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Price category: 2,500 - 5,000 usd / eur

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This Howard Keith “Bambino” armchair is a piece of history of a company, HK Furniture, and mid-century British design. By absorbing creative influences from abroad, but formulating a distinctive home-grown approach, Howard Keith was among the British designers to pioneer the use of new materials and manufacturing techniques, whilst maintaining links with the vernacular tradition.

The Bambino chair was produced in Keith’s factories in the late 1940s and early 50s. Like the first models, this chair is also constructed of solid beech and is fully upholstered. The shapes and curves of this chair are very pronounced and harmonious. Sculptural form was an important design element for post-war British design, and that is clearly a guiding principle in this Bambino chair as well. It is most evident in the beech arms and the winged back that complement each other’s curves. With classic button tufting, the back has an elegant look, enhanced by the original light upholstery. The sculpted arms run from the very base of the seat, which is a neat detail, especially from the side views. The chair is supported by tapered legs that add to the classic, yet sleek design that defines this Bambino.

Founded in 1933 by Howard Keith, HK established a name for high-quality upholstered products early on. Having appeared in the film ‘Rocketman’, the Diplomat sofa might be the flagship design for HK, nonetheless, the Bambino is their most coveted chair design. Taking into account its traditional elegance and quality, it is easy to understand why.

Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Some minor scratches on the wood. This chair comes with its original upholstery or has been reupholstered by a previous owner. Each of our items can be re-upholstered by our in-house atelier in a fabric of choice. Please reach out for more information.

Dimensions:

27.16 in W x 33.46 in D x 35.03 in H; Seat height 15.74 in

69 cm W x 85 cm D x 89 cm H; Seat height 40 cm

About the Designer:

Howard Keith was born Hans Krebs in 1902 in Germany and changed his name when he came to England around 1933, presumably to escape Nazi Germany.

Founded in 1933 by Howard Keith, HK established a name for high-quality upholstered products. Howard Keith was a designer and maker of stylish upholstered furniture producing designs for a great number of companies. Chairs like the Encore, Viking and Bambino and lounge seating such as Diplomat and Cloud ensured Howard Keith’s position as one of the country’s top furniture designers in the 1940s and 50s. Keith’s company was highly successful in making modern designs for domestic sofas and chairs well into the 1970s, before becoming one of Europe’s top high-end contract upholstery manufacturer. HK designs provided furniture for the QE2, Marlborough House, The Royal Train during the Queen’s jubilee year, the States of Jersey Parliament, the Stock Exchange Boardroom, BP’s headquarters and supplies leather seating for the Portcullis House, new parliament building at Westminster.

In the 1970s, HK started manufacturing high-end conference tables and executive desks and became known for craftsmanship, quality and design winning contracts for major blue-chip organizations such as The Bank of England, The Stock Exchange, Barclays and BP. In 2000, HK made the news desk for BBC South East. Today, the company still specializes in high-quality, custom-made executive and conference room furniture. ~H.

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Price category: 5,000 - 7,500 usd / eur

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In the 1950s, Italian design took a crucial turn from the technical, formal and artistic point of view. Designers took tips from names in contemporary art and architecture like Alvar Aalto, Marcel Breuer and F. L. Wright. A natural fit, considering that most of the Italian designers were architects and engineers.

This sofa aesthetically predates the great industrial era, with a more classic look and materials. With elegance and functionality at the core of the design, there is an unmistakeable Italian vibe to this piece. Like Scandinavian mid-century design, Italian design liked to blend form with function, which is evident here as well. The body is gently curved, with the three seats sectioned with the seat cushions. These give the sofa a cosy and modern look, while also emphasizing the main curve. The design is quite ‘social’ in the sense that it encourages interaction thanks to its shape. At the same time, the design is also very open, which is the result of the absence of armrests and its sheer size. The body is supported by six, symmetrically arranged tapered legs. The wooden legs add a detail that is characteristic of mid-century modernism.

Generally, Italian designers like shapes that are very fluid and pleasant. Because of their emotional and suggestive charge, they appear simple and yet complex at the same time. Here, the so-called banana shape, the tapered wooden legs, and the elegant, green velvet upholstery create this charge that is explicitly Italian.

Condition:

In vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Traces of wear and use. This sofa comes with its original upholstery or has been reupholstered by a previous owner. Although the upholstery looks good at first glance, we would recommend reupholstering. Each of our items can be re-upholstered by our in-house atelier in a fabric of choice. Please reach out for more information.

Dimensions:

94.48 in W x 28.14 in D x 33.07 in H; Seat height 17.71 in

240 cm W x 71.5 cm D x 84 cm H; Seat height 45 cm