Clayton Armchair
Made by Poltrona Frau
Designed by Jean-Marie Massaud
Jean-Marie Massaud approaches the armchair as a study in controlled generosity. The Clayton is a form that reads as architectural in silhouette yet yields entirely at the point of contact, its backrest and armrest cushions padded in goose down beneath a full envelope of Pelle Frau leather.
The four-spoke steel base carries a Ruthenium galvanic finish, a surface treatment that deepens the tonal relationship between structure and upholstery. The chair rotates a full 360 degrees and returns, without effort, to its resting position. That quiet self-correction is characteristic of Massaud's sensibility: intention made invisible.
Visible metal hinges punctuate the frame, a deliberate detail that sits between the structural and the sartorial. Upholstery can be configured in Pelle Frau leather alone or in combination with Poltrona Frau fabrics, with contrasting tailored stitching offering a further layer of compositional precision.
- Four-spoke swivel base in steel with galvanic Ruthenium finish
- Full 360-degree rotation with self-return mechanism
- Goose-down padding in backrest and armrest cushions
- Pelle Frau leather upholstery, or leather and fabric combinations
- Tailored stitching with contrasting material options
- Visible metal hinges as a deliberate formal accent
Made to order by Poltrona Frau, tailored to you.
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Pairs Well With
Clayton Armchair
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pelle Frau leather?
Pelle Frau is Poltrona Frau's proprietary leather, tanned and finished in-house at their Tolentino facility in Italy. It is known for its exceptional consistency of grain, depth of color, and the way it develops a patina with age, making it one of the most recognized upholstery leathers in furniture design.
What does the Ruthenium galvanic finish mean?
Ruthenium is a platinum-group metal used in electroplating to create a dark, slightly warm gray surface with high durability and a distinctive depth. In the context of the Clayton's steel base, it provides a tonal anchor that complements both leather and fabric upholstery without competing with them.
How does the swivel mechanism work on the Clayton?
The Clayton rotates a full 360 degrees on its four-spoke base and includes a self-return mechanism that brings the chair back to its original resting orientation. This feature keeps the chair compositionally consistent within a room while preserving ease of movement for the occupant.
Who is Jean-Marie Massaud?
Jean-Marie Massaud is a French designer and architect whose practice spans furniture, product design, architecture, and urban planning. He is known for a design philosophy grounded in social and ecological responsibility, and for creating forms that are simultaneously rigorous in structure and generous in human proportion.
Can the Clayton be upholstered in fabric rather than leather?
The Clayton is available fully upholstered in Pelle Frau leather or in configurations that combine Pelle Frau leather with Poltrona Frau fabrics. Contrasting stitching can be specified to further define the composition of the upholstery.