When I was at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show a couple of months ago I came across these gorgeous leather sling chairs that really stood out to me. Kind of sexy, right? After a bit of research I learned that these beautiful chairs were designed by William Katavolos in 1952 as part of the “New Furniture” collection for Laverne. Often referred to as the “T chair” because of it’s T shaped frame and leather sling seat, these chairs are truly a twentieth century design classic. In fact, they’re housed in the permanent collections of the MOMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Louvre.
Above are a few photos I took of Katavolos’ T chairs at the AD home show. The top left photo is of the lounge chair style and the top right and bottom photos are of the side chair. The side chairs look especially great around that dining table. I spotted these chairs twice recently on Desire to Inspire (one of my favorite blogs!) in the portfolios of two prominent interior designers.
The three photos above are from the portfolio of New York based designer Tori Golub. They do a great job of illustrating the versatility of the Sling Chair as Golub uses it in an office, a living room and around a dining table.
This photo is from the portfolio of Chicago based design firm Gregga Jordan Smieszny. Here, the side chair is used in a bedroom. I think a leather chair in one’s home is such a chic addition. Besides its durability, leather is a symbol of luxury and always adds a bit of glamour to a room. Plus a leather chair will wear beautifully and I don’t think there’s anything more stylish than a perfectly worn in leather chair.
The T chairs have been produced by New York based Gratz Industries since they were first designed by Katavolos 56 years ago. Starting next week they will be available exclusively through Karkula, a showroom filled with high end, modern home furnishings located in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood. The side chair (style TG 10) will range in price from $1925-$2150 (depending on the choice of frame) and the lounge chair (style TG 15) will range from $2625-$2750. They’re available in black, chocolate brown, burgundy and natural leather.
I also just learned that next week at Karkula, William Katavolos, who currently lives and works in New York and Florida, will be presenting a new collection of furniture named “Terania”. Named after his wife, his Terania line consists of dining tables, sideboards and side tables based on a simple stainless steel angled leg. If you’re in New York during the ICFF, you can stop by the Karkula showroom to check out the collection yourself. Here are the details:
Dates: May 17th-20th.
Hours: 11-7pm.
Location: Karkula – 48 Walker Street, New York, NY 10013
For more information on Karkula, visit their website here.
2 Comments
Your lifestyle or taste determines what the focal point of your living area is. If you have a fireplace, you can rearrange your furniture around it. Or if you have a piano, and this is the focal point of your living area, your furniture could be set around it. When rearranging your furniture, also consider traffic in your Living Room Decoration area. It is always good to arrange furniture in off-square angles. This makes the room warmer and more casual. http://living-room-decoration.blogspot.com
Who can tell me how to make them confortable ? I just feel like I would slide on it ! What a pity, I love them but cannot seat on it !!!
Help do not want to replace them, but defintly need something convenient and confortable to sit on !