Description
Background Info and Provenance
(Written in 2016.)
This pair of chairs sold for $1295 in 2016. I’ve since found out that this pair are actually Parker which surprises me- it’s a very RARE Parker design. I’d say it was released in the late 1960’s- ahead of its time. I’ve since seen definitive proof this design is Parker.
The description was written with the knowledge I had at the time (2016) and would be written differently today.
A vintage TEAK pair of single seater lounge chairs. (This listing price is for the pair of chairs ONLY- matching sofa is priced SEPARATELY.) I’d say this suite is late-1960’s. I’m unsure of the maker. Post & Rail immediately comes to mind but I’m pretty sure it’s not. This is SOLID teak- Post & Rail furniture became popular in the mid to late 1970’s after quality teak supplies started to become almost impossible to source (and before plantation teak was grown). Post & Rail is usually pine (or a light-coloured timber) stained the colour of teak. This puts the suite on offer here a couple of notches higher than Post & Rail as far as quality goes. Lighter timber that’s stained will start looking “ratty” after it’s scratched and scuffed- this is TEAK so this WON’T happen here. Post & Rail is premium QUALITY furniture- this is actually better in quality. The quality brass hardware (connections) are not seen in any Australian furniture from the era I’ve come across. I don’t think this is Australian- it’s likely to be European but I really don’t know.
This is true design genius. It takes real talent for something so simple to also have “wow appeal”. The overlapping of the horizontal cuts of timber and the “underlapping” of the vertical pieces creates a subtle point of interest- this design, whilst distinctly minimalist, still “pops”. All proportions are spot-on. This suite has been carefully planned and created. The HIGH-QUALITY cuts of SOLID TEAK become the focus against the stone-coloured cushions.
As far of quality goes, this suite EXCEEDS the durability of Parker lounges from the early 1960’s. I’ve seen Parker lounges broken- they’re quite dainty in design. I can’t see how this suite could possibly break. PLUS you’ve got all the advantages of any mid-century suite. The loose cushions are as practical as you can get- when they start looking tired unzip the covers and put them in the washing machine. (Just replace the covers when they’re still damp to prevent shrinkage.) If you want a change- simply take the cushion covers with new fabric to anyone with a sewing machine. It’s not hard or costly.
The comfort of these chairs is also very good. The angles of these are great for sitting.
This suite ticks every box for something I’d put into my own home but what about investment appeal for my customers? That box is ticked too. Because of the loose cushions this becomes a life-time investment. Even if you need to sell it in the future it won’t be hard. Lounges with exposed timber frames and loose cushions are ALWAYS snapped up quickly. But if you need more proof consider the refurbishing cost that has already been spent to renovate this (for the pair of chairs ONLY) … quality WARWICK FABRIC (with a quality guarantee)- $80. Professional re-upholstery by master upholster w/ black piped edges- $320. NEW cushions- $150. Stripping back, sanding and coating the frame with two coats of Danish oil- $200. New webbing (w/ labour)- $60. Total cost recently spent on renovating this pair of chairs– $810. (That’s for the pair of chairs ONLY.) iNVISeDGE didn’t spend this money on the renovation- we purchased the suite like this. If we renovated pieces like this and sold them at this price we’d very quickly go out of business.
Trends come and go but when items built in the 1960’s attract attention in 2016 and still have that wow factor for both looks and practicality they’ve come to supersede trends. The advantage of investing in vintage furniture is simple. When chairs look like this after 45 or so years of use you’re guaranteed of the quality you’re getting. There are very few better ways to invest in your home and reduce landfill.
