The Find: Platner chairs just like the ones that sparked a city hall furor

Last week’s brouhaha over the cost of replacing 30 retro chairs at city hall made it clear: $2,500 Warren Platner replicas are gravy (according to Rob Ford, at least). Happily, bringing some mid-century pedigree to your own home isn’t nearly so expensive. At Parkdale’s Queen West Antique Centre, we spotted a set of six vintage Platner chairs that are nearly identical to the old ones from the city hall members lounge, but priced at $5,370 for all six. With their graceful curves and hundreds of steel rods, the chairs have a pared-down beauty that reveals why modernist furniture is having its well-deserved comeback. Just don’t get carried away imagining that you’re sitting in a piece of city hall history: the store confirms that these chairs came from a private estate in Forest Hill.

The Queen West Antique Centre, 1605 Queen St. W., 416-588-2212, qwac.ca