sit down for champagne.

a chair so modern you would think of the eighties – but fifties it is: the ‚champagne chair‘, designed 1957 by estelle and erwine laverne. it was part of their ‚invisibles‘ group, a collection of organically formed acrylic seatings. the look-through effect of this innovative material helped them to develop furniture that didn’t obstruct the space of a modern interior.

a true mid-century modern couple, the laverne’s were artists that designed hand-painted wallpaper, furniture and fabrics. they furnished the lobby of the general motors tech center in warren, michigan, designed by eero saarinen and harley earl (and fitted out with a lot of iconic mid-century modern works by charles & ray eames, finn juhl, harry bertoia et al.). so these are impressive pieces of fifties design history – and wonderful objects, too.

please note: three of the six chairs have cracks in the seat shells under the cushions. despite the cracks, these chairs can still have a long life ahead of them if used carefully. that is why these chairs are reduced significantly in price, making the entire set much more cheaper than usual.

set of 6 ‚champagne chairs‘, designed in 1957 (source: detroit institute of arts). cast and polished aluminium, swivelling transparent plexiglass (also called ‚acryl‘ or ‚lucite‘) shell with auto return system. cushions covered with creme-colored white leather. cast label underneath the foot: ‚champagne chair laverne formes nouvelles‘.