$1,095.00

SOLD! Regularly click into our NEWLY LISTED Category or follow us at- instagram.com/invisedge

NOTE- The set of  6 chairs in this listing are in a eucalyptus-coloured velvet. SOLD to Michelle from our North Brisbane depot in Morayfield. This listing has also been uploaded for people wishing to express interest in buying or selling a similar item through iNVISeDGE and for research purposes. Use the links below. Our commission fee for selling an item like this on your behalf is 10% to 18.5%.

 

Out of stock

Description

SOLD! Regularly click into our NEWLY LISTED Category or follow us at- instagram.com/invisedge

Sold to Michelle in December 2020 for $1095. SOLD!

NOTE- The set of  6 chairs on offer in this listing are in a eucalyptus-coloured velvet. (This is very likely the original covering). The chairs shown in red SOLD through iNVISeDGE way back in 2006 and are included to show you one re-upholstery idea. The 2 photos showing the yellow tone gives you another idea. There are lots of options with this design- a soft apple-green (brighter green than what they currently are) would be a fun option and would also tie in well with the era (and is not as bold as red).

The set of  6 chairs in a eucalyptus-coloured velvet are FOR SALE from our North Brisbane depot in Morayfield.

Provenance and Background Info

A set of SIX (6) Chiswell dining chairs from the 1950’s. I personally love 50’s furniture a lot more than Danish modern design. The lighter-coloured timber frames are much easier to work in with any interior. With the right upholstery- for example cream or a textile weave in slate-grey, these chairs would even work well in a minimalist interior particularly on light floors. The thing I like most about them is that whilst they’re minimalist in style, they’re not boring in looks at all. The fluid line of the seat and the warm honey-tone of the timber gives them an organic slant- the angular legs adds interest and a fun creative spark.

The best part of investing in this design is knowing the quality you’ll be getting. These were crafted in AUSTRALIA by Chiswell in the early-1950’s. The quality of Chiswell Furniture is exceptional (much better than the early Parker stuff). Every chair is very solid and sturdy. Despite being in use for well over 60 years old this set is ready for another generation of use- the construction quality is some of the best you’ll ever find.

This is Chiswell’s best dining chair design from an aesthetic point of view (and easily in my eyes). It’s based on the webbed chair that was released in Australia by Douglas Snelling in the early 1950’s. The fascinating thing is I believe this design came before Snelling’s upholstered version. The seats here have metal springs done in the same way dining chairs were done in the 1940’s- this construction technique was phased out by the mid-1950’s. To my knowledge Snelling released their upholstered version later in the 1950’s after the success of their webbed version.

I actually like these more than the webbed variety. The webbing can take a lot of attention away from the frames and I think it’s the shape of the frame that makes the design such a hit.

Aside from the aesthetics and durability these chairs are comfortable. They hold you in a good seating position for dining. My only criticism is that you can feel the springs in some chair seats (certainly not all though and it’s not very pronounced either). This is just an age thing and could be easily rectified when the chairs are next re-upholstered. The cotton wadding that sits over the springs (foam-cushioning hadn’t been invented yet!) has moved with use and fallen under some springs. It would be very easy to get some high-density foam to rectify this. The chairs can certainly be enjoyed as they are though. I grilled the previous owner about them prior to buying as I had to buy them from photos. He didn’t mention this- it’s not pronounced (and not noticed in some of the chairs at all). There is certainly a big advantage to having the sprung seats though- this is the most durable and costly seat option. Webbing sags and needs to be replaced regularly- once a thin layer of high-density, high-quality foam is put over the springs these chairs will be right for another 60 years of use (but most likely more).

To top it off these chairs have great investment appeal. Fifties designs have fetched strong returns since the mid-1990’s. I believe they will continue to increase in value in line with inflation (at least). They’re much harder to find compared to Danish modern designs. Furniture in this style only had a production run of about 7 years whereas Danish Modern furniture started in the late-1950’s and continued well into the 1970’s … and is still being made all over the world even today.

The captivating design and construction quality on offer here takes you back to a by-gone era- plus these AUSTRALIAN-MADE chairs are also a pleasure to use. Over 200,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in Australia since 2010- virtually no furniture is made in this country anymore making this set of chairs a real novelty. After modern dining chairs have ended up as landfill, these 60-year-old chairs will be passed onto yet another generation to enjoy. There are very few better ways to invest in your home and the future of our environment.

1808 , 1803 and 2009

These chairs are in excellent condition overall. Structurally they are all solid and sturdy. I’ve carefully checked over every chair. Every chair is rock-solid, sturdy (and quite heavy). The timber is in excellent condition overall with no condition issues that warrant a mention, just very minor signs of use- nothing that's noticeable really. These chairs are a decent bit heavier than Snelling chairs. They’ve been crafted to last generations. As already mentioned, you can feel the springs in the seat section of some when you sit down (but not all). Read the main description for further details of this. If you wanted the timber even lighter than this, this would be achievable by sanding the frames back and applying a new clear finish. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The velvet upholstery (which I’m pretty sure is the original covering) is very hardy but very likely to be over 60 years old so this fabric is looking tired. Every chair is presentable enough as is, but they’re getting close to needing re-upholstery. Re-upholstery would really freshen them up and give them a new lease of life, but you could definitely continue using them as they are for quite some years. Use the zoom-in tool to super-size the images- nothing is hidden from view. There is the odd mark here and there and minor wear (nothing unsightly though). The fabric is neutral and they look fine as they are. One braid has been replaced with a darker-green edge. There’s also an insignificant tear in the fabric to the back of one (or perhaps a couple)- this won’t get any worse and it's not noticeable (inspect the photos closely). The previous owner must have been an artist because they had a lot of paint smears on them, when they came in. We were amazed by how easily these cleaned off- only a few remain (which were obviously a different type of paint). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   Measurements. Across- 42.5cm across. Depth- 45.5cm. Total height- 81cm. (The height of the back is above average for extra support.) Seat height- 48cm. Read my 1200+ ebay feedback comments (ALL for vintage furniture and decorative arts SALES) to be assured that all my items are described as accurately as I can.
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