PLR1 Luar Lounge Chairs by Ross Littell for ICF De Padova, Italy, 1960s, Set of 2

Ross F. Littell (July 14, 1924 – April 17, 2000) was an American textile and furniture designer known for his practical, innovative, and minimalist style as part of the good design movement of the 1950s. His three-legged T-chair, designed in 1952 with William Katavolos and Douglas Kelley, is part of several permanent museum collections. Littell, born and raised in Los Angeles, attended the Art Center School in Los Angeles and finished his education with honour in 1946. In 1947, he was awarded a scholarship to study in Italy. It was during these period that Littell became increasingly interested in architecture and design. In 1949 Littell formed a partnership with William Katavolos and Douglas Kelley. During their six-year partnership, they designed furniture, along with textiles and dinnerware, for Laverne Originals in New York, using materials such as leather, glass, chrome, and marble.

In a later stage Littell did work autonomously as well for several furniture companies, mostly for Knoll International and Herman Miller. An interesting fact is that the PLR1 lounge chair, designed in 1965, was actually designed for Herman Miller. ICF, an Italian manufacturer from Milan, produced a lot of Herman Miller designs for the Italian market in license, and started producing the PLR1 as well for the Italian market but only for the De Padova shop, a luxury chain of design furniture shops in Italy with a strong emphasis on Scandinavian design. Hence, the PLR1 has therefore a very interesting history.

Rendered in slick chromed steel and black leather straps, the chair is a particularly stylish take on a slipper chair with a low, angled seat and curvy frame extending into two trestle legs that extend far out horizontally. The four protective feet are deliberately blocky plastic cubes. Although the T-chair is perhaps one of his most well-known designs, the PLR1 is likely the most stunning design from Littell and is up until this date very much sought after.