Description
Background Info and Provenance
(This description was written back in 2014. This sofa sold for $1295.)
Background Info and Provenance
A 3-seater DESIGNER lounge / sofa. This piece was HAND-BUILT in South Africa in the late 1950’s. This piece has a fascinating design that captured my attention immediately but then when I sat in it- I was sold. The angles of this piece are conducive to comfort- the comfort is ideal for socialising on. I’ve never seen this design before but the leanness of the styling and the sweeping lines pay homage to Danish furniture. I bought the suite from the original owners. It was passed onto one of the children in the family. The man I bought this from (great guy by the way) is in his 40’s and he recalls it being there his whole life. He remembers growing up with it in South Africa, how it came with the family to Melbourne and then when it was passed onto him as an adult. This transaction has showed me first-hand how good design is timeless. Trends may come and go but when you have something you love, what’s the point updating it? When this family moved to Australia in the 1980’s fashions had certainly changed but their lounge suite was so loved they shipped it half way across the world- (an expensive exercise back then.) We don’t need to subscribe to the throw-away mentality and this lounge symbolises how things can be if this is what we choose.
What was also interesting was watching this guy part with the suite- it was like he was losing his right arm. He really didn’t want to be parting with it but he’d just moved into an apartment overlooking the water and the suite was too big for his new space. This means that the legacy of it will be passed onto a new family. And with the next family it’s likely it could be passed onto their children yet again. You can pay $10 000+ for a designer sofa from SPACE Furniture and there’s nothing wrong with that. If you don’t have $10 000+ or simply want a smarter buy- these are a great option. It was difficult to price this- how do you put a $ value on an investment that has already proven itself to last a lifetime and is ready for another one?
This sofa is extremely well designed and built- look at it after 50 years. If you were to get something like this custom-made in Australia today the price tag would be about $3000+. Buying vintage furniture that has stood the test of time is one of the best ways to invest in your home and reduce your carbon footprint. If you decide to invest in this sofa and need to sell it in the future approach me, I’d be happy to see them again.
