Provenance and Background Info
(This description was written in 2016 for another set of 6 Rufenancht chairs we sold through iNVISeDGE. Some information may not apply to this particular set.)
A stunning set of SIX leather dining chairs by highly acclaimed South Australian furniture designer and manufacturer Joe Rufenacht. In my opinion these are up in the top 5 best dining chairs I’ve sold in the 15 years I’ve been in this business. I sold two sets (from my top 5) for $750 per chair- I believe these Rufenacht chairs are way undervalued and a strong furniture investment.
There was a time in the late 1970’s when Rufenacht had won more furniture design awards than anybody else in this country. How? you may ask, when virtually no-one has ever heard him. Because Rufenacht was a stickler for quality- he was fastidious about furniture. The chairs on offer here were put through 40 prototypes! … Let’s just ponder that for a moment. Rufenacht created a chair from scratch- tested it, had other people test it, mulled over it all for a period of time, made adjustments, went back and made another chair from scratch, tested it … yadda yadda. He did this 40 times for this design! It is no wonder he kept winning design awards. His work must have had huge price tags on it in its day- these days there’s little of it around.
If we look at the Falcon chair by Vatne Mobler of Norway (a lounge chair done at the same time in the 1970’s with a very similar design) you’ll see they were selling in Australia for about $900-$1000 a chair around 2004. These days they get $2400 EACH in some shops. This design by Rufenacht could have been inspired by the Falcon chair but he’s adapted the Falcon to be used as a dining chair. So Falcon chairs are worth around $2000 each for a lounge chair- let’s say that if Vatne Mobler made dining chairs (which they did NOT) they would have to be worth about $7000 for SIX at least. To me the investment appeal of these chairs is a no-brainer.
The investment appeal box is ticked, comfort is well and truly ticked (they would be some of the most comfortable dining chairs I’ve ever sat in) which leaves us with quality and value for money.
After many modern pieces end up as trash these 30+ year old chairs will be passed onto another owner and then yet another generation. It was said on the ABC in 2006 that Rufenacht’s furniture will be the antiques of tomorrow and after being in this business for 15 years I agree. JR furniture (Rufenarcht’s company) closed its doors in 2006 unable to compete with cheap overseas imports because JR items are of a quality that is barely ever seen. As an example of the quality, Rufenacht only used Howe Leather. (There is a vintage Howe Leather label under every one of these chairs.) I believe Howe Leather from the 1970’s and 1980’s is the best leather ever made. I have sold vintage Italian leather and the rest … in my eyes the leather of these chairs is as good as the absolute best. Look at this leather after 30+ years of use!
Chairs like this are the reason I do this job. They inspire me and should show all of us the way. Most modern furniture is made with little respect for the earth’s resources and even less for the workers who make them (who are virtually slaves). If these chairs were made today in Australia I would still promote them but the fact they’re vintage (and no longer made) makes them an even better investment. When you invest in items such as this there’s no better way to reduce your carbon footprint. If these chairs are used with some sense there is no reason why they won’t last another 30 years and then another 30 and another…
Ref- 1901 1812no
Overall the full set is in excellent condition for their age (most likely late-1970’s or early 80’s). They’re about 40 years old and present as well as you could expect for dining chairs. The frames are all solid and sturdy with NO breaks, NO repairs, NO movement in any joint area, NO structural cracks. The timber may have a few minor surface marks but nothing that's noticed. Note the overall quality of these chairs- the back is full leather (similar chairs have canvas backs) and note the thickness of the frames. ____________
The leather is PREMIUM-QUALITY Howe Leather (full grain leather). The leather is soft, supple and comfortable after years of use. Some modern “leathers” disintegrate in years. Not this. The chairs are 30 to 40 years old so they're not in perfect condition but for dining chairs of this age they present very well. The chairs have various minor scuffs to the leather colour but there's nothing that stands out or warrants a mention (as shown in the photos). This is Howe Leather which has been long heralded as being some of the best in the world. When you start inspecting each chair close up you may notice minor signs of use but as a set nothing is noticed. _____________
One timber corner also has a cosmetic flaw- this is not noticed unless it's pointed out because it's a corner close to the floor- also shown in the photos). ____________
The original foil label is present on most of the chairs. It reads, “JR Furniture. Angaston SA 5353. Design: Joe Rufenacht.” All leather seams are double-stitched and all stitching is in excellent condition. ____________
The ONLY reason I'm willing to accept $2100 for these chairs (and not $2500 or more) is because the leather underneath has been torn at some edges (for 3 chairs). This can not get any worse. And it's under the chairs. As shown in the photos it's never noticed until you either get on the floor or flip the chair upside-down. This has NOT happened from use but instead from when you try and lift a chair by the front cushion at a corner (all the weight of the chair rests on that seam and it can rip). I know this is how this has happened because I did it to one chair while I was photographing them. (Normally you lift the chairs by the timber bar along the back but while I was photographing I grabbed a chair by a front corner of the cushion to change its position and it ripped at that seam (as shown in the photos- it had already happened to 2 other chairs before I got them). This will not happen anymore because I've "un-velcroed" that flap and tucked it under the seat now- it doesn't go over the timber edge anymore. There's no leverage to lift the chair by the front cushion anymore (they can't rip at that seam anymore). You'll see what I mean if you study all the photos online carefully. Personally, I would not do anything to fix this (it's not noticed and doesn't affect the use of the chairs at all- it's underneath) but it could be fixed pretty easily by an upholsterer if it did ever bother you. (I'd just use vinyl in this colour as it's under the chairs- that would be cheaper and easier). THE CHAIRS ARE PRICED ACCORDINGLY. THEY'D BE $2500 the set otherwise- these chairs are getting REALLY hard to get. ____________
Parker chairs are now getting about $500 to $650 each and these Rufenacht chairs are INFINITELY better. (They're worth a lot more in my eyes). In my opinion, they're the best dining chairs I've ever come across (and I've been doing this for 17 years). ____________
There's nothing else I can see- if you use them with a little respect I see no reason why they won't last another 30 or 40 years without doing anything to them (except clean the leather as per the instructions on the labels under every chair). ____________
MEASUREMENTS TAKEN FROM LAST SET AND HAVEN'T BEEN CHECKED YET!! The chairs measure 53cm across with a depth of about 54cm (this includes the posts). They have a total height of 77.5cm. Seat height is about 49.5cm. Depth of seat- cm. FREIGHT- 1.32 cbm all up for all 6.
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