$995.00

The full Bentwood suite SOLD for Layla for $2,850. We had someone offer $4000 for this suite a few days after it sold.

2-Seater Sofa- sold for $995. (Matching pair of chairs priced SEPARATELY.)

 

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Description

The full Bentwood suite SOLD for Layla for $2,850 in 2019. We had someone offer $4000 for this suite a few days after it sold.

Background Info and Provenance

This listing price is for the BENTWOOD 2-Seater Sofa only (matching pair of chairs are priced SEPARATELY).

RARE!!! After 17-years in this business I have never seen this design. Despite 6 hours research devoted entirely to identify these stunning VINTAGE bentwood chairs I still can’t find any definitive maker online. I’ve spent about ten thousand hours researching / trawling vintage furniture online over the past 17 years and have never come across this design before. This suite is VINTAGE- I guarantee that in writing right here. As at March 2019 there are no photos of this design I can find online worldwide (and I’ve tried bloody hard!). This is a good thing in my eyes- with a definitive maker I’d say this pair of VINTAGE chairs could easily fetch a lot more than this. I’m thinking of applying to sell on 1stdibs in America- if that happens, the price of these chairs will go up. Americans will pay a LOT more for these even with about $1800 in shipping to get them there.

I shouldn’t need to tell you about the merit of this design- look at the photos- they’re ON-PAR with the famous armchair 400 by Alvar Aalto for Artek. In fact I like this design more. These are HEAVY and solidly made just like Artek chairs. However, the fully upholstered seat and back in the Aalto models are easier to produce- the exposed bentwood seat and back on this model is MUCH more complex to do (there’s no hiding any of the structure). The exposed timber adds to the sinewy flow of the design. It’s distinctly Scandinavian art deco / nouveau in style. TO TOP IT OFF the construction is a lot more practical. These cushions sit loosely on the frame. It’s cheap and easy to re-upholster this suite or change the comfort to your taste by changing the inner-cushioning at any time. PLUS you can unzip the covers easily for washing (hand-washing is best if it’s just a spot stain- after unzipping the cover- but machine-washing is certainly possible. After machine-washing return the covers to the cushions whilst still damp to prevent shrinkage). Similar designs in this style have exposed canvas slings instead- canvas backs can be marked, stained and are prone to fraying / ripping at the seams. Replacing these canvas sections is expensive and if replaced later the chairs will then always look wrong because the rest of chair is vintage.

After the hours I’ve spent online researching vintage furniture if I had to put money on who may have made this suite I’d have to say one of the obscure furniture making firms in Europe in the 1950’s- I came across New Age Furniture which was done in the late 1940’s in the UK but the quality of these chairs FAR EXCEEDS all the other little-known firms I came across with one exception only. That would be the Jindřich Halabala H-269 Fauteuil chair designed in 1933. I sold one of those chairs back in 2008 (for $1295) when I had no idea what it was! That chair took 3 months to sell back then- it would have easily fetched $2500 or more had I known what it was as it was meticulously (and beautifully) reupholstered. If I sold the exact same Halabala chair again today (in 2019) I’d price it at $2990.

Investing in vintage furniture is a great way to go. Decades of prior use gives anybody irrefutable evidence of the QUALITY of what’s on offer. Additionally I’ve recently gone over the photos of all 1189 pre-loved / vintage furniture items / lots we’ve sold over the past 17 YEARS of trading- I’d sell 1168 of these for a HIGHER PRICE today or at least the same as we first sold them for. There’s no better way I can think of to invest in your home and reduce landfill.

Oh and I almost forgot, these chairs are comfortable too. This is a great sitting-room suite or suite for a reception area. The angles are great for full relaxation of the back and the cushioning is soft but you are still well supported.

(The matching pair of chairs are priced SEPARATELY!)

1810 around

This sofa is in brilliant condition overall for its age. (We believe it was produced in the 1950's.) It has been very well looked-after. The frame is solid, very sturdy with NO breaks, NO repairs, NO movement in any joint area, NO cracks in the structure (nothing of the sort). The timber has a few minor surface marks over the years but nothing at all that’s noticed (as the photos show). There’s no cosmetic damage to the suite that stands out at all. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ There was chipping to the top layer of the timber (top right corner of the sofa- COMPLETELY cosmetic)- as shown in some of the close-up photos. The repair was done thoughtfully and carefully so it's now not noticed unless pointed out and you're looking at the area (when the suite is on display you don't notice it- remember as well that many of the photos taken are when I'm crouched on the floor. When you're standing up it's not really noticeable). This area is now stronger than it ever would have been (new wood glue has been used to glue another piece of timber of the exact same thickness into the area). I didn't get the colour exactly how I wanted it. I had to get on a plane that afternoon and leave Melbourne. If this was being stored at the depot near my home I would have fiddled with the colour for longer but I'm happy with the result considering the complexity of the task. For a suite of this age it's in extremely good condition overall. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The old cushions had been replaced and re-upholstered before we acquired the suite (the suite had only been used for display since re-upholstery so the new cushions haven't had any proper use yet.) The re-upholstery job has not been done by a professional but the cushions look good overall when the suite is on display. The inner-cushioning is new and not quite the right size so you see the end screws when in situ but this does not ruin the look of the suite. (You can still put the cushions into a position to hide the end screws anyway- see the photos). I'd say a Warwick Fabric was used. The fabric looks high-quality to me and is in brilliant condition overall. The sewing job is okay- good enough but not meticulous. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The comfort of this sofa is great for conversations and reading a book. The angles are spot-on. This sofa takes the pressure off the back to allow full relaxation. The high-density cushioning in the seat is a great choice for proper support, complemented by softer cushions in the back for plush comfort. You could easily and comfortably sit in this suite for hours but it wasn't built for lying around on and watching TV in for hours. (It was built before TVs were even invented!) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Measurements. Height- Seat, 39cm, Armrest, 54cm, Total, 66cm. Two-seater sofa. Across- 136cm. Depth- 84cm.... Single-seater chairs (NOT INCLUDED IN THIS PRICE). Across. 76cm. All other measurements are approximately the same as the 2-seater sofa. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Read my 1200+ ebay feedback comments (ALL for vintage furniture and vintage decor SALES- 100 or so from repeat customers) to be assured that these chairs are as described and that I will only stock items in excellent condition.
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