When you think luxury and comfort combined in a single piece of furniture who do you think? There have been many, but the originator of it all is Baltimore based designer Billy Baldwin. As I’m sure you know, he was infamous for his iconic slipper chair. This chair was unique in the area of luxury furniture because it wasn’t stuffy and stiff like the other pieces you would find in a grand party hall. This chair was low to the ground and featured a very deep seat with no arms and was very plush. It encouraged the most sophisticated kind of lounging. It was that thought that he was inspired to make the chair for the body of 5’9 Pauline de Rothschild so it was easier for her to extend her legs and pose for the camera. Like any good designer, he was inspired by work abroad and international style, but he was also an advocate for American design and produced design that was considered very american saying, “We can recognize and give credit where credit is due, to the debt of taste we owe Europe, but we have taste, too.” His slipper chair was ingenious because it made both women and men feel comfortable – which is rare for a chair that is so attractive – and could be upholstered in a variety of materials to enhance the style of any space. He said that above all he thought that a piece should be comfortable which was really against the formality of the Baroque and Rococo and was very progressive idea for the time. Needless to say this chair is an icon for a reason and we have Billy Baldwin to thank for that. The magic of the slipper chair is that you can use it anywhere, but how you use it is for you to decide.

J Miller Designs

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