Why not much written here about these high-end makers?

[Asomer]

I just have a general inquiry as to why not much, if anything at all is written about the numerous other high-end furniture makers, such as George Smith, Maison Jansen, Herman Miller & Knoll to name just a few?

I don't consider myself an expert by any means, but I'm a die hard design addict & from all my research & studying if you're in the market for a true Chesterfield or English/George of London roll arm sofa you want nothing but the best & that'd be George Smith out of the UK, correct? You're also looking at probably $20K for 1 of their sofas, but it's as close to the real, handmade thing you'll find for those styles.

Maison Jansen & to a lesser extent, EJ Victor are your go to sources for high-end Louis XV, XVI & Louis Philippe styles in the high-end, handmade market.

Herman Miller & Knoll are the gold standard for high-end, handmade contemporary furniture, especially with Herman Miller continuing manufacturing in the USA. And yet, I've seen next to nothing on this forum recommending these brands for those seeking styles these companies specialize in.

Am in mistaken in my research that George Smith is the Rolls Royce of Chesterfield & English roll arm sofas? If I remember, they're entirely handmade in the UK, using nothing but the best materials and craftsmanship.

I know Knoll outsources to Cassina for the Barcelona chairs, ottomans & daybeds but again, they're handmade using only the best materials & a Knoll Barcelona chair in a higher tier leather will set you back close to $10K! A lot of that price is in the name/brand recognition & fact that MCM styled furniture has gone crazy with demand in recent years...but, you get my point.

For those of us that love the Louis XV & Louis XVI looks(without all that hideous, dated chalk painted shabby chic stuff added,) you can't go wrong with a vintage Maison Jansen. Jackie outfitted The White House in it, so it can't be crap...right?

Lol, anyways...just my observations & questions after stumbling onto this forum several days ago & after doing searches here for those particular brands.

Duane, I'd be most interested in your opinions on any of the above named makers, esp George Smith & Maison Jansen for traditional furniture & Herman Miller for more contemporary pieces.

Thanks all,
Andrea

[drcollie]

It's always good to discuss all types here on the forum, and provide input on them. I'm not familiar with those lines so can't comment on them - perhaps others can engage? The market for $ 20K sofas and $ 10K chairs is not your average customer, that's the top 1 % and most of them are not going to stores, or reading forums, they are hiring professional decorators to do their homes and have deep pockets. I know I do not have that clientele and as such have not ventured into that market.

[Asomer]

You're absolutely correct on that point: anyone commissioning a $20K George Smith sofa will most likely have done so via a design professional. Yet, they are not a to the trade only maker. Neither is Herman Miller or Knoll, for that matter.
Maison Jansen is no longer in production, so the only way to acquire their pieces in through places such as antique stores, or 1stdibs, etc. I know Bucks County Traders which has a large eBay presence has a fairly good selection of Maison Jansen pieces for not bad prices.

Duane, I know the basics of plywood vrs solid, hardwood construction but was curious as to why the classic Eames lounge chair made by Herman Miller is only plywood based, yet in a Herman Miller Grade 1 leather, you're still looking at close to $6K for that chair?

Is the plywood(such as the must coveted: pallisander,) that's being used by Herman Miller to make the chair THAT good? Or is it those Spinneybeck leathers & the name you're paying for?

I've read numerous forums discussing the superior build quality of the Herman Miller version compared to the numerous copies out there...but, at the end of the day, it's STILL just plywood & not a solid, hardwood chair?

Lol, that's a puzzling one for sure! The original chair sits a certain pitch & was designed to feel like a worn baseball mitt. Pictured next to Chinese copies priced @ $800-$1,000 it's plainly obvious which is the better quality chair as far as materials go.

I know you specialise in a much more traditional look & thus, curate brands that meet that aesthetic, but thought you'd have some ideas on why an iconic chair would be made only with plywood? And, the several originals I've seen on eBay have stood the test of time...

[drcollie]

Complex shapes can be better done on plywood, sometimes it's difficult to get a solid hardwood piece to make a part of a line in an upholstery piece. It can be done, but perhaps you are milling down say a $ 100 piece of 12/4 maple to get a finished part that is small with a steep curve and finishes out just a to around 4/4. That's just wasting lumber and milling time, so you use a $ 10 piece of plywood and it will do the same thing with a faster mill time to boot. That Eames design would be nearly impossible to build out of solid wood, the waste would be huge and the chair would be unstable. Keep in mind that solid hardwood - any solid hardwood - is subject to seasonal movement and that has to be allowed for in the design and joinery, even the best kiln-dried lumber is going to shrink in the winter and expand in the summer. That's the nature of solid wood. Plywood on the other hand, is layers of thin wood glued together and will not have that seasonal movement to any large degree, so its more stable. When you have unsupported curves in a design like that Eames you would have to make it of Plywood or the chair would 'blow up' if made of solid hardwoods in the first year, or crack out.

Like most things, there is good plywood and bad plywood (think Lumber Liquidators). Plywood itself is not a bad thing, there are birch and mahogany plywoods that are quite costly. For some designs like that Eames chair, its the best material to use.

[Asomer]

Yep, that's a pretty curvaceous frame on the Eames & makes sense it just couldn't be executed in solid wood. IIRC, the Eames's had envisioned that chair years prior, but only when the technology to make plywood came about did then set out to actually build the chair.

I have absolutely no clue why Knoll's hand polished stainless steel Barcelona chair, ottoman & daybed are almost $2,000 more than the polished chrome version & even there, you're looking at just a metal chair with its seat cushions solely resting on thick leather belts: that's it as far as ANY support frame goes in that chair! It seems like an outrageous amount for stainless steel and leather.