Klismos chairs are as chic today as in ancient Greece
Chairs have been the most basic of interior furnishings. The earliest chairs were merely cubes carved from blocks of wood or marble.
Certainly every chic interior designer and architect knows what klismos furniture is. Klismos furniture - and more specifically klismos chairs - have been depicted in Greek vases and pottery and on bas-relief panels on the facade of temples in Greece. Romans inspired by classical architecture also depicted this particular type of chair in their paintings.
Klismos chairs are generally lightweight chairs made of wood with a woven chair seat made from reeds; an elevated, curved back supported by a single pillar; and legs that curve toward the front and back. This design feature of the legs has been both a distinctive feature and a design concern. It may have been due to the splayed legs - which did not support a lot of weight - that the chair fell out of favor.
These splayed legs must have been carved out of one piece of wood, but undoubtedly are reminiscent of large animal tusks.
During Europe's Neoclassical period between the 1780s and 1800s, an appreciation for classical design was spurred by grand tours taken by wealthy patrons, architects and artists. In France, Jean-Jacques Lequeu and Jean-Louis David, along with Thomas Hope in England and Benjamin Latrobe in the United States, revived the Klismos chair in drawings and painting and brought the chair back to life.
In order to make the Klismos chair viable, designers added stretchers to reinforce the leg's splay and correct the design flaw. The back was lowered enough to allow ones elbow to comfortably rest upon the curved back.
During the 1920s and 1930s, romanticized versions of the Klismos chair reappeared in streamlined form in Art Deco interiors. Modern versions of the Klismos chair took form with more restrained legs and straighter, upholstered backs and chair seats. The design was flexible enough to adapt design features like widespread swan sins as backrests, acanthus-trimmed details and animal foot-inspired sabots.
The Klismos was reintroduced during the 1960 in a cleaner version to compliment modern midcentury furniture. T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings met and paired up with the Greek Saridis cabinetmaking family and redesigned a line of Klismos furniture to include chairs, daybeds and tables.
Today, Klismos furniture is still quite popular and can be mixed into almost any style interiors. Klismos' clean and pure design lines have made them become a classic go-to chair for interior designers.
The classic Klismos chair throughout history has been modified even further and served as inspiration for chairs and club chairs that range from simply wood frames to fully upholstered versions. The design has endured, not only because of its great lines, but also because of its ergonomic comfort.
At the risk of being likened to Gus, Toula's father in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," the next time you see a chair with a curved back and slightly splayed legs, know that its predecessor was from ... Greece.
• Joseph Pubillones is the owner of Joseph Pubillones Interiors, an award-winning interior design firm based in Palm Beach, Florida.
© 2016, Creators Syndicate