Description
Sorry SOLD in 2024 for a great result (for our vendor). Price undisclosed… No longer spoon-feeding all the wannabe dealers out there- sorry.
The price of $2,500 is for the 3-seater sled based sofa only. Keep reading if you have interest in the other pieces. The condition of all of these pieces is brilliant considering this suite is about 45 years old.
LOCATION- being sold under consignment by a private seller located in Noarlunga Centre, ADELAIDE. Delivery Australia-wide is possible for a very reasonable additional fee. APPROX $280 to freight the sofa only to Melbourne as an example (via a specialist furniture carrier).
Full Retail Price NEW of this Full Suite from Tessa (now defunct) in FULL-GRAIN LEATHER- approx AU $17,000! The sled-based sofas are not easy to get and much nicer than the other ones. This suite was made in the late-1970’s.
If you have interest in this full suite come forward quickly as we will be entertaining offers for parts of the suite. We would consider selling the pair of chairs for offers over $1,750 PER CHAIR ($3,500 the pair). We would consider selling the footstool for offers over $. So an offer of over $ would have to be made for us to consider selling this full rare suite. We have not had a full Tessa Delmont lounge suite like this since 2020. Full suites rarely come up. This is one of the most desirable lounge suites ever made in Australia.
IMPORTANT NOTE- This suite is in the ORIGINAL FULL-GRAIN leather (from the late-1970’s). Top-Grain Leather is heavily processed and inferior. DON’T be deceived! FULL-GRAIN leather is the ONLY leather where the FULL-hide has been retained and has had very little processing. Top-Grain leather is the TOP-GRAIN only- all the underside has been split off (to make those really cheap, nasty leathers) the TOP ONLY is left. Top-Grain leather is the thin modern-day CHEAP alternative that first came into existence when Chinese furniture started taking over the Australian market (around the 1990’s). TOP-GRAIN leather is susceptible to splits, rips, deep cracks and splitting at the seams. If you see leather on used leather furniture that has ripped it’s virtually always TOP-GRAIN leather- it’s worth LESS than HALF the price of full-grain leather like this.)
Background Info and Provenance
This is arguably the best leather sofa to ever come out of Australia. The Contour range by Grant Featherston is probably the most collectable in terms of dollar-value, but this design, the Tessa T21 Delmont sofa with sled base is a MUCH stronger investment. These sofas were being retailed new by Tessa in 2019 for $6,200 (in FULL-GRAIN leather like this one). At this price I have no doubt that this piece will retain its value at least whilst you get to enjoy having it and using it your home. Some sofas are too “”precious” to actually use (particularly if you have kids!). This design in FULL-GRAIN leather is not only beautiful but a practical investment- these sofas have been built to last and the FULL-GRAIN VINTAGE leather on this suite (from the late-1970’s) is the toughest leather money can buy.
The value of Tessa T21 (and Tessa Delmont) furniture sky-rocketed during COVID lockdowns- the popularity has increased (and very noticeably) since the last Delmont suite I sold (back in March 2020 just before our first lockdown). The reason for everyone wanting this Tessa furniture is simple- it is some of the MOST COMFORTABLE lounge furniture you’ll ever find- it has the right level of plushness and GREAT seating support. Notice the angle of the seat here- it slants back to hold you in the best possible seating position. This angle back is MUCH more expensive to build (they did it this way because it’s the very best way to make a sofa). You’ll also notice the higher back on Tessa T21 designs. This gives your back and neck additional support making it much more comfortable than virtually all modern sofas that are nearly always LOW-LINE (with a LOW back). What I love so much about this particular design is that the high-back works from a visual perspective as well. Normally a high-back in a sofa ruins the proportions of the piece and looks wrong- “clunky” and awkward. This piece is STUNNING- it just works- the sled-base helps create a minimalist look but the timber frame adds some boldness so the proportions still all look right (even though the back is unusually high.)
This design is technically not the T21 design but the Delmont. The Delmont design is less known only because there are so few around. After 20-years in this business, I’ve had Tessa Delmont furniture a handful of times and this is the second Delmont sled-based sofa I’ve ever seen in the flesh. The only real difference I can see between the Tessa Delmont and the T21 is a refinement on the T21 design. The exposed timber runs up the entire side of the chair creating a classier look, the cushions have been streamlined and the armrest protectors have been markedly improved. I don’t like the armrest protectors on the T21 design and in fact, them off whenever I can.
After a 50-year stint in the Australian Marketplace, making virtually ALL their furniture in AUSTRALIA, Tessa Furniture died late in 2019. It’s a sorry state of affairs when an Australian business can no longer do what they do so well because of cheap imports destined to end up as landfill. And this is the very reason why Tessa eventually died. Their designs are so well-made that the second-hand market for Tessa pieces ended up becoming more sought-after than new Tessa Furniture. And who can blame people going straight to the second-hand market for designs such as these? The QUALITY of this suite is so exceptional that second-hand suites often still look close to new after 20, 30, 40, even 50 years of use. In this listing you’re getting a sofa that has been used and loved (but presents incredibly well for its age) BUT this is not much more than ONE THIRD the price this design retailed for back in 2019! The investment appeal here should be obvious to anyone with half a brain!
Today in 2024, I believe that Tessa T21 Delmont lounge suites, with the sled-based sofa, are the best investment in the furniture marketplace. EVERYONE seems to want Tessa furniture at the moment- these suites are NO LONGER in production so more people will hang onto theirs for a lifetime of enjoyment- therefore less and less will be coming onto the secondary market.
This suite is as good as you can get. You have to be careful buying Tessa Furniture. Tessa went through a stage (I believe from about 2000 to about 2015) when cheaper leathers were used. I recently saw a second-hand Tessa T21 chair being sold online upholstered with cheaper leather. The back-headrest leather had completely cracked through and a seat-seam had totally ripped apart- significant cracking and rips will be inevitable if you buy Tessa furniture in a cheaper leather. Some of these cheaper “leathers” can disintegrate completely within 10 years. This suite is upholstered in VINTAGE, quality FULL-GRAIN leather (it’s likely to be Howe Leather- a premium Australian leather). FULL-GRAIN leather is infinitely better in quality compared to TOP-GRAIN leathers. FULL-GRAIN leather is the FULL LEATHER HIDE- it is THICK and has been processed a LOT LESS. If you clean this furniture after heavy use and condition it 3 or 4 times each year full-grain leather usually lasts 50 years (but often much longer- I’ve sold many leather lounge suites over the years that were 60 years old and had nothing wrong with the leather at all). Pigmented FULL-GRAIN leather (like this) is the best leather you can buy and the most durable. TOP-GRAIN leather is NOT the best leather you can buy- it can’t (and never will) last as long as full-grain leather.
This lounge suite is about 45 years old and has certainly been used, but look at it! There are very few signs of use- it presents amazingly well! No guessing the quality on offer here. After much of the world’s furniture ends up as landfill, this suite will be passed onto another user and eventually a whole new generation. Now that no Tessa Furniture is made anymore, I can’t see any reason why this design (made in AUSTRALIA) won’t slowly increase to the value they were selling for new (ie. $17,000 for the full suite in full-grain leather). There’s no better way I can think of to invest in your home, the future of our environment and our local community.
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