Exotic Monkey Parasol Button Back Occasional Chair | Handmade in the UK

Monkeys with parasols, swinging through palm fronds and exotic foliage. It is a print with a long pedigree — the singerie motif ran through French decorative arts from the seventeenth century onward, and the monkey-and-palm wallpaper has been a staple of maximalist English interiors ever since. Here it covers a button-back occasional chair hand made in a British workshop, and the effect is exactly as fun as it sounds.

Made to order in the UK — 4 week lead time

Each of these chairs is hand made in the UK once your order is placed. Please allow approximately 4 weeks from order to dispatch. It is a genuine wait for a genuinely hand-built piece, and we would rather tell you now than after you have paid.

Key features

• Exotic monkey and parasol print with palm foliage — a proper conversation piece
• Traditional deep button-back detailing, worked by hand
• Hand made to order in a British workshop
• Compact 74cm width that fits where a full armchair will not
• Sprung, upholstered seat with a supportive high back

Dimensions

Materials and construction

Built by hand rather than assembled on a line. The buttoning is worked individually and pulled deep, which is what gives the back its sculpted profile — a machine-quilted imitation never quite has the same depth of shadow. The hardwood frame is made to be reupholstered decades from now rather than thrown away, which is the practical argument for buying a hand-built chair at all.

How to style it

This is a maximalist piece and it wants a bit of nerve. It looks best in a room that has already committed — dark green or deep blue walls, brass, rattan, plenty of plants — where it reads as part of a scheme rather than an accident. In a plain room it becomes the entire focal point, which also works, provided that is what you intended.

Natural homes for it: a snug, a garden room, a bar or drinks corner, a dressing room, or a downstairs cloakroom-adjacent hallway where guests will actually notice it. At 74cm wide it slips into tight corners a full armchair could not manage.

Delivery and care

Made to order with an approximate 4 week lead time, then dispatched fully assembled. Spot-clean with a damp cloth and a mild upholstery cleaner; test on a hidden section first. Avoid prolonged direct sunlight, which will fade a printed cotton over time. Vacuum on a low setting with a brush attachment, taking care around the buttoning.