Here are photos of the full collection of furniture designed by actor Brad Pitt, which features a dozen pieces including a bed, tables, chairs and a marble bathtub (+ slideshow).
Created in collaboration with furniture maker Frank Pollaro, the Pitt-Pollaro collection, which went on show this week in a gallery in Chelsea, New York, goes under the slogan "Designed by Pitt, built by Pollaro. Made in USA".
Pitt met Pollaro in 2008 when the star ordered a custom-made desk from Pollaro for his chateau in the south of France. Pollaro discovered that Pitt had sketched hundreds of furniture designs and offered to turn them into reality.
The result is an eclectic range of Art Deco-meets-Dictator Chic pieces that were all hand-crafted in Pollaro's New Jersey workshop. Each item has been produced in a limited edition and is individually signed and numbered.
Pitt has previously shown interest in contemporary architecture, and in 2006 initiated the Make It Right project to provide housing designed by leading architects including Frank Gehry and David Adjaye for New Orleans residents made homeless by Hurricane Katrina.
Here's some text from Pitt-Pollaro:
Pitt-Pollaro is a collaboration between Frank Pollaro, President of Pollaro Custom Furniture, Inc., and Brad Pitt. It reflects a shared passion for modern furniture design and superb craftsmanship.
The Pitt-Pollaro collection currently consists of twelve pieces: a bed, two dining tables, three cocktail tables, two club chairs, an integrated shelf unit, a stone bathtub, and a decorative wall installation. Each piece is hand crafted in Pollaro’s Union, New Jersey workshop. All are limited edition pieces, numbered and signed by Brad and Frank. The furniture can be customized in terms of materials, finish, and accessory details to fit a client’s decorative palate. New design pieces will be added to the collection in the future.
Meeting of the Minds
In 2008, Brad Pitt commissioned a custom desk from Pollaro Custom Furniture. Frank Pollaro personally delivered the desk to Brad’s chateau in the south of France. During the installation, Brad and Frank found they had a common passion for furniture and fine details. They discussed design history and their appreciation of materials, old and new. Most importantly, they shared a commitment to perfection.
During their discussion, Frank noticed a design sketchbook on a nearby table. Intrigued by the hundreds of furniture sketches that Brad had created over a ten-year period, Frank encouraged Brad to allow Pollaro to transform his drawings into reality. Brad enthusiastically agreed to move forward. In reviewing the sketches, they selected what would become the initial pieces of the Pitt-Pollaro collection.
Brad advanced the design process for the selected pieces by personally building wire or clay models. In Pollaro’s design department, these sketches and models were translated into design drawings, where the engineering aspects of the furniture could be studied. After further review and revision by Brad and Frank, the design drawings were turned into shop drawings and photo realistic renderings. Brad visited Pollaro’s shop frequently to participate in this development process and select materials from Pollaro’s inventory of rare materials. Only after this exhaustive study was complete could production begin.
The Results
Over a four-year development period, driven by their common vision of unequalled quality, Brad and Frank created all of the pieces that currently comprise the Pitt-Pollaro collection. Designed by Pitt, built by Pollaro. Made in the USA. They dedicated hundreds of hours to meetings where Brad’s vision of design was balanced with Pollaro’s legendary craftsmanship. Prototypes were created, revised and recreated until Brad was satisfied with every detail of the design, and Pollaro was confident of the comfort and structural integrity of each piece.
Frank Pollaro said, “The design development process for the Pitt-Pollaro collection was exhaustive, and Brad insisted on being intimately involved in every step in the process.
Each piece took at least six months to create. The bed alone took more than 2,600 hours to design and build. Brad would not settle until each piece was exactly as he envisioned. And, of course, Pollaro’s high standards of craftsmanship and integrity are built into every piece.”
The Exhibition
Pollaro’s 2012 private exhibition in New York City is the culmination of the Company’s 25-year history of creating museum quality furniture. More than 70 pieces of the finest art furniture are on display. The collection has an overall value of $3 million.
That exhibition provides the platform for the world premiere of the Pitt-Pollaro collection. These pieces, never before seen in public, were four years in development. Together, they represent the combined vision of Brad Pitt and Frank Pollaro.
Several of the pieces in this Pitt-Pollaro collection have already been sold and are being displayed with the cooperation of their owners. These pieces will be placed in private residences and will probably not be seen again in public in our lifetime.
Frank Pollaro stated, “I thank Brad for entrusting Pollaro with the responsibility for translating his vision into reality. Together, we have traveled a long, hard road to make the Pitt-Pollaro collection happen. In the process, I have gained respect for Brad’s work ethic and his commitment to excellence. I have also gained a friend. I am pleased to share this work with the visitors to the 2012 exhibition.”
Brad Pitt portrait is by Featureflash / Shutterstock.com