In 2001, Robert Chapman took a trip to Barcelona, where he saw the extraordinary work of Antonio Gaudi in situ. Chapman was blown away, “Not only by the creativity of it but also by a person who refused to be confined to a particular style or to making something to a price”. Long before this trip, a concept had been brewing in his mind. He wanted to make a dining room suite that had more in common with sculpture than the usual pieces of timber joined together. Returning home, it took two years to develop this concept – the result he named after the Spanish city that inspired him.

Chapman’s Barcelona Collection scooped the pool in 2003 at the FIAA Australian Furniture of the Year Awards, taking home the `Excellence in Dining Room Furniture` as well as the main award `The Best of the Best`. Recent major commissions have included Barcelona table and chairs for the Australian Consulate in Japan.