PEL Furniture

Overview

Practical Equipment Ltd (PEL) was established in 1931 by parent company Tube Investments who were looking to diversify by moving into the furniture market. The company is most widely known for its stacked chairs that were used in schools and village halls across the country however in its early years PEL made a number of groundbreaking items of furniture. This was mainly down to their collaboration with a number of renowned architects and designers of the time.

Many items in PEL’s initial range were the work of British architect and designer Oliver Percy Bernard. Bernard, most widely known for his work in theatre design and architecture (notably the Supermarine works in Southampton) designed the SP4 occasional chair which wouldn't look out of place in a design shop today. Bruno Pollak was the designer of the stacking chairs that did so well for PEL. The stacking chair or RP6 was designed as early as 1932 by PEL however after a legal challenge Pollak was credited with the design on copyright grounds.

Arguably the most influential designer for PEL was Wells Coates. Primary an architect Coates is best known for his work on the Isokon flats in London however he also dabbled in design and was the designer of the famous circular Ekco AD65 radio. For PEL, Coates designed primarily office furniture, his minimalist desk was really quite advanced for the time with its simple yet efficient design. We were lucky enough to sell one of his early desks in our November 2020 auction where it achieved £950.

If you would like to sell an item of PEL furniture at auction please use the form below for a free online valuation.