Bernard Holdaway TomTom chair

The TomTom cardboard collection was created by British designer Bernard Holdaway, launched to great success at the Ideal Home Exhibition of 1966. The range comprised of circular chairs, tables and lamps coated with eye-catching colours and a high gloss finish. The collection was made from chipboard, steel pins and cardboard tubes – which were originally designed for concrete pouring in motorway construction.

This chair was playfully sold together with touch up paint and brushes, in anticipation of chipping and flaking occurring during use. This chair is no exception, and shows chips and a few marks on the white enamel. One chair is labelled underside.

Literature ref:  Modern British Furniture Design since 1945, Leslie Jackson, V & A Publishing, 2013, p. 185

H73 W48 D48 cm

H206