Napoleon Chair

The classic Napoleon chair was just first used by Lutyens in his own home in 1919. Later he had a chair made for each of his five children, one of which now lives in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. It is said that he named the chair from a painting by Jacques-louis David of Napoleon seated in an assymetric chair. Lutyens described it as the next comfortable chair ever.

Lutyens own chair was covered in black horsehair and the horsehair by LFL for the Napoleon chair is woven on the same looms that provided Sir Edwin himself with horsehair for his original chair. It works equally well in leather and other fabrics, although we recommend against a large pattern or stripe. The feet are either brass capped or supplied with brass castors. Chrome capped feet are available.

Some twenty years after Edwin Lutyens designed his favourite chair, his son Robert came up with his own version.  The Robert is larger overall, has a cushion and is generally more “clubbable”.  Horsehair is not available for the Robert Napoleon as the fabric width is not sufficient to cover the planes without unsightly seams.
 
The baby chair was our own inspiration made for our children when they were small.
 

Napoleon chair tearsheet