Cool furniture, design objects and desiderata

[sugarbutch]

I said fashion and decor made in Italy. I never liked Italian cars with the exception of some vintage Ferraris. But even those don't compare favorably with the beauty of some English cars or the marvels of German engineering.

I know what you said, man. Come on. I can't poke a little fun at la Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino? Don't do me like that.

 

[imatlas]

I mean, FIAT does a lot to undermine your point about Italian manufacturing excellence...

Are they any better now (if you know)?

My Dad owned a series of them in the ‘70s and ‘80s and we were well acquainted with our “Tony”.

 

[sugarbutch]

Are they any better now (if you know)?

My Dad owned a series of them in the ‘70s and ‘80s and we were well acquainted with our “Tony”.

Based on my friend’s experience with his 500, I think it’s about the same. It’s not for nothing that the US manufacturer they own is Chrysler...

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Italians favor Blake construction. Enough said!

 

[GeneralEmployer]

Italians favor Blake construction. Enough said!

I left myself exposed: checkmate.

 

[brokencycle]

@GeneralEmployer

Two examples I found quickly (the first is obviously more faithful to the original design):

Bernard Schottlander Style | Mantis BS1 Floor Lamp | SWIVEL UK

www.swiveluk.com

Modern, Mid-Century and Scandinavian Furniture | Design Lightings

Modern, Mid-Century, Scandinavian & Industrial Furniture, Design Lightings, Home Decor Accessories: Dining Chairs, Bar Stools, Sofas, Coffee Tables and More...

gfurn.com

 

[TheFoo]

An apples-to-apples comparison will be tough. The Italians dominate high-end furniture manufacturing. Chinese manufacturers cater to lower price points.

However:

1. Most of our furniture qualifies as high-end, Italian-made stuff. Much of it comes from smaller makers who really do manufacture their products in Italy. What is consistently nice is the finish of the materials used. They clearly spec quality stuff. However, about 50% of the time, there is some off-putting, shoddy manufacturing flaw that requires exchanging for a new piece.

2. I also use high-end Italian tailors. They certainly employ a lot of handwork—but the quality of the stitching pales compares to what a Parisian tailor like Cifonelli does. It’s not bad, but not beautiful.

3. When it comes to true handicraft, I don’t think the Chinese lose any ground to anyone. Historically, they were the best. It’s just that things like Yixing teapots and Ru Yao porcelain comprise less than 0.00000000001% of the country’s manufacturing output.

 

[Jr Mouse]

Ended up going with stools from Muuto similar to the ones @zalb916 posted a while back. Decided I wanted something minimalistic with a simple design that wouldn’t stand out. Seat pads are covered in padded leather so they should be comfy. Found them on DWR’s outlet store for a good price.

View attachment 1395303

Edit: Not my Kitchen.

View attachment 1395306

Good news: I got my stools in faster than I expected.

Bad news: They are not leather.

The eBay listing said they had leather seat pads. Clear as day. These have some kind of cloth. It's not a bad cloth, but it isn't what I paid for. I'm not sure what happened, but hopefully they make this right without too much hassle.

 

[beargonefishing]

Good news: I got my stools in faster than I expected.

Bad news: They are not leather.

The eBay listing said they had leather seat pads. Clear as day. These have some kind of cloth. It's not a bad cloth, but it isn't what I paid for. I'm not sure what happened, but hopefully they make this right without too much hassle.

I read that first line and immediately thought you were at the doctor's office trying to dunk on everyone here.

 

[GeneralEmployer]

An apples-to-apples comparison will be tough. The Italians dominate high-end furniture manufacturing. Chinese manufacturers cater to lower price points.

However:

1. Most of our furniture qualifies as high-end, Italian-made stuff. Much of it comes from smaller makers who really do manufacture their products in Italy. What is consistently nice is the finish of the materials used. They clearly spec quality stuff. However, about 50% of the time, there is some off-putting, shoddy manufacturing flaw that requires exchanging for a new piece.

2. I also use high-end Italian tailors. They certainly employ a lot of handwork—but the quality of the stitching pales compares to what a Parisian tailor like Cifonelli does. It’s not bad, but not beautiful.

3. When it comes to true handicraft, I don’t think the Chinese lose any ground to anyone. Historically, they were the best. It’s just that things like Yixing teapots and Ru Yao porcelain comprise less than 0.00000000001% of the country’s manufacturing output.

I'm in complete agreement with every word. Although I don't own any French tailoring, every Parisian and African dictator I know IRL has a French tailor and looks better than everybody else. Do you have any Internet resources about French tailoring? (Even if it needs to be PM'd). I know you're more of a bespoke man, but have you tried anything OTR?

Good news: I got my stools in faster than I expected.

Bad news: They are not leather.

The eBay listing said they had leather seat pads. Clear as day. These have some kind of cloth. It's not a bad cloth, but it isn't what I paid for. I'm not sure what happened, but hopefully they make this right without too much hassle.

You should be able to get 60% off of what you paid plus free shipping (if they charged you). Anything less than that is a humiliating and I'd charge that sucker back.

 

[brokencycle]

60%? I mean I know he is a complete beta when it comes to getting furniture discount, but even he should be able to get free. A good negotiator would have them paying him.

 

[GeneralEmployer]

@Jr Mouse -- Did you contact them yet? If not, I bet I can get you the 60% and we can whack it up. I'll post the email exchange here for posterity.

 

[GeneralEmployer]

Urban Dictionary: whack it up

Slang for dividing up property (usually cash) amongst multiple parties that may be entitled to it.

www.urbandictionary.com

 

[Jr Mouse]

@Jr Mouse -- Did you contact them yet? If not, I bet I can get you the 60% and we can whack it up. I'll post the email exchange here for posterity.

I sent them a message via the eBay app. Explained what I got versus what the listing indicated and said it was a problem for me. Didn't propose a solution yet. Wanted to give them a chance to reply to me and see what they say.

I'd keep them if they refunded 60% what I paid. The fabric isn't bad, but I had my heart set on leather. Shipping was free.

 

[GeneralEmployer]

I always open with exactly what I want. I show the rep the light at the end of a long, hard tunnel.