FULL 5-piece suite SOLD in the first day of being listed in our NEWLY LISTED category! (2020)
Price is OFFERS OVER $1695 is for the PAIR of armchairs ONLY. In vintage condition (the finish is worn but structurally all pieces are great)- it’s the pair of chairs with the splashes of grey, salmon and beige on the covers. There is a 2-seater sectional sofa plus a armless chair section that goes with this suite as well (priced SEPARATELY). Enquire if you have interest in this full suite- SORRY 3 PEOPLE ENDED UP WANTING THIS SUITE IN THE FIRST DAY IT WAS LISTED and they all fought for it.
THERE ARE MORE PHOTOS OF THE TWO-SEATER SOFA. THESE PHOTOS WILL BE PUT INTO THIS LISTING SOON … for those people who have already spoken to me about this suite. (The 2-seater is priced SEPARATELY!)
This suite is being sold from our client’s home in CAULFIELD, Melbourne. Our commission fee for selling this particular item is 21% (I travelled to this client’s home and photographed this suite myself so the commission fee was slightly higher for this one). OUR COMMISSION FEE IS INCLUDED IN THE LISTED PRICE.
3 photos (the ones with light-blue covers) are display photos of a similar suite we sold back in 2018 (for significantly MORE than this!)
Background Info and Provenance
(I’ve sold a few of these of these suites now- the description below was predominantly written in 2018)
A VINTAGE PAIR of 5-strand cane pretzel chairs. (Listing price is for TWO ARMCHAIRS.) This type of design in the classic Paul Frankl style and with more than 3 strands is very hard to get. This is the first suite like this I’ve had with 5 strands for about 18 months now (in 19 years of trading I’ve only ever sold a handful of these- it’s not easy to get the 5-strand ones). I love the curves, the geometric styling and that this suite has a distinct designer edge but is still warm and earthy in looks. A lot of designer furniture these days can look clinical and sterile looking- these chairs are the complete opposite.
To me these are the epitome of intelligent design. They have TIMELESS good looks- Frankl came out with chairs (in this “Speed” style) back in the 1940’s. Derivatives of the design have been done ever since. They even started making them again a couple of years back. This pair is from the 1960’s. I did an extensive search before listing these- I could find no 5-strand pieces for sale on eBay or Gumtree in Australia at the moment (Dec 2020) and in fact worldwide (in this classic Frankl style- there are other cane chairs around but none like this.) The only others remotely similar were on 1stdibs in America. Most were about AU $8500 (for a pair of chairs)- there were certainly pairs for MUCH more than that too. (I’ve included a screen-shot from 1stdibs but do your own research.)
Looks aside these chairs get a tick for every other box- they’re so intelligent in design. Bamboo can’t dent noticeably or anything like that- I’ve never seen bamboo chairs broken- these frames should look like this forever. The finish looks tired but that’s easy to fix. (Use a strong wood cleaner with steel wool to clean these back and get the finish more consistent- I can sell you some of the product I recommend if you don’t know what to use. To top it off, these are loose cushions sitting on the frame. The cushions can be flipped over if one side gets dirty or unzipped and machine-washed at any time (use the gentle cycle). (Just put the covers back on whilst still damp to prevent shrinkage). Re-upholstery of these is the cheapest possible upholstery job- just take your fabric with the old covers to anyone with a sewing machine. It’s not a difficult job and certainly not costly. You’ll have a whole new lounge (or look) for a minimal cost. They’re perfect in an Airbnb place or if you have young children.
I like the comfort of these chairs too. The angles are great allowing full relaxation of your back- the body is well-supported in these. The current cushions are comfortable and hold your body in a comfortable sitting position- if you want more plushness simply put a square cushion behind your back. I’ve also had some customers buy these and replace the back cushions with a blend of feather and fibre-fill for luxurious softness.
This is the epitome of a solid investment in furniture. The design has lost no value over 60+ years and the quality of the workmanship is irrefutable- just look at these chairs after about 50 years of use! (This is 2nd generation upholstery.) There’s no better financial investment for your home and no better way to reduce landfill- this suite will continue to tell stories long after you and I have gone!
(NOTE- We also have a matching 2-seater sofa in this design that came out of the same house. That listing will appear in the NEWLY LISTED Category soon.)
18?? and 2012
