Vintage Rustic Spring Steel Fan and Roll Back Garden Chair Style of Francois Carré

We have fallen in love with this garden chair here at the shop. We feel it is done in the style of Francois Carré’s spring steel sunburst chairs he designed and patented in France in 1866. That chair became so popular it was being produced by four companies in three cities: Paris, Vienna, and New York. Le Corbusier even commissioned a chair from Carré for one of his clients. This chair has a fan back that is also rolled and curves around to become the arms of this barrel style chair. The back’s strips of steel also curve down and into a half sunburst to become the back half of the seat. The front five of the rays on each side create the arms and the front half of the seat by running horizontal to the other rays. The strips of steel, or rays as we call them, are welded to the wrought iron frame. It has four square wrought legs that are part of the frame and four flat iron stretchers. We have stripped the many layers of chipped and peeling paint it had acquired over the years and left it in its unfinished rustic look, which we love, for the photographs. However, we will be happy to paint it any solid color you choose if you prefer. It fits into many style categories. It was originally designed Victorian but looks and feels Art Deco too. And yet…this one in particular…looks rather mid-century modern. It will be gorgeous on any patio, deck, or porch, and in any garden. Make it yours!