1970s Vintage Chippendale Style Armchairs (Sourced by Swimmer Cole Martinez Curtis) - A Pair

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Description

This exceptional pair of chairs carries an authentic, numbered design inventory registry sticker from Swimmer Cole Martinez Curtis (later known … Read more This exceptional pair of chairs carries an authentic, numbered design inventory registry sticker from Swimmer Cole Martinez Curtis (later known as Cole Martinez Curtis & Associates), a legendary, award-winning interior design and commercial space-planning firm founded in Southern California. Active under this name throughout the late 1960s, 70s, and mid-80s, the nationally ranked studio was celebrated for conceptualizing elite, high-end corporate headquarters, executive suites, country clubs, and luxury hospitality venues across the country. Led by iconic design principals like Milton Swimmer and Jill Cole, the firm was known for sourcing and purchasing top-tier, contract-grade luxury furniture. The presence of this registry tag confirms these chairs were curated for a prestigious professional installation, serving as a stamp of high-quality craftsmanship, high-end commercial heritage, and unique mid-to-late 20th-century design provenance. These chairs are vintage Chippendale-style dining armchairs featuring a beautifully carved yoke-shaped top rail with a central shell motif, an elegant solid vase-shaped back splat, scrolled arms, and cabriole front legs ending in classic ball-and-claw feet.

About the Curating Firm: Swimmer Cole Martinez Curtis
This exceptional pair of chairs carries an authentic, numbered design inventory sticker from Swimmer Cole Martinez Curtis, a legendary, award-winning interior design and commercial space-planning firm founded in southern California. Active under this name throughout the late 1960s, 70s, and mid-80s, the nationally ranked studio was celebrated for conceptualizing elite, high-end corporate headquarters, executive suites, country clubs, and luxury hospitality venues across the country. Led by iconic design principals like Milton Swimmer and Jill Cole, the firm was known for sourcing and purchasing top-tier, contract-grade luxury furniture. The presence of this registry tag confirms these chairs were curated for a prestigious professional installation, serving as a stamp of high-quality craftsmanship, high-end commercial heritage, and unique mid-to-late 20th-century design provenance.

Add an element of old world design character to your interior with this striking pair of vintage Queen Anne style open armchairs from Swimmer Cole Martinez Curtis. Crafted in the mid-to-late 20th century, these high-quality bench-made reproductions beautifully honor classic 18th-century silhouettes with exceptional stability and lifestyle durability.

The chairs feature a supportive, open vasiform (vase-shaped) back splat framed by a gracefully carved yoke crest rail highlighted with an ornate fan/scallop shell motif. Serpentine, fluid open armrests with hand-pleasing scroll terminations descend seamlessly into an upholstered drop-in slip seat.
Elevating the stance are gorgeous front cabriole legs showcasing prominent shell carvings at the knees, terminating in beautifully executed, majestic ball-and-claw feet. Turned H-stretchers anchor the base for absolute structural rigidity.
The drop-in slip seats are currently upholstered in a high-tier decorator sateen fabric showcasing a crisp vertical stripe pattern. Featuring an alternating palette of rich terracotta orange, cream, muted gold, and deep slate blue, the textile breaks up heavy wood tones and effortlessly introduces a tailored, "Grandmillennial" or upscale traditional feel to any space.

• Overall Width: 21.0 inches (Widest point across the arms)
• Overall Depth: 17.0 inches (Total front-to-back depth including the wood frame)
• Overall Height: 43.0 inches (Floor to the highest point of the crest rail)
• Seat Height: ~19.0 inches

Whether styled as a commanding pair of floating accent chairs in a living room, positioned to flank a formal entryway console, or utilized as host and hostess chairs at the ends of a dining table, this pair delivers an authoritative designer presence.

The inventory sticker from Swimmer Cole Martinez Curtis means these pieces were curated or purchased by this prominent interior design firm for a commercial project—such as a historic hotel lobby, country club, executive suite, or luxury office space—which often specified high-end contract furniture manufacturers.

• Style: Vintage Centennial Chippendale Style (also classified as Traditional / 18th-Century English Style Reproduction). Key details include the carved yoke top rail with a central shell motif, a vase-shaped splat, scrolled arms, and cabriole legs ending in ball-and-claw feet.
• Fabric: The primary seat cushion is an elegant traditional striped multi-color designer damask or heavy cotton-blend upholstery in warm shades of coral-terracotta, gold, and muted blue. (Note: A blue calico/floral patterned fabric is seen underneath as the dust cover).
• Manufacturer Era / Date: Circa late 1960s to mid-1980s. High-end furniture manufacturers from this golden age of American reproductions included companies like Henredon, Baker Furniture, and Hickory Chair.


Grand Hospitality & Historic Luxury Hotels:
Design Principal Jill Cole famously transitioned the firm’s focus toward legendary luxury resort properties, leading the historic interior renovations for ultra-prestigious landmarks like The Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, Texas. These chairs match that exact hospitality design signature: grand, highly formal English styling specified to withstand high-traffic environments while providing a classic, stately aesthetic. (For more information, visit Cole Martinez Curtis & Associates website). See less