ART DECO: Royalchrome Chair

History

This Royalchrome chair was created in the early 1930’s by Royal Metal Manufacturing Company in the USA. The design is essentially Art Deco, proudly boasting chrome metal frame, combined with bold lines and strong colour. The lines are modern as they depart from the traditional historic styles and represent the new era fascinated with technology, industrialisation, non-traditional materials (chrome). Shape has strongly geometrical basis, with the application of lines and large round corners.

Designed by

Royalchrome chairs (sometimes also called “Royal chrome chairs”) were designed at Royal Metal Manufacturing Company. The main industrial designers there were  Kem Weber, Donald Deskey, and Alfons Bach. It is believed that Weber and Deskey designed the Royalchrome furniture. Apart from the chairs, they also designed tables tables in the Royalchrome range.

Dimensions

Width 74 cm, depth 90cm, and height 74 cm.

Materials

 Tubular chrome frame and backrest, burgundy leather upholstery.

Elements and Principles

Lines and Symmetrical Balance. In Art Deco lines are a fundamental element of the design. Horizontal lines, vertical lines and strong diagonal lines on the armrests are applied to the design of this chair. Apart from the straight lines, we have bold curved lines in the large rounded edges of the armrests. The Royalchrome chair is designed with the principle of strong symmetrical balance, giving the chair the feeling of strength and power.

Manufactured by

Royalchrome chairs (sometimes also called “Royal chrome chairs”) were manufactured by Royal Metal Manufacturing Company of Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, USA in the 1930’s. The company operated since 1890’s.

Used by Designers

This chair is not very popular with interior designers designing spaces other than characteristically art deco interiors. However, if you would like to create the feeling of art deco, particularly in the American version of the style, a Royalchrome chair would be indispensable.

Replicas, contemporary interpretations and influences

There exist a number of replicas of the Royalchrome chair. Also the style has inspired furniture designers to apply it to other items such as sofas and lounge chairs.

Resources

http://www.treadwaygallery.com/lotInfo.php?i=26256#.VWBII_mqqko

http://www.deco-dence.com/Seating%20-%20Custom%202.html

http://www.artdecoresource.com/2013/06/cheers-for-royalchrome.html