Most of what fills a Bond film is there to be noticed. The chairs on the far side of M’s desk are there to be sat in, and the film leaves them empty. They are the Interstuhl Silver Chair 101S, a conference chair from the German maker Interstuhl, and it remains one of the more considered ways to seat a guest at a desk, a study table or a small boardroom.
In the film
In Quantum of Solace (2008), M’s new office is furnished with Interstuhl’s Silver range. Two Silver 101S chairs stand empty on the other side of her desk. They are set dressing rather than a prop anyone handles, which suits them. Interstuhl itself lists the film among the Silver range’s screen appearances.
The details of the Interstuhl Silver Chair 101S
A short, dynamic backrest. The 101S is the conference version of the Silver design, with a dynamic backrest 360mm high. It is a chair meant for sitting at a table, not for a full working day.
Armrests as standard. The 101S has arms, so it reads as a proper seat for a guest rather than a stool pulled up to a table. Overall it measures 880mm high, 580mm wide and 720mm deep.
Upholstery to choose from. Interstuhl lists semi-aniline leather alongside several fabric collections, among them Field, Remix and Steelcut Trio. One retailer lists the leather in black, pearl white, walnut, red orange and olive. Semi-aniline leather keeps more of the hide’s natural surface than a heavily coated finish.
Frame and base. The metal parts come brushed silver or coated white. A four-star base with gliders is available, felt for hard floors and hard for carpet, as is a five-star base on castors.
Awards and warranty. The design won the red dot award in 2003 and 2007, and Interstuhl gives a ten-year warranty.
Owning it now
This is a chair for the other side of the desk. In a study or home office it gives a visitor, or you, somewhere to sit that is plainly designed rather than leftover. We would choose black semi-aniline leather with the brushed silver frame: it is the most restrained combination, and the one that sits quietly against dark timber, concrete or plain painted walls.
Not a task chair. The 101S is a conference chair. If you will spend a working day in one, Interstuhl’s swivel chairs in the same range, such as the 262S, are the better fit. The 101S suits shorter sittings: meetings, reading, a long conversation.
Buying. At the time of writing, pro office lists a delivery time of about 25 working days. Pairs are worth considering, as in the film, since two matching chairs across a table look deliberate in a way a single one does not. For more in this vein, see our home and interiors pieces.
Specifications
| Model | Silver 101S conference chair, short back (retailer article number Silver101S) |
|---|---|
| Designer | Hadi Teherani |
| Dimensions | 880mm high, 580mm wide, 720mm deep; backrest height 360mm |
| Backrest | Dynamic |
| Armrests | Yes |
| Upholstery | Semi-aniline leather or Interstuhl fabrics |
| Metal parts | Brushed silver or coated white |
| Base | Four-star base with gliders, or five-star base on castors |
| Warranty | 10 years (Interstuhl) |
| Price | Varies by upholstery and base; see the retailer for the current price |
Full technical details and downloads are on Interstuhl’s own page for the Silver 101S.
Questions
Is this the chair M sits on in Quantum of Solace?
No. The 101S is one of the two empty chairs on the other side of her desk. Sources we have seen put M herself on the swivel 262S from the same Silver range.
Who designed the Interstuhl Silver chair?
The Silver range was designed by the architect Hadi Teherani for Interstuhl. The 101S is its conference chair with a short back.
Can you sit at a desk all day in the 101S?
It is not what the chair is designed for. The 101S is a conference chair with a dynamic backrest, suited to meetings rather than a full working day. For long desk hours, Interstuhl’s swivel models in the Silver range are the better fit.
What colours does the Silver 101S come in?
The metal parts come in brushed silver or white. Upholstery runs from semi-aniline leather to several fabric collections, and one retailer lists the leather in black, pearl white, walnut, red orange and olive.
More from the same world is in our guide to the films, on the Quantum of Solace page and in our pages on Daniel Craig’s Bond.
