The legs sat in my garage for several years as I shopped around unsuccessfully, until  I found a classic furniture store in Chicago that had a real high
quality reproduction seat an back cushions.   Presto!   I now had 2 complete Mies chairs of my very own for a fraction of the price. Lord knows what they cost now, but since they occupy a prominent place in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC, you can bet the price is high.

Why are these admired so much and are in SUCH great demand by collectors and designers? Because they are not only function, they are high furniture art, sleek and modern looking, though they were designed in 1929 for the King and Queen of Spain, and because of their comfort. The legs were of steel, hard to make and not intended for the mass market, as the Bauhaus leaders intended all of their designs to be, but that changed. They are instantly recognizable and highly prized.

Chuck Mettler
Furniture Artist, Fan of Art Accent Chairs, Owner of Genuine Mies Chairs!

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art chair

As you know, I’m a huge fan of art chairs, accent chairs and furniture art.   I’m proud of my chairs.  But check out this chair I just found on internet.  It’s clever, isn’t it?

There are a million things I like about this chair.  But the basic concept that the artist took is that chairs can be more than functional — they can be art.   (And in a perfect world, they ALL would be art.)

If you like art chairs, I hope you’ll consider purchasing my accent chairs.  Happy sitting!

Chuck Mettler
Furniture Artist, Accent Chair Specialist, Des Moines Iowa

The chair was shown off perfectly in the German Pavilion setting, it is said that Royal visitors did not actually take advantage of this newly designed seating accommodations, but the chair quickly attained the reputation of being ” a design worthy of Kings”.

The frame was initially designed to be bolted together, but was redesigned in 1950 using stainless steel which allowed the frame to be formed in one seamless casting, giving it a more smoother appearance.  Bovine leather replaced the ivory colored pigskin which was used for the original chair.

The Barcelona chair was manufactured in the USA by Knoll since 1953. The chair is a classic design an still sales very well world wide. This classic accent chair remains time less in its design and function.

By Chuck Mettler
Furniture Artist, Fan of Art Chairs, Lover of the Barcelona

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Eames Chair | Furniture Art

That got me thinking about all kinds of chairs over history, about which more later. Closer to home, I found three chairs in the attic which my grandfather made for his family, probably in the the 20’s in a small town in Iowa. They were roughly made, but solid as a brick, had spoke backs, a curved board on top, and legs angling out a a slight angle, and braced by struts. My grandfather had no education, but he could make anything, and fix things from clocks and watches to a busted telegraph key. His chairs were not furniture art by a darn sight, but comfortable, well made and are still cherished by the family.

As new materials were invented, chairs began to be made out of all kinds of things. Once upon a time the artist was stuck with wood and basic metals, stuffing and material for the seat, and paint. Plywood was new. Bending it was new. Plastic could be molded and shaped into anything. Metals: steel, aluminum, iron, soft plastic, hard plastic, leathers in all colors and from all kinds of animals were now being used.

Savonarola Chair | Furniture Art

Often the trouble with high style furniture is that it is not comfortable. The Eames Chair has both, and that’s why it has been in continuous production since it introduction.
People buy art furniture for all kinds of reasons. High style appeals to the eye and makes a statement. It often is a conversation starter, just as it was back in they day when Savanarola was roaming Italy in the 1500’s.

And strangely, high style, contemporary furniture are can and does fit with other styles of furniture and furnishings.

Yours,
Chuck Mettler
Lover of Art Chairs, Furniture Artist, Fan of Eames and Savonrola

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In Chicago, there is a 40 story building with a Michael Jordan image 700 feet tall selling Nike basketballs. You can’t travel any where in the USA on the nation’s highways and not see hundreds of semi trucks with 40 foot graphics on their sides. Billboards on wheels. So I’ve looked at the common chair and said why not put large format classic art images on chairs and make them into furniture art.

In other words, I’ve created art chairs by “wrapping” them like a bus. My customers like the chairs, and my customers prefer the furniture art to having a bus in their living room.

They great conversation objects, they serve a function, and are durable. Classic art doesn’t always have to hang on the wall.  Now you can sit on these classic art chairs and discuss it at the same time with your friends.

Thanks for asking.

Would you like a chair with classic art? Go to the contact page.

Chuck Mettler
Chair Art Creator, Fan of Furniture Art, Lover of the Classics

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