To celebrate thirty years of continuous production, we have released a special anniversary edition of the Balzac armchair. Made in fully sustainable and natural materials, it features a specially commissioned commemorative label.
The Balzac armchair by Matthew Hilton was launched by SCP in 1991. It was our very first upholstery design, lovingly made by-hand at a small specialist factory in Norfolk. Initially the design was met with little fanfare or praise, but within a few years its curvaceous looks, modernist sensibility and undoubted comfort had caught the imagination of both the design world and the public.
It went on to become SCP’s signature piece, a bestseller in retail that was also specified far and wide in the contracts market. Matthew Hilton’s idea behind the Balzac – to take a traditional furniture typology and update it for the modern world – is something that became embedded in SCP’s design ethos.
Thirty years after the first stitch was sewn, we felt it was time to celebrate, both the Balzac itself and the value of good British design.
For that purpose, we have created a Special Anniversary Edition Balzac, which is made in with fully sustainable and natural materials and features a commemorative label, created by SCP’s long-time graphic design partner, Farrow Design.
We are also collaborating with textile innovator Kvadrat, upholstering a number of Balzac’s in new Kvadrat fabrics, to be shown at an exhibition at SCP during the London Design Festival in September 2021. The exhibition will also present a wealth of background material to tell the story of this remarkable chair and the cultural history around it.
As SCP’s inaugural upholstery design, the Balzac was in fact the first step on our journey to becoming a fully fledged manufacturer. In 2003 we acquired and integrated the specialist Norfolk factory into the company, and have gone on to develop it into one of the leading proponents of sustainable upholstery making in the British design industry.
The Special Anniversary Edition Balzac is made from a solid beech frame with jute webbing and zigzag springs. Upholstered with 100% natural and sustainable materials, including latex and coconut fibre, needled lambs wool, needled recycled wool, and recycled foam. As standard, the seat cushion is filled with feathers but other options are also available. The legs are natural oak.
SCP are confident in the longevity of their upholstery and offer a lifetime guarantee on all frames.
