Item of Historical Design Significance

This chair has a special significance to me as it was passed down from my mother (along with some other pretty cool old stuff) who, in turn, had inherited it from her great-grandmother. I think it is probably a Victorian Club Chair, based on research of similar chairs. An additional feature of its significance is that it was in my children’s bedrooms when they were babies and was where I breast fed them both, especially at bed/night-time.

The design features of this chair include the padded, fabric covered upholstery at its seat, arms and back making it comfortable in which to sit. In this instance the fabric is velvet, coloured a soft duck egg blue (which it has been for as long as I can remember). The upholstery is finished at the edges with braid and furniture tacks, giving a textural edge.

The main structure of the chair is timber and the legs are finished with castors. These castors allow for ease of manoeuvrability despite the significant age of same. The visible timber has been intricately turned and carved including floral motifs, which adds texture and visual appeal to the chair’s overall aesthetic. The timber is finished with varnish that has an aged patina, adding further to its aesthetic appeal.

The chair’s shape is ‘tub-like’ (as suggested by its name) and cocoons the user comfortably, proportional to body shape. The chair is essentially quite small in size, possibly a reflection of the ‘body norm’ of the era. Despite its heavier appearance, it is surprisingly light to lift. The chair also sits quite ‘low’ in space, making it less obtrusive in a room.