Rare and Significant Garth Chester Dining Suite
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Garth Chester (1916–1968) is one of New Zealand's most celebrated industrial designers. His now iconic and highly coveted 'Curvesse' Chair of 1944 pushed the boundaries of bent plywood and is described as "a progressive high point in local design" ('At Home – A Century of New Zealand Design' by Douglas Lloyd-Jenkins).
After a suspicious fire destroyed his factory and plywood press in the 1950s, Chester embraced the simplicity of steel. He produced a number of innovative and contemporary designs for high-end hair salons and cafes. His talent with this new medium is clear in the crisp angular frames of these very rare and desirable dining pieces.
Four unique, colourfully upholstered dining chairs with jaunty, splayed steel leg frames are the perfect match to the compact dining table with its complementary steel structure. It's a standout set in all original condition which would suit any contemporary environment.
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.
Rare and Significant Garth Chester Dining Suite
GOOD FORM, 86 Newton Rd, Eden Terrace, Auckland.
Garnet Campbell (Garth) Chester is a Kiwi legend. His unique, early modernist designs have become highly collectable New Zealand icons. Chester's most memorable and coveted chair is the Curvesse chair, created from a custom mould using a single sheet of plywood.
Historian and Author Douglas Lloyd-Jenkins recounts that the Curvesse Chair, designed in 1944, was "the first one-piece cantilevered plywood chair to appear anywhere in the world ...a progressive high point in local design" (At Home - A Century of New Zealand Design). It's proof that in the right hands, even a humble sheet of plywood can be elevated into something bold, memorable and timeless.
During the early days, manufacturing technology was a barrier to smooth construction for many of Chester's designs. According to Chester's cousin and business partner A.L. Williams, 1 out of every 4 Curvesse chairs produced, failed, and was thrown away. Also, the Curvesse was unfortunately not a commercial success and only around 500 were ever made. Today the few remaining chairs are closely held and highly coveted by serious collectors, or in the permanent collection of major museums.
One of Chesters employees, Jim Reid recalls working for Garth not long after he left school. He remembers that Garth used native Kaikatia timber and glue imported from Japan to make his chairs and he was very secretive about the production process. When Jim arrived at work he had to knock and wait for Garth to check him out through a peep hole in the door before he let him in.
Unfortunately a mysterious fire burnt down Chesters workshop and destroyed all the presses and production equipment in the process. This lead to a change in direction for Chester who then moved to designing steel-framed furniture. In the 1950s he created another iconic design - the Bikini chair. It was a three legged chair with a Bikini style backrest and was bound to have caused a stir with the ever conservative New Zealand public.
