They may be cheaper, but shopping for furniture fakes can cost you

“In the style of” is a term often used to describe designer furniture that’s been knocked off or copied. It might look like an original by Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen or even Hans Wegner, but in reality, it was made in Asia.

If one flips over the price tag, it’s generally in the couple of hundreds rather than the thousands an original design would command.

Hans Wegner’s Papa Bear Chair starts at $43,400, but copies are often seen at a much cheaper price.Credit: Cult Design

Richard Munao, founder of Cult – which has showrooms in four Australian cities – only sells designer furniture from companies that have the licence to produce certain designs, be it Arne Jacobsen’s Series 7 Chair by Fritz Hansen (for $995) or Hans Wegner’s Papa Bear Chair from PP Mobler, which starts at $43,400.

“Unfortunately, there are still too many outlets where there’s the catchphrase, ‘Shop the look’,” says Munao.

“It’s important to respect the original designer, and, in many cases, pay royalties to the families or their estates which have agreed to these licences, many of which have been in place for 70 years.”

Copies are anathema to many retailers of designer furniture, as they distort the value of the original product, misleading potential customers about the cost – and value - of an original, high-quality designer piece. Munao sees purchasing an original as an investment.

“You can see even from a distance that they’re fake. Apart from the look, they’re not even that comfortable.”

“When I purchased a beach house it came with a number of fake Arne Jacobsen Series 7 chairs. Even when I put these out to hard rubbish, it was days before they disappeared,” he says.

Architect and furniture collector John Henry recently sold a substantial amount of his designer furniture at Gibson’s Auctions in Melbourne. Some of the pieces were original, while others were produced under licence.

Where the provenance of a piece couldn’t be traced, it was advertised as being “in the style of”. There were chairs by Marc Newson and several items by Michael Graves, including household objects and watches in their original boxes.

Henry had bought many of his Graves pieces through US-based Live Auctioneers. “It’s important to purchase through reputable dealers and make sure that there’s the appropriate stamps and marking, as well as the paperwork,” says Henry, who dismisses anything that’s simply a cheap copy.

“You can see even from a distance that they’re fake. Apart from the look, they’re not even that comfortable.”

While Henry always prefers purchasing original pieces of furniture, some can only be found in museums, which is why his collection includes some produced under licence.

“I purchased a couple of dining chairs designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the early 1980s that were produced under licence by Cassina, for less than $2000, from memory. They probably didn’t significantly increase in value, but they certainly retained or slightly increased – and they also gave me pleasure,” says Henry.

An original Marc Newson Orgone Chair.Credit: Gibson’s Auctioneers and Valuers 

Jennifer Gibson, owner of Melbourne-based Gibson’s Auctioneers and Valuers, auctioned the Henry collection in October 2023 and September 2024. Some pieces sold for less than estimated, while others significantly surpassed the reserve. The Wink Armchair by Toshiyuki Kita circa 1980 (produced by Cassina), sold for $900, below the estimate of $1000 to $1500 (not including buyer’s premium). In contrast, an original 1993 Marc Newson Orgone Chair sold for $4220 (including buyer’s premium), well over the $2500 estimate.

“We occasionally find there are some designer copies of chairs in the broader collections we sell, often with a few chairs that are knockoffs. They’re not worth much,” says Gibson, who picks out the tell-tale signs by their scale.

“They’re usually smaller and you can see where changes have been made, whether it’s the finish or the fabric,” says Gibson. “The market is more sophisticated and generally prefers the originals.”

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