The dog is held in high esteem in my household—higher, in fact, than a large majority of people. We love a good mutt as much as we love an interesting breed. One of our dogs is what we call an Egyptian husky (part saluki and part husky); the other is a chocolate lab. In both cases, they give our house a dose of much-needed joy (writers tend to be misanthropes).

Dog Arm Chair. Designed by Jimmie Martin.

Fashionable Furniture Features Decadent Dogs

London designer Jimmie Martin would seem to agree with the appeal of the canine. The company’s Dog Arm Chair and Dog Chair present the head or body of different dogs painted on the chairs’ backrests. From the playful golden retriever to the clownish basset hound, these fidos make an ironic statement against the traditional shape of the ornate chairs.

The chairs’ unusual colors and fabrics further comment on a staid strand of classist design—that Jimmie Martin hails from London, the capital of regal pomp, only adds to the undercurrent of social critique. Dog Arm Chairs can be ordered in any wood finish, from the traditional to the gilt. Upholstery choices are also limitless, though the designers will guide you toward choices that “suit your desired taste.” The armless Dog Chairs are available in silver leaf, gold leaf, or matte color. Their backrests are upholstered in artist canvas.

Other Jimmie Martin designs include Orchid Chair and Bug Chair, both of which juxtapose images of high society with unconventional style. These two motifs recall the European fascination with natural history paintings, a tradition steeped in the problematic history of exploration and colonization. I find them as subversive as Oscar Wilde, whose prose was presented in a package so pretty that most socialites missed the satire altogether.

About the Designer: Jimmie Martin Ltd began in 2004. The London-based firm “provides an eclectic showcase of one-off pieces of furniture combining the decadent and quirky with the nostalgic and urban.” Besides their own showroom in the UK, you can find them across the pond at Kara Mann Showroom in Chicago.