the chiavari

The Golden Chair.

Oh, the Chiavari. Such a little gem of a chair, isn't she? If you peruse 1st dibs, admire the work of 'the Wearstler', or love small scale jewelry-like seating, then my guess is that you are familiar with this lil' lady. In person, an authentic Chiavari is approximately 45" tall and a mere 15" wide. Its silhouette could be compared to a tall Kate Moss for she (the chair or the model) is lean, sinuous and owns a very small set of hips. Very small. Yet, because the chair stands high (and proud!), one often sees it balancing a seating area of upholstered furniture, or in front of a desk or vanity. Let's take a look at some of her glamour shots.

Starting off, Krista Ewart, a cool LA designer, placed a Chiavari chair in front of her dark French desk. Doesn't this look pretty? The chair's shape compliments the frenchiness of the table but also adds a golden delicacy to the scenario. I like.

Or in the image (below) of the Palm Spring's Trina Turk (designed by KWID).....I love how Ms. Chiavari stands her ground in front of the upholstered lounge chair and chaise. Just because she is narrow does not mean she will be swallowed up!

Something that you may be asking is how can one tell a true vintage Chiavari from an inexpensive party rental chair? Good question! Lets visually compare. The image below is a party rental chair version. Do you see how the back has a straight top and the frame style is more rectangular? Pretty, but something is missing.

Now, this lady below is the real deal. The first difference between the two chairs is the shape of the top of the back. Do you notice how the spindles of the back connect upward to a thicker rail that kind of flames up? That's my favorite part! Also, don't you agree that the vintage version has a more distinct leg? Observe how the leg is turned at the top and then tapers to a narrow diameter and then connects to a flat disk foot. The PR (party rental) version doesn't have that detail. Snoozy.

Something that might also have dawned on you is that most vintage Chiavari chairs are brass. This is true. Most are. But, some vintage versions are made of different materials. Currently at our shop, Found, we have a set of four walnut Chiavaris (with immaculate caned seats). They are unusual because most wood Chiavaris look like the party rental type. Not ours!

Something I learned when doing a little research for this entry is that not all Chiavaris have the same form. For example, study the image below. I have named this particular look as Mrs. Moustache. Love!

-Caitlin