Description
LOCATION- being sold by a private seller in SMITH’S LAKE, about 3 hours North of SYDNEY. If you live in Sydney Smith’s Lake is an idyllic location close to lakes and secluded beaches, perfect if you’d like to personally collect the item and have a weekend getaway. If you’d prefer delivery, specialised furniture freight of this item would cost ABOUT $330 to Sydney or ABOUT $330 to Brisbane.
Provenance and Background Info
A fantastic mid-century sideboard designed by the Australian firm, Chiswell Furniture, in the mid-1960s. In my opinion this design is the best Australian sideboard of the era- the sculptured bordering in the front sections is stunning. I’d choose this piece above a Danish sideboard because of the unique styling to the front and also because it’s Australian. I’ve never seen any Danish pieces with a design like this- (they may exist but after 22 years in the business I’m yet to see one). I’m proud of the best Australian furniture of the era and feel that this design competes with the English, American and Scandinavian work of the era- its construction qualities are also up there with the best. After studying what’s available in new furniture stores, I’d say the retail price ticket of a cabinet of this callibre would be about $4,000 new (but this is an AUTHENTIC vintage piece). This piece has not been flat-packed and sent from China in the thousands- it will be a statement in your home that’s all your own and one that will continue to increase in value like it has for the full 22 years I’ve been in this business.
This longer cabinet (over two metres in length) would be at least four times rarer than the shorter version (1.67m) in the same design. I’ve not had one of these in this design and length since 2008 (16 years). Additionally, this piece is finished on the back which means it doesn’t need to be displayed up against a wall- this is the second one like this I’ve had (in 22 years of trading). I get the feeling it’s an early one in this design. Because it is finished on the back it doesn’t have the date stamp on the back but my guess is about 1966. This piece has the “This cabinet is machined and assembled to exacting standards …” plastic label. This is the label Chiswell used on all their sideboards at the time. It doesn’t have the small red Chiswell paper label but the plastic label is enough to identify it conclusively- the design, construction, everything is unmistakably Chiswell. I have sold a number of these sideboards over the years (they’ve all sold quickly).
If you choose vintage furniture well it will reward you financially over time (many pieces increase in value in line with inflation but some designs can find sudden new favour and spike rapidly in value- I’ve seen many designs triple and quadruple in value- sometimes even more, in a matter of years.) The real beauty of owning vintage furniture though is knowing that by valuing what we already have, you’re helping in a small way to discourage the production of cheap, poorly-made items that are designed to end up as landfill within years. Buying vintage is not only a financial investment but an investment into the future of our planet.
2408
