Description

SOLD $2,700 for the FULL Ernst Hansen SUITE- all 4 chairs AND the matching table. Because of the nature of this design, we won’t consider splitting up this set. It has been priced to INCLUDE all 5 pieces!

This suite is being sold under consignment from COBURG NORTH, Melbourne by a private vendor. I personally worked with this suite and checked every chair and the table very carefully. This set can be transported Australia-wide for a reasonable additional fee (about $350 to freight the full suite up to Sydney).

There is an Ernst Hansen ink stamp under each chair- see the photos.

Provenance and Background Info

This description was written in 2023.

This dining suite was crafted by Ernst Hansen in Hawthorn, Melbourne in the 1960’s. This design is based on the other famous designs of the era where the dining chairs tuck all the way under the table to tailor a tidy, minimalist look. Frem Rojle (Denmark) and G Plan (UK) are two makers who made stylish designs where the chairs sit flush with the profile of the dining table. This is the epitome of beautiful but is also a very practical design- it’s a clever space-saver. If this suite didn’t have this design feature it wouldn’t have worked in this particular space half as well. The space-saving capability means this suite has sat in the exact same place in this kitchen for about 60 years! When you have the best, why consider the rest? This suite pays homage to the famous saying, “Buy Once. Cry Once”. This suite would have cost a pretty penny 60 years ago but when you buy the best, you hang onto it for the long term. (The inherent value in this suite means that the price has increased significantly over the years. Good design retains its value forever, always increasing in price along with inflation- which is exactly what this suite has done.) This suite is part of a deceased estate and has had only one owner- after 60 years it is time to find a new generation who will value it, look after it and pass it onto the next generation.

Because this suite has been valued by the previous owners it’s almost looks like it has come out of a time capsule- you won’t find another suite on the market like this for a very long time … if ever! This is one of the most iconic Australian dining suite designs from the 1960’s era- certainly nicer than Parker and FLER dining offerings. These Ernst Hansen chairs are also very comfortable with a generous curve in the back and an abundantly padded seat.

This Ernst Hansen dining suite is also a very solid investment. I’ve seen values for these increase over the time I’ve been in this business. One of these suites sold in Melbourne some time back for $4,850. The construction quality is exceptional- this suite has been built to last and has. I’ve never seen anything structurally wrong with this design over the years.

Vintage suites like this from the 1960’s with the Danish design aesthetic can sell for over AU $1,000 per chair and similar Danish tables can sell for $3,000- total, $7,000 value- written 2023. And values for vintage suites in iconic designs such as this CONSTANTLY go up- I’ve seen this first hand over the last 22 years. Many modern dining chairs end up at as landfill within years but when sets of vintage chairs look like this after 60 years of use, buyers have full confidence of the construction quality they’re investing in before shelling out a cent. There are very few better ways to invest in your home and reduce landfill.

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