Restoring a Midcentury Masterpiece

For those of you design aficionados out there - or those who are just curious - allow us to be a little geeky for a moment as we reflect on the restoration of this tubular chrome-steel and leather chaise lounge designed by the incomparable Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Often referred to by his surname, Mies was a prominent twentieth-century architect and designer famously associated with the Bauhaus movement, first in Germany and later in the United States, as he fled the Nazi Regime in the build-up to World War II. You may recognize his name among contemporaries and fellow pioneers of modernist architecture and design, including Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, and Le Corbusier.

A fully restored white leather Mies van der Rohe adjustable chaise lounger like a low-gliding cloud on a sunny day.

Mies famously declared, “god is in the details,” which could not be more true for his adjustable chaise lounger. This iconic collection was designed in 1927 and is reputed to have been inspired by the nineteenth century iron rocking chairs of Mies’ boyhood. The cantilevered chrome tubing allows for just enough give to the seating area that you feel as if you are floating. It’s no wonder that pieces like this became well known for their use in the offices of therapists. In fact, we were tempted to do some deep contemplation of our own lying on this beauty.

Like the notable Eames Lounge Chair, most of these pieces are found in the original black leather. White is a relatively rare but exquisite choice, though it comes with the obvious maintenance dilemmas of all white furniture (well, frankly, white anything!). Luckily, our craftsmen are more than prepared to address the challenges posed by light-colored furniture design and are experts in extracting stains of all types in order to restore the original color and luster of the leather. In this case, we performed the restoration in our Houston workshop, giving the chaise leather a delicate, yet thorough cleaning. We also checked and cleaned the leather straps which span the width of the piece providing underlying support to the cushion. The finished product looks as if it just came out of the showroom yesterday and is ready for many more hours of quiet reflection!

Thanks again to our customers for your beautiful, discerning eye, for upholding exquisite craftmanship, and for trusting us with your treasures!