Let's discuss furniture design and fine work

[raffo]

Oh, we've poached from the start. I was going to make a joke that we've never developed anything here, just made it faster and cheaper, but that's not true.

but, but, we got Al Gore, he invented the Internet...

The world is too interconnected nowadays, no one country can claim "only our natives are innovating"

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Jacob, your chairs look great. I have always loved the vibrancy of the colour choice. I do not recall, however, seeing nails or screws on original versions.

In 2020 I visited the Bauhaus Museum in Munich. What a treat!!!

The first piece to catch my eye was this wood former of a Porsche 356 (I spent 12 years restoring one), a car which has some of the best lines and curves ever ...

Throst carpet ...

Marcel Breuer ...

Charles Rennie Mackintosh - in 1917! ....

Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Zig-Zag 1932 ...

Rietveld (1924) ... (my wife wondering what the fuss is all about) ...

Rietveld sideboard 1919 ...

I must admit that Rietveld's designs are not attractive to me, but I appreciate that he was designing these in an era that had such different views.

On the other hand, I LOVE Hans Wegner (and a reason I - hand built - his Round Chair, photo earlier on).

Egg Chair and Shell Chair ...

Hans and Wassili Luckhardt (ca 1930) ...

Eames. I have one of these ...

Then there is Dieter Rams ... sigh. His designs for radios and related furniture is unsurpassed, in my opinion ...

Thanks for watching

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[thetyreman]

I like a lot of earlier arts and crafts movement design turn of the century up to about the 1930s, and also alan peters like this for example, also really into gaudi and the art nouveau movement.

 

[thetyreman]

love this style of door, really like curves with no right angles, must be a pain in the buttocks to make but it looks good.

 

[TRITON]

One of the problems we have with chairs is not design, that was perfected years, if not centuries ago, but more with fashion and use of weird shapes. A simple single chair should only have a single function - To be comfortable to sit in for an extended period of time.

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Triton, what about looking good as well? I am sure that we both (all) enjoy surrounding ourselves with attractive items. Otherwise we'd live in deck chairs.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Phew, at least you won't get them muddled up anymore Richard.

Yes, after Rupert's presentation I learnt that I should probably stop sitting on top of the chest of drawers and storing all my clothes on the handy spots available on the bedroom chair, i.e., the back, arms, and the seat. Slainte.

 

[rogxwhit]

One of the problems we have with chairs is not design, that was perfected years, if not centuries ago, but more with fashion and use of weird shapes. A simple single chair should only have a single function - To be comfortable to sit in for an extended period of time.

Ah - but not all chairs are for sitting in ... ;-)

 

[TRITON]

Triton, what about looking good as well?

Maybe the case there of form over function. Look at the Rietveld chair(1924) comfortable ?. No, its not its only comfy if you had a cushion. Same goes with the Eames chaise lounge. Interesting to look at in formed plastic. But comfy it is not, its like sitting on one of these horrid stacking chairs you got at school(Robin Day for Hille)-Functionality there is supreme, in that it can be mass produced in a moulded shell, with welded base and the ability to stack, thus taking up little room. Function there great - Comfort, it makes your bum itch after sitting in it for 2 hours.

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Triton, the Eames office chair is one of the most comfortable I have used, and I sit in it every day, all day.

Note that I was not saying that form is more important than function. I was stating that both are relevant, and would not be happy with just one.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[clogs]

Derek
the only problem with deck chairs is getting out of them....
I have a really comfy plush leather arm chair, swivel. tilts etc.....
BUT had to put 4inch riser blocks to get out of it....

as for te reitveld stuff....
looks to me its what u'd get if u asked a bunch of 10 year olds to make something out of a broken Ikea wardrobe....

I rather like ur office chair tho...the one in my workshop came out of a skip....
happy holidays....

 

[Blackswanwood]

The late David Savage made some interesting chairs. I did a short course at his workshop/school when this one was a prototype. It was surprisingly comfortable.

I also very much like these which he also designed and made …

 

[John Brown]

The late David Savage made some interesting chairs. I did a short course at his workshop/school when this one was a prototype. It was surprisingly comfortable.

View attachment 149669

I also very much like these which he also designed and made …

View attachment 149670

The second pair look like they're alive. In fact they look like insolent sprawling teenaged boys watching football on TV.

I think it's a Samsung or Sony, but could be an LG.

 

[Jacob]

Jacob, your chairs look great. I have always loved the vibrancy of the colour choice. I do not recall, however, seeing nails or screws on original versions.

Nails according to various sources.
Screws according the book I'm using.
Not good either way as the panels sit on the arris of the rails.
I'd be inclined to slip in a fillet to fill the gap but it'd spoil the idea somehow.

 

[Jacob]

Maybe the case there of form over function. Look at the Rietveld chair(1924) comfortable ?. No, its not its only comfy if you had a cushion. .....

Oddly enough it's quite comfortable, as everybody says who sits in one. The geometry is carefully worked out.
To an extent Reitveld designs were about making furniture with found materials, "packing case" furniture or standard section bought timber and boards. But instead they become an exercise in style. More architectural perhaps.

 

[Blackswanwood]

The second pair look like they're alive. In fact they look like insolent sprawling teenaged boys watching football on TV.

I think it's a Samsung or Sony, but could be an LG.

It’s interesting what these designs conjure up in the mind. They’re called the love chairs.

I am pretty sure Chris Tribe made something similar (the leaning/pointing look) which was called the Saturday Night Fever chair.

 

[Jacob]

The second pair look like they're alive. In fact they look like insolent sprawling teenaged boys watching football on TV.

......

My first thought was overdressed women staggering about full of booze!
The double seat as two chubby ladies sitting in the sun, covered in suntan lotion. A hint of Beryl Cook. I'd want to compete the ensemble with a couple of empty wine bottles and perhaps add nail varnish/lipstick hi-lites to the chairs.
Can't say I like them at all (the chairs that is) - just too fussy and attention demanding.
Not too bothered about Sam Maloof either and his spiky looking things from outer space.

 

[PaulB]

Maybe the case there of form over function. Look at the Rietveld chair(1924) comfortable ?. No, its not its only comfy if you had a cushion. Same goes with the Eames chaise lounge. Interesting to look at in formed plastic. But comfy it is not, its like sitting on one of these horrid stacking chairs you got at school(Robin Day for Hille)-Functionality there is supreme, in that it can be mass produced in a moulded shell, with welded base and the ability to stack, thus taking up little room. Function there great - Comfort, it makes your bum itch after sitting in it for 2 hours.

You really should get some cream for that or maybe change your detergent?

 

[imageel]

The late David Savage made some interesting chairs. I did a short course at his workshop/school when this one was a prototype. It was surprisingly comfortable.

View attachment 149669

I also very much like these which he also designed and made …

View attachment 149670

Those two certainly tick my boxes in terms of being incredibly pleasing on the eyes, the latter two almost decadent and incredibly sexy too.
I am jealous that you had the opportunity to learn from him, I would be very interested to see more of his designs and perhaps construction plans - did he publish any books or design materials?

 

[Sgian Dubh]

did he publish any books or design materials?

Yes, The Intelligent Hand. Slainte.