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| Tub Chairs |
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Tub chairs continued to evolve and diversify during the 20th century.
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The 20th century has also given the form amazing latitude to diversify. Dallas
designer Jan Showers is crazy about a 1940s French design that enlarged the
proportions of Directoire models. "It represents a softening of the Deco," she
says. "The lines are cleaned up for a more glamorous, modern look."
Tub chairs continue to thrive even in the 21st century. Gregory Pitts, director
of design at David-Edward Furniture in Baltimore, has fabricated designs for
Alan Greenspan's conference rooms and for hotels designed by Philippe Starck.
"This is a form that functions well in corners and tight spaces," he says. "Its graceful shape hugs your body," remarks Sherri Donghia, of Donghia
Furniture and Textiles. "They don't take up as much space as an angular chair
does. They look great from all sides and float beautifully in a room." When designer John Saladino launched Saladino Furniture in New York in 1987,
he introduced six variants of the tub chair that have never been out of production.
His sensuous 26 1/2-inch-wide circular Calla chair is a favorite of Santa Rosa,
Florida, designer Phillip Sides. "It is such a pretty shape against more
boxy upholstered furniture," Sides says. Throughout all its permutations through the centuries, the tub chair has been
a perennial favorite for functional comfort and beauty.
| JUST THE FACTS |
· Period of popularity: Continuous since the 18th century.
· Origin: Derived from the Louis XV French bergère.
· Price range: A Louis XVI tub chair in excellent condition,
whose leather upholstery has been replaced, can range from $5,000 and $10,000.
· Types of materials: Primary (visible) woods are mahogany
or walnut; European secondary woods may be pine or beech; American secondary
woods might be cherry, ash, or maple.
· Conservation concerns: The earliest examples, with backs
sawn from one piece of wood, proved fragile until cabinetmakers either used
lamination or built up the seat and crest rails with glued wood blocks. |
RESOURCES: Antique tub chairs from Macassar (R), 1905 Cahaba Rd., Birmingham,
AL 35223 205/423-9200; David-Edward Furniture (M), www.davidedward.com;
Donghia (T), 800/366-4442, www.donghia. com; Saladino Furniture
(T), 212/684-3720, www.saladinofurniture.com.
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