New Vintage

The New Vintage armchair collection redefines and modernizes examples of design from the communist era. It shows the transformation of armchairs that have undergone carpentry and upholstery renovation. The armchairs retain their function, but thanks to the application of various finishing techniques they take on a different character. Renovation is treated as a process of writing down the history of an object, and the piece of furniture itself as a base to turn away from repetition, an expression of individuality.

The presented collection consists of armchairs arranged in pairs of twin models. The iconic armchair type 300-190 designed by H. Lis, called Lisek, the armchair type B-8502 produced in Radomsko, the cubic armchair Bolek from the 1980s or an unidentified model referring to the armchair 300-177. Pairing them is meant to show the contrast between the transformation of furniture in different styles. On the one hand, in the contrasting pairs we find a return to the international style – exposing the nobility of the wooden material in combination with the matching plaited fabric, maintained in subdued colors, exemplify the preservation of the aesthetics of a simple form. On the other hand, the transformation of the armchair results from the need to give it an individual expression. The applied colors and contrasting combinations are a reference to the Memphis style, op-art or abstract art.

The presented armchairs are a combination of modernity with respect for history and craft. They encourage the search for creative solutions so that the restored furniture meets the contemporary needs of individuals.

Photo by Dawid Majewski