Phillip Lloyd Powell Pair of 'New Hope' Lounge Chairs in American Walnut

Philip Lloyd Powell, pair of lounge chairs, American walnut, velvet, United States, 1960s

Often described as a “Mid-Century Modernist”, American designer Phillip Lloyd Powell (1920-2008) created pieces that transcended the Modernist style in both form and application. Instead of using Industrial methods and techniques for production, the designer practised hand carving as a way to bring out the natural form of the wood through careful manipulation. One of the most important properties of this pair of lounge chairs is the wooden framework: executed in this buttery, beautifully grained American walnut. The name 'New Hope' refers to the place where Powell opened his workshop in 1953. Th chair has a soft, sensuous, biomorphic frame. The organic armrests are beautifully carved by hand and form a sculptural contrast to the boomerang shaped seating. Lovely details are seen in the round wood-joints with a black stripe on the side of the frame and the points of the frame show small indentations. The cross connections on the back are a nice compromise between the organic and straight lines. The thick camel beige velvet cushions makes this set into a highly comfortable pair of chairs.
Phillip Lloyd Powell (1919-2008) is one of the essential members of the American Studio Craft Movement. Born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1919, he discovered his love for furniture design at a young age. He already began crafting his own furniture and custom furniture for family and friends in his adolescent years. He studied engineering at Drexel university but was drafted to serve in the Army Air Corps during the Second World War. After his return from the army, he settled in New Hope, Pennsylvania, a place that was crowded with craftspeople such as Paul Evans. It was during this period that he met Evans and throughout the 1950s and 1960s the two men shared a studio. Therefore, they often collaborated, creating some of the most important furniture of the Midcentury Studio Furniture Movement. Together, they shared a love for materials and a passion for handcrafted pieces. Therefore, all his pieces are handmade from high quality, grained woods that often recall their natural shape and form. Another natural material that he often used was slate, the deep grey material was often used for table or credenza tops. He was a man who only want to produce exquisite pieces. In comparison to his contemporary, George Nakashima, he only had a very small production, as he produced about 10.000 pieces. It was in fact Nakashima who urged Powell to begin designing for himself in the first place. Today, Powell’s well-known carved wooden cabinets, consoles, chairs and dining tables are one of the most sought-after pieces from that era.
Please note that the depicted photographs show an example of the way this item can be tailored to specific wishes of our clients. We kindly ask you to contact our design experts to discuss your wishes regarding upholstery and finishing. Your special requests can be realized by the experienced craftsmen and -women in our own in-house restoration and upholstery atelier. With high attention to the original, they make sure every piece retains its value and is ready for the many years to come. Please note that a custom-made reupholstered chair has a lead-time of twelve to fourteen weeks. All to meet our high-quality and standards.
Kindly be advised that the chairs slightly differ in height (+/- 2.5 cm). For further details, we encourage you to reach out to our team of design specialists.

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