Hello everybody,Here is a message posted at the request of mister Charles Stendig:"This is Charles Stendig, founder of Stendig,Inc. of New York, I am now 91 years old & am ready to answer any questions about our furniture, that we imported from 1954 til 1976, (from Finland, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia & ITALY)"
Wow! What a surprise, and a generous offer too! I have a question...
We have a pair of large leather Italian club chairs which were imported by Stendig. They were originally purchased for a modern addition to a Connecticut farmhouse designed by Architects Robert Mayers and John Schiff. The project was published in The New York Times Magazine as well as House Beautiful.
We have not been able to find any designer attribution, or to find another example of this design. I'd love to know any history or additional details about these two chairs. (There was also a matching sofa, but sadly, its whereabouts are unknown).
Thanks!
I got a response form Mr. Charles Stendig about my inquiry on my dumpster dive modular leather sofa called the 'Domino' Modular Seating Group designed in 1965 by one of Italy's leading architects Menilio Taro. Mr. Stendig described it as "the ultimate architectural expression of modular seating". Best ID ever!
The Domino seating is comprised of leather tightly clad wood frame and foam blocks with the seat, back and arms all the same dimensions and attached to a black stained ash base and can be configured as desired.
Again, thank you Mister Stendig for your design expertise and contributions in 20th century modern design and for your interest and generous offer to join the conversation here at DesignAddict.
Mister Stendig welcomes everyone with questions regarding Stendig designs and other related topics.
It was a great treat indeed hearing back fom Mr. Stendig.
I hope everyone here at designaddict could spare a moment of their time to send Mr. Stendig a brief note or something. It is rare that someone with this stature would reach out and show interest and encourage questions to us mere mortals. Please reach out back.
jesgord,
We did hear from Mr. Stendig. Twice. He called after receiving my initial inquiry and said that they looked familiar, but he could not remember who designed the chairs. He said he would ask a couple people and look into it further. Then just yesterday he called again. He said that he spoke with his design director who also could not remember, but then they found it in an old catalog. The chairs are from the "Cumulus Group" and were designed by Sergio Mazza and Giulano Gramina. The group included a two seat sofa, the lounge chairs and an ottoman or stool.
Mr. Stendig was funny and gracious, a pleasure to speak with. I am very grateful for his help attributing the chairs and for his time and effort. I wish he was close by so I could pay him a visit and spend more time listening to stories of his experience in the furniture industry. A wonderful guy. Just be sure if you write him that you are careful the autocorrect function on your device does not change his name. I accidentially called him Mr. Standing in my email. He seemed to enjoy ribbing me about that.
Thanks DA for connecting us with Mr. Stendig!
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19741222&id=daROAAAAIBAJ...
Stendig did not manufacture anything that I know of, but they did import from Finland, Italy, Switzerland (robert Hausman, and Czechoslovakia, possibly others.
When I spotted my 'Domino' modular sofa being carried to the furniture crusher by the worker at the mother of all thrift stores near downtown Los Angeles, I knew I found the one sofa I will keep for the rest of my life. I did not know at the time that it was by Stendig, but the partial label showing '...n Switzerland' was good enough for me to know that it is a very well made furniture.
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