Description
The listing price ($1,395) is for the PAIR of Ercol single-seater lounge chairs only. (approx $645 PER chair.) The matching Ercol 3-seater sofa is priced separately. Priority will be given to enquiries for the full matching suite but we might consider selling either the pair of chairs or sofa.
Background Info and Provenance
(Written in 2026)
An Ercol “Windsor” steam-bent lounge suite. This furniture was originally designed in Buckinghamshire UK, by Italian, Lucian Ercolani in 1945. The Windsor Collection was first showcased at the “Britain Can Make It” exhibition at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum in 1946. It became an instant commercial success in post-war Britain due to its combination of traditional craftsmanship and modern mass-production techniques. This particular suite would have been made in the 1960’s or early-1970’s. During this period, timber furniture was usually finished with darker stains. This looks like Beech to me because of it’s light tone and “unfussy” grain of the timber armrests where I’ve removed the finish- Beech is excellent for daily-use furniture, as it has high resistance to shock and compressive stress. Even though Ercol’s Windsor designs are now about 80 years old, the timeless styling and sophisticated look has ensured it lives on- still made to this day by Ercol in Buckinghamshire and now exclusively stocked by John Lewis Furniture. Ercol Windsor designs are characterised by a high spindle back, sculptural silhouette, tapered legs and traditional wedge joints where the legs meet the seat. This classic British design combines style with sturdy functionality.
Ercol was established in 1920. The construction quality and commitment to environmentally-friendly production has stood this business in a realm of its own over the last century. There’s definitely no guessing the quality on offer here. This suite is about 50 to 60 years old and despite the age, its all as solid today as the day it was built. Intent on designing and producing relevant and honest furniture, people and careful designs were the cornerstones of Ercol from the very beginning. This remains true of the company today- Ercol remains family owned by Lucian’s great grandson, Henry Tadros heading up the business to perpetuate his beliefs today.
The thing I personally love most about this suite is how easy it is to look after. All the cushions sit loosely on timber frames. The covers are easy to remove for cleaning (return the covers to the cushions whilst still damp to prevent shrinkage). This also means that re-upholstery down the track is the cheapest and easiest. Only the loose cushions need to be taken to someone who can sew- the suite itself can stay with you whilst the covers are being done.
Environmental considerations play a large part in how Ercol source the timber for their pieces. They mainly use HARDWOODS such as ash, elm, beech, oak and walnut. (I have stripped off the finish on the sofa armrests to reveal the timber. Light-coloured vintage timber is rarely found in Australia but suits the modern aesthetic. This tone is easier to place in any interior and provides a fresher, more minimalist style. The rest of the finish could be stripped back with an orbital sander to reveal a fresh light style, synonymous with the majority of Scandinavian furniture made today. (It will take a few hours per piece- so do the job in hour-long blocks but it would be well worth it. Alternatively if the current tone will work for you simply buy a stain to get the armrests of the sofa back to how they were. The timber has been left raw.
The solid hardwood beech frame has been created by steam bending SOLID WOOD to shape a frame that is light, yet incredibly strong and durable. Most furniture in these sorts of shapes are created using thin laminated pieces of timber with a veneer finish- the Ercol way of doing it is far superior, and to my knowledge, it’s a process that’s not done in Australia at all these days. This bending process takes longer and is much harder to do because it must be done very slowly and monitored carefully throughout the entire process.
To top it off, the investment appeal on offer here is a no-brainer- this offering makes an astute investment. A single vintage Ercol Windsor chair (that has been refurbished) is currently priced at a staggering AU $4,700 for ONE chair. Windsor chairs, still being produced to this day by Ercol, are priced NEW at AU $4,320 for a PAIR but that’s out of the UK. In Australia, new Ercol furniture would be priced at even more. Vintage Ercol furniture is almost IMPOSSIBLE to find in Australia- this is the first FULL 3-piece Ercol Windsor suite I’ve ever seen in the flesh. Having a full matching suite further elevates its value. We sold a comparable Parker lounge suite (made in Australia in the early-1960’s) for AU $7,000 a few years back. But that suite was in teak- the Beech timber here appeals to the widest cross-section of buyers because it can be very light in tone all the way up to dark Walnut and any tone in between (including teak). The pair of chairs each has the vintage Ercol label- I didn’t see one on the sofa.
The appeal of investing in vintage Ercol furniture is simple. When a furniture company operating in the UK stays in business for over 100 years, you know they’re doing a lot right. Here you have irrefutable evidence of the quality you’ll be buying before shelling out a cent. This suite is almost 60 years old and look at it! True quality is unmistakable. Investing in used QUALITY furniture is one of the best ways to invest in your home and reduce landfill. In fact, it’d be almost impossible to argue it’s not THE best way. This suite retails new for about AU $8,000- a no-brainer investment for you and the future of our environment.
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