Virginie's small studio in the south of France smells of expensive leather and freshly brewed coffee when we visit her on a sunny morning in autumn. And luckily for us, we are also greeted with warm croissants. Merveilleux!
Our visit is for a very special piece of furniture that is being made for us here:
The Safari Chair, a style icon in various versions, has always made the hearts of design aficionados - ours included - beat faster. And here in Virginie's workshop, a homage to the Scandinavian furniture classics from the 1930s is created for us with great attention to detail and perfectionism. These were most likely based on the British military's Indian Roorkhee Chairs - perhaps the first examples of self-assembled furniture. The original required no tools, was unglued and intelligently designed: for added strength and stability, the joints sat tighter once you took a seat on the chair. It's the same with Virginie's interpretation, which is also wonderfully comfortable.
This one is a fascinating combination of luxurious and characterful natural materials: small edition, handmade from solid French oak wood and vegetable tanned leather from one of the best tanneries in Italy.
The systematic approach, the first-class craftsmanship, the well thought-out (and adapted to the 21st century) proportions and the remarkable material are convincing in every detail.
And like the legendary model, our Safari armchair can be assembled or disassembled in a few simple steps, perfect for urban nomads.
We are very happy to be able to offer you this wonderful armchair and the matching stool. Both are real gems that already have the genes of true classics and can easily find their place in any interior style.
Discover more from this craft partner
