Description

PRICED AT $5,295 EACH if you buy them as a pair. Our last vintage Featherston Contour R160 sold in 2019 for $6,000 + $280 for freight= $6,280 use our SEARCH box to find that listing.

LOCATION- being sold by an iNVISeDGE regular seller in ADELAIDE who’s been selling through iNVISeDGE for a few years now. These chairs can be transported Australia-wide for a reasonable fee. WE ARE OPERATING AS THE SELLER’S AGENT AND WILL ORGANISE THE FULL SALE ON THE SELLER’S BEHALF. The listed price INCLUDES our commission fee. We just sold our first 2 lots from this vendor- one was a full dining suite that was transported to MELBOURNE- the other was 6 dining chairs that went to Noosa- both travelled well via our preferred carrier with no dramas.

The listed price is PER chair. It’d be great if these stayed together (they’re irreplaceable as a pair … to be honest (in “retro” fabric and in this condition) they’re irreplaceable as a single chair as well. We understand that not many people have more than $10,000 to invest on chairs so we’re considering breaking up the pair. If you want the pair, get in quickly as we’ll be entertaining offers for each single chair as well.

Provenance and Background Info

An R160 Contour chair designed by Grant Featherston in Melbourne, Australia in 1951. This is perhaps the most iconic Australian furniture design ever which is why it was the first Australian design to be taken overseas in the hopes of reproducing it. The replicas happened all right but they can’t and never will come close to the originals. The originals were created by hand and the way the many pieces of the timber seat slot together to form the seat shell was not only ingenious but created a chair with stunning curves, a lean stylish silhouette and a seat-section that was virtually indestructible. The Chinese copies look nothing like this but all they do is solidify how marvellous the real R160 is- marvellous for something from the 1950’s but even more-so today because chairs are just not made like this anymore (and never will be again).

It’s the retro upholstery (in incredible condition) that excites me so much about this pair. This upholstery is neutral in tone (but still distinctly “retro”) and quite light in colour (almost “Scandinavian” in flavour) which means it’s the curvaceous shape of the frame (the “flow” of the design) that takes centre-stage here- not the fabric colour. A bold upholstery-colour on this design interferes with the flow but this upholstery marries with the shape perfectly. What’s so special about these chairs is that the upholstery is light in colour, it’s FABRIC (as opposed to vinyl) AND BOTH chairs are still in amazing condition. I’ve never seen a Featherston contour chair like this (in over 20 years of trading) and doubt I will again. The current owners invested in these chairs in the 1980’s and the chairs have virtually never been sat in since then. They sit proudly in their “good room” (which also has a 1950’s sofa in it)- they’ve probably been sat in a handful of times since the current owners acquired them in the 1980’s. It’s almost as if they’ve been put in a time-capsule that was opened only just recently. You won’t find a pair in retro FABRIC and in this condition for a long time … if ever again (they really should be in a museum).

Re-upholstery is never an option for these chairs. It’s a fabric choice you’d want in any space but the retro soft tweed fabric is also inviting to sit in AND still looks brilliant. The originals are almost 70 years old so should have a distinct vintage look. The value of the originals is completely dependent on the upholstery on the chairs. (Featherston originals re-upholstered after the 1980’s will never have the value of these. (None others I’ve come across in over 20 years of trading come close to having the investment appeal of this pair.)

I’m not going to continue rambling by going into how Grant Featherston is without a doubt the most celebrated furniture designer this country has seen and the rest. If you’ve read this far you already know that and if you don’t, Google “Vintage Featherston” or read the iconic book on Featherston written by Terence Lane, published by the National Gallery of Victoria in 1988. Featherston had reached icon stages by the time the current collectors acquired these chairs.

I have to end this quickly because it’s already too long but I need to add a couple of things, this is also one of the most comfortable chairs you could own. You will come to love and depend on the comfort of this special design. I loved the comfort of mine when I had it.

I also need to write about an important part of the story of this particular pair. The base of one chair is good for a Featherston contour chair of this age. The other one had a major base-repair in the early-1980’s. (The one with the repaired base has the original Featherston ink stamp from the 1950’s on it- the other one doesn’t). This means that the stamped one is valued at the same or possibly a bit more than the one without the stamp (even though the base of the other one is in better condition). I personally like the one with the repaired base. Some would say it has been “butchered” and yes I agree but I like the chair just the way it is. I honestly would NOT change this base. The repair is only noticeable when you get on the floor and peer closely at it- please get a life if you do such things! I like the repaired base because it tells another story about this chair and further adds to the history of this piece/pair. Featherston contour chairs are notorious for the poor structure of the bases- the seat section / seat-shells are extremely solid and durable but the same can’t be said for the bases. This one was broken by the people who owned it PRIOR TO the current owners. When that chair-base was broken, the previous owners took both chairs to get restored.

The bases of both chairs were restored by a paid professional. Some people would say that a professional would never do something like this. I would say the opposite. I’ve come across a few “professionals” whilst in this business who have no idea what they’re doing. You also have to remember that the repair was done in the 1980’s. The repair strengthens the base and makes the base more solid than it ever was. Back in the 1980’s, these chairs had not reached the status they have today (in the 1970’s and 80’s they were basically considered the same as any second-hand chair). A professional in the 1980’s (and in fact no-one) could have had any concept of how iconic these chairs would become in years to come. A repair like this in the 1980’s is exactly what you’d expect, it does the job well PLUS it adds to the strength of the base AND in my eyes, the repair adds historical value to this chair as well. It shows a part of the history of this design- an era when this design did not enjoy the collectability it does today. Some people will disagree me and say I’m idiot for saying such a thing but I personally like the base as it is and if I owned this chair, I would certainly keep it as is- it adds to the character (and “story” of this AUTHENTIC vintage piece). (You could obviously get the base repaired by a professional of today if that’s your taste but it’s not noticed when the chair is on display- unless you crouch down low to floor- and this current repair strengthens the base extremely well so I don’t think changing it would increase the value of the piece at all.)

When the bases of both chairs were restored, some upholstery-seams were strengthened. This is not noticeable at all. The restorer added a line of staples to some upholstery seams. They’re not noticeable- you only see them if you’re inspecting the chairs VERY VERY VERY closely. The current owners had the chairs almost 40 years and never noticed this. I only did because it’s my job to inspect the items I sell as closely as anyone could. This does not affect the value of the chairs at all and in my eyes only strengthens the investment appeal. BOTH chairs are ready to be used and enjoyed and will stand up very well to normal use. (Dust-covers under the chairs were also added in the 1980’s when the bases were restored.) This retro upholstery is VERY hardy (it’s almost impossible to kill)- you’d have to abuse these chairs for anything to go wrong with them in the future. They can certainly be used and enjoyed. Obviously as the next custodian you have a responsibility to make sure they’re passed onto the next generation showing only love and use (and NO abuse).

The chairs on offer here are a great investment because they can be used and enjoyed whilst they become even more valuable. The production of most modern furniture has little or no regard for our environment and the people used to produce it (who are the equivalent of modern-day “slaves”). The majority of furniture today is made to end up as landfill (as crazy as that sounds)- and most discarded furniture of today will never break down in landfill either. This 1950’s vintage pair of chairs has not only survived about 70 years, they’ve thrived and I see no reason why they won’t last another 70 years. Investing in quality vintage items is a great way to go- there are very few (no?) better ways to invest in your home and our environment.

2003