An exceptionally rare pair of ‘Unit’ armchairs, designed by pioneering British designer Robin Cruikshank in 1965.

We use the word rare carefully. Despite extensive research, we have been unable to locate another pair offered for sale, either historically or currently. The design is, however, documented in period literature, where the Unit seating system is illustrated and described with its distinctive flat steel-bar frame and optional timber arms.

The construction is remarkably simple and architectural. Each chair is built around a slender brushed steel frame, with long rosewood armrests projecting beyond the front and rear uprights. The exposed fixings and junctions between the timber and metal form an important part of the design rather than being concealed.

Within this rigid geometric framework sits the deeply upholstered seat and back, covered in beautifully aged cognac leather. The softness and depth of the leather provide a strong contrast with the precise steel frame and straight rosewood arms. Seen from the side, the upholstery appears almost suspended within the structure, giving the chairs a lightness that is not immediately apparent from the front.

The original leather is one of the aspects we especially liked about this pair. It has developed a rich and varied surface through decades of use, with creasing, marks, colour variation and areas of wear that would be impossible to reproduce convincingly in new leather.

During restoration, the original leather upholstery was carefully removed, allowing the underlying strapping and foam to be renewed before the leather was meticulously refitted. The brushed steel frames were cleaned and the rosewood arms carefully revived, while preserving the existing surfaces and signs of age.

The chairs were originally purchased from Heal’s in London and have remained together as a pair. This provenance, together with the surviving period documentation, provides an interesting connection to the progressive British furniture retail and design culture of the mid-1960s.

The Unit seating system is illustrated and described in a issue of Design magazine from 1965, showing the same flat steel-bar construction and upholstered seating. The period image is included among our photographs and provides valuable contemporary documentation of Cruikshank’s design.

Condition throughout is very good. The steel frames remain structurally strong, the rosewood arms retain a warm aged surface, and the original leather has been deliberately preserved rather than replaced. There are scratches, creases, variations in colour and other signs of age throughout the leather, all consistent with its original condition and long use.

For us, these chairs are an excellent example of the more experimental direction of British furniture design during the 1960s. The combination of an almost industrial steel structure with rosewood and heavily patinated leather gives them a presence that feels quite different from much of the British furniture being produced at the time.

Viewing is warmly welcomed at our West London showroom.

High-resolution photographs, detailed condition reports and video inspections are available upon request.

We offer local, national and international shipping.

Please contact us for further information or to arrange a private viewing.