64 - NANCY ROBBINS (Michigan, United States, 1942) for ANDREU WORLD.

NANCY ROBBINS (Michigan, United States, 1942) for ANDREU WORLD. Armchair, 1990s. Wood and bouclé-style fabric upholstery in ecru. It has minor scuffs and isolated chips in the varnish on the armrests. Upholstery in excellent condition. Measurements: 80 x 69.5 x 69.5 cm. The interplay between the armchair’s curved surfaces and geometric volumes evokes certain Art Deco elements, reinterpreted with a simplicity that dispenses with ornamentation and focuses the design’s expression on the furniture’s form. The wood grain follows the contours of the armrests, while the fine-textured ecru fabric softens the geometry of the central body. In this design by Nancy Robbins for Andreu World, the armchair’s character stems from its proportions and the interplay of materials: the wood defines the outline, and the upholstery adds volume, resulting in a piece that is instantly recognizable from both the front and the side. Nancy Robbins is an industrial and interior designer who has been based in Catalonia since 1972, with a particularly prolific career during the 1980s and 1990s. Her work bridges furniture design, lighting, and spatial design, and she has collaborated with manufacturers such as Andreu World and Mobles 114. Among her designs are the Martini chair and the Reflexión pendant lamp. In 1984, she opened the Fénix store in Girona with her husband, the painter Edward Robbins, followed by another in Barcelona in 1986. Her designs combined spatial austerity and attention to detail with references to Japanese art, Art Deco, Pop Art, and Minimalism. This variety of influences helps explain her design language: furniture with clean geometries that incorporate expressive curves, hallmarks of contrast in materials, and unconventional solutions. Her collaboration with Andreu World is exemplified, for instance, by the 1992 Urbe chair, which is part of the collection at the Museu del Disseny in Barcelona.