Printed in Hours, Admired for Centuries: Two Tales of Furniture

At Nicholas Wells Antiques, we have great respect for the new. After all, without the passage of time, there would be no antiques. So when we came across Caracol’s pioneering work in 3D-printed furniture—chairs designed by algorithms and sculpted by robotic arms—we were genuinely intrigued.

And rightly so. The ease, speed, and versatility of their technology are remarkable. A prototype can be digitally conceived, refined, and printed in a matter of days—ideal for trade fairs, hospitality spaces, and high-traffic interiors where aesthetics and durability must keep pace with constant turnover. No more six-month lead times: press print, and voilà—your next lounge installation is ready.

Yet while this design revolution accelerates, one can’t help but ask: is this the kind of furniture we’d bring home?

Perhaps not just yet.

There’s a certain comfort in knowing your dining chair has outlived monarchs and still feels sturdier than the average budget airline seat. At Nicholas Wells, we specialise in pieces that whisper of history and craftsmanship—scrolled arms, fluted legs, veneers laid by hand, not by nozzle. Sit in an 18th-century fauteuil and you feel more than function: you feel continuity.

That is not to diminish Caracol’s achievement. Their chairs are bold, sculptural, and admirably sustainable. There is real beauty in their seamless forms and futuristic ambition. But their strength lies in public spaces, where resilience and spectacle go hand in hand. At home, many of us will still prefer the warmth of oak over recycled polymer, and the gentle creak of timeworn joints over the silence of something brand new.

In truth, the two worlds need not compete. One speaks of innovation, the other of inheritance. The future may well be a hybrid—high-traffic venues alive with algorithmic elegance, while homes remain anchored by history, grounded in pieces that have already stood the test of time, not just the design cycle.

So yes—press print, build faster, think bigger. But when you want a chair that has already survived two centuries and still has stories to tell, you know where to find us.

Nicholas Wells Antiques – Furniture with past and purpose.