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RFH Terrace chair & table

&Tradition – Robin Day, 1951 

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Chaise et Table RFH Terrace &Tradition – Robin Day, 1951
Chaise et Table RFH Terrace &Tradition – Robin Day, 1951
Chaise et Table RFH Terrace &Tradition – Robin Day, 1951

The RFH Terrace Chair was originally designed to complement the RFH dining chairs and RFH lounge chairs used in the restaurant and foyer of the Royal Festival Hall.

With a decidedly simple construction and small size, these chairs were installed in large numbers on the terrace. Since they were never mass-produced, they gradually disappeared over the years. 

After discovering the model while browsing old images, &Tradition and the Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation joined forces to search for them: only one example was found, in the archives of the Royal Festival Hall, where it had remained wrapped and untouched for decades.

Chaise et Table RFH Terrace &Tradition – Robin Day, 1951
Chaise et Table RFH Terrace &Tradition – Robin Day, 1951

Made from teak, the chairs are durable and small in size, making them well suited to small urban balconies or optimised café terraces in busy areas.

Variable-length wooden slats give the chair ergonomic qualities while giving it a distinctive organic aesthetic. Sturdily constructed, the chair retains a light and airy feel.

A custom-made cushion has been developed. The fabric is made from 50% recycled materials and is resistant to weathering, pilling and abrasion.

Chaise et Table RFH Terrace &Tradition – Robin Day, 1951
Chaise et Table RFH Terrace &Tradition – Robin Day, 1951

The RFH Terrace Outdoor Table was designed to work in tandem with the RFH Terrace Chair. Like the chair, the table was never mass-produced.

Paula Day, Robin Day’s daughter and Chair of the Robin Day and Lucienne Day Foundation: “This is probably the most remarkable reissue we’ve ever done, in terms of bringing a lost archive design back to life.”

Chaise et Table RFH Terrace &Tradition – Robin Day, 1951

RFH Terrace chair

Materials Solid teak, high-strength steel structure

Dimensions 54.5 x 52 x H79 cm – Seat height 45.5 cm

Chaise et Table RFH Terrace &Tradition – Robin Day, 1951
Chaise et Table RFH Terrace &Tradition – Robin Day, 1951

RFH Terrace chair

Chaise et Table RFH Terrace &Tradition – Robin Day, 1951
Chaise et Table RFH Terrace &Tradition – Robin Day, 1951

cushion with Heritage Char

Chaise et Table RFH Terrace &Tradition – Robin Day, 1951
Chaise et Table RFH Terrace &Tradition – Robin Day, 1951

cushion with Heritage Papyrus

RFH Terrace table

Materials powder coated steel, high pressure compact laminate, acrylic lacquer

Dimensions Ø75 ou Ø97 x H72,5 cm

Chaise et Table RFH Terrace &Tradition – Robin Day, 1951

Ø75 cm

Ø97 cm

Chaise et Table RFH Terrace &Tradition – Robin Day, 1951
Chaise et Table RFH Terrace &Tradition – Robin Day, 1951
Chaise et Table RFH Terrace &Tradition – Robin Day, 1951

Robin Day

Robin Day

Born and raised in the furniture-making town of High Wycombe, Robin Day (1915-2010) grew up surrounded by lumberyards and cabinet-making workshops. After studying at High Wycombe Technical Institute and High Wycombe School of Art, and working as a draughtsman in a local furniture factory, he won a scholarship to the Royal College of London.

At the time he was studying at the RCA, the product, furniture and interiors design departments were in their infancy, allowing Day to chart his own educational course. After graduating, his aspirations to become a furniture designer were put on hold due to the outbreak of the Second World War. Instead, he developed his skills by making drawings and models for architects, signing signs, producing window displays for fashion boutiques and teaching technical drawing and lettering on a part-time basis. He later became a renowned exhibition designer, meticulously taking care of every detail, from the composition of the installation to the production of the poster.

In 1948, the Museum of Modern Art in New York issued a call for entries for its international competition for low-cost furniture. The announcement matched Day's democratic approach to design, so he entered with his friend and contemporary Clive Latimer. Their modular plywood storage system not only won first place in its category, but also kick-started Day's career as a furniture designer. The attention he attracted led to a partnership with British furniture company Hille (for whom he created the Hillestak collection), a commission to design all the furniture for the Royal Festival Hall and projects for the 1951 Festival of Britain, including sets of pieces for the Homes and Gardens Pavilion, which featured his RFH lounge and dining chairs - now part of our collection of classics.