Description

An original and very elegant Pieff shelving unit, with chrome supports and smoked glass shelves. Designed by Tim Bates for the Lisse range in the 1970s.

Pieff furniture was a range of avant-garde furniture designed and produced in Cradley Heath near Birmingham from 1970 until 1983. The company was formed as Production Facilities Limited in 1953 by Frederick Bates and son David, and produced contract furniture for hospitals, coffee bars and canteens, and other commercial uses.

Tim Bates, David’s younger brother, joined the company in 1966, and in 1969 they introduced a new range of modern up–market contract furniture. Tim had studied design and gained experience by working in the factory, so was appointed to lead the Design and Development of this new product range. The new range was introduced to the trade at the Decor Furniture Exhibition in May 1970, and around this time the company changed its name to Pieff Furniture. Publicity photographs – created by marketing man Peter Donnelly and his company, Donnelly Burn – showed the new furniture against a background of Lamborghini supercars, and following this Italian connection the first two model ranges were named Eleganza and Suntuoso.

Although the Pieff range was originally aimed at up-market contract buyers, it was soon extended to appeal to retail customers and within two years was stocked by the leading retailers across the UK including Harrods, Heals, Waring & Gillow, John Lewis, House of Fraser and many more, and regular exports were also being made to customers in North America, the Gulf States, Australia and Hong Kong.

By the mid-1970s Pieff Furniture could be seen on television programmes such as “This Is Your Life”, “Blake’s Seven”, “The Good Life” and many more, and the British government’s Property Services Agency was buying Pieff Furniture for use in prestige locations in government offices and British Embassies around the world.

This is a vintage piece so there are places where it will show wear commensurate with its age and use. Please ask if you’d like any more detail re condition.

L86 x H180 x D38cm