$895.00

This listing price of $770 is for ONE Tessa T8 chair but we have 3 chairs that push together to form a 3-seater sofa. The armchair with both arms is $895. NOW ALL SOLD! This suite SOLD under consignment by a private seller in Fulham, ADELAIDE. Go to our CONTACT section if you have interest in buying or selling a similar suite.

 

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Description

The single-seater armchair with both arms SOLD for $895. (I’d say this chair or similar retailed new from Tessa Furniture for about $3,000 when Tessa closed its doors in 2019.) Brilliant condition! Great investment! 

The 3-piece sofa suite SOLD to a Sydney buyer for $2,310 (the piece with the right-hand arm, the piece with the left-hand arm and the piece with no arms)- all pieces were in brilliant condition.

This Tessa T8 furniture SOLD UNDER CONSIGNMENT by a private seller in Fulham, ADELAIDE. Can be sent by furniture freight Australia-wide for a reasonable additional price. (Approx. $250 to get these 3 chair-pieces to MELBOURNE.)

Background Info and Provenance

(Written in 2021 but updated in 2024)

Fred Lowen designed the T8 range of lounge furniture for Tessa in 1976. It was based on the Norwegian designs of the 1960’s and 70’s, with gorgeous minimalist curves, and rich full-grain leather. These chairs are almost 50 years old and are just incredible! No guessing the quality on offer here (especially the leather). These pieces present brilliantly despite almost 50 years of use! (This suite was purchased in David Jones in Adelaide in the late-1970’s. The blue LEATHER CARE label substantiates the age- this label was used only on Tessa Furniture produced in the late-1970’s and into the early-1980’s.) This is a reluctant sale for my vendors- the suite holds a lot of sentimental memories but they have since downsized and it’s ready to be used and loved by the next generation.

These AUSTRALIAN-made chairs were made for comfort- great angles, great support, great height in the back and a nice amount of plushness. This leaves durability and investment appeal. Research Tessa Furniture on-line for a few minutes and you’ll see that Tessa developed its formidable reputation because of top-quality construction. As to the investment appeal of these chairs, VINTAGE Tessa full-grain leather suites are becoming highly contested- prices rose considerably due to the recent demand for quality, long-lasting, COMFORTABLE and super-stylish furniture during COVID-lockdowns.

The other thing this particular suite has going for it is practicality. Because it separates into 4 separate pieces you’ll always find the perfect place for it. My vendors have had this suite in 5 different homes and had it set-up differently in all 5. Plus the suite has been incredibly well looked after- it’s pretty unbelievable considering it’s about 50 years old. When I first saw it, I thought it was a newer Tessa production- it looked less than 10 years old to my trained eye! (But it’s definitely a vintage production- my vendors purchased it in the late-1970’s.) The design of these separate pieces has been incredibly well done- your body weight rests in the centre of the chair and close to the floor as well- this means that the individual pieces don’t move whilst you’re sitting down. They ordinarily stay together extremely well.

After a 50-year stint in the Australian Marketplace, making virtually ALL their furniture in AUSTRALIA, Tessa Furniture closed their doors 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 vintage second-hand Tessa pieces (like these 50-year-old chairs) 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 this? The QUALITY of this design is so exceptional that second-hand Tessa chairs (in quality upholstery / leather) often look close to new after 20, 30, 40 years and even 50 years of use.

This is FULL-GRAIN vintage leather ie. the real deal. After the mid-1990’s until they closed in 2019, Tessa sometimes used inferior TOP-GRAIN leather. Top-Grain leather is NOT top-grade leather- it’s the inferior THIN modern-day leather that deteriorates within 10-20 years (much of today’s leather furniture is Top-Grain).

After much of the world’s furniture ends up as landfill, these chairs will be passed onto the next generation. This is why we do what we do- our goal is to provide options for buyers wanting to make a positive impact with every purchasing decision. ALL VINTAGE Tessa pieces are sustainable, they make a positive economic impact, there’s very little environmental impact when you invest in any vintage piece, plus these chairs were MADE IN AUSTRALIA. (After around 2015 several Tessa designs were made in China).

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These chairs and in fact the full suite is in incredible original condition for pieces that are almost 50 years old! There are no signs of use that are noticed ... except for the canvas backs. One back is a little more faded than the others and one back also has some small marks on it (see the photos). Employ the Magnifying Tool to get close and personal with this suite. Click on the Magnifying Glass- then when the image is enlarged, click on the image again to super-size it. Vintage T8 furniture is particularly strong and durable. This entire suite has been kept cleaned and conditioned over the years and is looking fantastic. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The leather has NO holes, NO noticeable wear, NO marks, NO stains, NO cracks into the leather, NO smells. The leather is still soft and supple. The cushioning is all in excellent condition- Tessa used top-quality cushioning that lasts several generations. The cushioning is all plush and comfortable. These cushions are supportive as well. The canvas backs are all intact with no rips or tears. As with nearly all of the T8 suites, the elastic which attaches the cushion to the frame has stretched slightly, but it is intact and does not affect usage at all. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Overall, these chairs present very well and will last the long-haul. The colour is best described as a rich dark-chocolate. It is close to black but not quite. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Measurements: For the chair with both arms. 74cm across, 85cm depth, 86cm high.
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