redefined: the club chair

photo by: lacasavictoria The club armchair first appeared at the start of the 20th century but as the Art Deco movement flourished in France in the 30s, so did a new type of comfortable armchair or ‘fauteuil confortable’.

Built to last, they were typically benchmade—constructed by one experienced craftsman at their own bench/station instead of on an assembly line—with 8-way hand-tied coil springs supporting the seat and backrest, and they were covered only in dark caramel leather.

Pre-Depression Gentlemen’s Clubs flourished as wealth increased and the chairs gained popularity—giving craftsmen and designers ample opportunity to make unique versions by altering or adding details in their own style.

As time went on, dozens of different shapes appeared. Some remain favorites, such as the “moustache” and the “gendarme’s hat”—named after the shape of the backrest—but the rounded shape is the club armchair’s most iconic silhouette of all.

CB2’s club piping chair reverts to the core philosophical elements such as being well made, and comfortable with a good pitch and solid armrests for long e-reads—but covered in a cool fabric with hot piping for maximum contrast.