crisp whiteness and relaxing textures would provide the perfect setting for us to enjoy some quiet time on that Børge Mogensen (style) sofa and while away a few hours pondering the celebrated delights in the three volume set of Phaidon Design Classics. Ahhhh, perfect!

Images: bo-loget

result

2011-12-21T00:01:00.002Z

Oh come on, you must have a favourite chair leg right? Only the other day we were reminded of the splendid legs with their whimsically-shaped balled feet belonging to the Antelope chair, and that got us thinking about, well, chair legs. Whilst, for us, it's another of Race's designs - The Flamingo - that tops our All Time Favourite Chair Leg League Table, how could we not mention Friso Kramer's Result chair ..... with legs like these, its a non-mover at number two!

Image: Gallery L7 via 1st Dibs

exposed

2011-12-19T00:17:00.001Z

A visual treat today in the form of an original survivor from the summer of 1951 ......

Images: HOWE

shadows

2011-12-15T00:01:00.003Z

Images: Dosbananos

stunning

2011-12-14T00:01:00.002Z

A little Bertoia research late last night found us drooling over these set of images, which, to be quite frank, took our breath away. The furniture and lighting within these interiors - which comprise three apartments converted by fashion designer Azzedine Alaïa from a traditional 17th century building in the Rue de Moussy of Marais district in Paris - have been selected from a range of the designer's favourites. Jean Prouvé, Marc Newson, Arne Jacobsen, Charlotte Perriand, Pierre Paulin as well as Harry Bertoia, are everywhere. Everywhere! To find out a little more about these beautifully executed spaces, press here.

All images © Alexandre & Emilie, Persona Production via Yatzer

black beauty

2011-12-13T00:01:00.002Z

Oooooo, a black armchair shell on a black Eiffel base ......... de-li-cious!

Image: artcyclopedia

credit where credit's due

2011-12-12T00:01:00.002Z

We've long been admirers of the work of Andrea Simonutti, an upholsterer who, together with artist and designer Patrizia Sottile make up Urban Upholstery, a London based company that rescue abandoned pieces of furniture and expertly reinvent them. So we were intrigued to learn that Barbara Chandler - a journalist best known for her design writing, but also an accomplished photographer who has been exhibiting and selling her work for nearly 25 years - teamed up with the creative duo on her recently launched Love London project. For us, it is so refreshing to see the upholsterers being credited for their work, and here are some great images of the Urban Upholstery team working with some unique collages that make up the Love London fabrics.

Credits/Images: Barbara Chandler via Flickr

restoration project

2011-12-10T00:01:00.001Z

Picture the scene .... we're on that well known auction website, minding our own business, when this baby starts calling out our name. How could we refuse ..... look at the poor thing! Help was sent in the form of a hasty email to the seller - we had to act fast. One quick and illegal transaction later - yes, we did the deal outside of eBay and we're not ashamed to say so - and the shell was ours. We're mighty pleased, but now for the hard part - the dreaded and laborious task of restoration!

feeling festive

2011-12-08T09:48:00.005Z

You must all know by now how we love a little fibreglass, not to mention a La Fonda base, but this set has got a festive feel about it don't you think? Come on ...... white for snow, green and red for holly and, and, that other one on the end has to be double yummy gingerbread doesn't it? There, we're done .... that's probably as festive as things are going to get around here!

Images: Deconet

crowd pleaser

2011-12-05T00:01:00.002Z

It's quite easy when browsing through all the deliciousness on Deconet to get side-tracked by all the designer classics, but it was this high-backed chair from the 1960s with its angular teak frame and sharp upholstery that, for us, stood out from the crowd.

Images: Karlsruhe via Deconet

stacked up

2011-11-29T09:53:00.001Z

We simply love the curved patterns created by the stacked shells in this photograph.

Images: Wallflour

relax

2011-11-28T00:01:00.002Z

Oh, hello there blog, we seem to have forgotten about you as of late. A lack of inspiration - yes, you read that correctly - coupled with an inability to work out how to edit photographs on our shiny new computer, has meant we've not posted for, oh, days now! But, hey, we're feeling pretty relaxed about the whole not blogging for ages thing *white lie* so what better seating arrangement to post about than this gorgeous black leather 'Relaxer' by Verner Panton. In one sweeping curve, Panton has made us feel good about ourselves!

Images: Galere via 1st Dibs

essential reading

2011-11-24T00:01:00.002Z

We've been waiting, waiting for issue 02 of Midcentury Magazine and, guess what .... it's here! Oh, and it's good; really good!

parting shots

2011-11-21T00:01:00.002Z

We've been on the hunt for a new sofa for quite some time now, and having completed man hours of essential research and marathon drooling sessions courtesy of the interweb, we finally plumped for a petite three seater made by Skippers Møbler of Denmark. With beautifully aged leather and surface buttons gracing both seat and back cushions, she is a real stunner. But having had the weekend to get used to our new old Danish gorgeousness, we're wondering whether she might be, well, a bit too on the small side. We've caught ourselves thinking - with a heavy heart of course - to keep, or not to keep? Fiddlesticks!

we know nothing

2011-11-14T00:01:00.002Z

We know absolutely nothing about this mid-century modern sofa, other than we like, like, like it. What do YOU think?

Image: The Invisible Agent

hello

2011-11-12T00:01:00.006Z

Ooh-la-la ..... hello reindeer, hello Bertoia!

Image: Cox and Cox

show stoppers

2011-11-11T00:01:00.003Z

With less than two weeks to go until Midcentury Modern, we look back at some of the delights on offer at the last show held at Lord's back in May ....... gosh, was it that long ago? We're so looking forward to visiting Dulwich - the show is set in the 1960s concrete and glass Christison-designed refectory and the North and South Cloisters at Dulwich College - as we've read it is 'the mother of all destinations for 20th century design classics and modern collectables'. This time round we'll be browsing for nothing in particular - which could prove fatal - but here's our pick of some dazzling sofas that we managed to resist last time round!

new best friend

2011-11-09T00:01:00.003Z

So, there we were, getting our regular Eames fix, when we spotted our new best friend. MAX, or Medium Armshell X-Base, is an Eames creation for Herman Miller first introduced in 1954. The design was marketed as 'appropriate for either reading or relaxing' due to 'the comfortable in between height of this molded plastic armchair'. Produced between 1954 and 1959, the original shell colours were elephant hide grey, greige, parchment, lemon yellow, sea foam green, or red with the bases either bright plated or black rod. Our new best friend is griege with black rod legs and, rather impressively, the shell and base are original to each other. Wonder if - when - our new best friend will come and pay us a visit ..... you're more than welcome Max, anytime!

Images: Modern Conscience

and so to bed

2011-11-08T00:01:00.003Z

Love, love, love this bright and airy sleeping space. So simple. So lovely!

Image: Cory Buckner

watch the birdie

2011-11-04T10:12:00.001Z

We had always considered Bertoia's Bird Chair - or Model No. 423LU - to be a strange creature, an odd looking invention designed to provoke or merely grab one's attention, and to that end we'd written it off as nothing more than a little bit silly. But this design has really grown on us. In fact when we saw it here we positively thought it looked like the most comfortable of chairs, if not a little quirky. And what's so wrong with quirky ... huh, huh?

Images: Art Value (© ADAGP, Paris 2009)

ideas to steal

2011-11-02T12:06:00.002Z

We stumbled across these images over on Ideas to Steal and were immediately smitten ....... smitten, smitten!

Images: Bolig Magasinet via Ideals to Steal

glamour

2011-10-29T13:01:00.001+01:00

Oh, we do like a bit of glamour on a Saturday!

Image: Danish Teak Classics

1, 2, 3, 4

2011-10-23T00:01:00.001+01:00

Our sealed bid was successful ..... we won, we jolly well won!

legless

2011-10-21T14:00:00.001+01:00

Our local auction house peddles a huge amount of brown furniture, so we were quite excited when we got wind they were holding a 20th century sale. Before we hit the off, we did a quick recky online and there appeared to be a few bits and pieces that looked interesting - mainly Gispen, but then we like a bit of Gispen - so off we went. And we're jolly glad we did, as accompanying the catalogue was a hastily typed sheet of additional lots .... and 'hello' Herman Miller fibreglass shells! Yes, there they were, four of them, completely legless, perched atop a pair of industrial metal side tables. Their condition near perfect, Herman Miller stamps evident, shock mounts in situ, guide price for all four a snippet - bingo! We left a sealed bid. The sale is tomorrow, 10 o'clock sharp .....

ever decreasing circles

2011-10-20T00:01:00.002+01:00

Images: Deconet

home from home

2011-10-17T10:59:00.001+01:00

We're not really ones for The World of Interiors - far too much pomp and circumstance for our liking - but the cover of the June edition included the following words which couldn't be ignored: 'Robin and Lucienne Day: Design's Dynamic Duo'. There, nestled amongst page after page of swags and tails, was a delightful article by Paula Day (the couple's daughter) who guides the reader through Robin and Lucienne's 16th-century Chichester home picking out fabrics and furniture that made them both legendary.

checkmate

2011-10-13T00:01:00.001+01:00

La Fonda chairs featuring Alexander Girard's 'Checkers' upholstery. What's not to like?

Images: Live Auctioneers

deliberations

2011-10-12T00:01:00.001+01:00

We're been deliberating over this one as, whilst we like the chair - it's a good chair, a fine chair, in fact the BA3 by Ernest Race is an award winning chair receiving no less than a gold medal at the Tenth Trienalle in Milan - we're just not sure we like it in ............ lemon.

Image: Race Furniture

out and about

2011-10-11T00:01:00.004+01:00

Love these pictures, that's all!

Images: Henri Aho via Flickr

thoughts?

2011-10-10T00:01:00.003+01:00

Images: Okayart

room service

2011-10-07T00:01:00.003+01:00

Whilst putting together our Cornish Cool post some months ago, we stumbled across these images of The Falmouth Townhouse - a boutique hotel which 'fuses vintage modernist furniture with bespoke pieces and contemporary design - after it's makeover by Kathryn Tyler, founder of interior design consultancy Linea Studio. Muted tones, brightly coloured upholstery, stylish lighting and some teak thrown in for good measure .... and hey-presto, a haven of mid-century cool for those in need of a bed for the night!

Images: Linea Studio, The Falmouth Townhouse

simply delightful

2011-10-05T10:43:00.001+01:00

In need of a good looking chair to post about, we headed over to bark, a Cornish based collaboration between husband and wife team, Jonathan Walter and Lakshmi Bhaskaran. Walter and Bhaskaran 'offer a fresh take on bespoke, British-made, furniture. Their work harks back to a bold period in furniture design and is inspired by the mid-century modern era, when confidence in proportion, modesty in detail and simplicity of construction were the defining characteristics'. It's difficult to pick a favourite when glancing through bark's collections, but this beautifully proportioned desk chair from their Brecon range made us go weak at the knees! Made from Ash and upholstered in an orange colourway from their new collection of signature fabrics, this compact chair with it's stunning angles and low back is, in our opinion, simply delightful!

Images: bark

don't mention the war!

2011-09-30T12:34:00.001+01:00

We like a chair with a interesting tale behind it, and what better example of just that than Ernest Race's DA1 armchair designed in 1946 for Ernest Race Ltd. This chair was one of several designed by Race which avoided the Board of Trade restrictions on the use of wood by employing cast aluminium frame parts (visible in the legs). The casting of aluminium had been developed for the munitions industry and after the war the technology was applied to the manufacture of furniture. Proof indeed that the 'make do' mentality of the war years produced some stunning results!

Credit/Image: V&A

up, up and away!

2011-09-28T14:31:00.001+01:00

Anyone who follows us over on Twitter will know that we're not really very keen on up-cycling. Not up-cycling per se you understand, but up-cycling done badly and/or needlessly, with no particular thought process involved. So when we received an email from Markus Friedrich Staab asking us to take a look at his 're-cycled, re-furbished, re-done' work, we immediately thought it was one for the recycle bin! But curiosity got the better of us, and we soon found ourselves immersed in a colourful world of once mass-produced and homogeneous chairs - picked up from convention centres or found abandoned on the street - which had been given a new lease of life. The purists amongst you may be rolling your eyes, but, on this occassion, we're just lapping up those clashing neon stripes!

Images: Markus Friedrich Staab

swap shop

2011-09-27T14:57:00.001+01:00

Apparently this is a 'rare, wire chair known as the "Riviera 1000" designed in 1955 by the Dutch firm Artimeta, Soest'. We say 'apparently' as we've done absolutely no research whatsoever to verify whether or not this attribution is correct. Why? Well, because it's quite refreshing to get excited about the chair rather than the designer and/or manufacturer. We like this chair: the shape is good, the base is simple and the black leatherette covers do their job quite nicely - adding both interest and, one may assume, comfort. Would we swap it for our Bertoia? No. No way! Would we swap it if our wire mesh chair happened to be an Eames Wire Chair? Yes, yes we would!

Images: trakl

delightful deviation #4

2011-09-24T00:01:00.004+01:00

As our quest for the ultimate sideboard continues, we couldn't not feature this compact - and alas too small for our needs - sideboard. Now, we know very little about sideboards, but we understand this little gem was designed by Nils Jonsson for Hugo Troeds. Does this make a difference? Well, no, not to us ...... but what does are the drawers handles. Yeap, the handles! Their shape is simply delightful - and if one looks closely at the last photograph, one can see how perfectly the cupboard door slots behind them when opened fully. Dreamy!

Images: Stilodrom-International

ladies and gentlemen

2011-09-23T14:43:00.001+01:00

Just a couple of shots of the Martingala Chair - which we featured in our last post - together with one of our other Zanuso favourites, the Lady Chair ..... great name, great chair!

Images: Arflexmilano via Flickr

cover up

2011-09-20T11:34:00.001+01:00

We found this picture of Marco Zanuso's 'Martingala' chair for Arflex so intriguing that we decided to find out a little bit more about it. Designed in 1952/3 and exhibited at the X Triennale in Milan in 1954, it was the first example of 'dressing design' ..... or, in today's language, the first armchair with removable covers. The very first! On closer inspection, the decorative detailing to the back of the chair is simply a means of disguising the ruched fabric which has been gathered - using nothing more than drawstrings - to provide a tailored fit to the 'dress' or cover. Ingenious!

Image: Jacksons

Black magic

2011-09-14T14:48:00.000+01:00

Oooooh, the eyes have it, we heart this sideboard! As for the chair ........

Image: Bo-loget

A change of tack

2011-09-13T12:33:00.001+01:00

When we began this blog it was meant to be a means by which we could record our passion for two things: chairs and upholstery. The blog subsequently took on a form of its own and quickly became a place to find a design classic or two, with posts on upholstery fairly thin on the ground. So, in an attempt to redress the balance we're turning our attention (for today at least) to a dusty old book we found over the weekend - none other than the upholsterer's 'Bible'. Although originally written by Frederick Palmer in 1921, 'Practical Upholstering' is still the most complete work on the subject, admirably describing the timeless techniques and best practice of the traditional upholsterer. Without a photograph in sight, the book contains over 400 hand-drawn illustrations as a result of Palmer's habit of making sketches of chairs and settees at different points in their construction. It's a wonderful and insightful book into the handicraft that is traditional upholstery.

Images: chairsmith ©

Sweet charity

2011-09-12T00:01:00.000+01:00

OK, so last time we featured Franco Albini we quite clearly stated that we weren't entirely sure where we stood on wicker. And then, only the other day, we walked passed a charity shop that happened to have this chair in the window (well, not THIS chair, but a chair just like it). Said chair, for sale, £8. Eight pounds! So in we went and did a deal. We paid ......... eight whole pounds - well, one doesn't haggle in a charity shop. Bargainous, even if it is wicker!

Images: Gallery 33 via 1st Dibs

We are one!

2011-09-09T00:01:00.001+01:00

Yes, we've been hanging out in this small and quiet corner of the inter-web for one whole year now, and what an interesting first year in business it's been! We've met here, over on the twitter and in real life too, a whole host of inspirational people - fellow bloggers, designers, makers, dealers and more - as a result of this lil' old blog of ours. But we couldn't have reached the dizzying heights that we've reached today (ahem!) without those delicious chairs. So, without further ado, here are your top five chairs, as viewed by you - the most looked at, the most ogled over, perhaps even the most wanted - and it appears you have a favourite!

Images: Galleri Feldt, city-furniture.be (Friso Kramer) V&A, Elegance on a Shoestring, city-furniture.be (Flagline)

On what basis?

2011-09-08T00:01:00.000+01:00

OK, so here's the thing: we find a number of Eames shell chairs over on that well-known auction website and the low-down is looking good - various colours, but mainly shades of yellow and orange (oooh), fibreglass (aaah), made by Herman Miller (oooh) - and then things take a nose-dive ...... stacking base (errr). Yeap, you've got it - we're not huge fans of the stacking base. So, what to do? Leave the chairs alone and keep on looking, or buy, buy, buy and change the bases? Decisions, decisions!

Images: ModernDeluxe

Circle time

2011-09-02T00:01:00.000+01:00

We do like the simplicity of these side chairs attributed to Yngve Ekström. Collectively, the spindled back and tappered legs - both of which add support to the circular aspects of the frame - make for a deliciously light and airy piece of furniture. Add to that the sumptuous leather seat pads, and you've a seat we just want to sit in!

Images: Furniture Love

Simple pleasures

2011-08-31T00:01:00.001+01:00

Just love everything about these babies ..... the tubular steel, the cantilevered frame, and slatted seats and back. Beautiful. Oh, and for the enthusiasts, this set dates from the 1940/50s and was probably
made in Switzerland by Embru for Wohnbedarf - at least, that was what the blurb said - and who are we to disagree!

Images: Modern Furniture via Deconet

Fun is good!

2011-08-30T00:01:00.000+01:00

OK, so back to business. But what to blog about? Errrr. Ummm. We've been searching for something different, something out of the ordinary, something a little bit fun - and bingo, Fun Makes Good came knocking! Specialising in re-working previously unloved items of furniture with stunning bespoke upholstery, Fun Makes Good - established by Scottish textile designer Eleanor Young - blends traditional techniques with a distinctive graphic aesthetic. Take this set of Boomerang Chairs for Slagelse Møbelvaerk, each with an individual design upholstered using parts of the existing vinyl and damaged sections replaced with new vinyl pieces. What fun!

Images: Fun Makes Good

Pick a colour, any colour ...

2011-08-10T00:01:00.002+01:00

Images: Bloomberry via Deconet

Plan b

2011-08-06T11:49:00.000+01:00

WEdid-ID is a design collaborative and consultancy studio based in Cyprus that utilise local materials, craftsmen and factories in the development of their initial designs. Designed in 2009, their plywood 'b Chair' was initially inspired by the modernity of 1950s and 60s Danish furniture as well as traditional Cypriot woodcraft, but evolved into an exercise of floating elements (seat and back) and utilising CNC (computer numerical control) cutting - and no, we're not entirely sure what this means - with hand construction.

Credits/Images: WEdid-ID

Lovely lines

2011-08-03T16:01:00.000+01:00

We haven't really talked very much about Alvar Aalto, but we couldn't pass up the opportunity to show you this lounge chair - still with its original upholstery - designed by Aalto in 1932 and made by Artek. Aalto viewed furniture as an extension of his architecture, and this particular design evolved from his first large commission - the Paimio Sanatorium in Finland. To furnish the sanatorium, Aalto first looked to Italian modernism and tubular steel for its hygienic qualities. However, he decided the effect was too harsh for the intended environment and instead turned to wood for its warmer qualities. Aalto developed a new construction process for manufacturing solid frames by layering thin sheets of birch, and then pressing and bending them using steam. The process yielded the same light, elastic qualities of Nordic skis, which lead him to develop a line of chairs throughout the 1930s that rested on wooden runners rather than four legs.

Credits/Images: Dosbananos

Searching

2011-08-01T00:55:00.000+01:00

We took at leisurely stroll down to London's Southbank yesterday and popped into the Vintage Marketplace which formed part of the Vintage Festival. Coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the Festival of Britain, we were keen to sniff out some British designs still in their original state - unadulterated, un-modernised and just as they would have been way back when. The search was on .... and hiding amongst the usual suspects - Bertoia, Jacobsen, Saarinen, Eames - we did managed to spot a BA3 chair by Ernest Race, a set of Polo chairs by Robin Day, an unidentified chair which looks very British and so we've included it here (ahem!) - plus nestling almost out of shot is a set of stacking chairs by Eric Lyons - a C3 'Jason' chair by Karl Jacobs and Frank Guilles and a set of S40 stacking chairs for Kandya Ltd which we didn't managed to pap. All in all, not bad going!

Images: chairsmith ®

You beauty

2011-07-30T00:00:00.000+01:00

And here we have the E1 Elastic Suspension Chair or 'The Eleanor' designed in 1954 by Australian designer Grant Featherston. We're fast developing a thing for Featherston's designs, and it's easy to see why ..... this baby's a real beauty don't you think?

Image: The Design Assassin

Mouth-watering

2011-07-28T11:30:00.000+01:00

We seem to be spending far too much time over at City-Furniture and, guess what, we don't care! Their latest piece of deliciousness is this beautifully shaped sofa designed by French designer Pierre Guariche for Meurop in the 1960s. With its original upholstery intact, the colours are both contrasting and mouth-watering ........ and the shape so inviting.

So, what of the designer? Well, in the late 1950s Guariche became head of the design studio of the Belgian company Meurop. There he created very elegant furniture for very low budgets. Perhaps best-known for the lighting he designed for French lighting manufacturer Disderot in the 1950s, Guariche was also a prolific and innovative chair designer. At the height of his career, Guariche worked mostly as an architect, seeing himself as an architect first and foremost. However, his approach to both contemporary furniture and architecture was primarily motivated by emphasis on form and volume. Overall, his designs reflect a commitment to simplicity and to creating furniture in series which can be industrially produced.

Credits/Images: City-Furniture, Demisch Danant

Lovely seat

2011-07-27T09:02:00.000+01:00

This simple yet beautiful Ercol Loveseat was designed by Lucian Ercolano in 1956. This example is the earlier model - no. 349 - which has thirteen spindles making up the back rest as opposed to the later version designed in the 1960s which has nineteen. With its timeless purity of form, it's easy to see why Ercol remains as popular as ever and is still as 'fashionable' as it was way back when.

Images: HOWE

Side stepping

2011-07-25T00:01:00.000+01:00

The looky-likey Elisabeth chair (by Ib Kofod-Larsen) caught our eye in this all-white interior, but it was the teak sideboard that really grabbed our attention. For a while now we've been after a sideboard that has sliding doors - and this one is just like the one we've been dreaming of! Armed with this inspiration, our search continues ......

Images: Stadshem

Shattered dreams

2011-07-21T14:42:00.002+01:00

Designed by Charlotte Perriand for the Ski Resort Les Arcs ski resort during the 1960s, there's no denying that the combination of the stark chrome tubular frame and invitingly rich tones of the tanned leather make this chair a real beauty. But, rather disappointingly, it's terribly uncomfortable. Why oh why did we have to go and sit on one? We so wanted this chair to be a hit - an all-round hit. Guess it only wins a place in the style stakes!

Images: MidMod Design

Token gesture

2011-07-19T00:01:00.001+01:00

Now and again a new design just leaps out at us, and the Catenary Dining Chair did just that. Crafted in partially recycled steel, wood, leather and ballistic nylon, the Catenary Dining Chair is designed, developed and handcrafted by TOKENnyc, a design studio which is characterised by, amongst other things, its 'observation and careful consideration of function, structural ingenuity, material dynamics and aesthetic coherence'. For us, this chair's similarity to Eileen Gray's Roquebrune Chair, in terms of its form and materials employed, was an immediate draw - but to compare does not do this intriguing, dare we say captivating, design justice .....

Credits/Images: TOKENnyc

Budge up

2011-07-18T00:01:00.000+01:00

Today we are mostly digging this four seater sofa by American furniture designer Milo Baughman. Designed in 1965, the original upholstery ain't looking too shabby - no missing buttons, no frayed arms ..... and that fabric doesn't appear to have lost any of its vibrancy and just oozes mid-century charm. If only we had the room!

Credits/Images: The Good Mod

Piping hot

2011-07-16T00:00:00.002+01:00

We're partial to a bit of good upholstery, especially on a shapely specimen. This 1960s armchair, with its delightful turned teak legs, has been beautifully reupholstered in a grey marl wool with contrast black piping. Nice!

Images: Ravenwares

Bikini weather

2011-07-14T09:14:00.000+01:00

We first set eyes on a Bikini Chair at The Vintage Furniture Flea back in March. Designed by Hans Olsen for Frem Røjle and dating from c. 1961, the progressive design of the Bikini Chair placed Olsen light years ahead of his contemporaries. The compound forming of the wood proved an extremely difficult process which created a limited production and a high unit cost - making this chair quite a rarity. In the flesh this chair's big, brutish and attention-seeking, but its definitely got something about it!

Images/Credits: Bond & Bowery, Mutual Art, Live Auctioneers, [unattributed], Style Hive

Through the keyhole

2011-07-12T00:00:00.005+01:00

Q: Who lives in a house like this?

A: Eero Aaarnio

Images: Rachael Smith

Delightful deviation #3

2011-07-09T06:00:00.001+01:00

We thought we'd take a break from the norm and share with you some pictures of our latest acquisition. With the transformation of the spare room almost complete - don't mention the five coats of emulsion it took to get the walls white - all that was left to do was source something bright and cheerful to hang from the central light fitting. A few browsing sessions over on that well-known auction website, and BINGO! Our 'original, retro, orange, 70s plastic lampshade' arrived tout suite - broken. But fear not, a little dexterity and a dollop of super glue here and there seems to have done the trick. What do you think?

Back to black

2011-07-08T13:43:00.000+01:00

She was always a thing of beauty, just a little sad, tired and neglected. Now she's back to her old self and, whilst she likes to bear all, can be spotted from time to time draped in sheepskin. Phwoar ...... what a stunner!

So long!

2011-07-07T00:00:00.002+01:00

Ah, there's never a dull moment here at chez chairsmith. OK, OK, so chairs chairs chairs could be classed as pretty dull, but hey, this ain't no ordinary chair, oh no! This is the 'Dolphin' long chair by Finnish designer Ilmari Tapiovaara for Skanno, c. 1955. Made of oak, this lounger reminds us of an aged piece of gymnasium equipment with its beautifully coloured wooden base and aperture 'handles'. Lifting the lounger allows its plastic wheels to make contact with the floor - so there's nothing more to do than sit back and enjoy the ride!

Images: Design Addict

Essential elements

2011-07-06T00:00:00.008+01:00

We've made a delicious discovery ..... an 'archive' button on Love Vintage Furniture - which means lots of extra pages of yummy yumminess to peruse. There are some great pieces to cast one's eye over, but for us the rare and iconic DS-1025 designed by Ulbald Klug for de Sede in 1972 was just too special to pass up.

The basis of the DS-1025 is two ingenious elements which have been constructed with eminent craftsmanship into terrace-like forms, with the left and right elements varying in width and depth - imitating tapering steps. Together they constitute a two-seater, a pyramid or a small range of upholstered hillocks, depending on the number of elements. And with the addition of extra elements, it is possible to create seating groups whose diversity is limited only by one's imagination.

We'll take a couple of hillocks please!

Images/Credits: Love Vintage Furniture, de Sede

Want

2011-07-04T00:00:00.000+01:00

Heavens above, we've only gone and found an Ernest Race for Race Furniture Ltd three seater R57 sofa and two matching armchairs. Gulp! Designed in 1956, this set has a tubular steel sub-frame with original black leather hide to the sides, arms and back and loose cushions pads in a velour fabric. But the best bit .......... yeap, those low rounded turned beech legs finished with the original Armstrong glides. Delightful.

Images: Eclectic Rooms Design

Basket case

2011-07-03T13:09:00.000+01:00

We're not entirely sure where we stand on the Franco Albini ottoman - in fact, anything wicker - but there's no denying it makes for a particularly interesting photograph or two. What say you?

Image: HOWE

Plastic fantastic

2011-07-02T00:00:00.000+01:00

We keep bumping into these chaps over on, you know, that well-known auction website. There's just something about them. Not sure what - but we'll take 'em both please! Designed by Rodolfo Bonetto for Driade in 1970, the 'Melaina' is a reworking of a traditional tub chair formed from a single piece of moulded fibreglass.

Images: Suburban Interiors

Delightful deviation #2

2011-07-01T12:22:00.000+01:00

Lucienne Day designed a number of tea towels - one in particular called 'Too Many Cooks' for Thomas Somerset (1959) became a best seller and, along with two others designs - 'Bouget Garni' and 'Black Leaf' - won a Design Centre Award in 1960. Interestingly, an original 'Too Many Cooks' was on display at Pallant House - nicely framed and never used - still with the award sticker on the top right hand corner.

Image: Shelf Appeal

Form and function

2011-06-30T00:00:00.003+01:00

In the battle of form versus function, this Orchestra Chair (model 661C) designed for the Royal Festival Hall in 1951, illustrates quite beautifully how a little of latter can influence and shape the former. It was Day's careful attention to the ultimate function of this chair - to elegantly accommodate the tailcoats of the members of the orchestra - which largely determined its form. The original chair - which also had a small rail under the seat for holding the musicians' bows - was fabricated by Kingfisher Ltd. and upholstered using Tygan, a heavy duty woven plastic designed by former Bauhaus weaver Margaret Leischner and produced by Fothergill & Harvey.

Festival fever

2011-06-29T12:18:00.000+01:00

It was such a joy to finally see Robin Day's Lounge Chair, designed in 1951 for the Royal Festival Hall, up close and personal. With its fluid one-piece moulded plywood back and arms veneered in rosewood, upholstered seat and back pad in a delicious mustard yellow fabric and thin cooper-plated steel rod legs, one could instantly see how this design was viewed as being 'radically different' when it was first introduced. Wait. Cooper-plated steel legs? Really? Why didn't we know this? And how can it be that the chair displayed at Pallant House is the only authenticated Lounge Chair to have survived the Royal Festival Hall's refit by London County Council in the early 1960s? What happened to all the others? Where are they? Where?

First image: Elegance on a Shoestring

Daytime TV

2011-06-27T13:44:00.000+01:00

We can't promise we're going to blog all week about Robin and Lucienne Day, but we're going to give it a damn good try. Inspired by our recent trip to the Pallant House Gallery, we're currently putting together a post on the Lounge Chair designed by Robin Day in 1951 for the Royal Festival Hall. So whilst we beaver away in the background, here's a short introduction - using fancy moving pictures this time - to some of the wonders created by this now-infamous British couple.

Contemporary Days: The Designs of Lucienne & Robin Day from Design Onscreen on Vimeo.

Day trip

2011-06-25T20:22:00.001+01:00

With the 'Design and the Modern Interior' exhibition at Pallant House Gallery about to draw to a close, we thought we'd better nip down to Chichester tout suite. The exhibition, which brings together the furniture designs of Robin Day and textile designs of his wife Lucienne, was a complete joy to behold, with three rooms dedicated to a truly wonderful collection of fabrics by Lucienne, many of which were cunningly used as a backdrop to complement some of Robin Day's most iconic pieces of furniture.

Here's a little taster of beautiful, British, mid-century designing at its best .......

You beauties

2011-06-24T00:00:00.006+01:00

Oh dear. It would appear that we're spending too much time over on that well-known auction website. But is that such a bad thing? We'll let you decide once you've checked out our latest find ...... this uber gorgeous pair of easy chairs by Frederik Kayser for Vatne Møbler, Norway.

Kayser was one of Norway's most respected designers during the 'Scandinavian design' period, designing furniture for several of Norway's most famous furniture manufacturer. Bright, functional, modern and light are all characteristics for his furniture, but they are also classic and the handcraft shows clear 'Danish' ideals.

Credits/Images: Deconet, happytodays

Looking good

2011-06-22T00:00:00.002+01:00

OK, so the majority of the surface buttons seem to have gone AWOL and the upholstery is generally looking a little on the tired side, but that doesn't detract at all from the beautiful proportions and delightful shape of this 1950s sofa. Oh, and those legs .... just look at this legs!

Images: City-furniture

Mystery solved

2011-06-20T19:48:00.001+01:00

A super duper thank you to Ben from Modern Room who got in touch to say that the Goble chairs we recently featured were in fact designed by Dorothy and Paul Goble for Stag Cabinet Co. in 1962.

Ben helpfully added that the only place he'd seen these chairs is at 2 Willow Way, a unique Modernist home designed by architect Ernö Goldfinger in 1939.

Thanks Ben!

Oh, and if you fancy owning your very own pair of Goble chairs, you may want to check out Modern Room!

Stag party

2011-06-17T00:00:00.002+01:00

Having not posted for one whole week the pressure's on to find something a bit special. Gulp! Can we pull it off? Does it really matter? Um, no! But here's some deliciousness we spotted over on a well-known auction website that caught our beady little eyes - a pair of S.725 Goble chairs manufactured by Stag Furniture. The name Stag Furniture and that of its most well-known designers, John and Sylvia Reid, go hand-in-hand - however, neither Reid designed the Goble chair. So who did? Huh? Huh?

Credits/Images: Ben Joyner

Colour by numbers

2011-06-09T00:00:00.000+01:00

The Boyd Baker House was commissioned by mathematician Michael Baker and built in 1966 by one of Australia's most highly regarded architects, Robin Boyd. The property features iconic mid-century collectibles in every room - including designs by Australian designer Grant Featherstone, as well as Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen and Eames, to name but a few - and the striking colourways all combine to create an attention-grabbing space.

Credits/Images: Habitus Living

Commercial break

2011-06-07T00:00:00.003+01:00

Love this set of Knoll advertisements from 1966, 1965 and 1952, respectively.

Images: sandiv999 via Flickr

Easygoing

2011-06-06T00:00:00.001+01:00

We've featured Rob Parry's Easy Chair before but only in passing, so here's a closer look. Constructed of rosewood and steel (although we have seen examples made of walnut/teak with a chrome frame) with wool upholstery, it was designed by Parry during the 1960s for Gelderland. Parry was a student and employee of Dutch minimalist architect and designer Gerrit Rietveld and during the fifteen year period between 1945 and 1960 he designed several pieces of furniture. Parry's furniture collection is however mainly unknown because most of his designs were only made for special projects and never put into production - many models only exist on paper or as a scale model.

Credits/Images: 1st Dibs, Galerie Vivid