E.E. Meyer for Binnehuis Solid Imbuia Drop-Leaf Dining Table and Four "Karin" Chairs, South Africa, 1960s
A compact dining set by E.E. Meyer for Binnehuis, made in solid imbuia in the 1960s: a round drop-leaf table and four of Meyer's collectable "Karin" chairs.
The chairs take their name from Meyer's daughter, Karin. Each has a gently curved crest rail over slender spindles, set into a thick sculpted seat and raised on splayed, tapering legs. The design is spare and clean, the kind of restraint that made Meyer's work so enduring. The table shares the same timber and temperament. Its top is laid in richly figured imbuia planks with a softly rounded edge, carried on a shaped apron and square legs that taper to the floor.
The drop-leaf design is what makes the set so practical. With both leaves down, the table narrows to just 63cm and sits neatly against a wall. Raise them and it opens to a full 106cm round that seats four comfortably. It suits a smaller dining room, a generous kitchen, or an apartment where space has to work harder.
Two additional "Karin" chairs are available on request.
A rare heirloom table and chair set that will last a lifetime. Beautifully designed and made, and real collector’s items.
E.E. Meyer has become one of the most collected names in South African mid-century furniture.
EE Meyer for Binnehuis
A true treasure that encapsulates the essence of South Africa's most sought-after mid-century furniture manufacturer. With a legacy rooted in timeless craftsmanship and iconic design, EE Meyer creations have become highly sought after. Owning an EE Meyer piece means not only acquiring a beautiful work of art but also preserving a valuable piece of South African design history.
EE Meyer was directed by Gerhardt Meyer from 1966, Meyer was the South African master of understated mid-century elegance, and his designs became synonymous with a distinctly South African interpretation of modernist furniture: sober, clean, and generous in their use of solid imbuia.
Imbuia — is a hardwood native to the forests of southern Brazil and historically used extensively in South African cabinetmaking. Deeply figured, warm in tone, and extraordinarily durable, it is the material that defines the EE Meyer aesthetic.
The Binnehuis furniture stores were located in Cape Town, Stellenbosch Somerset-West, Newlands, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg and were owned by a Dutch businessman and his wife, Mr and Mrs van Ewijck, who moved between South Africa and the Netherlands. It seems they were most prolific during the 1960s.
EE Meyer for Binnehuis pieces are among the most collectible examples of South African mid-century design.
Imbuia is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Vintage pieces from before 1992 are legally permitted for sale.
