Description
SOLD! Regularly click into our NEWLY LISTED Category or follow us at- instagram.com/invisedge
Sorry SOLD ($760 for ALL 6 CHAIRS) in August 2020. (The table was priced SEPARATELY!)
This suite is SOLD UNDER CONSIGNMENT by a regular consignment seller in Geelong, Melbourne. I personally inspected / sat on these chairs and took the majority of these photos myself. Local Melbourne delivery can be arranged for a reasonable fee. Interstate freight is easy- 6 chairs dining chairs like this would cost about $200 to get into Sydney- it depends on where you are and how easy the transaction will be. Sorry now SOLD!
Provenance and Background Info
(This description was written in 2020.)
A set of 6 Noblett dining chairs made in the late-1960’s. I love Noblett Furniture- it shits all over Parker Furniture but people still go gaga over Parker. Noblett items like this are still largely unnoticed by dealers.
Not many people are aware of just how good these chairs are. These are stylish and refined but that’s the least of the appeal. The quality just screams at you- can you hear it calling? “Look at me. I’m much better built than Parker and aren’t I just as beautiful too?!” I’m sure I’ve heard similar callings from people in nightclubs- just substitute the word Parker … for Adam … Eve, whatever … I’m sure I’ve heard that exact same line before!
Sets of 6 chairs from this era are really hard to get, particularly with the original upholstery that would suit most of today’s interiors. And it’s the upholstery on this set that made me fall over myself to stock these in iNVISeDGE. This upholstery is 100% Australian-wool from the 1970’s. There’s no guessing how good the QUALITY of this upholstery is- just look at it after about 50 years of use- stunning! Thick wool is the best soft covering you can use on dining chairs, because it lasts so long and is so easy to clean.
Most of the chairs in this set have the original Noblett label underneath. ER Noblett and Sons was a furniture-making firm that operated out of Adelaide, Australia, in the mid 20th-century. (Up until around the 1980’s before the cheap Chinese imports flooded our market). Noblett is regarded by most mid-century furniture dealers as being the second-best furniture manufacturer operating out of Adelaide in the 1960’s and 70’s (only behind the famous TH Brown and Sons). Noblett produced some of the best quality dining chairs ever made in Australia. These chairs give you irrefutable proof of this- they’re at least as good as Jardan chairs but won’t cost you $3500 the set. They’re SOLIDLY built- EVERY chair is completely sturdy after 50 years of use. EVERY corner joint is solid and sturdy- crafted perfectly to lock together at the areas where the most stress is put on dining chairs.
The dainty Danish designs seem to be everywhere at the moment- I’ve even gone to restaurants where there are swarms of them (hundreds) and they’re in all the replica shops being churned out by the millions. This Noblett design offers a breath of fresh air- it’s distinctly Australian and rarely seen.
Solid honest workmanship, a design that draws you in more over time- this leaves investment appeal and comfort. These Noblett chairs are more comfortable than any dining chair with Danish styling I’ve sat in (including the Parker chairs that are held up on pedestals at giddy heights). The seat and backs are nicely padded (with the best quality cushioning money can buy). The curved back was built not to look stunning but because it’s integral to the comfort of this chair. The angle is great- you’d be able to leisurely sit in these chairs for extended dinner parties (for hours on end)- no problem!
Investment appeal- when a set of chairs tick every box as resoundingly as these it would be easy just to tick the investment appeal box as well without even thinking- but no need to. These chairs are extremely good value for money. The best Parker chairs (which are not as solid and strong) are selling for $4000 for a set of 6 in many Melbourne shops. With these there’s virtually no other mid-century chair that comes even close in price. The original off-white / beige THICK WOOL upholstery (in great condition and as timeless as you can get) solidifies a very astute investment.
More than anything, the thing that sold this suite to me was knowing the construction quality- look at them after about 50 years! If you use them with some sense, they certainly won’t be ending up as landfill any time soon. And if this design still gets noticed 50 years on, it always will.
2005
