The Segesta Armchair

Back in 2006, when Josh and I were first-time homebuyers and didn’t have loads of money (not that we do now!) we still wanted to buy a few pieces of furniture that were at least a little cut above the rest.  We decided that dining chairs would bring us the biggest bang for our buck, so we went down to the Central West End to visit our buddies at Centro Modern Furnishings to see what would fit within our budget.

At the time, I wanted 6 matching dining chairs.  In the past few years, my taste has changed a bit, and I prefer the look of 4 matching chairs with either a bench or 2 complimentary chairs to accent the table.  Nevertheless, we wanted to find a chair that was unique, and not overused (think Eames, Stark, Bertoia).  Ultimately we decided on the SEGESTA ARMCHAIR designed by Alfredo Häberli. 

Segesta Chair by Alfredo Häberli via Alias.

Produced by Alias, an Italian furniture manufacturer, Segesta is a multipurpose chair made from a high-tech plastic (Hirek©) that can be used both indoors and out.  The back rest has a flexibility to it which catches most people off guard initially, but it’s a pleasant little surprise!   And one of my favorite things about this chair is its ability to stack.

Originally, I had paired these modern plastic chairs with a French style antique wood table (also white) but after our house fire in 2008, we bought new chairs for our dining room and stacked these chairs away in storage.  Although they held up pretty well to the devastation of the fire, all of the chairs sustained scratches in the plastic and are stained with soot that I’ve been unable to clean/buff out.  I have seen an upholstered version of the chair, so maybe we’ll be able to order the upholstered pieces and retrofit them to our chairs...?  Let's hope!  

L - Our dining room the day after the fire, R - Taormina Chair by Alfredo Häberli via Alias.