Description
This suite is being sold from our new depot in LIDCOMBE, SYDNEY but freight Australia-wide can be arranged for you. Freight of this full suite to either Melbourne or Brisbane would be about $250.
CURRENTLY OFFERS OVER $1,495 PER CHAIR. OFFERS OVER $2,990 FOR BOTH chairs will be considered more favourably. Offers over $3,790 for BOTH chairs and the footstool will be given precedence over any other offer.
RRP NEW of the full 3-piece suite in 2019 (when Tessa went out of business)- approx. $10,500!
This suite is extremely rare! Tessa Delmonts in lighter colours virtually never come up. I’ve not seen another Delmont lounge suite in light-coloured tones since the suite we sold 2 years ago. Delmonts are very bold in dark leathers and dark timber frames, the lighter tones pare back the boldness and soften the look. This suite is not visually imposing but still certainly noticed- this suite would look brilliant in heaps of spaces, even a small apartment!
This particular suite has the minimalist look of Scandinavian furniture with a touch of boldness to give it an intriguing slant.
The Delmont design is even more sought-after than the Tessa T21. The Delmont has more exposed timber giving it a designer look with a nice earthy slant. This design helps bring Mother Nature inside your home- the warmth of the timber gives this suite an inviting look, unlike a lot of designer furniture of today, the Delmont is NOT sterile and clinical-looking (the opposite really).
Tessa went out of business in 2019. I’m pretty sure the Delmont design was their most expensive when they closed. This is an authentic VINTAGE Delmont suite from the late-1970’s / very early-1980’s.
Just before Tessa closed, many of the newer Tessa suites were actually made in China. This suite is vintage- therefore it was made in AUSTRALIA … 100% guaranteed! Look at the sub-structure. The workmanship here is not only impressive but inspiring.
Background Info and Provenance
(This description was written in 2019 and updated in 2024. Some information may be time-sensitive.)
This suite is absolutely stunning, it has an intriguing contrast with these lighter tones- the lighter timber creates a beautiful flow and frames the chair-design nicely. The timber is as Mother Nature intended- no two pieces are the same, this creates such a soulful, organic feel- you will never find another suite exactly the same as this one!
The Tessa Delmont design is arguably the most sought-after chair to ever come out of Australia. The Contour range by Grant Featherston is probably the most collectable in terms of dollar-value, but this design, the T21 Delmont swivel chair, released by Tessa in the early 1970’s is, in my experience, the most asked-for chair. The value of T21 (and Delmont) furniture sky-rocketed during COVID-19 lockdowns- the popularity increased VERY quickly (and NOTICEABLY) since the first Delmont suite I ever sold (which was back in March 2020 just before the first lockdown). This design is technically not the T21 design but the Delmont. The Delmont design is less known only because there are very few around. After 24-years in this business, this is the fifth time I’ve had Tessa Delmont furniture. I completely understand why so many people want them! The quality just jumps out at you and the comfort … OMG … after sitting in one of these chairs I didn’t want to get up! But alas I had to get to work photographing these chairs.
The only real difference I can see between the Tessa Delmont and the T21 is a refinement on the T21. The exposed timber runs up the entire side of the chair creating a classier look, the cushions have been streamlined and the armrest protectors have been markedly improved. I don’t like the armrest protectors on the T21 or Delmont design and in fact, I take them off whenever I can. These armrest covers are more minimalist allowing the exposed timber to be the hero.
After a 50-year stint in the Australian Marketplace, making virtually ALL their furniture in AUSTRALIA, Tessa Furniture died late in 2019. It’s a sad state of affairs when an Australian business can no longer do what they do so well because of cheap imports destined to end up as landfill. And this is the very reason why Tessa eventually died. Their designs are so well-made that the second-hand market for Tessa pieces ended up becoming more sought-after than new Tessa Furniture. And who can blame people going straight to the second-hand market for designs such as these? The QUALITY of these chairs is so exceptional that second-hand pieces often still look basically new after 10, 20, 30, 40 … even 50 years of use. In this listing you’re getting chairs that look close to new but they’re about one third the price of new ones.
Today in 2024, I believe this chair- the T21 Delmont swivel chair- by Tessa, is THE best investment in the furniture marketplace. T21 chairs retailed NEW in FULL-GRAIN leather for about $4,400 EACH just before Tessa went under- at my price (much less than half retail) it should be obvious to anybody that the only way the value of these vintage chairs can go, is up.
This Tessa Delmont suite is about 40 to 45 years old and just look at it! No guessing the quality here. After much of the world’s furniture ends up as landfill, this suite will be passed onto another user and eventually a whole new generation. Now that Tessa Furniture is not made anymore, I can’t see any reason why this design (made in AUSTRALIA) won’t slowly increase to the value they were selling for new (ie. $4,400 EACH). There’s no better way I can think of to invest in your home, the future of our environment and support local small business.
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