Description

RETAIL NEW FROM PACIFIC GREEN- $7200 for 6 chairs (in 2018). Pacific Green has been hit with price increases like everyone- I’d say that today, 5 YEARS LATER, these chairs would cost more than $7200 for 6 from Pacific Green. Pacific Green used to provide their prices online- today I’d say their prices are just so high they can no longer do this from a strategy perspective. Our set of 6 (in the final 12+ photos in 2023) are priced at $1400 for ALL 6 CHAIRS. These are vintage chairs MADE IN FIJI about 25 YEARS AGO (many of the new ones now- 2023- are made in China). These are an early production as shown by the exposed steel structure on the backs.

PRICE ESTIMATE FOR THIS SET OF 6 CHAIRS IN LIGHT-COGNAC COLOURED LEATHER- $1295 – $1500 for all 6. The Messina Pacific Green chairs shown in the first 5 photos were second-hand and about 10 years old. We sold those chairs for $1595 (for 6 chairs) back in 2017.

Background Info and Provenance 

An exceptional quality SET OF 6 (SIX) or 8 dining armchairs chairs by highly-awarded Australian company, Pacific Green. (The table is available separately.) Pacific Green is at the top in my eyes- they offer it all and have their own original style that others wouldn’t even try to emulate. This is the Messina design. Based on one of their earlier designs stocked by Harvey Norman about 25 years ago, this design has been modified and significantly improved to become the Messina which is a staple design still in production to this day. Because of the exceptional quality on offer this design retail new for around AU $7200 for SIX chairs and even more in America! These chairs FAR EXCEED the quality of other Australian greats such as Parker, Fler, TH Brown & Sons and even Tessa.

Most designer items today are clinical and sterile-looking- this design by Pacific Green has an earthy tribal feel with a modern designer edge. The design is not over-the-top but still noticed. I love the quality of these the most- the construction and attention to detail is exceptional. The chairs are heavy- though interestingly because they’re all hand-made the weights of each chair vary a decent bit. This suite has been built to last- the frames should last forever … not just a lifetime …. forever. The whole sub-structure is solid steel- the joint areas are all incredibly well-supported and strong. These chairs will hold up to heavy use making it an ideal investment if you have children- these would also stand up well in a commercial situation.

The photos should be enough to show anyone that these chairs are very comfortable- in fact I’m going to say they’re probably the most comfortable dining chairs I’ve had ever. High backs, beautiful padding and support and the exact right angles.

PACIFIC GREEN- AN AMAZING AUSTRALIAN BRAND

Pacific Green is not as obscure as I first imagined it might be. The business originated from the Post & Rail brand which started in Sydney in the 1970’s. I’ve stocked Post & Rail furniture before and would stock the right designs again (the quality of P & R is exceptional). 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. 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-1900s 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 want the suite I’d found, 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 is still Australian- the designing arm happens.

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 they changed tack back in the late 80’s when ecological threats were barely thought of. I can write nothing critical about this dining 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. These chairs have been built to last and will continue to tell stories long after you and I are gone- just like Post & Rail furniture has already done. There’s no better way to invest in your home and reduce your carbon footprint.

NOTE- See note above about what’s available. Rectangular table and 6 or 8 chairs. 3 Pacific Green barstools are also available SEPARATELY.

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