From an established furniture-maker that’s more than a century old to a fledgling brand that’s just getting off the ground, this diverse grouping of companies has introduced some of the handsomest chairs we’ve seen in the last several months — ones that have the potential to become tomorrow’s iconic pieces.
Bernhardt Design: Lilt
Inspired by childhood memories of sitting on tree branches, Brandon Kim designed Lilt with a simple, minimal shell that rests in a lightweight yet sturdy, tubular metal frame emphasizing triangular sections meant to mimic the angles of tree branches. The frame is available in brushed or polished stainless steel, while the shell can be upholstered in any Bernhardt Textiles fabric, leather or COM.
Bernhardt Design
Blu Dot: Field Lounge Chair
With midcentury modern undertones, Field sports an angled, four-leg base in powder-coated steel and a generous upholstered seat measuring 29 inches wide. The chair stands 36 inches high with an 18-inch seat height. The shell — formed with all-over padding, steel and bent plywood — and accompanying cushions are upholstered in either a navy or gray wool-acrylic-nylon textile or red polyester-linen fabric.
Blu Dot
Fritz Hansen: Fri
Spanish artist and designer Jaime Hayon fashions a classic armchair with less formality. Slim legs taper down to rounded feet, for instance, while the shell cascades down to become the chair’s arms. The resulting design is, at once, both a familiar and approachable piece that beckons people to sit in it. Fri is available with brushed or powder-coated aluminum legs and a wide range of fabric or leather.
Fritz Hansen
Ligne Roset: Toa
Resembling a trapezium-shape cushion that’s been folded like origami, this armchair exudes casual comfort, whimsy and spontaneity while still appearing sophisticated and chic. The cushiony seat shell is deceptively sturdy, however, thanks to reinforcing soldered-steel frames in the seat and backrest. Four solid ash legs in black or natural finish round out the design by Rémi Bouhaniche. A matching footstool is also available.
Ligne Roset
Moroso:Gemma
Architect Daniel Libeskind’s crystalline lounge chair for Moroso may have sharp angles mimicking the facets of gemstones, but it’s actually comfier than one imagines. Also being offered in bench and sofa versions, Gemma has a steel inner frame, ample cushioning and a gradient upholstery fabric.
Moroso
Nardi: Net
Designed for outdoor settings, the Net armchair is attractive enough for interior use, as well. Complex 3D modeling and milling were used to create the decorative perforated pattern in this fiberglass-resin design. Lightweight and stackable, the chair is also 100-percent recyclable after use. Net comes in White, Anthracite, Dove Grey, Coral and Mustard.
Nardi
Plank: Remo Chair
Designed by Konstantin Grcic, this plywood chair (also shown at top) employs an easy-to-grab-and-carry T-shaped back. Its plywood shell is composed of natural or color finished ash. For the all-wood, regular chair model, colors include Chalk, Walnut, Grey or Black. For the stackable metal-leg version, the shell comes in White, Grey, Black or Yellow as well as the natural finish ash.
Plank
Steel by Göhlin: Chair No 1
Steel by Göhlin is a new Swedish furniture brand that was founded by architect Pontus Lomar and entrepreneur Catrine Göhlin. The company’s Chair No 1 is a striking sculptural piece defined by the outlines created by bent, powder-coated steel rods. Seat and back panels are made of matching steel sheeting, though they’re also offered in leather or horsehair seat and leather backrest. (The upholstered models feature hand-braided leather armrests.)
Göhlin