A beautiful and increasingly rare mid century 'Phonette' telephone table and hall seat by Chippy Heath, manufactured in Great Britain during the 1960s.
Designed at a time when every home had a dedicated place for the telephone, the Phonette is a wonderfully practical piece of mid-century design that remains just as useful today. Whether placed in a hallway, entrance porch, bedroom or living room, it provides a convenient perch while putting on shoes, somewhere to keep everyday essentials, and a distinctive conversation piece with genuine vintage character.
Crafted in warm teak, the design features a pull-out upholstered seat which slides smoothly beneath the cabinet when not in use, helping to keep the footprint compact. Above is a generous open storage compartment, ideal for keys, post, books or decorative accessories, while the single drawer offers additional concealed storage and is finished with a beautifully sculpted solid wood handle.
One of the Phonette’s loveliest original features is the pull-out ‘Memory Slide‘, designed to record names and telephone numbers before the days of mobile phones. This example retains both the original slide and the original Chippy instruction sheet, a rare detail that adds to its authenticity and collectability.
Founded in the West Midlands, Chippy Heath Furniture Ltd became well known during the 1960s and 1970s for producing thoughtfully designed occasional furniture, with their telephone seats becoming some of the company’s most recognisable designs. As these pieces were everyday household furniture, surviving examples in such well-preserved condition are becoming increasingly difficult to find.
This example has been professionally refinished and is presented in excellent vintage condition. The seat has been newly upholstered in black vinyl, complementing the warm teak beautifully while remaining faithful to the original aesthetic. It is a versatile and highly practical piece that perfectly captures the clean lines and intelligent design of the mid-century era.
This piece has found its new home, but plenty of other one-of-a-kind finds await you. Discover similar pieces.
Chippy Heath Furniture Ltd was based in High Wycombe - the heart of Britain's furniture-making industry - and became well known during the 1960s and 70s for their telephone seats and a wider range of mid-century pieces. Built using traditional woodworking techniques, their furniture combined clean lines and considered proportions with a practicality that suited the era.
Vintage Chippy Heath pieces are now sought after by collectors and work just as well in a contemporary interior as they did when they were made.
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£24.95 tracked delivery within the UK
Delivered within 5 days (UK Mainland)
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