Good Questions: Barcelona knockoffs

Alicia tipped us off to a fun contest to check out and she asked a good question.

Dear AT,
The Tower Lofts in Minneapolis (towerlofts.com) is having a Top Lofts design contest for loftowners in their building.

I'm a big fan of these white chairs I spotted in one of the lofts. It's clearly a knockoff of van der Rohe's Barcelona chair, but I'm hoping it's an affordable alternative they've found. Any idea where they're from? - Alicia

Barcelona knock-offs are all over the web. The real challenge is finding one that balances reasonable quality with price. We did a little research and here is a sample range we found (with some details):

$549. (shipping $40.) at EB Peters (black or special order white only, leather top and synthetic sides, made in China)

$899. (shipping $175) at Funky Sofa (color choice, all leather -Italian, steel frame -Korean, assembled in California )

$1090. (free shipping) at MOD spaces (color choice, made in Italy)

$1899. (shipping $90) at eurofurniture.com (color choice, made in Italy) This is the online shop for European Furniture Warehouse, located in Chicago, so you may be able to go check this one out in person.

and finally, for comparison, the real deal, by Knoll:

$3499. for chrome, $5177. for stainless steel

Whew! Lots of options and info, but the best answer would be a recommendation (or a warning) from someone who's got experience with Barcelona or other classic design copies...if you have any info for Alicia, please comment away.

Comments (2)

he original was a 1 piece stainless steel frame with welded joint. Also, the cushions were individually cut and sewn squares. NOT one piece hides tufted. If you are in Chicago you can come see out version at European Furniture Warehouse (2145 W. Grand Ave in Chicago). We sell our version for $1999 which is virtually the same as the chromed Knoll / DWR version that sells for $3800. The only difference...no stamp. What is the difference between our chromed version and the original Knoll version (sell at DWR for around $5800)? (1) Mechanical joint hidden under the straps. The original has welded joints. (2) triple chrome plated cold rolled steel. Original is Stainless Steel. (3) No stamp. That's it! The cushions and straps are made with the same techniques and materials. (Aniline hides, individually cut and sewn squares). Questions? Gimme a call 800.243.1955 ask for Chris.

I just picked up a premium reproduction of the Barcelona chair from RoveConcepts ( www.roveconcepts.com ) . Their Compare page was very informative to see what the difference between a cheap and good reproduction was.