There’s been a few interesting examples of upholstery in Salone Internazionale del Mobile. The ideas of enveloping, encasing, comforting and even devouring the occupant have been explored by designers over the past year. There’s also been a playful use of stitching and fabric selection.
Quilt by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Established and Son is an inviting and comforting chair. The idea originally came from the desire to make something unstructured and welcoming like a quilt or a blanket. Using stretch fabric by Kvadrat, the chair is sewn with individual pockets each containing foam cells this gives the chair and elasticity and enveloping nature as you sit in it. Unfortunately the rather tired Italian grandma found it so comfy she didn’t want to go so after waiting ages I just took a pic anyway.
Memory Chair by Ole Jensen for Normann Copenhagen was also designed with the idea of enveloping you. The warmth of the wool fabric and the arms that embrace you as you sit in it give a comforting security. Created on a wood frame base with different types of foam upholstered on to it. The patchwork effect is created using 120 pieces of tailored wool stitched together. I do love this patchwork effect.
Soda Chair by Trimodestudio was inspired by bubbles in soda water. There’s something rather charming about the irregularity of the upholstery. I’m afraid my picture isn’t so great but they have a much better image on their website.
Moroso made Patricia Urquiola’s Bohemian chair in African hand dyed fabric.
Also worth a mention though not at the show.
Charlotte Kingsnorth’s One Chair which won the D&AD Award last year. Inspired by the work of artist Jenny Saville’s painting of a rather rotunde lady and also the media obsession with obesity, Charlotte created a chair that devours the occupant ”a sofa that has been devoured by its obese occupier”. “The flesh has spilled and encased the sofa… until the two have married into a new grotesque form,” she explains.
http://www.charlottekingsnorth.com/
Tokujin Yoshioka’s Panna Chair, also explored the idea of encasing the occupier. Made of polyurethane foam over a metal base the fabric and foam adapts its shape to the person sitting in it.
I can’t help feeling both the Quilt and Memory Chairs owe a nod to this earlier work by Yoshioka.
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