We love sharing the details behind the design icons at urbnnest.com. Stories are a huge part of the products we sell. It gives them so much more depth and character, and gives customers like you a real connection to the pieces you buy.
We regularly try and source some of the best quality, most iconic mid century designs possible.
WHAT IS PIEFF?
One of the best names in British furniture in the 1970s was Pieff. Like many others probably did, we just assumed that Pieff was an exotic furniture brand, especially given that they used high quality materials like chrome and rosewood with sleek, minimal lines, reminiscent of the designs coming out of parts of France and Italy.
Turns out, it's about as Italian as the Mini.
Pieff was literally just a rebrand - the company was originally called Production Facilities Limited.
Production Facilities...P-F...P-eff...Pieff...
Clever, eh?
Anyway, Pieff's designs, often by Tim Bates, often found fame on global TV in the 1970s and 1980s, perhaps using their corporate connections from the 1960s. Their products looked high end, and were very much at the top end of the market, being retailed in shops like Harrods and Heals alongside rivals Merrow Associates.
Sadly the recessions of the early 80s, as well as fashion gradually moving away from this look towards other styles such as postmodernism meant the end for high end brands like Merrow and Pieff. However, the rights to the name were bought out and the name lives on today.
At the time of writing we have two Pieff "Lisse" chairs in stock. When we got them, the chairs looked really tired. When we get chairs, it's pretty normal that we have to reupholster them prior to resale. This means choosing fabric, which is a bold design decision can completely transform the look of the chair.
In this case, the original fabric was a pale pattern. While this was an unappealing colour, the lines followed the "L shape" of the chair which was one of the main design features. We wanted to make sure any fabric had a strong linear emphasis to even further emphasise this shape and the "floating" design of the seat. We also wanted to make sure that the colour respected the chrome frame, which is probably the standout part of the seat. Too strong, and the seat becomes dominant. We wanted both elements to balance.
The last thing was making sure the fabric is hard wearing. As they're cantilevered, they're designed to take some degree of movement over time and we wanted to make sure the fabric could stand up to that.
We opted for this durable monochrome fabric. It both tonally reflects the chrome, while also providing strong contrast and visual interest. There is a strong linear emphasis following the lines of the floating cantilvered seat as we wanted. Once we polished the chrome up, they look like brand new chairs!
We think they're bold, yet neutral seats. Because they're cantilvered, they're surprisingly comfortable and supportive for long periods of time. They're also compact, easily stored under a desk or dressing table. They could easily be used as dining chairs in a compact dining setup too as they complement most colours, including whites, greys and blacks.
They're available to buy at urbnnest.com for £120 each. Tap here to shop!
As we love them so much, we're keeping the 3rd and final chair as a desk / dressing table chair!
WHERE CAN I BROWSE MORE MID CENTURY DESIGNS LIKE THIS?
urbnnest.com - the home of vintage and mid century - stocks a wide range of vintage and mid century style furniture and decor, from the past to the present. We hand pick only the most stylish pieces to make your interior special.
Tap here to start shopping.
If there’s something particular you’re looking for, email us and we’ll source it for you
ABOUT URBNNEST.COM
At urbnnest.com, we only stock amazing, sustainable mid century designs from the past and present, marketing them at competitive prices. Helping you save money when styling your dream interior, while also helping to save the planet. Start shopping now and complete your dream look.