Next time anyone complains about Herman Miller or Knoll's pricing, consider the going price for a 3-seater Poul Kjaerholm sofa from Firtz Hansen:
Design Poul Kjaerholm, 1958.
Steel, leather. Made in Denmark by Fritz Hansen.
"I am trying to express the very language of the materials themselves." -Poul Kjærholm
The PK31 series from Fritz Hansen's "Poul Kjaerholm collection" exemplifies the quality and minimalist style of Kjaerholm's designs. This series consists of the 1-seater easy chair as well as the 2-seater and 3-seater sofas.The PK31 chair and sofa series combines elegant luxury with comfort. The collection is suitable for any environment, from lounges and waiting areas to private homes.
Poul Kjærholm had a particular interest in various construction materials; especially steel, which he considered a natural material. He was a trained carpenter who continued studies at the Danish School of Arts and Crafts. He moved on to work at Fritz Hansen, for about a year, where he designed a number of noteworthy chair prototypes. In 1955, Kjærholm started collaborating with manufacturer Ejvind Kold Christensen, which lasted until his death in 1980. In 1982, Fritz Hansen took over the production and sales of "The Kjærholm Collection", developed from 1951 to 1967, designs, which are logical to the minute detail with an aura of exclusivity.
The PK31 series rest on a matt chromium-plated spring steel base. The down-filled cushions are covered in your choice of leathers.
3-seater; 78"w| 29.9" d| 29.9"h| seat; 15"h
easy chair; 29.9"w|29.9 d|29.9"h|seat;15"h
2-seater; 54"w| 29.9" d| 29.9"h| seat; 15"h
3-seater; $28,990.00 + free shipping in the continental U.S. (please allow 8-12 weeks for this special chair to be created and shipped to your location).
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$28,990?????
wholly mackerel!
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http://hivemodern.com/products/?view=sub_product&sid=1727&cid=2&cid2=4
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to be the devils advocate for a moment, thats the price of a new car which lasts a person say 6-10 years, the sofa would last a lifetime, both would be used every day, one would pump out continiuing co2 and be a danger to yourself and others, the other would prove to be a good investment and give comfort and beauty for years to come.
It is overpriced I agree but not terribly so, in years gone buy a family saving up $7000.oo or so for a handmade dining suite and waiting 6 months to get it was not unheard of.
What is more outrageous are some of Edras offerings, 40k for a a huge stuffed snake (Campana Brothers)...its not a tumour!
Heath...the price of sofa
relative to the price of other similarly designed sofas is the issue.
A Florence Knoll sofa is around 10,000.00 in leather;
the Eames Sofa is around 8,000.00 in leather
If you start comparing that sofa to a space ship or a luxury liner, then I guess I see your point.
But if you remain the confines of currently available furniture, then you'll have to agree it's twice as expensive as anyone should be allowed to sell it for.
allowed?
allowed?
There are still quite a few links in the supply chain for furniture at this end of the market, I'm sure you could get it cheaper.
Beyond a certain point no object can possibly be said to be in higher in quality than another and things fall into the relam of the fanciful.
There are a few books out on the idea of luxury at the moment, I'll try and find some links, some companies (armani, lvmh) have democratised themselves and are making HUGE profits, other companies have taken a different tack in order to maintain the idea of exclusivity, there are other ways to do this but price is probabaly the easiest.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good
I believed the vintage ones...
I believed the vintage ones don't go for that much or am I wrong here?
I've always considered it a rather understated design from the hand of the master. Understated in de sense of being more anonomous, it doesn't have the iconic value of the other designs. That don't change that I like its look.
I remember it standing in the K20-21 museum in Dusseldorf, vintage ones..
I really don't understand you, Heath
I start a thread to show off the high price a particular sofa is selling for. You counter by going off-topic to say that relative values for other goods makes this sofa not so expensive.
I casually use the term "allowed"...you pick up on that.
It seems like whenever I post, you counter by disagreeing or going so far off topic to make a point that's nowhere near that i was trying to say.
I'm not upset, but I simply don't understand. The fact that this sofa is overpriced has nothing whatsoever to do with the price of an automobile. Why you brought that up is confusing to me.
Whether or not you can buy one second hand cheaper is completely unrelated to my original posting.
Isn't it an apples or oranges thing?
But should a sofa cost more
than an automobile?
Yes, the sofa is very light on the gas and you almost never have to take it in for an oil change, but it doesn't go very fast, either.
Seriously, tho, a $20,000.00 leather sofa IS a bit much, isn't it?
I think you can find a "JOE" sofa - you know, the outragiously cool leathyer sofa that looks like a giant baseball mitt, for about $10,000.00.
What is Fritz Hansen thinking?
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I find the why and how of things more interesting than observations, I wasn't deliberately trying to be rude Barry, just extending the er....conversational potential.
Isn't that what a forum like this is about?
As to what Fritz Hansens bean counters are thinking, these are proffesional business people and they aren't in the market for this type of good to satisfy every Tom, Dick and Harry. They've made a conscious decision to market some of their produsts at prices this high, the point surely, is why?
My guess is that its a Veblen marketing strategy, it would be so good if we had an economist on here.
Yea, I guess
but it would be swell to have someone agree with me!
My posts are usually specific and narrowed in scope. I try to be as direct, especially when putting forth an opinion or observation. Widening it is one way of responding, for sure, but it doesn't end up being a response to my original thought, does it?
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