COURTESY WRIGHT
When collector Aby Rosen decided not to renew the lease of the Four Seasons, the iconic restaurant housed in the Seagram Building, he angered its high-profile regulars, many of whom had being lunching in the same Philip Johnson–designed booth in the Grill Room for decades.
But while the boîte might be leaving, its clientele may not have to part ways with the cherished tables. Wright, an auction house that focuses contemporary design, is planning a blowout live sale of all the interior decor, implements, and tableware—every fork and every serving cart.
The sale will take place in the restaurant on July 26, and while it’s open to the public, you can expect to see among the bidders a few of the bold-faced names that dot the tables during lunch time. Owner Julian Niccolini told Eater that, because the loyal customers can get pretty attached to certain perches, “when they come in they say ‘Remember, this is my banquette!’ “
Indeed, an annotated seating chart published in the Hollywood Reporter this month shows that there was little playing of musical chairs over the years. Hopefully Henry Kissinger isn’t outbid when he’s trying to finally own his regular table.
Here’s a partial list of everything that’s up for sale:
The Grill Room’s banquettes
All furniture including the original suite of Barcelona seating from the travertine lobby
Custom Tulip tables with polished bronze tops
Groups of custom Brno chairs
Objects such as custom wine coolers, planters, serving carts, and bespoke pots and pans
The items will be on display to the public from July 20–26.