As part of the celebration of our 75th anniversary, we are excited to reissue Monterey, an iconic legacy product that first launched in 1986. Monterey was part of the Steve Chase Collection, a lounge seating family designed by renowned interior designer and longtime Martin Brattrud collaborator, Steve Chase.
Steve Chase began working with Martin Brattrud in the 1970s, commissioning custom furniture for luxury residences and celebrity projects around the world. His custom work with Martin Brattrud was installed in the residences of celebrity clients such as Farrah Fawcett, Gene Hackman, Johnny Mathis, Gerald and Betty Ford, and Joan Kroc to name a few.
Chase’s unique Palm Springs aesthetic shaped residential design of the 80s and 90s. His spaces were celebrated as a careful layering of styles—balancing contemporary and antique, comfort and luxury, casual and theatrical. Steve Chase believed that when designing, “the art is how well those things are assembled, how the total look turns out.” Each design element was carefully considered in the experience including texture, materiality, lighting, local influences and form languages.
When considering which product within the Steve Chase Collection to reissue, there was little debate. Monterey is iconically Steve Chase. Design details that can be spotted in many of his custom seating commissions were perfected in Monterey. Rhythmic channels, soft forms and underlighting are all things that say Steve Chase signature.
Today we are honored to be continuing the legacy of Steve Chase by producing his designs yet again. Chase once said, when asked about the most exciting part of his work “Certainly the most exciting kind of design is high quality commercial work, simply because it is seen by the most people”. In the 70s, 80s and 90s, Steve Chase and Martin Brattrud created quality seating for residences. In his memory, we will create quality seating for commercial spaces.
"Then" Monterey was exclusively residential.
"Now" Monterey can be specified for contract spaces.
"Then" plinth lighting was incandescent.
"Now" custom integrated LED runs cooler and is more reliable.
"Then" and "Now"—Monterey is manufactured exclusively at our own factory in Los Angeles, California.
To learn more about our story, please visit our history page.
