That's a pretty expensive Steltman!

 

 Here's a couple of quick posts on the Zig Zag Chair from Architectural Digest.

 Here's a couple of pictures I ran across on Instagram of Gwyneth Paltrow posing on a Steltman chair. 

Olaf's Red and Blue chair

One of my blog readers from Quebec, Olaf, e-mailed me with some photos of his latest project the iconic Red and Blue chair, which he has been wanting to build since he was 5 years old! Here is part of what he wrote:

"I received the “Rietveld Meubels om zelf te maken” book today. The book is great, and I’m already planning a whole slew of things to make"

Olaf says he's not painting the Red and Blue in the original colors, but in a scheme of black, white, and grey. He's also planning on building the Rietveld Crate Chair, Zig Zag, Military Chair, and the Berlin Chair & Side Table in the future.

I've added a few pictures of chair being built. I look forward to seeing the final results!

                                         
                              Back and seat, 12 mm Russian birch plywood

                                                               
                                               Frame being clamped

                            Seat and back on chair frame (but not attached)

First layer of black applied

                                                                 
                                                Second layer of grey

A softer, gentler, Red Blue Chair...

Cassina is offering a new interpretation of the classic Red Blue chair. The following is from their site:

While researching the origins of the Red and Blue model in collaboration with the Rietveld heirs, it emerged that the key idea of the first prototypes was based on the concept of spatial organisation expressed through the monochrome tones of its elements. The first version was in fact produced in 1918 in completely unpainted wood. 

In the following years Rietveld proposed various examples, either monochrome or painted in different colours, depending on the requirements of his customers and the interiors for which the chairs were intended. As such, it comes as no surprise to find this 1920s version, presented as part of Cassina’s MutAzioni selection, created for the school teacher Wicher Zeilmaker with a black frame with white ends and a dark green painted seat and backrest. 

It was Rietveld’s ever-increasing involvement in the De Stijl movement that led him to also use primary colours on this model in 1923, and as such the chair became a veritable manifesto for the emerging neoplastic movement. Initially dubbed Slat chair, Rietveld only gave it the name Red and Blue in the 1950s following its chromatic evolution.

The various owners of the different examples used the chair as an abstract-realist sculpture in their interiors and, in some cases, as a simple tool for sitting on, adding cushions to make it more comfortable, just like Cassina offers for the Black Red and Blue today.

$4,375 USD

New Steltman chairs available!

For those of you who choose not to build your own Steltman chair, and have always wanted oneair covered in leather or felt, well now's your chance. Over at rietveldoriginals.com you can see the following new offerings:

First up the felt version:

The Steltman chair in felt was built exactly according to the original drawings of Gerrit Rietveld. However instead of using white leatherette this chair is upholstered with felt from ‘De Ploeg’, a Dutch manufacturer of fabrics with whom Rietveld already had a long history. Rietveld designed De Ploegs factory in 1957 and used their fabrics on several of his designs. The Steltman Felt has a very special appearance and is surprisingly comfortable.

The Steltman Felt is available in 4 colours from the De Ploeg Vilano collection: blue, red, beige and yellow.

 Starts at € 1845,-

Next is the leather version:

 

The Steltman chair in a leather version, build according to the original 1963 Rietveld design. The faux-leather upholstery of the prototype has been replaced by special leather made of English bull hides: timeless, strong and still modern. The Steltman is availabel in several colours from the Ohman Misto collection. This chair is ‘camel’ number 3399.

€ 2895,-
 

And a limited edition version:

Rietveld Originals has issued this Limited Edition of the Steltman to celebrate its 50th anniversary as well as the rerelease of the chair. It is the first time that the chair is available in the original leather version as designed by Rietveld. The exclusive edition consists of just 50 right-facing and 50 left-facing chairs, produced in two special leather versions: the original white leather, but also a distinctive gray-brown version. The original logo that Rietveld designed for Steltman Jewelers in 1964 is featured beneath the seat. Each chair comes with an exclusive gift box containing information about the history of the chair, photos and a certificate signed by Rietveld’s grandson Egbert Rietveld.
In 1963, Johannes Steltman, a jeweler in The Hague, commissioned Rietveld to refurbish his shop on the Noordeinde. Rietveld had extensive experience in the refurbishment of shops, often opening up the façade in order to attract customers. For Steltman, the work focused mainly on the interior. However, it soon became clear that Rietveld’s austere design was too modern for Steltman’s conservative clientele and most of the design elements were removed a few years later. Nonetheless, Rietveld’s chairs, designed for couples to sit on when they picked their wedding rings, became world famous. The two asymmetrical chairs are each other’s mirror image and together form a unit – a beautiful symbol for the future spouses. One of the two original Steltman chairs is on display at the recently reopened Rijksmuseum. This new edition of the Steltman shows that we aim to recreate these pieces today in their original form. Thanks to improved technique and material use, we have delivered a product that we are proud of!


You can order your own Steltman Limited Edition for € 3,745.

A visitor builds his own

One of the people viewing my blog decided to build his own Steltman chair. His name is Christian, and he wrote:

"Similar to your calculation it definitely hasn't paid out in term of money if you include the hours I spent at the workshop. But this is of course besides the point, because I really enjoyed these hours! I went every Thursday evening from 6-9 pm to the community center where they have a really nice shop and a professional carpenter, who helps you with all your questions - what a great public service!!"

Christian's chair turned out fantastic! He made it using European Walnut, a great choice, as it has excellent figuring and character! It makes mine look lifeless...

Great job Christian! Here are the photos he sent;