Howard Keith Diplomat sofa (HK Designs), vintage original, Sereno Stripe upholstery

As seen in:

Designer: John Home

Howard Keith (HK Designs)

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We are delighted to offer a handsome original vintage Howard Keith Diplomat sofa from the early 1980’s with original Sereno Stripe upholstery, with 5 original matching cushions, for sale on behalf of a private client.

Condition: The structure is good, and much of the fabric of this Howard Keith original is in good condition, however it does have some tears, nicks and stains as shown in photos.
Regularly steam cleaned over the last few decades (last clean 2-3 years ago).
No tears in underlining.
4 X original metal feet.

Provenance: Owned by the same family since 1982, bought from Perring’s (later Heal’s) in London’s Tottenham Court Road
Approx Measurements: 263-268cm (W) x 102-118cm (D) x 62-67cm (H). Seat height 40cm

Price: ~~£3,250~~ REDUCED TO £1,250 for a quick sale.

Collection only from Horsham, West Sussex by 26th February latest.

Please email us at [email protected] for more details, to make an offer, or if you have any questions.

NB. This item may not meet contemporary fire safety standards which were introduced after this item was made. You may also want to consider recovering, new foam or reupholstery.

Brochure image for reference only, this sofa does not come with brochure.

How we work for items such as these:-
We act as an agent connecting buyers and sellers.
We have not seen the goods in person.
We take no responsibility for the good themselves – we simply negotiate and introduce buyer and seller.
Once agreed, we collect payment from the buyer on behalf of the seller, then we release the address and contact details for you to arrange collection, and hold the monies until you have arranged collection. Once collected we then pass on payment to the seller.

More on the HK Diplomat

The Diplomat’s sister sofa, the Howard Keith Barbican, was featured in Elton John’s private jet in the film Rocketman and this Diplomat sofa has the same striped velour upholstery that appeared in the applauded Elton John biopic. Pure rock n’ roll!

The Diplomat sofa also featured in Lewis (Michael Caine) and Elizabeth’s (Glenda Jackson) living room in The Romantic Englishwoman. Both stars are seen sitting in this sofa (upholstered in the ‘Eighth Star’ fabric) in several key scenes.

The Sereno Stripes version of the Diplomat was used in a famous ABBA photoshoot.

We have sold many HK Diplomat sofas over the last few years and they get snapped up very quickly.

The HK Grand Diplomat sofa is an extremely sought after piece and vintage originals are becoming increasingly rare. This is a grand sofa, with sleek lines which exhibit a subtle drama.

Designed by John Home in 1970 for HK Furniture Ltd (Howard Keith), London, the originals have a wooden frame, foam upholstery with textile, often plush covers and usually with chromed cylindrical metal legs. They come in different fabric coverings such as the zebra style pattern, the zig-zag or in stripes, and sometimes in a plain fabric.

The HK Diplomat was quickly considered a classic sofa design and was sold by retailers such as Harrods. The sofa was included in a Classics exhibition at Heal & Son Ltd London store as early as 1981. They were famously owned by Princess Anne as well as Lord Edward Davenport.

The Diplomat’s low, modernist sleek lines and deep-set seating make them a well sought after piece.

HK created bespoke furniture for the Queen’s Royal Train and the QE2 cruise liner. HK of London designed furniture for the British Parliament and the Royal Bank of England.

Please email us at [email protected] for more details or if you have any questions.