Description
Provenance and Background Info
(Written in 2014. This pair sold within days for $1150 and went into a real estate office in Melbourne (from Brisbane). I’ve written in the description that this pair should only increase in value as you get to use them- I would have priced this exact pair at around $1350 in 2018. UPDATE 2021- value in iNVISeDGE of this exact same pair now- AROUND $1550 the pair.)
A PAIR of feature chairs by Eero Aarnio for Framac Australia in the late 1970’s. This particular pair were probably produced in the early 1980’s. Aarnio’s designs were an important aspect of 1960s popular culture and are often seen in science-fiction films. Most of his designs have been copied to the death so are readily recognizable by almost anybody (such as the Ball chair). The exception however is this design. This belongs to the Silver Collection and the production rights were bought by Mobel Italia in the 70’s in Italy. Mobel Italia apparently went bust soon after releasing the design so these pieces are virtually impossible to find in Europe. How the Silver Collection came to land in Australia is anyone’s guess but they’re near impossible to find on a worldwide platform (and in Australia they come up rarely). The pieces on offer have the original EERO AARNIO LABEL from the late 1970’s.
What I love most about this design is the superior quality of the construction. I’ve stocked a few of these armchairs over the last 13 years and all of them have been structurally perfect. For 30-40 year old chairs, often used in commercial waiting rooms, this is a great commendation for the design. They’re solid heavy chairs- the metal is high quality, as is the inner foam as well as the upholstery fabrics Framac used. The chairs on offer here have a whole new life waiting for them.
These Eero Aarnio pieces are a great investment- there’s a high demand for them and if they’re looked after these pieces shouldn’t lose any value in the future while you get to use them. You won’t get that buying from virtually anywhere else. The other advantage is that these are rare vintage pieces so they’ll add a creative original spark to your space. I re-upholstered a pair of these in white leather back in 2006- they looked stunning and sold for $1900 within days of being listed on ebay.
This ensemble came out of a lawyer’s waiting room in Melbourne. It’s amazing that these pieces are over 30 years old and in FULL ORIGINAL condition. The upholstery looks like 100% pure wool to me. Wool is easy to keep clean and looking good over the years as it repels dirt and stains. This fabric looks grey from a distance away but it’s actually white (greyish) with blue stripes. (The grey effect seems to be more pronounced in these photos compared to what the chairs are like in person- they have a blue tinge which varies in intensity depending on how far away you are from the chairs.) This fabric is a great modernist choice that would nestle in well with any minimalist creative space from an office through to a modern apartment. These are very comfortable chairs so they’d also be perfect as accent chairs beside a minimalist sofa in anyone’s lounge room.
These chairs are about 30 years old and in stunning condition. This furniture has been made to last and tell stories for generations to come. After much of the cheap “designer” furniture of today has ended up as landfill, these chairs will be passed onto yet another owner. If you decide to invest in these chairs and need a change years down the track approach me I’d be happy to stock them again.
1903 ?
