The long and interesting history of this chair begins in the second half of the XNUMXth century, during the era of Louis XVI. An oval back, straight chiseled legs, comfortable armrests – compared to its intricate rocaille predecessors, the small Empire armchair turned out to be surprisingly graceful, light and comfortable, and also very recognizable. Which made him famous for centuries.
Now, when it comes to recreating the noble neoclassical interiors that are so suitable for respectable establishments, you simply cannot do without small armchairs-medallions. For example, it is on them that you are invited to drink the legendary five-o-clock tea in the London Ritz. But their popularity is not limited to this: in recent years, the good old “Louis XVI” has a lot of interpretations. And this is understandable: nowadays, games with a luxurious heritage of the past are at the height of fashion. Some textbook piece of furniture is taken from the piggy bank of history and “adjusted” to the modern vision. Now any connoisseur of postmodern fun can choose a chair with an oval back to your taste: stainless steel, covered with cow hide or black satin with a skull of rhinestones.
If all this seems too simple, then upholstery with the image of a pug in a turban will do. The apotheosis of the transformation of the “medallion” can be called the “Ghost of Louis” armchairs by Philippe Starck (a pretty name, considering how Louis XVI ended): the recognizable graceful silhouette is made of the material that is least associated with the classics – transparent polycarbonate. Initially, the “Ghost” was invented for the decoration of the restaurant, but later it got on stream. So the aristocratic armchairs-medallions have become closer to the people!