Pair of Cherner Armchair by Norman Cherner for Plycraft

Collectors will look out for a sticker that states the chair was designed by ‘Bernado’ – which is an indication of an early run of the chairs. When Cherner first submitted his design to Plycraft he was told that the chair would not be produced. A few years later in 1961 Cherner discovered his design for sale in a showroom in New York and being credited to a fictitious designer. He sued and won. In 1999 Cherner’s sons made the plans available which means that the chair is still in production today by The Cherner Chair Company, available in different woods and with the addition of different coloured upholstery.

Norman Cherner
Norman Cherner (1920-1987) was an American architect and designer who studied and taught at Columbia University, and was an instructor at MoMA (Museum of Modern Art, New York) in the late 1940s. It was there that he became fascinated by the Bauhaus approach which is evident in his work. In the post-war era, Cherner’s goal was to create affordable design both in furniture and housing. He published books throughout the 1950s including ‘Make Your Own Modern Furniture’ (1953), ‘How to Build a House for Less than $6000’ (1957), and ‘Fabricating Houses from Component Parts’ (1958).

Plycraft labels with “designed by BERNADO” intact under the bottoms of the chairs. (See last image)