Just how do you clean Ultrasuede furniture? So, let's talk about keeping your furniture looking…
Welcome to of Iron & Oak’s Pop Culture Design School, where we play interior designer for some of Pop Culture’s most famous figures. Today’s lesson: The Batman
Batman provides an interesting thought exercise because of the wildly different design directions for both billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, and the Dark Knight himself.
So today we’re gonna split the difference and provide a couple of great examples for seating that both of Gotham’s front page poster boys would be able to see themselves in, let’s get started
Wayne Manor was designed by Nathan Van Derm for Darius Wayne in early 1800s, so lets start off with a piece that would feel right at home in the stately family manor that Bruce calls home.
Hand-Stained Tufted-Seat Chesterfield
Our Wright tufted-seat Chesterfield in beautiful Hand-Stained Cognac leather is the first thing that comes to mind for that old-money mansion vibe that Bruce Wayne seeps from every pore, and there’s a reason for that…
Antiqued hand-stained leather furniture is the apex of the classic Chesterfield world, designed to emulate the look and feel of 200 year old sofas after centuries of cigar smoke and spilled whiskey have developed a beautiful patina in the nooks and crannies of tufts and folds that make this style of furniture so iconic.
After our craftsmen in our North Carolina workshop finish a brand new Chesterfield, our highly trained hand-staining artisans apply their secretive mix of stains, polishes, and sealants to recreate that quintessential characteristic that is so vital to Bruce Wayne’s trust fund baby aesthetic.
Hot Rod Red Mid-Century Loveseat
Did you know that before he switched to the famous black Batmobile, Bruce Wayne originally raced off to fight crime in the entirely not-at-all conspicuous fiery bright red Cord 812 roadster?
Well, ya do now. Let’s pay an homage to the origin of one of Pop Culture’s most classic rides with a similarly eye catching Mid-Century Dylan Loveseat showcased in Mont Blanc Crimson leather. If the hand-stained Chesterfield above spoke to Bruce’s billionaire background, this piece highlights the “playboy” portion of “Playboy Billionaire, Bruce Wayne”.
The Dylan is our quirky Mid-Century tuxedo style sofa. It has a similar back and arm height as our Chesterfields, but the squared off arms and back leave a smaller footprint for tight spaces, a problem Bruce Wayne doesn’t seem to have in his spacious mansion, but if you find yourself in a tight spot in your own home, the Dylan is a great way to bring a pop of color to any space.
Vintage Leather Armstrong Club Chair
Bruce Wayne didn’t start fighting crime as Batman. His first night out was a bit of a failure, the local goon squad didn’t take a lone vigilante seriously and Bruce narrowly escaped with his life. That night, sitting alone in a Parisian style club chair, a bat suddenly crashed through the window, scaring Bruce, and inspiring him to use that fear against the criminals of Gotham City.
Our Armstrong Club Chair draws inspiration from the same style of club chair Bruce that was sitting in when he got the idea to “become a bat”. While it’s difficult to get the upholstery correct based on the lighting in the scenes this moment is shown in, an Armstrong handcrafted in either the gray leather show above, or maybe even our mint green Lynwood Glacier Chenille can bring understated Wayne Manor vibes into your home.
Of course, this moment brings us to…
We here at of Iron & Oak have been pretty vocal about our distain for Man Caves before, but we can make an exception for something as iconic as the one and only Bat Cave.
All Black Art Deco Armchair
Tim Burton’s 1989 film solidified Gotham City as an Art Deco masterpiece of sharp lines and geometric curves. The Shelley Art Deco Armchair is inspired by the same 1939 era that The Dark Knight himself hails from.
Shown here in the shadowy slick Brompton Black, the Shelley manages be a fresh addition to your own secret headquarters with the sort of quality and craftsmanship Batman would demand. Our kiln dried hardwood frames handcrafted from double-doweled and glued Maples and Poplar to stand up to resting after a long day of hard work at the office, or a a long knight of fighting crime.
Navy Blue Leather Chesterfield Sofa
Today’s Caped Crusader might always be wearing black on black on black, but that wasn’t always the case. The blue cowl and yellow oval “New Look” era from 1964—1993 redefined the Batman Brand for an entire generation.
If that’s the idea of Batman you have in your head, look no further than Mont Blanc Larkspur, a beautiful navy blue leather, shown here on our Jameson Petite Arm Chesterfield Sofa. Mont Blanc’s fully aniline dyed waxy pull-up leathers add great color depth and character to any of our pieces.
Do the Batusi
We’ve covered the iconic eras of the all-black-everything 90s and modern day Batman, and the navy caped globetrotting 70s and 80s Batman, but just for fun let’s go back to the glory days of 1069s Adam West era Batman.
Pieces like this Redding Sectional in Mont Blanc Midnight and a black and yellow Hawaiian pattern supplied to us by the designer themselves perfectly encapsulates the fun campy POW! that made the 1966 iteration so, uh, unique. The 60s Batman TV show is still divisive amongst fans today. The fans that hate it can’t stand it, but the fans that love it cherish it with all their heart.
That’s perhaps the biggest joy of designing hand-crafted custom furniture made in America, every other big box store has to cater to the lowest common denominator. Limited sizes, colors, and styles designed to barely appease the greatest number of people, but nothing that stands out and truly speaks to you. With of Iron & Oak, you can design your own custom piece as eye catching as the Bat Signal.
That’s all for today’s episode of Pop Culture Design School, if we’ve managed to inspire you, contact us to get the ball rolling on your new design project!
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