With the business and my father's poor health, I haven't had much time for my Mid-Mod hobby lately, but every once in a while, something will come up that I just have to drag myself out and get.
For example, this Eames-style lounge:
It was listed at 9 AM and I didn't get a call in until the early afternoon, so I didn't expect it to still be around, but luckily enough the owner hadn't even received any other offers. Usually these chairs sell like hotcakes.
This may also be the nicest Eames-style lounge I've ever come across, which was a pleasant surprise. It's the little details that do it.
It's got painted and polished aluminum headrest supports with rubber spacers, just like the real deal.
The base is also made of solid polished aluminum, rather than chromed steel, and looks sorta Kagan-esque. If you look closely at the support stand, you might also see that the pole has a faint pattern etched into the bottom of. I'm not sure what the purpose of this was, as you'd never see it, but the pattern is on the footrest support as well.
The arms are also fully-upholstered and welted, unlike most of the Plycraft versions I've seen and the screws that hold the thing together are capped with matching faux wood. The originals didn't have exterior screws, but at least this maker attempted to blend them in.
I can tell that the chair is upholstered in vinyl because I can see the cloth backing through these very slight abrasions along the bottom. However, it's some very high-quality vinyl, and with the exception of a slight tackiness, feels just like real leather. I love the baseball glove coloring as well.
I don't think that I've ever seen one quite like it, so I'm not certain who the manufacturer is. Could it be another Selig version? Of course, the tag was missing as well, so I'm left wondering.
So here it is in the living room, where it has replaced the lower-end Selig model that I acquired last year, which came sans footrest. It just requires a few minutes of treatment with Goo-Gone, Feed-N-Wax and some oil and then I'm ready to lounge in style.
That isn't all that I picked up this weekend either, so stay tuned.
Great score! I've been a fan of your blog for awhile, got it in my Google reader and I'm always excited when there's a new post.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm glad that you enjoy it. I just wish that I had more time to do posts (and hit the thrifts).
DeleteYour living room is looking FANTASTIC, Nick. You're taking your time and filling it with very nice pieces, and your patience and meticulous nature are paying off. Everything looks so well thought out and cohesive. Top notch job!
ReplyDeleteLike the previous reader, I love your blog, and I miss hearing from you, even though I understand why you don't have as much time to post these days. It's always good to see you pop up.
Thanks Dana. Thanks for the support. I wish I could blog more, but there just isn't the time or money to get out there and thrift/write right now. Hopefully things will improve soon.
DeleteNice lounger! I have an identical one in black and rosewood. I am nearly certain your chair was made by the Charlton Company. I was able to easily remove the headrest cushion on mine, which revealed a manufacturer's date (1971), but no name. I haven't been able to get the other cushions off as easily to confirm, but nearly certain that's what we both have.
ReplyDeleteDo you happen to have any pictures or supporting docs? I had a look online, but couldn't find anything on the Charleton Co. chairs. Thanks for the tip!
DeleteCheck under Charlton without the 'e'. Here's a similar one with wood head rest supports.
Deletehttp://www.antiquehelper.com/item/311171
There are some threads about them on design-addict as well, including a post about how the linked chair was unscrupulously passed off as a true Eames Lounger and sold at a premium.
Wow that is really nice! Two thumbs up!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteMy mom had a black one. I really love the brown (soft?) vinyl. It looks extremely comfortable.
ReplyDeleteIt sure is. It's much more comfortable now that I've got a footrest.
DeleteWhat a great find! I had a the same chair in black early last year. My research lead me to believe that it was by a Canadian company called Plydesigns, but I am not 100% sure that is what it is.
ReplyDeletethe mystery continues. http://www.pdxpicker.com/2012/03/eagle-has-landed.html
Hey. Thanks for the info! Do you happen to have any supporting pics or documentation?
DeleteLucky Luck! Like you said, its all in the details.
ReplyDeleteIt's very likely that you have a Plydesigns chair. I have the same chair that had awful black vinyl, but with Rosewood veneer, and another person on Reddit found the same chair with veneer like yours yesterday. Thankfully, he took a photo of his tag, which you can view and save here: http://imgur.com/a/6oiNg
ReplyDeleteHere are photos of mine, which I am in the process of restoring: http://imgur.com/a/IZSuX and http://imgur.com/a/5j4bR
All of the details are the same, including 4-star chair base and armrests with welting. They are so similar to later Selig chairs that I am wondering if they were the same company and operated with different names in different markets, or just shared parts (US and CA).
Unfortunately, there is very little information about Plydesigns anywhere online.
Hey JR. Thanks for the tip! I'll have a look into it and see what I can find.
DeleteHow has the restoration come along? I'm tempted to do a couple of mine, but it looks like it'd require a little more upholstery know how than I posses.
Very well, actually. The wood is finished and all of the cushions have been reupholstered. The only things I have left to do are finish sewing the welting for the cushions and then reupholster and sew the welting for the armrests. That's probably going to be the hardest part.
DeleteAlso, upholstery can be intimidating at first, but it's really not that bad. It's just extremely time-consuming and requires a lot of patience. After doing the first cushion, you'll quickly learn your way around things and develop good technique. Like with anything, it's just that first mountain that you climb that is hardest, and then you feel adapted.
I've documented the entire process with photos and am planning on launching a blog once it's done (if I tried to do both at the same time, I'd lose my mind). In the meantime though, feel free to reach out if you have questions. I have a lot of resources I can point you to and also share some of my personal tips. I have been patient and my work is looking good so far, and I've gotten a lot of positive responses after sharing photos of the ottoman, so I must be doing something right!
Hmmm...now I'm wondering after taking a look at your chair again. Plydesigns chairs had 8 rubber spacers and screw holes visible, but plugged with wood buttons. But the bases are essentially the same. Maybe you had a very late model?
DeleteYeah, I'd love to replace that vinyl with leather. Hmmmm... I'll have to work on the patience. That's one quality in which I'm lacking.
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