Armchair (for Hous'hill, Catherine Cranston's residence, Glasgow, Scotland) (Primary Title)

Between 1903 and 1919, Charles Rennie Mackintosh created the interior decoration and furnishings for Hous’hill, the residence of Catherine Cranston, owner of a series of tearooms in Glasgow. One of the distinctive features of Miss Cranston’s house was the Drawing Room, also known as the Music Room (see image nearby). This armchair was made for the Drawing Room, and its vertical slats are echoed in a curved screen that was a key architectural feature in the white-painted room. The dark-stained wood and oval insets of mauve-colored glass were in sharp contrast to the white walls of the Drawing Room. The importance of this sculptural piece of furniture lies in its aesthetics rather than its function or comfort. Other pieces of furniture designed by Mackintosh for the Drawing Room at Hous’hill can be seen in this gallery, and include a tea table and a wrought iron firefront.