Pair of Iconic Robin Day Polyprop Armchairs by Hille
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The Robin Day Poly Armchair is a significant piece in the history of modern furniture. It was a progression of Day’s highly successful Polyside Chair of 1963, the first mass-produced chair made from injection-moulded polypropylene. The chair was elegant, lightweight, durable, and cost-effective, realising Day’s ambition of making good design accessible to a wide audience.
In recognition of its design excellence, the Polyside chair received a Design Centre Award in 1965. The Poly Chair range was also used in the 1968 Olympic stadium in Mexico City. Today it remains a celebrated example of progressive mid-century modern design.
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.
Pair of Iconic Robin Day Polyprop Armchairs by Hille
Note: We showcase a curated edit from the Mr. Bigglesworthy catalogue. Please contact us to view specific items.
British designer Robin Day had a celebrated career that spanned over 70 years. His modernist designs were revolutionary and transformed schools, stadiums, cafes and homes. He not only designed furniture but aircraft interiors for BOAC, carpet for Woodward Grosvenor and televisions and radios for Pye. Day also designed the interiors of several Waitrose supermarkets and John Lewis department stores, notably Milton Keynes in 1979.
In 1948 after winning the International Competition for Low-Cost Furniture held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Day was invited by the British company Hille to design for them. Over the years he worked to transform the company, designing the logo, showrooms as well as new furniture ranges. Day continued to design for Hille until shortly before his death with the Toro and Woodro beam seats in the 1990's and the RD wooden chair in 2008.
Robin Day focused on producing everyday furniture that contributed to better living - with comfortable, light pieces that could be mass produced at low cost. He is best known for his stacking polypropylene chairs, an affordable design that introduced injection moulding to the language of furniture and modernism.
It is hard to talk about Robin Day without mentioning Lucienne Day, his textile designer wife. They were a celebrated, glamorous but down to earth couple who both had distinct and different styles. They complemented each other as partners in life and work.
Here is an extract from the film Contemporary Days: The Designs of Lucienne and Robin Day. The film traces the Days' progression from the Royal College of the Arts in the 1930s, through their golden years, to their recent popularity and rediscovery by a new generation.
