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!
rick, rock
Saturday, 25 February 2012
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.
small print
Friday, 24 February 2012
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
Monday, 13 February 2012
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!
design>icons
Friday, 10 February 2012
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!
670/671
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
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!
angles and lines
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
There's been far too much Eames talk going on around here lately - like that's a bad thing, but we digress - so in order to address the balance, today we're all about angles and lines. This gem caught our eye - the way in which the seat appears to float between the frame, the inviting tilt of both seat and back and the strong contrasting shape generated by the lines of the arms and legs. Designed in 1948 by the Dutch collective Groep &, of which the designers/architects Hein Stolle and Wim den Boon were both members, this chair is now somewhat of a rarity. A great shame.
