Specifying Pierre Jeanneret Chairs: A Guide for Interior Designers and Architects

This guide covers model selection, material behaviour, table pairing, project ordering, and client briefing. It is written for designers who want precise information, not an introduction to the design.

At Object Embassy, each chair is produced to the highest standard: A-grade teak, hand-woven natural rattan, and a 74-point quality inspection before it leaves the workshop. The collection spans dining, lounge, and upholstered models, all developed from the original 1950s design drawings with proportions adapted to modern standards.

Why this design specifies so consistently

Three properties make the Pierre Jeanneret style chair unusually reliable across project types.

Material honesty. Teak and rattan are the kind of materials that architects working in natural palettes respond to instinctively. Both are unfinished in the conventional sense. Teak is oiled, not lacquered. Rattan is woven, not coated. In spaces where the material language is already stone, linen, plaster, or solid wood, these chairs belong without effort.

Proportional resolution. The back angle, seat depth, and leg geometry work together in a way that is genuinely resolved. The chair has no visual excess. This makes it useful in contexts where you need seating with presence but not dominance.

Commercial durability. Teak is one of the hardest and most dimensionally stable of tropical hardwoods. In high-use dining environments, it does not rack, swell, or discolour. Natural rattan develops true character with age. Both materials tell a story over time, rather than degrading.

The collection

Object Embassy produces the Pierre Jeanneret design chair in several models, each originating from a specific building type in Chandigarh. Understanding the differences is relevant to specification.

Office Chair vs Armless Dining Chair. Both sit at a seat height of 45 cm, adapted to today's dining and office standards. The Office Chair has arms and requires approximately 65–70 cm of table width per seat. At tables for four or more, confirm total table width before specifying the armchair for every seat. The Armless Dining Chair is the more practical choice for higher-density layouts or narrower tables. Both work well at long tables for eight, ten, or twelve people.

Lounge Chair and Upholstered Easy Armchair. These are a different category. With seat heights of 36–37 cm, we’d recommend specifying them for living areas, hospitality lounge settings, waiting rooms, and anywhere the brief calls for a more relaxed seating position. The Upholstered Easy Armchair is produced in Europe with oak legs and is available in the Modular flat weave fabric in a range of colours including Stone, Off White, Sand, Dark Beige, Navy, and Graphite. Fabric samples are available on request via professionals@objectembassy.com.

Upholstered Easy Side Chair. The armless counterpart to the Upholstered Easy Armchair. Same upholstered construction and fabric options; suitable for more compact lounge settings or where a lighter visual profile is preferred.

Table pairing

The Office Chair and Armless Dining Chair are compatible with any dining table at standard height (74–76 cm). Both pair well with heavy, solid table surfaces where there is material contrast between the table top and the chair frame.

Materials that pair well with the Office Chair and Armless Dining Chair:

• Marble (white, grey, or veined): the cool mineral surface reads well against the warmth of oiled teak and the texture of rattan.

• Concrete or stone: the chair softens the weight of the surface without competing with it.

• Solid oak (natural or bleached): a sympathetic natural material pairing with a close tonal range.

• Dark steel bases with solid tops: the V-leg profile of the chair echoes the structural honesty of exposed steel.

For the Lounge Chair, Upholstered Easy Armchair, and Upholstered Easy Side Chair: pair with low coffee tables (35–45 cm height) in natural stone, solid oak, or smoked glass. These chairs work well in clustered arrangements of two to four for hotel lobby and lounge settings.

For hospitality dining layouts, allow a minimum of 60 cm between chair backs for the Armless Dining Chair. For the Office Chair, allow around 70 cm to accommodate arm width comfortably.

Material behaviour across environments

Residential. In a private dining room or kitchen, natural teak and rattan are low-maintenance and age beautifully, developing true character over time. Wipe the rattan seat and backrest occasionally with a lightly damp cloth to keep it supple.

Hospitality and commercial. Teak is well-suited to high-use dining environments. It performs well under sustained daily use and is naturally resistant to humidity, making it a stable choice for restaurants and coastal properties. Rattan develops character in commercial settings over time. 

Acoustic environments. Natural rattan absorbs rather than reflects sound. In restaurant contexts where acoustic comfort is a consideration, this is a useful property. Worth noting in specifications for high-ceilinged or hard-surfaced dining rooms where the acoustic load is significant.

Seat cushions. Cushions are available as an addition for both the Office Chair and Lounge Chair, in a linen-blend fabric in sand. In hospitality contexts where extended seating comfort is a priority, cushions are worth specifying. They do not change the visual profile of the chair significantly.

Ordering for a project

Samples. Fabric samples for the upholstered collection are available on request at no charge. Contact professionals@objectembassy.com to request a fabric sample kit.

Lead times. For smaller orders, delivery is often possible within a week. For larger and custom orders, reach out to the trade team early to align lead times with your project programme.

Trade pricing. Object Embassy operates a professional programme for interior designers and architects. Trade pricing and terms are available on request.

Structuring a project order. When placing an order, specify: model, quantity, any cushion or fabric additions, and delivery address with site access notes. For larger commercial projects, the trade team can arrange phased delivery if required.

Contact professionals@objectembassy.com.

Briefing your client on care and longevity

A few points worth including in any client handover document.

Teak. A-grade teak holds its quality and colour for decades indoors. Clean with a damp cloth and avoid prolonged exposure to standing water.

Rattan. The hand-woven rattan seat and back develop character with use. Wipe occasionally with a lightly damp cloth to keep the fibres supple and prevent drying. Avoid direct prolonged sunlight.

Longevity. A chair made from A-grade teak and hand-woven natural rattan, built with traditional joinery and passing a 74-point quality inspection, does not need to be replaced in the way that manufactured furniture does. The teak can be re-oiled and restored decades from now. Worth communicating to clients who are thinking about value over the life of a project.

Getting started

Object Embassy's trade programme is open to interior designers and architects. Trade pricing, sampling, and project order management are handled directly by the team.

Contact professionals@objectembassy.com to register for trade access or request samples for a project.