Cool furniture, design objects and desiderata

[SirTylerGalt]

Dining chairs.
That Starck chair is not good, really.
I suggest you look also at Vico Magistretti if you are interested in Kartell chairs for your Kartell table. The "Maui" is a great chair.

I agree that the Starck chair is not good, there are many more interesting chairs.
The Vico Magistretti chair is interesting, but I'm not in love with it.
A friend also suggested a Series 7 by Arne Jacobson, but I don't really like the design.

I like the Violin chairs, but not with that particular table. Imo often the Eames are great (I agree with you completely on not with the Eiffel base) but in this case do look at Magistretti.

Yeah, the Violin chairs are beautiful, but I can see how they don't go with my table. Maybe I should consider getting a new, round table. Would probably be better for circulation too.

When you mention the Eames chair without Eiffel base, are you thinking of the Eames Plastic / Fiber chair with a different base, e.g. as pictured below? Or are you thinking of another model entirely?

For upholstered dining chairs the Saarinen is very comfortable, and I think more special, more fluid and less frenetic, than the Gubi Beetle or Violin, etc. I definitely prefer the Saarinen with metal legs rather than wood with that Kartell table.

Are you thinking of this Saarinen Executive Chair - Armless with Tubular Legs ?

In that case, I agree it is beautiful! Might consider it.

Regarding the coffee table, the smaller Gubi or Hay (1x or 2x) feel odd, very over-done, and I personally do not like the Morrison much.
The Knoll, Saarinen, McCobb you posted, or Kjaerholm "PK61" or Knoll "Laccio" are all very beautiful and elegant marble-top coffee tables.

Yeah, using multiple small coffee tables from Gubi and Hay was a bad idea. I agree that the Jasper Morrison Plate Table looks weird, kind of like a toy for children (with the round angles).
My shortlist is:
- Florence Knoll
- Saarinen
- McCobb
- Poul Kjærholm PK63 or PK63A in white marble

Will probably get the Knoll or Saarinen, since the two others might be too deep for my living room.

 

[Loathing]

For the relatively small living space I think the oval Saarinen coffee table is a good call. I’ve seen it used a lot like that and it works very well. It’s also the sort of thing you can repurpose and make good use of for the rest of your life, so you won’t regret it.

As for chairs, I don’t love your dining table design and I’m not sure you do either, so I would not be inclined to focus heavily on buying chairs that match it. I’d actually generally focus less on how stuff matches and more on buying things that you really love and will be able to keep forever.

Likewise with your floor — unless you love the yellowish polished finish, I would be very wary of attempting to match things to it. Otherwise you’re just going to end up with bunch of stuff that matches but isn’t what you really wanted. I’d buy stuff that goes well with your ideal floor with a view to redoing the floor when you have the time/money.

Out of the chairs you’ve posted, I really like the upholstered Gubi Beetle chair. I’ve seen it in a lot restaurants and it works very well as a dining chair, and is also very comfortable. I prefer it with brass legs but if black is more your style it still looks very good. It has an aesthetic softness that just works very well in a domestic setting.

 

[GeneralEmployer]

I’d buy stuff that goes well with your ideal floor with a view to redoing the floor when you have the time/money.

Not sure if OPs place is a rental or not, but you always gotta do the floor prior to move-in if that's your plan. If it's a question of economy, literally eat off the floor for a year or two while you save up for a table.

 

[venessian]

I agree that the Starck chair is not good, there are many more interesting chairs.
The Vico Magistretti chair is interesting, but I'm not in love with it.
A friend also suggested a Series 7 by Arne Jacobson, but I don't really like the design.

I would like the restrained shape and curves of the Magistretti "Maui" chair with your very rectilinear table, but if you do not that is all that is important.

The Series 7 is an iconic chair, but I have never warmed to it either, nor to most AJ dining/side chairs. They are so minimal but figurative at the same that they seem to require very specific settings, such as lots of other AJ pieces in SAS Royal Copenhagen for instance, to really come to life for me.

Yeah, the Violin chairs are beautiful, but I can see how they don't go with my table. Maybe I should consider getting a new, round table. Would probably be better for circulation too.

It is difficult to advise on rectangular versus round, especially not knowing the space. It is a very personal choice, dependent on many other factors.*

When you mention the Eames chair without Eiffel base, are you thinking of the Eames Plastic / Fiber chair with a different base, e.g. as pictured below? Or are you thinking of another model entirely?

View attachment 1620823

Yes, sorry: exactly that Eames chair, in either fiberglass or polypropylene. I think the Eiffel base is too complex, and the wood base too heavy, for your situation. That model can also be ordered with pads if desired.

Or, alternatively the Eames Molded Plywood Dining Chair Metal Base (DCM).

Are you thinking of this Saarinen Executive Chair - Armless with Tubular Legs ?

View attachment 1620825

View attachment 1620828

In that case, I agree it is beautiful! Might consider it.

Again yes, exactly that chair, in fabric upholstery. It is very comfortable, and beautiful/elegant imo, not too "anorexic-modern" but not too overly shaped either.

Yeah, using multiple small coffee tables from Gubi and Hay was a bad idea. I agree that the Jasper Morrison Plate Table looks weird, kind of like a toy for children (with the round angles).
My shortlist is:
- Florence Knoll
- Saarinen
- McCobb
- Poul Kjærholm PK63 or PK63A in white marble

Will probably get the Knoll or Saarinen, since the two others might be too deep for my living room.

?

*One other consideration should be the shape of the two main horizontal surfaces, dining and coffee table, which will be in proximity to each in your situation (correct?). If so, I think it better, from your photographs as the camera view is very wide and the space might actually be fairly narrow, to avoid having both those surfaces being round or oval, which shapes generally take up more visual space and require more physical space in order to breathe.

 

[venessian]

That's a good point--thanks. This is the chair. Any suggestions for stackable chairs that would look okay with it would be welcome. It is a narrow dining room and we had the table built to fit the space. It has extensions we can add to it for guests, which is when we would use the additional chairs.

View attachment 1620821


View attachment 1620822

Thank you for the photographs.

That is definitely a difficult chair to match, especially given the stacking or folding requirement. These are 4 total chairs in constant use, correct? How many chairs would the occasional max seating require? 4-8 more?

I think it might be easier for you to bite the bullet and find either a) 4-8 completely different/not matching stacking chairs you really like, but without getting too hipster-bistro self-consciously mismatched about it, or b) sell these and buy all 8-12 same stacking dining chairs you really like. Ideally, a custom-made, expandable dining table deserves proper chairs all the time imo.

Good luck. If something comes to mind I will post here.

 

[MBJB1]

Thank you for the photographs.

That is definitely a difficult chair to match, especially given the stacking or folding requirement. These are 4 total chairs in constant use, correct? How many chairs would the occasional max seating require? 4-8 more?

I think it might be easier for you to bite the bullet and find either a) 4-8 completely different/not matching stacking chairs you really like, but without getting too hipster-bistro self-consciously mismatched about it, or b) sell these and buy all 8-12 same stacking dining chairs you really like. Ideally, a custom-made, expandable dining table deserves proper chairs all the time imo.

Good luck. If something comes to mind I will post here.

Yes, 4 chairs in constant use; I was planning on getting 6-8 more, as the table is large enough to sit 10-12 when expanded. What you suggest sounds right, as I do want to get proper chairs after going through the trouble to get the table made and buying these chairs. I don't think I had counted on how hard it would be to find stacking chairs that worked with them, given how many options there are.

I think your option A will be the one we will go with, given how little use they will get and how much we like the chairs we have. The "too hipster-bistro self-consciously mismatched" problem will be hard to avoid though. This is kind of what I was thinking with Note chair originally. Not too studied a mismatch with our current chairs; but maybe they would just be poor matches, as you said before, and if they are uncomfortable as well, forget it. Thanks for your responses. It helps to have other informed perspectives.

 

[Van Veen]

That's a good point--thanks. This is the chair. Any suggestions for stackable chairs that would look okay with it would be welcome. It is a narrow dining room and we had the table built to fit the space. It has extensions we can add to it for guests, which is when we would use the additional chairs.

View attachment 1620821


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My suggestion is the Bellini Chair.

Same form factor as your current chairs, but sleeker & more contemporary.

 

[venessian]

Yes, 4 chairs in constant use; I was planning on getting 6-8 more, as the table is large enough to sit 10-12 when expanded. What you suggest sounds right, as I do want to get proper chairs after going through the trouble to get the table made and buying these chairs. I don't think I had counted on how hard it would be to find stacking chairs that worked with them, given how many options there are.

I think your option A will be the one we will go with, given how little use they will get and how much we like the chairs we have. The "too hipster-bistro self-consciously mismatched" problem will be hard to avoid though. This is kind of what I was thinking with Note chair originally. Not too studied a mismatch with our current chairs; but maybe they would just be poor matches, as you said before, and if they are uncomfortable as well, forget it. Thanks for your responses. It helps to have other informed perspectives.

I do not think you should entirely discount the DWR Note, and certainly not because I found it uncomfortable at a few dinners. You know your Frem Røjle chairs much better than any of us, so maybe go to a DWR showroom if you can and try the Note, see how you feel it compares. You may love it.

I also don't disagree that the Note is simple and clean enough that it would likely not feel too contrived vs the Frem Røjle. But, the Røjle is a pretty specific chair, not really "generic" at all. And yet whatever 6-8 extra "more generic" chairs you decide on, the 4 Frem Røjle will seem to be the "added" chair in the arrangement of 10-12.

Also, lines and color.
Here are your Frem Røjle:

Here are the DWR Note (in black, light grey, ash, and burgundy):

The lines are fairly compatible, but which color would you select? None seem that compelling with the Frem Røjle dark (walnut?) wood and green upholstery, nor with the table (which wood?).

The burgundy Note might seem the obvious choice because of hue, but then the issue is the 2 different sets of chairs and the table would be all slightly different darks. So, I don't know, perhaps the most neutral: black. It could be awkward, or no big deal maybe, to you. Regardless, 8 DWR Notes will cost $1560+ tax min / $2360+ max...not exactly pocket change (to me) for occasional use chairs.

It is a tough call. Perhaps you are correct and the Note is the best compromise if you are not buying 10-12 all new chairs. Also, I really may just be overthinking this. But, just out of curiosity, given that the table is presumably a keeper, if you were to buy all new chairs, with your budget and storage requirements, what chairs would you like the most?

 

[venessian]

My suggestion is the Bellini Chair.

View attachment 1621037

Same form factor as your current chairs, but sleeker & more contemporary.

The Bellini is a very nice chair, but feels really a different animal in this context. It is so linear, angular, and severe; almost aggressive; with a fully closed back; and most important: made of plastic.

@MBJB1 wrote: "...prefer something made of wood that echoes the profile of my current dining room chairs, which the Note does." I concur with his Note assessment in that regard, so far.

 

[double00]

could also consider bench(es)

 

[Lizard23]

The Bellini is a very nice chair, but feels really a different animal in this context. It is so linear, angular, and severe; almost aggressive; with a fully closed back; and most important: made of plastic.

@MBJB1 wrote: "...prefer something made of wood that echoes the profile of my current dining room chairs, which the Note does." I concur with his Note assessment in that regard, so far.

We have the bellini chairs around our kitchen table and they are great... but very much feel like kitchen chairs.

I wanted to get a set for outdoor dining but because of the design, rain water would pool in the seat.

 

[MBJB1]

Thanks guys--those are interesting ideas. I had not considered benches or something more contemporary. I will give that some thought.

The chairs are afromosia (although my carpenter friend who made the table said they likely had some darker stain added at some point, even with the natural darkening that happens) and the table is sapele. If I did go with the Note, I was thinking of getting half gray and half burgundy to avoid making the Røjles feel like the odd man out (although that draws near the hipster mismatch), or maybe just the burgundy, as the Røjles are a bit more like that color in person. But I agree that neither is exactly right. I had even considered getting the ash and refinishing them for that reason.

I am not sure what I would do if budget was not an issue--likely just have chairs built to match, but that is way out of my price range. Or some other vintage chairs, but a larger set. As it is, I was already thinking of just buying a chair or two a month until I had enough, if the chair was in the price range of the Note or Bellini. I'd rather do that than get chairs I could afford all at once but that I hated. As you suggest, I could just go down to the DWR showroom and check out the Note. I really don't know much about their stuff, other than what I have read on this forum.

 

[venessian]

could also consider bench(es)

Good idea, but in experience not so easy to pull off in his situation. @MBJB1 only has 4 chairs, so how do they get distributed relative to 2 4-person benches, assuming 1 chair at each end of the table (maybe 2 chairs fit at each end, I don't know...)?

A bench for dining is more comfortable with its back to the wall, but then getting in/out for the middle people is really not so easy. The other bench would have no back support. It feels hard to pull off comfortably, and there is the bench/chair "hierarchy". But, this would certainly be the most minimal solution, definitely worth looking into if the space and table dimensions can accomodate 2 benches.

 

[venessian]

Thanks guys--those are interesting ideas. I had not considered benches or something more contemporary. I will give that some thought.

The chairs are afromosia (although my carpenter friend who made the table said they likely had some darker stain added at some point, even with the natural darkening that happens) and the table is sapele.

?

If I did go with the Note, I was thinking of getting half gray and half burgundy to avoid making the Røjles feel like the odd man out (although that draws near the hipster mismatch)...

My fear also. These are occasional settings, so keeping it simplest, one color, might be best, rather than trying to create some slightly more coherent ensemble of nonetheless disparate pieces. It is going to be 4 vs 8 no matter what.

...or maybe just the burgundy, as the Røjles are a bit more like that color in person. But I agree that neither is exactly right. I had even considered getting the ash and refinishing them for that reason.

Not worth the cost + hassle imo.

I am not sure what I would do if budget was not an issue--likely just have chairs built to match, but that is way out of my price range. Or some other vintage chairs, but a larger set. As it is, I was already thinking of just buying a chair or two a month until I had enough, if the chair was in the price range of the Note or Bellini. I'd rather do that than get chairs I could afford all at once but that I hated. As you suggest, I could just go down to the DWR showroom and check out the Note. I really don't know much about their stuff, other than what I have read on this forum.

I would suggest taking a step back, and still consider 4 options as you do more research:
1) buy the 8 additional but different chairs, but so cheap as to not have much budget impact. Even used, etc. (Too bad you were not in Los Angeles ~25 years ago; one could find Eames chairs all along Melrose Blvd or at swap meets for well under $50 each without even trying...maybe one still can, I have not looked in ages.)

2) buy two benches per @double00 if the space allows it.

3) buy the 6 additional but different chairs, but of a design and quality you really like so that (future availability depending) you could eventually add another 6 and then move/sell the Røjle.

4) sell the Røjle now, buy 10-12 new chairs now.


The real issue and limitation is the stacking/storage requirement. But, will that always be a requirement, i.e. if you ever move? Can you protect and store/hang non-stacking chairs in your current garage, if you have one?

You might as well visit DWR, and also ask them for suggestions. I haven't looked lately but other sources if you have looked already are Hive, Rove, Modernica, etc., but none of those places are really bargains anymore (Modernica used to be great).

Finally, if you like something you see at DWR, they have a few physical outlets around the country as well as on eBay.

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

I'm not a fan myself. I'm a firm believer that a home should reflect the person/people living there.

I'm more of a japanese kitchen guy myself. Since this is a cool furniture topic. I like a kitchen that looks like its ready to get down and dirty with you.

I love this. It somewhat reminds me of the kitchen in my grandparent's house when I was growing up