Description

THIS CHAIR SOLD THROUGH iNVISeDGE IN 2005 FOR $2700. Today in 2019 I’d price the exact same chair at around $3700-$3950.

Provenance and Background Info

This description was written back in 2005. 

Undisputedly THE most exciting, celebrated and respected furniture design to come out of Australia ever. Not long ago I would have considered $2700 an outrageous price for a chair but it has not taken long to change my thinking- the R160 Contour Chair, designed by GRANT FEATHERSTON in 1951 is a work of art and as such is featured in various art galleries and museums throughout Australia as an example of Australian landmark design in furniture. These chairs are now being re-issued under license by Gordon Mather Industries in Australia so I’ve decided to keep the chair in its original condition, to add to the historical value of this piece. The vinyl is a typical 1950’s covering and the contrasting light front and dark underside not only accentuates the stunning curves of the chair but was also a cool trend of the 50’s. Grant Featherston’s designs are the most highly sought after of Australian furniture pieces and since his death in 1995, original Featherston pieces have soared in value in a very short period of time and will continue to do so because the originals are getting harder to acquire. Produced by the Emerson Bros, back in the 1950’s, the R160 chair shows excellent construction qualities and is supremely COMFORTABLE. It fits the body like a glove and the chair begs you to sit in it whenever you walk past it. The chair uses a single piece of lightweight laminated plywood, which was moulded, and folded back to fit the human shape. This piece certainly fulfils Featherston’s ambition to make a chair that was a “negative” of the human body and as result has a sensational look but is also soooo comfortable.

Add-on written in 2019

My decision to keep this chair original and NOT re-cover it in a contemporary fabric was the right one. Since this chair was sold back in 2005, the R160 chair has become the first Australian design to be taken overseas in the hopes of reproducing it. The replicas happened all right but they can’t and never will come close to the originals. The originals were created by hand and the way the pieces of the timber seat slot together to form the seat shell was not only ingenious but created a chair with stunning curves, a lean stylish silhouette and a seat that was extremely durable. The Chinese copies look nothing like this but all the replicas do is solidify how marvelous the real R160 is- marvelous for something from the 1950’s but even more so today because chairs are just not made like this anymore (and never will be again).

If this iNVISeDGE buyer would ever like to re-sell this chair I’d be happy to represent it again and even after my selling commission fee is deducted you’d still make a tidy profit. I said in my description in 2005 that the value of Featherston will continue to increase in value and it’s true- they have! If I priced this chair at offers above $2700 in 2019, I have no doubt this chair would attract offers of more than $2700 very quickly. The R160 is a design icon and a very solid investment. Despite the replicas that still pour into Australia the originals are still hotly contested. (The replica market is slowing down now and will eventually dry up- there are lots of amazing designs for the unscrupulous to rip-off- they’ll move onto something else soon.)

 I have chosen not to ramble on now about how Grant Featherston is the most celebrated furniture designer this country has seen and the rest. If you’ve read this far you’ll already know that and if you don’t, Google Featherston or read the iconic book on Featherston written by Terence Lane, published by the National Gallery of Victoria in 1988. Yes Featherston reached the icon stages by 1988.

 The chair shown in this listing is a great investment because it can be used and enjoyed while it becomes even more valuable- the vinyl covering from the 1950’s is extremely hardy and stands up to any type of use- you wouldn’t need to pander to this chair even if you had kids!

The production of most modern furniture items (particularly the replicas of this design!) have little or no regard for our environment and the people employed to produce it (they’re virtually slaves) . This 1950’s vintage design has not only survived over 60 years, it has thrived and I can’t see any reason why it won’t thrive for another 60. There are very few (no?) better ways to invest in your home and our environment.