Great Dane Presents: Anton Assaad's Top Ten Great Products

As the home of great Scandinavian design in Australia approaches it’s tenth year, founder and Director Anton Assaad shares his top ten favourite Great Dane products.

Embracing the modern Scandinavian way of life, Anton secures worldwide exclusives from some of the best design houses.

From lovingly crafted wooden toys to sleek dining tables, this personally edited collection, all current stock, reflects the flawless design aesthetic so fondly regarded by Anton and the Great Dane customers.  

Stay posted as we release a new product daily!

1. ARNE VODDER #26 SIDEBOARD IN OAK In 2010, legendary designer Arne Vodder returned to the world design stage when a partnership with Anton Assaad brought his furniture back into production. $7,950 Available in oak and walnut Shown in 2.2m length, also available in 1.8m

http://www.greatdanefurniture.com/Danish-Furniture/VodderSideboard26-22m.aspx

The visit to Wegner's home

Start of my long awaited blog from trip.........

This trip was probably the most exciting this year, there was just so much to look forward to, I cant imagine where to begin.  Lunch with Kai Kristiansen, seeing the 1st example of the V11 from Stouby, visiting Hans Wegner’s house?


Yes I think it was that.


I was determined this trip, to slow down a bit and really soak up the experience, I think too often I am so eager to move forward I forget how to stand still and look around me, I know its a cliché, but it is one that is very relevant to me.

The visit to Wegner’s house was organize by Pylle our resident Danish consultant, we really just wanted to gain an understanding of how one goes about working with the Wegner name and what this means. Pylle and I both thought we were meeting Anders at an office in CPH. Anders kindly offered to pick us up on the way and of course in classic Danish fashion, was smoking in the car, so Pylle had a smile on her face from the first instance.   We were leaving the centre of CPh and heading towards a residential area, it didn't really make sense but who were we to question his sense of direction.

We pulled up outside a house and all headed to the side of a very mid century house, flat roof, tan bricks, very simple and clean design, should have twigged at that point really. We walked around the back and I looked up at the back of the house and it looked strangely familiar,  then it struck me, this was Wegner’s HOME! 

Anders walked us inside and both Pylle and I realized we had been invited to a very special place. This was Wegner’s studio! We both looked around quite dumbstruck, must have looked like a couple of  kids in Willy Wonkers chocolate factory!!! Huge grins and nothing to say, hard to believe I know. 

The study seemed so real, so normal, it took me a couple of days to realize what it was that I felt, it was if we were waiting fro Wegner to come and join us for a cup of coffee and have a chat, it was as if he had simply stepped out for a walk or a ciagrette or perhaps to enjoy the beautiful apple trees in the backyard. This was unreal, almost surreal, we both felt a great privilege in being invited to this place, a bit like the Holy Grail.

Pylle and I sat and talked with Anders, about the production of Wegner product today, who the Wegners work with and why, business is still done on hand shakes as it was in the old days.

Anders asked us our opinion on a Wegner chair that he had first production sample of,  the chair was originally produced by Getama, who is making the model again. Interestingly the chair has a very similar leg style to the Wikkelsoe V11,  I think both Pylle and I were humbled that Anders would even ask us our opinion. It was great to have Pylle with me as both her and Anders are trained cabinet makers and had a great deal to talk about, I felt like a bit of a fly on the wall, which was fun.

I have attached an image of the  model # GE-501, from 1967.

ENJOY I know I did.

2011 Restoration Masterclass

It's back!

Our 2010 class was so popular we've set aside 2 days next year: February 19 and March 19, 2011.  Call the Melbourne showroom on 9510 6111 to book your place. 



Running over 4 hours, workshop manager Byron Reyneke and assistant Rupert Porter will illustrate for attendees Danish restoration techniques and tackle the 3 top requests = fixing sticky draws, removing water marks and repairing wobbly legs.  A great opportunity to get hands on and learn to fix it yourself!

The class starts at the Great Dane workshop and will conclude at the Melbourne showroom with a tour and review of the finished product with Great Dane founder and director Anton Assaad.  All participants receive a care kit to take home and continue the good work.

What: Great Dane Furniture Restorers Masterclass

When: Saturday 19th February or Saturday 19th March
Where: Great Dane Furniture Workshop, 43 Porter Street, Prahran
Time: 9am -1pm
Price: $150.00 per person
Bookings: 03 9510-6111


Class numbers are limited, so get in quick to book your place.

Wegner Easy Chairs on SALE!

Available at our Warehouse Sale - 86 Hoddle Street - Abbotsford.

Wegner 236 just arrived at SALE

Won't last long!

MELBOURNE WAREHOUSE SALE!

40% OFF DANISH FURNITURE



SALE STARTS 10AM THIS SATURDAY

SUBSCRIBER PRE-SALE THIS FRIDAY FROM 10AM TO 9PM


SUBSCRIBE ONLINE TO RECEIVE A FURTHER 10% OFF.


86 Hoddle Street, Abbotsford. Near corner of Gipps Street.


All items are 100% Danish; all items are fully restored. Up to 40% off.


Prices range from $500 to $750 for chests of drawers, leather sofas from $1950, dining chairs from $200, dining tables from $900, Easy chairs from $500.


PLUS cow hides; hundreds of meters of Danish wool discounted to $25 per meter normally $140 per meter!


These Sales are very busy so visit early to avoid disappointment.


Ph - 03 9510 6111
 
http://www.greatdanefurniture.com/Danish-Furniture/Danish-Furniture-Sale.aspx

The Scirocco Chair by Arne Norell from 1964

Scirocco Chair

Norell’s Safari chair is an interpretation of Kaare Klint's Famous Safari chair, which has been long considered a revolutionary chair in the design world.   

Kaare Klint designed his Safari Chair in 1933. He wanted to produce a light, portable armchair and was inspired by the English officers chair he had seen in a travel guide from Africa. The purpose of using the chair in the field was maintained as the chair is easy to disassemble - and assemble - with no tools. Maybe the world's first D-I-Y, flat-packed piece of furniture.

Campaign Chair

Safari Chair

I have attached an image of the Campaign Chair, the Safari Chair by Kaare Klint and Arne Norell’s Scirocco chair, showing its progression and evolution.

My first question when I first came across the Scirocco Chair was, ‘what’s with the name?’  Also used as girl's name, Scirocco is of Italian and Arabic origin and means "warm wind". The word was originally a description of the wind that blew over Italy from the Libyan deserts.

When I look at the Scirocco Chair and read the meaning of the word, there is a certain romance to this, reminding me of Lawrence of Arabia and swaying tents and endless sand dunes. I can envisage a bedouin tent full of Sirocco Chairs draped with rein deer hides( maybe substituted for a goat hide!) surrounding a warm hearth and the aroma of sweet mint tea.

Anyway I have tracked down the original manufacturer and had Pylle, our resident Dane ask if they have any old stock left. Well I guess if you ask the right question you get the answer you are looking for. They contacted us back a few days later to let us know they had a few left still in their original boxes, so we purchased what they had, what a find!

I hope to have one in each of our showrooms by end of next month for our clients to look and order from. The few that remain will be shipped in the new year.

What luck.....

Tord Boontje

Tord Boontje is from the Netherlands and was a member of a def metal band. Apparently he had a child and somehow channeled his metal into this, another wonderful creation!

We are thrilled to be receiving some of his porcelain this Christmas; platters, dinner plates and an adorable egg cup. I saw these and our GM Megan, knew of Tord but I didn’t.  It immediately made me think of my daughter and how wonderful it would be for her to grow up remembering these beautiful porcelain, I guess like Bunnikens. 


We are currently choosing some of his fabric to have in our Showrooms also.  I’m also going to choose a couple of easy chairs that I want to cover in his fabric. Maybe a Plank Chair or Alf Svensen easy chair, both would look stunning and its fun to be able to do something with a sense of light and warmth.

The Wonders of Wikkelsø

We rarely see work by Illum Wikkelsø (pronounced Vikkelsow). His work is some of the most intriguing and diverse from the midcentury in Denmark and yet he remains a bit of a enigma.

His multitude of designs, from sofas to desks and easy chairs, reflects a person with a creative mind and a great understanding of design, resulting in some really iconic pieces.

This is an image of an extremely rare V11 sofa which was produced by Holger Christiansen and I have never see in oak before. The sofa befits the name, its long and sleek and has beautiful lines.

We had this model recovered in elmotique tobacco, it just looks so right. It’s great to see such a rare iconic piece brought back to life.

Great Dane - what's going on...

So much going on at Great Dane this week!  Our Sydney sale kicked off with a bang yesterday - despite the crazy weather!   Great Dane subscribers were treated to a VIP preview night including an additional 10% off already reduced stock.  It runs until Tuesday at 107-109 Botany Road, Waterloo - so get in early to avoid disapointment. 

This weekend we are holding our first ever Magazine Swap.  Inside Out have been kind enough to sponsor this event and have provided us with a pile of magazines for design fans to pour over and trade for an old one you've had at home and haven't the heart to throw away.  And the best part?   You can get comfy on our favourie pieces (a sit in the Prime Time Chair a must) whilst you make your selection.  Check the website for more details - Sunday 5th Sept 3-6pm Sydney and Melbourne. 

We're also celebrating the charming Niels Moller this month - an award winning designer of Danish furniture.  A great family story as Niel's son Jorgen managegs the company now and recounted a beautiful memory of working for his father as a child - tacking the J.L. Moller stamp onto sideboards.  He is continuing in his fathers footsteps; maintaining the Moller philosophy of hand craftsmanship and production without assembly line.  Simply beautiful.

Speaking of family - don't forget Dad this Sunday!