The armchair is a fascinating object. For one thing, the physical position of the chair compels us to take the shape of the vessel — upright and stiff-backed or with a relaxed and rounded spine. Not only do we experience sitting in the chair ourselves, we can also be observed sitting by others. Sometimes one finds his or her posterior buried deep within the tufted leather as if we might never want to get up again; other times, we are reclining in the demonstrably, biomechanically ideal human posture, not to be disturbed; or, sitting on an ancient driftwood throne, lording over the sitting room.
Finally, there is the beauty of the unoccupied armchair as an object, its purpose given even as we admire the craftsmanship of the joinery and the stitching. The perfect armchair for the perfect room, the perfect reader, and the perfect book …
Medium Womb Chair by Eero Saarinen by Knoll
In 1948, the prompt from Florence Knoll to Eero Saarinen read: “something I could really curl up in.” Even at 85% the size of the original, this idea is endlessly fulfilled.
The Veronica Armchair was the first of many prominent furniture pieces designed in the 1960s by Jorge Zalszupin, a Polish émigré architect living and working in Brazil.
© MacMini2
© MacMini2
GUSCIO COLLECTION – Seating by Flexform New York
The Guscio Collection takes a classic stance balancing upright form and comfort.
The Cocoon Chair is made from reclaimed hardwood that has been hollowed and fitted with a seat — highly sculptural, yet also functional.
If ever there was a chair that lends itself to anthropomorphization, it is the Hippo, which looks unlikely and unwilling to release its occupant once seated.
Liu by Sedes Regia
The Liu is a glyph extruded into a chair and as such retains a sense of spontaneity and mystery. Not to mention the practicality: newspapers and books can be cached in its spiral.
“Mole” means “soft” in Portuguese, and designer Sergio Rodrigues’ 1961 creation encapsulates this sentiment entirely.