Description
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RRP NEW- approx AU $4300. HOWEVER to my knowledge this design was never put into production (as a 2-seater). My client purchased it directly off the Pacific Green showroom-floor about 15 years ago. This design as a 2-seater never went into production.
This is the Tavarua design which is one of Pacific Green’s most heralded and rarest. I specialise in representing Australian furniture design especially Pacific Green pieces- this is the first Tavarua piece I’ve ever come across on the secondary market. Pacific Green is still selling the single-seater chairs- they currently retail for AU $3256. The retail value of the 2-seaters would be around AU $4300 EACH but as mentioned above; 2-SEATER TAVARUAS ARE NOT CURRENTLY RETAILED BY PACIFIC GREEN. Because virtually none of these were ever made, the AU $4300 estimate for retail-value is conservative.
This sofa is about 15 years old but presents very well due to the exceptional quality of the craftsmanship, design and FULL-GRAIN leather.
This sofa is being sold under consignment from our vendor in NEWCASTLE, North of Sydney. Delivery Australia-wide can be organised for a reasonable additional fee. The sofa is in excellent condition for a piece of this age. I will write up a detailed condition description soon. Click on our CONDITION & DIMENSIONS tab within this listing over the next few days or so.
Provenance and Background Information
(Written in 2017 but revised in 2020)
This 2-seater TAVARUA designer sofa by Pacific Green is a highly heralded piece of Australian design and much-loved the world over. Pacific Green Furniture is one of the rising-star furniture brands of recent times- it sells for a lot more in America compared to here. It’s sits out on its own, in terms of BOTH design and QUALITY.
As the Pacific Green star continues to rise on an international platform, this vintage sofa will only become more collectable in future years- 2-seater Tavarua sofas are virtually non-existent. This leather is top-quality and in this colour, suits the design perfectly. Black in this design is quite bold- this cognac coloured leather softens the design and creates a warm, earthy look (but still with a distinct designer edge).
The best used Pacific Green Furniture is being tightly held onto at the moment with good reason. (I haven’t had a Pacific Green piece for about over 6 months now.) In my opinion Pacific Green is the most exceptional furniture brand to ever emerge from Australia. The construction quality EXCEEDS virtually all furniture found in Australia including most Danish furniture, Parker, Tessa and most Coco Republic pieces.
Most designer items today are clinical and sterile-looking- this piece has an earthy tribal feel with a modern designer twist. I love the luxurious leather too- soft and beautiful to touch.
Pacific Green Furniture is HEAVY and incredibly well built- the whole sub-structure is solid steel. And to top it off our price here represents an outstanding investment- Pacific Green couldn’t even make this sofa for this price!
Information About Pacific Green
Pacific Green is not as obscure as I first imagined. Their business originated from the Post & Rail brand which started in Sydney in the 1970’s. The quality of Post & Rail is exceptional and all of the P & R pieces I’ve ever come across on the secondary market are solid and strong 45 or so years on. Post & Rail grew into an international brand and in the late 1980’s they did the unthinkable. With a highly successful brand they changed tack completely. With the world’s new concern with deforestation and ecological threats, Post & Rail closed and re-branded as Pacific Green Furniture. Pacific Green searched the world for a sustainable quality timber for their future furniture production- the solution? Coconut wood. In the South Pacific, they found vast abandoned plantations of coconut palm trees, which were commercially planted in the early-1900’s but had reached the end of productive fruiting. The best part? Coconut wood is more resilient than virtually any timber- it thrives in areas battered by tropical cyclones.
After I’d found out that I not only did I wanted that suite in a second, I wanted to start stocking new Pacific Green furniture in iNVISeDGE (which would be a first for us because we only sell used furniture). But there’s more. Pacific Green set a benchmark for modern, sustainable business in the Pacific. In the late-1980’s land was leased, not bought, to respect indigenous ownership. Their factory was built in consultation with the surrounding villages and employed only local people. Business and skills-training programmes were established. The majority of the business is owned by Fijians- the drive and designing arm still happens here in Australia.
Pacific Green today has grown from that little furniture-making firm that started in the Rocks, Sydney back in 1973 (as Post & Rail). I am inspired and heartened that they changed tack back in the late 1980’s when ecological threats were barely discussed. I can write nothing critical about this suite or Pacific Green- if I wasn’t busy with iNVISeDGE I’d want a job with them.
The best thing about Pacific Green is the inspiration it evokes- Pacific Green ticks every box and proves that businesses can be successful, ecologically responsible and socially-aware. This suite is already 17 years old, in full original condition, so it’s very obvious it has been built to last. It will certainly continue to tell stories for generations to come- just like Post & Rail furniture already has. Mark my words, Pacific Green Furniture will become the antiques of tomorrow. There’s no better way to invest in your home, reduce landfill and your carbon footprint. Plus by buying here you’re supporting iNVISeDGE, a small Australian business.
2010 Gallery-2011
