Description

The full suite SOLD for $3,750 (for the 6 chairs and the table).

Pacific Green dining table and 6 Tuvalu dining chairs in natural semi-aniline leather. (100% quality FULL-GRAIN leather.) HAND crafted in Fiji from Palmwood. This particular suite is about 20 years old- just look at the quality! Contact us now if you’d like 1stdibs on this suite- call us on the phone number in our CONTACT section.

$3,000 for the 6 chairs. The table is priced separately. I’d do the full suite for $3,750.

Provenance and Background Info

(Predominantly written in 2013, but updated in 2023)

An exceptional set of 6 “Tuvalu” dining chairs by highly-awarded company, Pacific Green. The design is what fascinated (and delighted) me more than anything to begin with. As much as the word, “delighted” annoys me, it is the first word that comes to mind. When you see as many pieces of furniture as I do its exciting (and yes, delightful) to come across something that’s truly unique, captivating and inspiring all at once. These chairs beg you to look closer and the closer you look the more captivating they become. You could use the word “stunning” but stunning is commonly used to describe great design- these chairs are far from “common”. After seeing the design I immediately researched the Pacific Green brand more. I decided within 2 minutes I had to have these chairs. I want them for myself but it’s not practical for me to have any more chairs right now!This is tough decision because when I’ll want them the chance of coming across another 2nd-hand set at anywhere near this price is basically zero.

The Pacific Green business originated from the Post & Rail brand which started in The Rocks, Sydney in the 1970’s. Post & Rail grew into an international brand and in the late 1980’s they did the unthinkable. With a highly successful brand they changed tack completely. With their new concern with deforestation and ecological threats, Post & Rail closed and re-branded as Pacific Green. Pacific Green searched the world for a sustainable and resilient timber for their future furniture production- the solution? Coconut wood. In the South Pacific, they found vast abandoned plantations of coconut palm trees, which were commercially planted in the early-1900s but had reached the end of productive fruiting. The best part? Coconut wood is more resilient than virtually any timber- it thrives in areas battered by tropical cyclones.

After I’d found out all that I not only wanted this suite, I wanted to start stocking new Pacific Green furniture in iNVISeDGE (which would be a first for us because we only sell “pre-loved” furniture). I kept researching and then was even more impressed. Pacific Green set a benchmark for modern, sustainable business in the Pacific. In the late 1980’s land was leased, not bought, to respect indigenous ownership. Their factory was built in consultation with the surrounding villages and employed only local people. Business and skills training programmes were established. The majority of the company is owned by Fijians- the drive of the business is still Australian, the designing arm happens here in Australia.

Pacific Green today has grown from that little furniture-making firm that started in the Rocks, Sydney back in 1973 (as Post & Rail). I am inspired and heartened that a small Australian business changed tack the way they did back in the late 80’s when ecological threats were barely ever thought of.

Okay, I must talk about the actual chairs on offer here- (called the “Tuvalu” design. Sorry for such a long-winded affair but the Pacific Green story must be told.) The thing is the design sells itself. You can see from the photos the chairs are VERY comfortable. The curve in the back cradles you- notice in the photos that they’re a good height and the full chair is padded. Dining chairs don’t come much more comfortable than this.

You can also see the durability of the construction from the photos- the meticulous eye for detail. It’s obvious here these chairs were not just slapped together any ol’ how. Pacific Green is not a flash in the pan- they’ve been around over 40 years- they earned their reputation decades ago for furniture craftsmanship of the highest quality. They’re a progressive business and their workmanship has only continued to improve. This furniture is crafted BY HAND- a dying art but one that needs to be nurtured. The timber pieces are clad onto a steel sub-structure- this furniture is very solid and sturdy. The chairs on offer in this listing are about 20 years old and look at them after this much use!

I can write nothing critical about these chairs or Pacific Green- if I wasn’t busy with iNVISeDGE I’d ask them for a job. These chairs epitomise all there is to be excited about with Pacific Green. You like the suite? Chances are the next time you look you’ll only find a new one- RRP as of 2023- approx $11,000 or more (for six chairs AND the table).

I love scouting to find exciting furniture. Chairs like these are the reason I do this job. They ignite inspiration- Pacific Green tick every box and prove that businesses can be successful, ecologically responsible and socially aware. These chairs have been built to last and will continue to tell stories well after you and I are gone- just like Post & Rail furniture already has. Pacific Green Furniture will become the antiques of tomorrow. There’s no better way to invest in your home and reduce landfill. If you invest in these chairs and need to need them years later, please approach me, hopefully then I’ll need a set of dining chairs for myself!

NOTE- This description was written in 2013 but updated in 2023. Any values given will be time-sensitive and will change over the years. (Values given are correct in 2023.)

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