Description

SOLD to CATHY in MELBOURNE for $1840 in April 2020 (during lock-down).

NOTE- this listing price is for BOTH lounges (about $900 per piece). This vintage suite was recently re-upholstered by a highly-experienced upholsterer at a cost of $1700 alone. This suite is being sold from my client’s home in ADELAIDE but can be transported Australia-wide for a reasonable fee. WE ARE OPERATING AS THE SELLER’S AGENT AND WILL ORGANISE THE FULL SALE ON THE SELLER’S BEHALF. The listed price INCLUDES our commission fee.

I travelled to ADELAIDE specifically to work with this seller’s items- these sellers are serious collectors and have many more amazing vintage finds to be listed in iNVISeDGE in coming months and years. I personally photographed this suite so have inspected and experienced it in the flesh.

Background Info and Provenance

A stunning 1950’s designer couch in the classic retro kidney shape. These are really hard to get and will add a designer touch to your space giving it character and personality- in an architectural “retro” house it’d be brilliant. This suite was reupholstered by my clients at a cost of $1700- so you’re basically getting these 2 couches for free- even without the re-upholstery the couches themselves have a lot of value. These are AUTHENTIC 1950’s pieces- the construction is meticulous and honest. They’re trying to make similar items these days and the construction is far from honest- under the upholstery is chipboard and cheap foam that degrades, flattens and becomes misshapen in a matter of years. Look at this suite after 60 to 70 years of use- incredible! They just don’t make them like this anymore- they were built to last back then- here’s proof in the pudding! I was so glad there was no dust-cover under this one- look at the workmanship! So many hours were put into building this properly- look at the spring system, all done by hand- absolutely meticulous. And so much work was put into it so it’d last and the comfort would be same over the years regardless of how much it was used. It always springs straight back into shape. This brings me to my next point. Comfort!

I personally love the comfort of this one- many young ones these days want “sloth-all-over” comfort but you can still do that with this piece … easily. Put the cushion you want behind your back (feather-down perhaps?) and you’ve got sloth-over comfort- there’s plenty of space to get the comfort you want. New sofas tend to have “sensational comfort”- it’s a sensation the second you sit down but there’s not the right support and over the years it becomes obvious the comfort isn’t “real”. This suite on the other hand has brilliant support- complete relaxation when you’re sitting in it- this suite holds you in proper sitting position. But make no mistake- the springiness is also there through a proper spring-system- not soft foam that has no support. Foam couches these days are made that way for one reason … because it’s cheap. They don’t make them like this anymore because most people don’t investigate what they’re really buying and don’t care anymore. After 10 years if it’s uncomfortable as hell we’ll just chuck it into landfill- she’ll be right mate… go out and buy another $2000 piece of crap.

This suite has evaded landfill for 70 years and there’s no reason why it won’t last another 70 years- but that’s a lie really. I see no reason why it won’t last forever if it’s used with any sense. My clients did extremely well with the fabric choice- it’s a “impossible-to-kill” fabric, the texture adds a subtle point of interest and the aubergine colour  is brilliant- neutral but with a subtle retro-pop. The purple-undertones are cool but not over the top- you could work this suite into any space from retro to a classic contemporary space.

This is honest furniture built at a time when manufacturers had your best interests in mind and not their own! It was built when items were made (and sold) down the road and if they sold crap there would be recourse- you would go down to them and complain. And they’d have to do something about it, otherwise you’d go off complaining about their business to the whole community, soon no-one in town would buy from them and their business would die.

There’s no better way to financially invest in your home, the future of our environment and your local community- iNVISeDGE is a small Australian business employing locals for everything our business does from the helpers who clean our pieces up to the person who delivers the items into our depots and out to our customers.

2002