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Two classic designs show no signs of wear, writes Colin Bisset.
There are some pieces of furniture that are design classics because they reflect the radical shift from one design movement to another, such as the Modernist chrome-and-leather creations of Eileen Gray and Marcel Breuer.
There are others that are classic because they cannot be bettered. Their simplicity of design often makes them cheap to manufacture and therefore cheap to copy, which perpetuates their classic status.
The BIC pen is an example of this, the Peugeot pepper grinder is another. In the world of interior design, there are some commonplace pieces that have a fascinating history and are, in their own quiet way, nothing less than contemporary antiques.
Conceived in Austria by Michael Thonet and patented in the 1850s, the original bentwood chair has become such a staple for everything from Parisian-style cafes to village halls that we tend to overlook its spectacularly rich history. This is truly one of the design greats. Its sinuous lines predate the Art Nouveau movement by some 40 years while its design simplicity and use of minimal components herald the form-follows-function argument of the early years of the 20th century.
Even its use of 18th century ship-building technology, where lengths of timber were held in shaped braces and then steamed to leave a perfect curve when the brace was removed, is redolent of the cross-over technologies that we are so familiar with today.
After garnering awards in the 1851 and 1859 World Fairs, the chair’s cheapness and practicality meant it was rapidly taken up by hotels, exhibitors and restaurants. They crop up in Impressionist paintings, were adored by Le Corbusier, who used them to furnish his cutting-edge apartments in the 1920s, went through a revival in the 1970s in brazen colours, and remain in production to this day. How classic can you get? At around $215 a chair they’re not too expensive, and bring a timeless style to any room.
Another style with its roots in the nineteenth century is furniture made using Lloyd Loom. Patented in the 1910s by Marshall Burns Lloyd after decades of trial and error, this is a weave made from paper wrapped around wire and then interwoven on a loom to create an incredibly sturdy material. This is attached to a chair, table or sofa frame and painted.
As it looks like woven rattan, you expect it to creak, tilt or rot over time but these chairs are virtually indestructible. I know chairs that have been used regularly since the 1920s and they are just as strong and comfortable as they must have been when new. Designs tend towards an airy conservatory style. Their lightness made them popular on the transatlantic airships of the 1930s.
They make me think of early Hollywood glamour – very Cary Grant in his ‘bachelor’ days. Like the Thonet chair, this is the sort of furniture in that you invest. Not only are they robust but they have a style that
compliments traditional and contemporary interiors.
www.thonet.com.au
www.cotswoldfurniture.com.au
www.lllc.com.au
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