Review and Comparison Guide: Modern Classic's Flat Arm Side Chair

 Modern Classics  

Our Mies Executive Flat Arm Side Chair, also known as the BRNO chair, is offered in top grain Italian leather, a frame made of solid bar, #304 Stainless Steel, polished to a mirror-like finish. For an extra charge, we offer powdercoating the frame in 8 standard colors. You may also provide your own upholstery materials for your specific project. The list prices for the Modern Classics brand are significantly lower than all other comparable brands, most notably the Knoll chair sold by Design within Reach (DWR). Furthermore, we do not charge for sales taxes and standard shipping is free to the contiguous US on orders over $5,000. Lead Times: Due to the high demand for these chairs, we often times are out of stock on some colors. We weld and polish the frames in the USA and do all the final assembly and packaging here too. There is about 40 hours of labor that goes into each chair. Most times there is under a 8 week lead time.

 Design Within Reach 

Design Within Reach (DWR) sells the original replica of these chairs as made by Knoll (aka., the "Signature" or "BRNO Chair" model.) DWR offer their BRNO chairs in top grain Spinneybeck leather in 6 colors and a chrome-plated steel frame. DWR prices do not include free Shipping and sales taxes will be added, since DWR has a store in every state. They do not sell a loveseat or sofa version of this chair. The list price for the DWR brand is significantly higher than all other comparable brands. Lead Times: The six standard leather colors are generally in stock.

  Malik Design Gallery 

Malik Design Gallery sells an Italian made version of the BRNO Chair. Offered in only 3 leather colors, this model would be our third choice for a Barcelona Style chair. Malik Design Gallery prices do not include free Shipping and sales taxes usually will be added. The list price for their chair is about twice as high as the Modern Classics brand. Lead Times: Malik Design Gallery black chairs are generally in stock.

  Low-Market Chairs 

BRNO style chairs can be found all over the Internet, and are notably because their prices are well below $600. The low market chairs are offered in one color: black ; and are not known for the use of soft foam, real leather, or correct dimensions. Their chairs use a chrome-plated steel frame. Lead times: Generally in stock.

 Modern Classics  

Our Frames are precision formed with No. 304 grade stainless steel and hand-polished to a mirror-like finish. By using higher grade #304 stainless steel we achieve a more natural appearance metal feature than plated chrome as well as a more environmentally safe steel compared to "plated chrome". Stainless steel is easy to maintain, inherently corrosive resistant and repairable by hand polishing offering a near life-time of trouble fee use. Besides the hand-polished look, we can make our frame with a powder coated finish in 8 standard in-house colors, or choose your own, for an additional charge. Our chair is contructed with an inner hardwood frame, multi-density foam and 2" flexilator seat suspension.

 Design Within Reach 

DWR chair frame is polished chrome hand-ground and hand-buffed to a mirror finish. The chrome plating process of metals has been noted as a generally unsafe manufacturing process for our an environmentally and when scratched or chipped, the steel will rust and it cannot be easily repaired. There are no options besides the polished chrome look, i.e., no powdercoating. Their chair is contructed with an inner hardwood frame, variable density foam and flexilator seat suspension.

  Malik Design Gallery 

Malik's frame is chrome plated to a shiny blue-tint finish. Once again, the chrome plating process of metals has been noted as a generally unsafe manufacturing process for our an environmentally and when scratched or chipped, the steel will rust and it cannot be easily repaired, whereas stainless steel is easy to maintain, inherently corrosive resistant and repairable by hand polishing offering a near life-time of trouble fee use. There are no options besides the polished chrome look, i.e., no powdercoating.

  Low-Market Chairs 

Low market chair frames are lower grade stainless steel, machined-polished and has a dull, milky finish. Does not look like chrome or very good stainless steel. Some models use hollow tubing, not solid bar. There are no options besides the polished chrome look, i.e., no powdercoating. The interior construction of their chair is not known.

 Modern Classics  

Our frame dimensions are modeled from original production drawings, and are the close to the designer's original intent, with some slight variations. These variations relate more to the curves of the chair, then dimensions, in that, our frame arms sweep up to a near horizontal position. The distance between the arm height and seat top is the same.

 Design Within Reach 

DWR sells the Knoll brand chair.

  Malik Design Gallery 

Malik's chair frame dimensions are a close match the Signature version, but the slope of the front legs are not curved enough, so there is a tendency to lean forward and tip over. Also the seat back is too high.

  Low-Market Chairs 

Their chair frame dimensions seem slightly smaller in overall size than our version and the curve on the back legs is not correct. Not to specifications.

 Modern Classics  

We offer 20 imported Italian leather colors as standard, with the option of providing your own leather or selecting from our wide range of color and texture selection of stock European leather colors for a minor surcharge.

  Design Within Reach 

The chair that DWR sells only has a choice of 6 leather colors as standard, although there is the option to selects from the entire Spinneybeck leather collection for a substantial surcharge. Not offered in Fabric or in your own materials.

  Malik Design Gallery 

Malik Design Gallery only offer 3 leather colors, are not offered in Fabric, custom leather or in your own materials. They cannot even give you a leather sample to take home nor can they send out leather samples.

  Low-Market Chairs 

These models are typically offered in only 1 or 2 leather colors: black and white. Upholstery might be leather, bonded leather, or vinyl; in any case, not quality A level Italian or USA leather.

 Modern Classics  

We offer the extreme flexibility on this model for customizing, with modest up-charges. First, there is the upholstery material. You can provide your own fabric or leather. You can ask us to check with our leather supplier for a specific leather color. We can powder coat the frame using one of our standard colors, or your own selection.

 Design Within Reach 

DWR offers limited flexibility on this model for customizing. You can provide your own select from a broad range of Spinneybeck Leathers, for an additional up-charge. There is no other frame choice than chrome or stainless steel.

  Malik Design Gallery 

This seller offers no customizing options. There is no other frame choice than chrome or stainless steel.

  Low-Market Chairs 

These models offer no customizing options. There is no other frame choice than chrome or stainless steel.