Royce: The Craft of Making

James Stewart has a long legacy of sourcing the finest handcrafted materials from around the world, having imported hand-spun silks from Japan, handcrafted knits from Scotland, bentwood furniture from Austria and glassware from Sweden in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The James Stewart team remains as dedicated to that vision today as when the company was founded, preserving the legacy of fine materials and craftsmanship in the production of classic, timeless furniture.

Our Royce chair is a masterclass in James Stewart’s approach to the craft of making. Each component of the chair – from its brushed stainless-steel cantilevered frame to its Italian-finished aniline leather – is crafted by hand using simple tools and time-honoured techniques. It is a complex and labour-intensive process, but the traditional method has tried-and-tested – and treasured – results.

The frame of the Royce chair takes up to four days for a single craftsman to make. Using 304-grade stainless steel – which is resistant to oxidation, corrosion, and is known for its durability in coastal environments – the components of the frame are laser cut from metal sheet and formed using a bending machine. A high degree of skill is required to curve the metal, not only to ensure the same curve is duplicated in both sides of the frame, but that it is replicated consistently across all frames. The pieces are then welded together with cross bars to create a sturdy, stable framework, and polished for several hours to bring out the soft glow in the brushed stainless steelThe front, back and sides of the flat-bar frame are wrapped with a leather sling that has thick, leather-upholstered padding and channelled stitching for an ultra-comfortable cushioned seat.

Royce is upholstered in Ten Gallon Hat Hoss, an Italian-finished top-grain pure aniline leather that has a soft, supple feel (“hand”) and accrues a beautiful patina over age and use. Our leather partner, Leather Miracles, based in North Carolina, sources the top two-to-three per cent of hides in the world for James Stewart furniture. Ten Gallon Hat Hoss is produced in a tannery close to the Dolomites in northern Italy, where the hand-finished process takes up to a week. The tannery is renowned its skilled artisanal leathers and produces leather for high-end fashion brands.

The hand-finished leather is sent to a master upholsterer who crafts the sling and seat. They hand stitch the channelled leather upholstery around a foam fibre wrap, creating the Royce’s distinctive rolls that offer comfortable cushioning and retain their shape throughout the years.

Fully assembled, the natural characteristics and markings of the leather contrast with the smooth polished finish of the brushed stainless steel to create a luxurious, high-quality, modern classic, otherwise known as the Royce chair.