$1,800.00

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Description

LOCATION- being sold by a private seller located in Katoomba, near SYDNEY.

I have not had any Warren McArthur Biltmore chairs since 2015. Matching pairs in this design have become near impossible to get which is why I’ve opted for an OFFERS OVER situation for this matching pair.

OFFERS OVER- $1,800 PER CHAIR.

NOTE- the pair in burgundy vinyl are display photos of a pair I sold about 15 years ago. The pair on offer have brown cushions.

Background and Provenance

I have sold 3 pairs of these chairs in the past- to Australian buyers for more than anything I’ve sold including Featherston chairs. The last pair I had (in 2015) had no cushions and ended up selling to someone in New York. They paid $1,600 to freight the pair over to New York. I’d be open to sending this pair overseas as well. It may not be viable to add in the cushions as they’re heavy and this could effect the cost of freight. If you’re overseas, you’re welcome to call me on WhatsApp to discuss.

Furniture in this tubular aluminium design is probably Australia’s most interesting furniture secret. Designed by the American designer, Warren McArthur in the 1930’s, this style of furniture catapulted McArthur to fame and captured the imagination of the country. In America, design buffs, celebrities and movie stars were enthused by McArthur’s designs and instead of silver some of the metal frames were done in anodized colours such as peach and pale blue. It has been often said that nobody at the time possessed the design capabilities of the Europeans; except for the American, Warren McArthur. Today design connoisseurs comment that his work was in a league above and beyond what was happening worldwide at the time. What I believe sets it apart is the seamless infusion of industrial styling with a feeling of soul.

What’s most interesting from an Australian point of view is that Australia was the only country world-wide (outside of America) to be granted a license to produce McArthur’s designs. I have heard an interesting story about how this came to be but I’m yet to verify whether this is just a story or the truth. The license was granted to Namco, possibly in the early 1940’s or even mid-40’s. Some of the designs picked up in Australia were different to those in America. I have only come across this particular chair design once or twice while trawling American websites (the American version of this chair was produced by the Warren McArthur Corporation). It’s likely that these chairs are Australian-made (by Namco in the late 1940’s) and is certainly McArthur’s patented design. (The beehive joins on McArthur’s designs were patented.) It’s obvious these are vintage pieces from the 40’s because of the cushions- they show 80 years of use- plus the construction materials are distinctly 1940’s. The sprung seat cushions housed within a constructed timber frame is typical of the era and the fleece to soften the seats, was also regularly used in the 1940’s.

It is highly likely that Warren McArthur’s work will continue to increase in value in Australia- it has been discovered by design connoisseurs in Australia and the fact that these are worth big money in America cements the investment appeal here. The only pair of these that I could see available on a WORLDWIDE stage at the time of writing were in Germany (and they were over AU $25,000 the pair). From the early 2000’s onwards, the value of McArthur pieces have skyrocketed. I have a few McArthur pieces at home as I have appreciated his designs from when I first saw one of his chairs amongst a barrage of industrial junk 25 years ago (and had no idea about the background of the piece).

It would be great if these chairs find an Australian buyer but I am also opening up this listing to overseas buyers (as they can travel overseas within a reasonable amount of time). Biltmore chairs have stood the test of time in all ways possible. The construction is incredible- they’re lightweight and strong- the curves and angles are sensational and still “pack a punch” over 80 years later. After the majority of modern designer furniture has ended up as landfill this pair from the 1940’s will only become more valued. There are few better ways to invest in your home and reduce your carbon footprint.

NOTE- one seat cushion is missing. Read the Condition & Dimensions section for further information.

2602

For chairs that are about 80 years old and fully original, they are in excellent condition. Structurally these two Warren McArthur chairs are solid and sturdy- NO noticeable dents, NO bent metal, NO cracks in the metal etc etc- the structural brilliance of McArthur’s work has been longed praised and resulted from his engineering background. McArthur patented the “beehive” joins and these became the trademark of all his furniture. The frame is tubular aluminium and it has a brushed silver anodized finish. This anodized finish has various small marks, scuffs and scratches over the years but overall both frames look as good as you could expect cosmetically as shown in the close-up pics. There is yellowing in some join areas- a strong citrus cleaner will remove this. The frames are in AS FOUND condition and will look better after a detailed clean. Do not use gritty cleaners as scouring pads as this may remove the anodised finish. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The cushions are original with original upholstery. The seats are constructed of timber- they’re very heavy- with inner-springs, hessian webbing and wool cushioning- foam cushioning had not been invented yet. The timber/spring construction looks all fine BUT ONE SEAT CUSHION IS MISSING. The original vinyl upholstery needs updating- it is very old and shows its age. It is very rare to get these original cushions with the inner-springs. These cushions make the chairs great to sit in because the angles are spot-on and there's a nice level of support. The missing cushion will be easy to make as the other seat cushion will act as a template. The vendor spoke to an upholsterer in Penrith a couple of years ago to get a quote for re-upholstery- he quoted $500 which INCLUDED any fabric / leather from his suppliers. The upholstery job is not hard. The upholstery needs to be cut out and then applied to the frame with tacks. I don't think there's any sewing involved. Anyone could probably do it. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ All the original "hockey-puck" feet are in place on one chair which further contributes to the value. One chair had these feet missing so the vendor sourced something that's a really good match. This has to be pointed out to be noticed. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ For 80-year-old chairs they present well (except the upholstery). ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Measurements. FOR THE LAST PAIR OF BILTMORE CHAIRS WE HAD. THEY LOOK THE SAME SIZE AS PREVIOUS ONES I HAD. Across- 65cm. Total height with cushions on- 78cm. Seat height at highest point- 47cm. Armrest height- 53cm. Depth of Seat- 61cm. Total depth- 75cm. For freight- (with the cushions lying flat in the frame). These are average size for a single-seater lounge arm chair.
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