Falcon Lounge Chair & Ottoman in Dark Brown Leather by Sigurd Ressell for Vatne Møbler, 1970s, Set of 2

Model · Highback Falcon
Designer · Sigurd Ressell
Manufacturer · Vatne Møbler
Origin · Norway
Period · 1970s
Style · Scandinavian Modern / Mid-Century Modern
Materials · Bent plywood, leather
Colour · Dark brown, brown

Object

Falcon is built around the idea of suspension. A generous leather seat hangs inside four sweeping pieces of bent plywood, barely touching the structure that surrounds it. In the highback version, that suspended surface continues upward around the body, while the matching ottoman extends the same gesture toward the floor.

Ressell designed Falcon around 1970, but the bentwood version that followed transformed the chair into something lighter and more organic. Nothing is rigid where the body meets it. Leather gives, the structure flexes, and gravity becomes part of the design. In dark wood and original brown leather, the chair and ottoman have aged into one another, creating a deep, almost cocoon-like place to disappear for a while.

Designer

Sigurd Ressell (1920–2010) trained in carpentry at the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry before beginning a career that moved between craftsmanship, interiors and industrial furniture design. His early work remained rooted in wood, but by the 1960s he had become increasingly interested in suspension and furniture that could move more freely around the body.

That experimentation eventually led to Falcon. After joining Vatne Møbler as chief designer in 1968, Ressell transformed an earlier competition prototype into a chair that would travel around the world. Its success was extraordinary, but the idea behind it remained remarkably simple: allow a few carefully chosen materials, held in tension, to do almost everything.

Manufacturer

Vatne Møbler began in the Norwegian village of Vatne in 1946, initially producing upholstered lounge furniture before becoming one of the important names in postwar Norwegian design. Its collaborations with designers such as Fredrik A. Kayser and Sigurd Ressell helped establish a distinctive language built around comfort, craftsmanship and increasingly adventurous construction.

Falcon became the company's great international breakthrough. After entering production in the early 1970s, the chair travelled from Norway into homes across Europe, the United States, Japan and Australia, turning an experiment in suspended seating into one of the most recognisable Norwegian chairs of its era.

Condition

The bent plywood structure remains fully original and is beautifully preserved in excellent vintage condition. The brown leather cushions are original as well, retaining the natural softness, depth and character developed through age. As with any authentic vintage piece, subtle traces of age and previous use may be present, adding to the history and individual character of the chair and ottoman.

Dimensions

Width · 78 cm / 30.7 in
Depth · 78 cm / 30.7 in
Height · 94 cm / 37.0 in
Seat height · 38 cm / 14.9 in

Included

The lounge chair and ottoman are accompanied by a Back to the Furniture Certificate of Originality, a Back to the Furniture flyer, a Thank You card and a small gift.

Availability

The lounge chair and ottoman can be ready to ship within 10-15 workdays.

Shipping

Worldwide shipping is available. Every piece is carefully prepared and packed for international transport. Shipping costs are calculated according to destination at checkout, with tracking provided after dispatch.

Enquiries

For questions about the piece, its condition, shipping, delivery or any other details, please get in touch. Additional information is always available before purchase.

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