The Catbird Seat

Dining Chair, “Bladeback”
Designer: Chris Berry
Year: ~2000
Description: solid oak with fabric upholstery
Estimated cost: $530

Why I chose this chair: I loved the photo image that brought me to the Berrydesign home page (photo shown at right.)
Once I found the site, I fell in love with both the “Bladeback chair” (above) and the “Taperback chair” (not shown). It was very hard for me to choose only one for this week’s chair selection.

(Although, I must admit, the photo image above does NOT do it justice. Click here to see it in a room. Niiiiice, huh?!)

I love contemporary chairs. I love upholstered chairs. I love wooden chairs. And, most of all, I love chairs that are comfortable.

This chair is a chair that satisfies all my chair-cravings.

Just read what the designer and owner says about his chairs:

My oak chairs have been designed for complete and utter comfort, ever since I got backache sitting too long at various parties in short uncomfortable chairs. They have been designed to be sat in for hour after hour; all sumptuously beautiful, all hand-made, hand-tailored, and hand-finished in eclectic ranges of fabric colours in specifically chosen fabrics which are tolerant enough to withstand breakfast, lunch, tea and supper, and still look fabulous for a smart dinner in the evening.

All are hand-made and hand-tailored.

Leave it to a Brit to be practical enough to only offer upholstery fabrics which will withstand the rigors of many mealtimes. And notice the twice-usage of “hand-made and hand-tailored”; clearly, this man is proud of his chairs.

He describes the Bladeback and Taperback chairs in these terms: “the sleek design and clean cut upholstering of these chairs make a stunning contemporary addition…”

Sleek. Clean-cut. Stunning.

Indeed.