$985.00

This vintage Kone chair SOLD TO MARK WITHIN 2 DAYS OF BEING LISTED ON INVISEDGE.COM.AU- regularly visit our NEWLY LISTED Category so you don’t miss any of our new finds. The first 12 photos are a pair of Kone chairs we sold through iNVISeDGE in 2006- the final 4 photos are of the chair we sold under consignment from our seller’s home in SYDNEY. Read the description for further info. If you’re interested in selling a similar item under consignment our fee is 10% – 25% sales commission for an item such as this.

 

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Description

WE MAY BE GETTING ONE OF THESE IN SOON! Enquire if you want 1stbids! SORRY SOLD BEFORE THE LISTING WAS DONE.

SOLD IN 2018 TO MARK (a regular iNVISeDGE customer) WITHIN 2 DAYS OF BEING LISTED ON INVISEDGE.COM.AU- ALL our finds get listed in the NEWLY LISTED Category on this website WELL BEFORE being shared on Instagram. Regularly click into our NEWLY LISTED Category. UPDATE- today in 2023 I’d price this exact same chair at around AUD $1550 – $1750.

The first 12 photos are a pair of Kone chairs we sold through iNVISeDGE in 2006 FOR $440 EACH- the final few photos are of the chair we sold under consignment in 2018 from our client’s home in SYDNEY for $985. (It sold in 2 days and wasn’t in as good condition as the chairs we sold back in 2006 AND did NOT have the vintage labels but was certainly vintage. This is solid proof that good vintage design increases in value as you get to use and enjoy having it in your home! The chairs we sold in 2006 are now worth well over double what our customer paid for them.) MORE WANTED! We have buyers waiting for another Kone chair. In 2020, just two years later we’d price the exact same chair (one that needed basic surface restoration / re-surfacing) at significantly MORE than what we sold the one we got in 2018.

iNVISeDGE organised the full sale of this chair on behalf of our seller in Sydney. Get in contact with us if you have one of these chairs you’d like to sell. 

Background Info and Provenance

Written in 2018

Roger McLay’s Kone chair is an iconic Australian design and ridiculously rare. I haven’t come across another McLay Kone chair I could seriously consider stocking in iNVISeDGE since 2006. Roger McLay’s “Kone” chair was the most celebrated of his work and has had a notable mention in virtually every reference book on vintage design ever compiled (definitely Australian vintage design books anyway). Designed in 1948, the Kone chair was made from a single piece of aircraft-grade laminated plywood moulded into a conical shape and attached to a metal base. Most had metal legs although other versions were produced with wooden legs. (Some even had “shag-pile” covers on them and were called the “Poodle” chair! I can just picture someone putting a lead on one and taking one out for a walk!) Initially, the Kone chair was sold only from McLay’s Gloucester Street Studio in Sydney, but it became so popular after winning the 1950 Interior Design Award, Descon was commissioned to produce and sell it in larger quantities. That said, in 2019 there are very very few of these around. Roger McLay’s designs have been archived at the Powerhouse Museum in Australia, preserving and valuing the legacy of the Kone chair for generations to come.

This Kone chair by Roger McLay is a solid investment- Kone chairs have increased in value since I’ve been in this business and I believe this trend will continue in the future- they’re rare and timeless in style- there’s a real simplicity to them but they still have wow-factor. I can only find one other Kone chair available for sale in Australia at the time of writing (2019)- it’s on 1stdibs for $3298.62. There was also one in the sold inventory on an antiques website for $1895- see the screenshots provided.

The main upside to investing in a Kone chair is that they’re extremely adaptable to any interior. Designer furniture can be clinical and sterile-looking these days- this vintage chair will add an earthy accent to your space. Kone chairs would be a beautiful contrast on polished concrete floors!

Investing in vintage design is a great way to go. This Australian vintage Kone chair will work in virtually any interior so there will always be demand for them. There’s no better way to invest in your home and reduce landfill.

0818 and 0619

THE CHAIR THAT SOLD FOR $985 IS DEPICTED IN THE FINAL PHOTOS OF THIS LISTING! The first 12 or so photos are display photos- taken of a pair we sold through iNVISeDGE way back in 2006. THE CHAIRS IN THE DISPLAY PHOTOS HAVE SOLD! ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Kone chair that sold in 2019 was vintage and showed it's age but all the signs of use were to the surface finish only barring 1 or 2 small bumps in the timber. The chair was SOLID and STURDY with NO delamination, NO separation or lifting of plywood layers, NO cracks, NO water damage, NO deep scratches in the timber, NO structural weakness at all. (Unlike the $3200 chair on 1st dibs.) The cosmetic condition of the chair in 2019 was okay and from a distance it looked quite good but up close there were lots of scratches to the lacquer finish and also some discolouration to the edges. If you used a strong wood cleaner to dissolve some of the lacquer and re-polished / re-waxed it I'd say it would have greatly enhanced the appearance of the chair and would have retained the vintage character. This is what you'd do if you want to still notice the scratches and marks. __________ I would recommend sanding the finish of the front surface for this one and re-finishing it. It's a simple design and the chicness of the finish will then match the styling of the chair. It's a matter of taste and depends on where the chair will be displayed in your home/business. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ There is roughness to the edges (to be expected of a vintage chair of this nature). This is not really noticeable. Click on the magnifying tool to enlarge my seller's photos- she has done an excellent job of showing what's on offer and describing to me the condition of the chair she has. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Of my clients photos, image 4, 5 and 7 best represents the colour / timber tone of the chair however if it was re-finished the tone would change. It would probably become more golden / darker after re-finishing depending on the type of new finish the restorer used. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ NOTE- THE CHAIR THAT SOLD IN 2019 IS DEPICTED CLEARLY IN THE FINAL 4 OF THE LISTING!
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