$2,600.00

SOLD! 

NOTE- this listing is OFFERS OVER $2600 for the 8 DQF CHAIRS only. These chairs SOLD for $3300 (including delivery) for all 8 (July 2020). The table SOLD SEPARATELY (to another buyer). This listing SOLD under consignment from our client’s home in East BRISBANE. Interstate freight was arranged through one of our preferred furniture carriers for a reasonable fee.

 

Out of stock

Add to quote
Categories: , Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Description

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

This listing price was OFFERS OVER $2600 for all 8 DQF dining chairs. Now SOLD! (for $3300 including interstate delivery- July 2020.) The matching table SOLD in iNVISeDGE separately.

This suite SOLD under CONSIGNMENT from my client’s home in East Brisbane. iNVISeDGE handled all aspects of the sale. Interstate delivery was also arranged for our happy customer by one of our friendly team.

Background Info and Provenance

Description written in 2020

A RARE set of 8 mid-century dining chairs lovingly HANDCRAFTED by DQF (Danish Quality Furniture) in Brisbane back in the early 1960’s. In my opinion these chairs are the best Danish-style dining chairs ever made in Australia. With the likes of Parker and TH Brown & Sons being so celebrated, I understand this is a bold comment to make but anyone who has experienced DQF chairs in the flesh would agree. The only reason why DQF is not well-known and these sorts of comments are rarely read online is because virtually no-one has ever experienced DQF chairs. To label a matching set of 8 DQF chairs as rare is an understatement- I’ve never seen a set of 8 DQF chairs before- not in the flesh- not even in a photo. Even sets of 6 chairs by DQF are rarely seen.

The comfort of these chairs is sublime- I just melted into these. I couldn’t believe that chairs without a padded back could be so comfortable. DQF have just “nailed” this design. The back is so ergonomically perfect that these chairs not only compete with most authentic Danish designs but I’d say they’d often come up trumps. It’s hardly surprising though when you consider the history of these chairs. They were made in the early 60’s by a Danish immigrants using DANISH tools and machines bought across to Australia when they settled in Brisbane. With a good dash of determination added, you’ve got all the hallmarks of a success story.

DQF is the achievement of Erik and Inga Petersen, a family who fled Europe after WWII. In a foreign country with little money, all they had was their skills and determination to carve out an existence. But they did so much more than that- they revolutionised the furniture-making market in Brisbane at the time. Word quickly got out that this business (building furniture in their backyard) was creating the most beautiful Danish-style furniture Queensland had ever seen. Orders flooded in during the early 1960’s and by 1963, the family had to build their first factory in Murrarie. To me, DQF furniture is more than just a piece of furniture- it’s a symbol that something can be created from supposedly nothing if we keep centred. Even though this furniture was created by an immigrant family battling to carve out an existence in a foreign country, there is no feel of desperation in their work- their craft portrays the sheer opposite- a feeling of centredness and one-pointed focus.

These are easily more comfortable than Parker Spadeback chairs and also more comfortable than similar TH Brown & Sons dining chairs made in Adelaide at the same time. The FLER 64 chair and Parker Railback chair sit in a dark shadow behind these (both are uncomfortable- the FLER 64 design in particular is horribly uncomfortable). This design also wins when compared to Moderntone, Summertone and Module chairs made at the same time. But it’s not just the comfort that triumphs, the durability of these chairs also does extremely well against similar offerings of the era.

Crafted from Blackbean, this timber is recognised for its beautiful figuring and grain but its beauty is a small part of the appeal- it’s also incredibly strong and resilient. This makes it harder for craftsmen to shape but allows fine, slender frames to be crafted that structurally fare better over the years compared to timbers more commonly used in Australian mid-century furniture. The best Parker dining chair design ever made (the Spadeback) has veneer on the back-rest which often shows signs of use over the years (this can be fixed but it’s fiddly and time-consuming to do properly). This DQF design obviously has NO veneer (100% SOLID-Blackbean)- the base also has cross-supports to assist in keeping the chairs solid and sturdy over the years. This FULL SET OF 8 CHAIRS have all been carefully inspected and have NO wobbles in any joint area, NO cracks, NO repairs, NO structural issue AT ALL. What’s more, the seats are also made of plywood which is a lot more supportive than webbing. Webbing sags and stretches over the years (modern webbing usually needs to be replaced after every decade or so of use.)

This description is already long enough- I must wrap it up quick! If you’re not already sold, that’s not my problem. Similar Australian chairs (that are not as good) sell in mid-century shops for $5,200 for 8 (and more). Authentic Danish designs like this design, sell new today for AU $16,000 for 8 but I much prefer having Australian-made furniture in my own home. The durability is a no-brainer- look at them after 60 years of use! The comfort is great! They also look stunning- look at this figuring in the timber! Investing in quality vintage furniture is not only the smartest financial furniture investment you can make but the best investment for the future of our planet- valuing what we already have is our only way out of this mess. Plus, you’re supporting Australian industry- by valuing this dining suite you might prompt someone local to make furniture in Australia again but you’re also supporting iNVISeDGE, an Australian small business run completely by locals- we help keep various small family-run Australian businesses prospering. It’s a win-win for everyone.

2007

All EIGHT dining chairs are in solid sturdy condition. There is NO separation in any joint, NO wobbles, NO cracks/ NO splits around any joint, NO repairs- NO structural damage of any kind. They’re all rock-solid chairs. Cosmetically they are also in brilliant condition- the timber presents very well for vintage chairs with just the odd sign of use here and there but there’s nothing that warrants a specific mention. Overall, these chairs are a joy to comment on and that’s rare for a set of 8 dining chairs of this age. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The seats are all perfectly comfortable, the seats are firm (because the bases are plywood and not webbed). Plywood is the most durable (and costly) seat support in a dining chair. Webbing needs to be replaced regularly as it will sag over time (particularly modern-day webbing!). Plywood seats will last forever with normal use. The cushioning has no sagging, no degradation- this is VINTAGE cushioning which is far more superior to virtually all of the cushioning used on furniture today. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   These chairs were re-upholstered in the very early 1980’s. The covering is a quality Australian-made WOOLEN upholstery. Wool is the best soft upholstery to use in dining furniture. It is stands up well to use (it wears very slowly) and is resistant to stains (it usually repels spills). Spill-stains tend to bead on the surface and then can be soaked up quickly with a very damp cloth. This fabric is also neutral so I’d be personally keeping these chairs as they are for many years if I owned them. (The fabric is already about 40 years old. I really like it- neutral but also has that 1980's style- they are vintage chairs with a vintage fabric to add to the appeal.) For the fussy ones out there, you may want to steam-clean the seats (this is certainly not necessary). I’m fussy and I wouldn’t bother with steam-cleaning them but would use a good wood-cleaner to clean up the timber frames. This would bring out the figuring in the timber more. iNVISeDGE will be selling the wood-cleaner I use and recommend (it’s not used by any other furniture restorer I know). It’s easily more effective than all the others I’ve ever tested (and I’ve tested every product I’ve come ever across). If you want to buy some wood cleaner with these chairs let me know. $33 for 800ml which should last for as long as you have the chairs. (Use the Zoom-In tool on the photos to see the condition clearly. Click on the Magnifying Glass and then click inside each full-size photo to super-size the images. Obviously, no damage has been hidden from view.) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 8 DQF. Measurements. Across- 46cm. Depth- 46cm. Total height- 73.5cm. Seat height- 46cm. Depth of seat 42cm. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  Read my 1100+ feedback comments spanning 17+ years (ALL for vintage furniture and decorative arts SALES) to be assured that all my items are described as accurately as I can.
Please read the FAQ on our Home Page to find out how to pay for an iNVISeDGE item.
Click on "About iNVISeDGE" at the top of this page to find out more about iNVISeDGE.

Related Products