Deluxe Arne Norell 'Ari' Lounge Chair by Norell Mobler
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The 'Ari' Chair by Arne Norell is a highly sought after mid-century design icon from Sweden. Ari was awarded the British Furniture Manufacturer’s greatest award “showpiece of the year” in 1973. Today it continues to inspire and cements Norrell's reputation as one of the leading lights of mid-century Swedish design.
Norrell often employed traditional materials in unexpected forms as with this piece – it offers a minimal aesthetic and highlights the designer's elegant sense of craftsmanship. Sculptural chrome steel is paired with a series of leather straps to support the seat cushion. The chair’s clean lines and ergonomic curves make it a standout design, blending form and function.
Each piece is checked and carefully hand restored at our Kingsland studio workshop. Our focus is preserving the character and patina of the design while ensuring it displays beautifully in a contemporary interior...
Each piece is checked and carefully restored at our Kingsland studio workshop. Our focus is preserving the character and patina of the design while ensuring it displays beautifully in a contemporary interior.
- Joints checked and reglued
- Timber cleaned and stains removed
- Veneer repairs if needed
- Surfaces polished / refinished
Our full collection is showcased at our Eden Terrace gallery. We have parking available beside the building and would love to see you.
All pieces are available for collection in person from our Eden Terrace gallery. We are also happy to provide a quote for delivery throughout New Zealand.
Please enquire for delivery options.
Deluxe Arne Norell 'Ari' Lounge Chair by Norell Mobler
GOOD FORM, 86 Newton Rd, Eden Terrace, Auckland.
Arne Norell created some of the most expressive and inviting furniture of post-war Scandinavian design. Working with rich leather, exposed timber, steel and beautifully considered upholstery, he developed a style that was distinctly his own: relaxed, tactile and often technically ingenious.
Largely self-taught, Norell established his own workshop in Sweden in 1954 before relocating to Småland, where he founded the company that became Norell Möbel AB. The business remains family-run today, and many of his original designs are still handmade in Sweden at the company’s factory in Aneby.
Norell was fascinated by construction and the possibilities of materials. Rather than hiding how a chair was assembled, he often made the structure part of its character. Leather straps, buckles, exposed frames and carefully tensioned upholstery became integral to the design.
The Sirocco chair, introduced in 1964, reinterpreted the traditional safari chair with a substantial timber frame and suspended leather seat. The later Ari chair, designed in the 1960s, took an entirely different approach, pairing a sculptural chromed-steel frame with leather straps and deep cushioning. In 1973, two years after Norell’s death, Ari received the British Furniture Manufacturers’ prestigious Showpiece of the Year award.
Other celebrated designs, including Ilona, Inca, and Kontiki, demonstrate Norell’s ability to combine visual drama with exceptional comfort. That balance is what makes his furniture so compelling today. Norell’s designs are unmistakably mid-century, yet never feel rigid or overly formal. They invite you to sit down, settle in and enjoy them. It is furniture designed as much for living as for looking at.
His work is represented in Sweden’s Nationalmuseum and continues to be produced more than half a century after his death.
