Ercol is a British furniture manufacturer founded in 1920 by the Italian-born designer Lucian Ercolani in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, the traditional centre of English chair making. Originally trading as Furniture Industries, the company became known for combining traditional Windsor chair techniques with clean, modern lines.
In 1944 the firm won a government contract to make large numbers of low-cost Windsor chairs under the Utility Furniture scheme, which led Ercolani to develop methods for steam bending English elm and beech on an industrial scale. The post-war Windsor range, launched in the late 1940s and 1950s, included dining chairs, stick-back armchairs, the drop-leaf and refectory tables, sideboards and the popular Quaker and Windsor easy chairs. Ercolani's Butterfly chair is among the most celebrated designs. Pieces were produced in a light natural finish and in a darker tone often referred to as Old Colonial. Vintage Ercol is now widely collected for its craftsmanship, durability and mid-century appeal. Buyers look for labels or stamps, sound joints, original finish and cushions or webbing that can be renewed. The company remains family owned and moved to a new factory at Princes Risborough in 2002.
