1920s Newly Upholstered Verdigris Velvet Club Chair

Description

These sumptuous chairs were ubiquitous for several decades during the late Art Nouveau and Art Deco period. Why? First of … more These sumptuous chairs were ubiquitous for several decades during the late Art Nouveau and Art Deco period. Why? First of all, they are exceedingly comfortable. Second, their simple but elegant lines allow them to work well with a variety of design schemes. Sadly, they just weren't simple enough when Mid-Century Modern arrived on the scene. Since that time, many of these wonderful chairs have ended up in America's landfills. (Gasp!) Well, they were solidly built to last forever - that meant heavy to move for your vacuum or broom (nobody had sliders then and they hadn't imagined the Roomba) and they were tres cher to reupholster. However, these days, we simply can't find enough of them. After all, who makes a a sumptuous chair these days -- one that is comfortable and built like a battleship? Well, practically nobody. We found this one at an auction -- found it and fought over it. The lovely carved apron gave away the age of the chair with some art nouveau overtones. The wood in the apron and legs was in great shape. The cushion and upholstery? Not so much! We found an elegant velvet that is very difficult to photograph, but very easy to mix with other colors. If a green can be neutral, this is an absolutely neutral green. I've called it a verdigris. (Velvet has a tendency to absorb light when you photograph it, and this color has proven especially problematic.) Other designers who have seen this material have called it a pale teal or a pale sage. In some light conditions (low lighting) it looks like a shade of gray. We must have taken dozens of pictures to try to capture the real color. But then there's the factor that computer monitors will change the colors anyway. So just trust me: it's a light verdigris! You can rename the color to anything you like after you buy the chair. The chair measures 34 inches wide and 33 inches deep. It is 30 inches high at the crest and the seat is 18 inches high. We've tried pillows with in in many, many different colors. We really haven't yet found a color that didn't look good with it. I personally like reds, maroons, and burgundies. My BFF designer friend likes her blues with it. But there was nothing we found that really didn't work -- per our estimation, anyway. less