In 1866, brothers George and Oliver Colie opened a business in Buffalo, New York which would eventually become the Kittinger Furniture Company. From the start, they insisted upon the finest design, materials and workmanship. Their attention to detail—and their talent at reproducing older, period styles—brought them to the attention of important historical organizations. Today, Kittinger furnishes "bench-made" (that is, high-end) period reproductions to the White House, the US Senate & Congress, the Supreme Court and to historical groups like Colonial Williamsburg. They have also reproduced older styles for sale in their showrooms.
The pair of chairs, shown above, are Eighteenth Century New England reproductions (likely made in the 1960's) The mahogany frame, with curvaceously carved arms, has been recently re-upholstered in a cream linen fabric with a lattice of tulips and dianthus blossoms. Each chair is marked "Kittinger" inside the back right leg.
This pair of chairs was part of the Richard Mellon Scaife estate in Pittsburgh. Because of the expense and difficulty of shipping, I have chosen not to list them in the on-line store. However, please feel free to call to discuss them—should you be willing to have them shipped. 917-446-4248 You may also reach me though the website's Contact feature (click here).
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248