New Contract Furniture

It is sometimes forgotten that comfort is as much a part of the dining experience as great food and customer service, conversation and companionship. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: patrons who aren’t comfortable won’t enjoy their meal as much, and they won’t be too quick to recommend the restaurant to others. You don’t want negative word of mouth advertising, so treat your customers to the very beast in padded seating.

Extra comfortable seating is probably a better choice for smaller establishments that focus more on the quality rather than the quantity of their service. High traffic cafes will need diners to clear out sooner to make room for newcomers, but romantic bistros and high end restaurants could benefit from cozier seating options.

Check out the Arper Corte Armchair from Rodolfo Dordoni. It’s got a fully upholstered exterior, available in house leather or suede. But don’t let the soft look fool you; this arm chair is fully commercial grade and has a core of solid steel. It can take whatever your guests throw at it, and will last a very long time – quite a nice investment if you ask me.

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Rocking chairs are an oft overlooked furnishing. They are so comfy and so soothing, I am surprised that more businesses don’t have them available for their guests. I have seen them on outdoor patios behind bohemian book shops; in hospital waiting rooms and delivery rooms for new moms and their visitors; and in one of the most charming bed and breakfasts I have had the pleasure of visiting. Granted, they always remind me just a bit of my grandmother, who really favored her old green rocker. But some of the newer versions are thoroughly modern – and thoroughly enjoyable!

Take a look at the Alban-Sebastien Gilles Neo Rocking Chair. This is not your grandma’s rocking chair. I wish it were my rocking chair, though. I mean, how cool does it look? The Bonluxat web site informs us that the Neo Rocking Chair is available in a wide variety of fabrics and colors, but I am pretty fond of the pumpkin color that’s pictured here. It’s so pretty and seasonal, and it would be a vibrant addition to any warm, spicy decor.

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Sometimes, you just get tired of wood and chrome. Well, maybe you don’t, but I do. Cushiony, padded furniture in crazy fabrics and colors is always fun to look at, whether or not you’re brave enough to try and sit on some of the more outlandish designs. I’m amazed at the variety of commercial hotel chairs and tables that are out there – and not always in a good way.

For the more faint of heart and sensitive of bottom, well-cushioned, curvy designs are a sitter’s best friend. And some of them are very attractive, too. Behold the DJ Bond from B-Bitz:

I really like that setup. It’s pretty, bright, cozy, and looks comfortable. You probably don’t need an engineering degree to figure out where to sit on it. And it would look great in someone’s home or business. It reminds me of some of the furnishings at the fondue restaurants around my home, which cater to couples and small groups of friends. I’m not sure what a fondue pot would do to vinyl, so you’d probably want to protect the tabletop if you went that route.

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Sometimes you just see a pretty chair and wish you had some place to put it. That’s what happened when I saw the AB Capital line. These chairs are sort of classically modern, if you know what I mean. I also happen to be a sucker for wooden furniture, and the Capital series is made from solid beech wood.

But since I’ve already got a house full of furniture, I will do the noble thing and show these chairs to you, the readers, so you can try them out for yourselves. I think they’d look fetching in a contemporary home that does not want to sacrifice comfort for looks. When I first saw them, I thought of a nice Kobe style Japanese restaurant. They would also do well in a small, indoor bistro.

As you can see, the Capital line is available as both a bar chair with a tapered back, and a backless stool. The chair can be ordered with a chrome hand grip on the back. There’s also a matching wide armchair you can purchase. All items can be ordered in leather upholstery, different colored fabric upholstery, and light beech wood instead of black. Personally, I think the red and black combo is the most eye-catching.

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In 1958 the Swan was a technologically innovative chair.

No straight lines - only curves. A moulded shell of synthetic material on an aluminium star swivel base. A layer of cold foam covers the shell, and fabric of leather in a wide range of colours is added.

The Swan, Egg and swan sofa were designed in 1958 for the lobby and lounge areas in the Royal Hotel in Copenhagen.

The shell is polyurethane foam with glass fibre reinforcement. The seat carrier consists of a spindle of diameter 28 mm automate steel and an assembly plate of 5 mm steel sheet. The individual parts are welded and surface treated with matt zinc. The base consists of a satin chromed, turnable center part of welded steel tubing (diameter 38 x 2 mm) and a 4-star base in injection moulded aluminium. The leg ferrules are moulded black polyamide.

The Swan comes with leather or fabric upholstery.
The Swan comes with automatic return (model 3329)

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