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Barcelona chair replica

Fuuma

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Originally Posted by BrettChaotix
I bought a Barcelona knockoff and wish I hadn't. The chair was fine at first but the devil is in the details and after a while the poor construction started to show... buttons came loose, stitching began to break, etc...

I'm another vote for waiting until you've got the money saved to buy the real deal.


Let's not get too carried away, I'm not very knowledgeable about repros but the "originals" aren't masterpieces of construction either (people are waaaay off in their evaluation of high-end furniture construction, it's well made and slightly more durable but nothing amazing, details usually look great though). I'm sure some repros are at the same level. But knowing which are must be a difficult task and the price of a "good repro" is probably quite high.

In other words your Capellini sofa will also get fucked, some cushions will get crushed at overused pressure points and fabric will degenerate. It just looks nice and is slightly more durable.
 

allreds

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I've got a Barcelona repro and love it. The California-based seller I got it from is no longer registered on ebay, but had a business for about 2 years selling high-quality Chinese knock-offs. It was nice, because I could see from her feedback that buyers were happy.

Look for a stainless frame. You won't get that from Knoll. Instead, you'll get chrome that will pit over time.

BTW, they're quite comfortable when you have the ottoman as well.
 

gdl203

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Originally Posted by Fuuma
Let's not get too carried away, I'm not very knowledgeable about repros but the "originals" aren't masterpieces of construction either (people are waaaay off in their evaluation of high-end furniture construction, it's well made and slightly more durable but nothing amazing, details usually look great though). I'm sure some repros are at the same level. But knowing which are must be a difficult task and the price of a "good repro" is probably quite high.

In other words your Capellini sofa will also get fucked, some cushions will get crushed at overused pressure points and fabric will degenerate. It just looks nice and is slightly more durable.


Completely agree with this.
 

A Y

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Knoll in particular doesn't have great construction quality. Some of the Italians do, however, and fully justify their price, IMO.

--Andre
 

Fuuma

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Originally Posted by gdl203
Completely agree with this.

On that topic I saw some recent Chinese white lacquered furniture, a niche which used to be Italian or bust and I honestly can't see the difference in quality (of the lacquering that is), it was applied to cheaper wood and not as well made/finished but this can be easily improved on.
 

haganah

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Originally Posted by Fuuma
On that topic I saw some recent Chinese white lacquered furniture, a niche which used to be Italian or bust and I honestly can't see the difference in quality (of the lacquering that is), it was applied to cheaper wood and not as well made/finished but this can be easily improved on.

I agree with a lot of what you said but the one area that absolutely is not comparable is leather quality. For certain items that doesn't matter, but for others - ugh.

And for the OP, there are stores in NY called White on White that I pass all the time. I know of one for sure on the lower east side. I don't know if they have this chair, but i am willing to bet they do given how so many people love the idea of filling their apartments with cold, uncomfortable, office lobby furniture because you know, everyone needs to copy a DWR catalog.
 

gdl203

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White on White doesn't have a Barcelona. They do have some great chairs though - not all of them replicas btw
 

gomestar

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for quality replicas, I'd put my money on Room and Board's version. Still not cheap but a big discount over Knoll's. Made in Italy, too.
 

Girardian

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I have the Barcelona and Ottoman from DWR before DWR sold only Knoll authorized products.

I do not know who made the Barcelona I own but: it was made in Italy, is *very* well made, has excellent leather, and I am hard pressed to see a difference between the chair I own and the Knoll version.

Granted, the DWR version was not inexpensive when purchased. But it shows there are decent iterations available.

This is a sensitive topic with Knoll and DWR both, but I'd call DWR and find someone who had been there long enough to tell you who made their prior chairs.
 

dave

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I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's no reason to skimp on furniture purchases. If you want a Barcelona, get one. don't buy a knockoff. People here spend 2k on a pair of shoes and 3k on a suit, then flip out because they have to spend 3-5k on a chair. it's ridiculous.

Save your cash and buy when you can afford it. otherwise, make do with something else until you can buy what you really want. Furniture like this will last you a lifetime, it should not be cheap.

buying repros is the same as buying a fake rolex or putting an M badge on your little 318 Bimmer. it's not the real thing and every time you look at it (because NO one will sit in a barcelona) you'll know it.

call it what you want, at the end of the day it's a fake.
 

gdl203

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Originally Posted by mandylee216
"You get what you pay for"
Exactly and I think everyone is fairly aware of this here. Sometimes and for some things, one wants to pay more and get more. Sometimes, one wants to pay less and get less. Everyone has different priorities. Furthermore, not all furniture replicas are "fake" - some designs and patents are expired and can be manufactured by anyone who feels like they can do a good job at it. The names and brands are proprietary but the designs are progressively falling into the public domain. When exactly does a design become a classic so that it is not considered as a "fake" - what about a classic shaker chair, a Louis XV style chair?
 

designprofessor

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We have repro Barcelona in our office, and mine comes from the same order. Don't remember the manufacturer-but they came in from Italy. Don't have the pockets for the"real" deal. On our chairs, the proportions look fine, and the metal work is quite good. These things have endured all kinds of abuse -students usually lounge on these two at a time. they are still in top shape. the leather and buttoning have held up as well -so yes, it's a knock off -but I would have bought more had I known then that they would be up to this quality /durability.
 

lefty

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Originally Posted by Augusto86
I've seen this come up before, and I have to ask...are these things actually comfortable at all?

No.

Originally Posted by Fuuma
No, they're made for lobbies not to curl in reading a book.

Yes.

This is the most uncomfortable chair I've ever sat upon. 20 minutes tops and you'll be squirming and shifting your weight. My BIL has a vintage pair that he reconditioned and I love watching him crawl all over the thing trying to get comfortable. I believe that was deliberate design feature as they are meant to be a temporary seat.

lefty
 

mlyngard

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Originally Posted by Le Samourai
Frankly i cant afford to spend 5k on an knoll version or a vintage piece. Any decent reproductions around for smalltimers? Advice/recommendations welcome. Btw im in the U.K. Thanks.

Having sold the barcelona chair for years, and having seen every knockoff I think exists, I'll back-up the other advice about saving for the real thing. That and anything Eames, especially the plywood/aluminum group/leather lounge. It's like buying a fake Tag watch. But in this case, you really get what you pay for.

You can ask Mark (co-owner) at www.olc152.com - my old showroom. He knows the chair intimately. Or even better, you can ask Michael at www.modemoderne.com. Those guys know everything about it inside and out, and are happy to dish.

There are significant reasons why the real Barcelona is priced the way it is, including hand-tufted buttons and hand-stitched seams, to a polished stainless steel barstock base (vs. chromed), and a dozen other details. This doesn't include the leather quality and how it ages. It's a very labor-intensive chair to make, even the fakes.

Good luck.
 

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