A Navy Chair To Suit Your Venue

One of our favourite pastimes is visiting cafes; not just for a cup of coffee, but to check out the furniture and see what’s trending. One of the things that we have noticed in recent times is the amount of ‘classics’ gracing the premises of cafes and restaurants with chairs from designers such as Xavier Pauchard, Michael Thonet, Charles Eames and Harry Bertoia taking centre stage. One chair which is no stranger to the limelight is the ‘navy’ chair which we also stock, so we thought it might be interesting to shed some light on the history of this simplistic chair.

How the Navy chair evolved

The ‘Navy’ chair or ‘Emeco 1006’ which was its official name was first manufactured by Emeco in 1944 for use on World War 11 submarines. It was commissioned by the government who wanted a chair which, in their words, could withstand water, salt, and sailors. It needed to be lightweight, yet strong, and able to last a lifetime. The founder of Emeco, William C Dinges was in a position to utilise mass production and so used lightweight aluminium as their material of choice. The ductile nature of aluminium made it perfect for the job with which it was tasked and the conditions it was to face. To ensure stability on board, eye bolts were used beneath the seat so the chairs could be fastened to the deck with cables.

Production of these utilitarian chairs carried on after the war had ended as the chairs became popular in prisons, hospitals, and government offices because they were easy to clean and move around. Their popularity spread to restaurants throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s as their simplistic utilitarian looks gave a stylish look to any environment, and were immensely practical to boot. Typically the chair has a curved back with 3 vertical struts and slightly splayed back legs for stability.

Customise your ‘Navy’ Chair

Here at Cafe Furniture Melbourne not only have we lowered the price of our ‘Navy’ chair but in addition for just $20, we’ll powder coat it in the colour of your choice, so that you can benefit from a customised chair to match your café’s theme or décor. Suitable for indoor or outdoor use, this practical chair makes the perfect addition to your cafe furniture and is sure to turn heads for all the right reasons.

If you need any further information on any of our products then just give us a call on 03 9357 9688 or pop into our showroom in Campbellfield to take a look first hand.