Percival Lafer Chair and Ottoman
View Similar Items
Percival Lafer Chair and Ottoman
About the Item
- Creator:Percival Lafer (Designer)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Southampton, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU80031239632
Percival Lafer
When it comes to mid-century furniture, the innovative work of the Brazilian Modernists has often been overlooked, including the designs of prolific maker Percival Lafer. Lafer studied architecture at São Paulo’s Universidade Mackenzie. After he graduated, his father passed away suddenly, leaving a furniture business that Lafer took over with his brothers.
Taking up the mantle, Lafer made the jump from architecture to furniture design in 1961, putting a focus on thoughtfully designed pieces available at affordable prices. That year, he introduced his supremely popular MP-1 chair, a plush piece of furniture made with iron and wood that he has riffed on throughout his entire career. The silhouettes of his lounge chairs, armchairs and other seating were distinct from streamlined American and European mid-century modernism, taking on casual, puffed forms thanks to his use of polyurethane layers as padding. He combined such contemporary industrial materials with local natural ones, namely Brazilian hardwoods, which delighted customers around the world as Lafer became one of the country’s leading exporters of furniture.
Lafer has continued to design furniture throughout his career, branching into sofas, tables and lighting. He was at the forefront of mechanical furniture movements, debuting the MP-7 sofa, which could turn into a twin bed, in 1965, the first such piece on the market. One of his most intriguing projects was the MP Lafer, a two-seat fiberglass roadster designed to emulate British sports cars. Some 4,300 units were produced over its 16-year manufacturing run in the ’70s and ’80s, with several ending up in the collections of major car museums.
Still, Lafer’s biggest claim to fame is his seating, which he continues to design, drawing inspiration from modern shapes and local materials. In 2017, a retrospective of his work was organized as part of the São Paulo Design Weekend.
Find a collection of authentic Percival Lafer furniture on 1stDibs.
- Percival Lafer Ottoman in Olive Green Leather and MahoganyBy Percival LaferLocated in Waalwijk, NLPercival Lafer, ottoman or stool, mahogany, leather, Brazil, 1970s Bulky and voluptuous pouf made in the 1970s by Percival Lafer. The olive green leather of the seat is tufted, whic...Category
Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
MaterialsLeather, Mahogany
- Percival Lafer Lounge Chair with Ottoman in Red Brown LeatherBy Percival LaferLocated in Waalwijk, NLPercival Lafer, lounge chair with ottoman, model MP-211, hardwood, leather, Brazil, 1974 Bulky and volominous lounge chair with pouf by Brazilian designer Percival Lafer. This chair...Category
Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Hardwood
- Percival Lafer Midcentury Brazilian "Earth Chair" Set Armchair and Ottoman, 1976By Percival LaferLocated in Sao Paulo, SPPercival Lafer midcentury Brazilian "Earth Chair" set armchair and ottoman, 1976. Known internationally, Percival Lafer is a renowned Brazilian design...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Rosewood & Cognac Leather Mp-163 "Earth Chair" & Ottoman by Percival LaferBy Percival LaferLocated in Chattanooga, TNWe've had several Percival Lafer sofas and chairs over the years, and this MP-163 "Earth Chair" model is by far the most comfortable. The scoop style and high-back design cradles and...Category
Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
- "MP-43 Lounge Chair and Ottoman by Percival Lafer, Brazilian Mid-Century ModernBy Percival LaferLocated in Sao Paulo, SPThe rare MP-43 armchair, made of Brazilian hardwood, is another great example of the imaginative and innovative production of designer and architect Percival Lafer. With its chro...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWood
- Percival Lafer Mid-Century Modern Lounge ChairsBy Percival LaferLocated in Weesp, NLGorgeous Mid-Century Modern pair of white upholstery and Brazilian Jatoba wood lounge chairs made in São Paulo by Percival Lafer. Both very comfortable chairs are in great condition as can be seen in the images. This beauty will be shipped insured overseas in a custom made wooden crate. Cost of insured transport is crate included. Price of transportation is per chair. Percival Lafer is a contemporary Brazilian furniture maker and pioneer of the Brazilian Modernist movement. He is most famous for his chair and sofa designs, which combine low-profile hardwood structures with plush leather upholstery. “I’ve always been drawn to the motion features of furniture,” he’s said. “The engineering and design work that goes into its mechanisms is fascinating and fulfilling.” Born on April 12, 1936 in Brazil, he studied at the Mackenzie Presbyterian University College of Architecture in São Paulo. After graduating, his father passed away and he and his brothers took over LAFER, his father’s furniture company. The designer currently lives and works in Campos do...Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
$4,118 / item