Description
This set of SIX Scape Chairs in grey vinyl (re-upholstered in the 1990’s) in AS FOUND condition SOLD to ERIN within 2 hours of being listed on the iNVISeDGE website. The first 6 photos in this listing are DISPLAY PHOTOS of Scape chairs we sold through iNVISeDGE back in 2011 and 21012- the final photo in grey vinyl shows what the 6 grey chairs looked like- they sold under consignment for $1695 for six from our client’s home in Bulleen, MELBOURNE in 2019. We organised the full sale on behalf of our client in Melbourne.
These chairs SOLD in AS FOUND condition (they needed restoration)- unrestored Scape chairs suit many buyers. The vendor of these chairs asked me if she should do anything to them before we sold them, I said NO! This listing presented a RARE opportunity to get 6 (SIX are very hard to get!) that could have been refurbished in any way the buyer wanted. I recently saw a set of these with white frames and granny-smith apple green vinyl with a sheen to it. They looked incredible! Some Scape chairs were done with copper-coloured frames back in the 1960’s and I think some had white frames too. If you want the frames a different colour I’d suggest taking them to get powder-coated. Re-upholstery is also possible and you’d get that investment back (if you chose good quality vinyl, leather or even wool). (Read the Condition and Dimensions section in this listing for further information about the condition of this set.)
Provenance and Background Info
Description written in 2012 but updated in 2019.
A set of SIX (6) Scape dining chairs designed by Grant Featherston in 1960. Grant Featherston is arguably the most celebrated Australian furniture designer of all time (it’s either him or Fred Lowen). His designs spanned three decades and his versatility and talent as a designer is obvious when you peruse the huge body of work he has left us. The Scape designs produced by Aristoc in the 1960’s through to the 70’s are the most sought-after of all his metal designs.
Visually the Scape chair is captivating but the triumph of this design goes well beyond that. This is a very comfortable and durable chair. In the 18 years I’ve been in this business I’ve never seen a Scape chair broken- they’re almost indestructible. This is great news for buyers with families and for collectors- Scape chairs are a practical investment that can be used while they reap rewards financially. Most modern dining chairs will lose hundreds or thousands of dollars the second you sit on them- with these, the longer you use them (and look after them) the more chance they’ll increase in value. Scape lounge chairs are part of the collection of the Powerhouse Museum. A Featherston contour chair in my collection is now worth thousands more than what I paid for it at a Sydney auction 14 years ago- this is while I’ve been enjoying it.
In my opinion the Scape design is one of the best in Australian furniture history- I like them more than Featherston contour chairs because the Scape design is so unique in style. If you trawl the world of furniture design you won’t see anything quite like it.
After modern dining chairs have ended up as landfill, these 50 year old chairs will be passed onto yet another generation to enjoy. There are very few better ways to invest in your home and in our environment.
1802
These chairs are in very good condition for chairs that have been used for 60-odd years. Structurally they are all solid and sturdy. There are NO old repairs, NO creaks, NO breakage and NO cracks around any joint. They have been made to last. The metal is heavy (excuse the pun)- they’re very solid chairs. The frames have no noticeable dents. All the original feet stoppers are in place which is brilliant because if they're not you're likely need to need something specifically engineered for the bottom of the leg. Cosmetically the chairs are in good condition- not excellent but with a bit of cleaning and polishing they could certainly be used in your home as they are. There are many signs these chairs are vintage. I don't consider refurbishment to be absolutely essential right now but a lot of buyers will want to refurbish them anyway. If you need to wait until you have the funds to refurbish them, they could be enjoyed as they are. There's nothing I would classify as abuse but there are minor bumps, marks, scuffs, scrapes and scratches (as shown in the photos) to the black finish. I've included photos of 4 of the chairs close-up. 1 shows the chair in the worst condition. 1 shows the chair in the best condition and the final 2 photos show chairs that are pretty indicative of the condition of the average chair in this set. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
These chairs were re-upholstered in 1989 (they were purchased by the current owner's Grandfather) and have been used solidly by the family since. Unfortunately the upholsterer didn't think to re-attach the Aristoc labels underneath. This was 1989 after-all when bloody replica furniture wasn't even thought of! There are no replicas of Scape chairs on the market that I've come across- if you keep my invoice when you buy these you will be able to substantiate that these are vintage originals. I will keep this listing online. The vinyl shows many signs of use but again no abuse. The photos give a fair indication of the types of use to expect. Some chairs have minor indentation marks in the vinyl from being stacked on top of each other (consult the photos in the listing.) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
These chairs show 30 years of normal use. I'm trained as a leather technician- obviously these skills transfer to vinyl. It you like the grey, I could certainly tidy up the existing vinyl and get them looking very presentable without having to re-upholster them. They may not look new but I am fussy and could get them looking extremely good. I'd charge about $280 inc GST to do this for you (depending on where you are etc). ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you want the frames to be black they have various signs signs of use over about 60 YEARS- you could just paint them black at home and they'd look great again. If you wanted different coloured frames I would suggest taking them to a powder-coater. This cost would certainly be worth it for these chairs and you would get your money back on this investment if you ever decided to sell these chairs again (particularly if you did them in white or copper-colour.) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Some of the screws that hold the backs onto the frames are missing. All backs are on the chairs very securely without all the screws though (I've seen this before many times with vintage Scape chairs- not all the screws are needed.) You could get some new screws and paint the head black but this is not needed. If you get your chairs re-upholstered, the upholsterer will do this anyway.
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The last set of Scape chairs iNVISeDGE had measured ... (we haven't had the vendor measure these yet). 48cm across by 57cm back. Total height- 78cm. Seat height- 46cm.
These chairs are being sold from my client's location in Bulleen (for the 6 grey chairs AS SHOWN IN THE LAST 8 PHOTOS). If you're interstate we can send an impartial 3rd party to view the chairs before we freight them if you need this. (I'd try and get a friend in this business in Melbourne to do this for me). The cost for us to arrange this for you would be $55.
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