Chair #304

DEVIL CHAIR

—Designed by Anthony Redmile

Behold... the Devil's armchair. This creepy bone, horn, malachite, and wood chair seems fitting for Hallowen. I do like the design of the symmetrical top horns, but I ask you, who would own this evil, scary chair, besides Satan? Seems more like an Ozzy Osbourne stage prop than something one would have in one's living room. The chair was originally made in England in the 1960s and is a one of a kind creation. Thankfully.

Chair #303

PYRAMID CHAIR

—Designed by Karim Rashid

His newest lounge chair for Nienkämper, Karim Rashid borrows the monumental pyramid form from ancient Egypt and stands it on its head. By thinking outside the box and inverting the shape associated with ancient history, he has has created an exciting new chair. And fitting, since Rashid describes himself as “an upside-down multicultural being” – someone who is “Canadian-Irish-English-Algerian-Egyptian-American, with some Italian education thrown in the mix.”

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“Fortunately, an upside-down pyramid makes for a perfect lounge chair.”

— Karim Rashid

Chair #302

TULIP ARM CHAIR

—Designed by Jeffrey Bernett

A simple and clean design with careful proportions of both straight lines and curvy contours, the Tulip chair is a beautiful flower indeed. The U curve of the seat rests upon a a singular pole and a brushed aluminum disc. Soft cushion seating and high armrests make it comfortable and welcoming. Did I mention that it swivels?! 360° of swivelichousness and swivelocity. Oh yeah.

Chair #301

PRETZEL CHAIR

—Designed by George Nelson

Another round of pretzels and beer! This is the pretzel chair that gets all the attention—perhaps because George Nelson already had a name for himself when he designed this. He is the creator of the Nelson Coconut Chair. (chair #107, April 17 of this blog). Interesting how the arms of this chair curve around and under the seat.

Chair #300

PRETZEL CHAIR

—Designed by Norman Cherner

This classic mid-century molded plywood chair must have seemed way ahead of its time. Do you see those sexy curves on this chair? Incredible. Delicate yet sturdy. Love the shapely hourglass chair back. This chair is not to be confused with the George Nelson Pretzel chair, which has a totally different back. See next posting (chair #301). Which Pretzel chair came first, Nelson's or Cherner's? Does anyone out there know?

Chair #299

RABBIT CHAIR

—Designed by Stanislav Katz

Bunny-lichious.

Honey bunny.

Bunny love.

Pink and black and adorable... all at once.

Chair #298

MONKEY CHAIR

—Designed by Judy Kensley McKie

I adore this furniture maker. Her chairs are often made of rare wood, and they evoke an certain mystery. This whimsical monkey chair could jump right out of a Henry Rousseau's jungle painting such as The Dream, The Snake Charmer, or Tiger in a Tropical Storm. The chair is made of cast bronze and walnut.

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In the jungle, the mighty jungle

The lion sleeps tonight

In the jungle, the mighty jungle

The lion sleeps tonight....

Chair #297

WHEELCHAIR

—Designer unknown

One of the greatest chairs ever created (and count your blessing if you do not need one to get around) the wheelchair is a wheeled mobility device in which the user sits.

Records of wheelchairs date back to the 6th century, but it was Harry Jennings, a mechanical engineer, who invented the first lightweight, steel, collapsible wheelchair circa 1933. His coworker and friend Herbert Everest had broken his back in a mining accident and could not walk. The two men saw the enormous business potential of the invention, and went on to become the first mass-manufacturers of wheelchairs: Everest and Jennings. Their signature "x-brace" design is still in common use today.

Chair #296

HAIR CHAIR

—Designed by Baron & Baron

The back of this chair sports a braid on each side that connects in the center back. Part 20s flapper dress, part hairy dog. Seriously, I've seen a Afghan dog just like this on the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. I think it was a bleach blonde. This had to have been the inspiration for this chair. Anyone out there remember Cousin It from the Addams Family TV series?

Chair #295

BISCUIT-TUFTED LOUNGE CHAIR

—Designer unknown

Biscuit-tufted? Where do these names come from?

Chair #294

LEATHER ARMCHAIR

—Designer unknown

This handsome French oak and leather armchair is offered through Sentimento Antiques, and looks incredibly comfortable.

Chair #293

WIP CHAIR

—Designed by Khodi Feiz

Khodi Feiz designed this chair in polystyrene foam using a computer driven cutting system based on the hot wire. The seating elements adorn the outdoor and indoor spaces of the Dutch embassy in Berlin in June 2006.After an extensive research into the base material, prototypes were developed to test the structural and formal qualities of the material. Also investigations into the possibilities of wire cutting to achieve a very 3D form with only two 2d cuts in different directions. —from www.designws.com

Chair #292

ARM CHAIR

—Designer unknown

This chair was in a huge Parisian apartment located directly across from the Élysée Palace on the Champs-Élysées. I saw it in a magazine, and I know nothing more about the chair, but it looks handsomely masculine and sturdy. Trés bon.

Chair #291

CASTLE CORNER CHAIR

—Designed by Thomas Pheasant for Baker

One interesting note, this chair comes in both left facing and right facing. Imagine one of each flanking an huge window or a dressing room? It would almost look like a long couch, interrupted. The elegant scroll back contrasts nicely with the woodwork around the seat.

Chair #290

BOULOUM LOUNGE CHAIR

—Designed by Olivier Mourgue

Olivier Mourgue named the Bouloum chair after a childhood friend. Mourgue took this charismatic seat with him when he travelled, and even photographed it in various situations. I'd like to see some of those photos! It sounds like a good idea for a book, like the Red Couch. Both playful and practical, the anthropomorphic form is apparently quite comfortable too, though one would have to crouch down on the ground to get in and out of it. But once you're in it, I suppose it could work. The chair is made from upholstered tubular steel frame and is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Chair #289

GILDED ROPE CHAIR

—Designer unknown

This nineteenth century rop chair is from the collection of Madeline Casteing in Paris. That it's gilded makes it so French. Were it not, it might just look like your average sea captain's chair.

Chair #288

DIRECTOR's CHAIR

—Designer unknown

ACTION!! The design of the Director's chair goes back to coffer-makers' chairs of the 15th century and even as far back to the Roman curule chair. The lightweight chair that folds side-to-side with a scissors action. The seat and back are made of canvas or leather, and usually has armrests. The stereotypical image of a movie director on location includes one of these chairs, hence the name. Think Cecil B. DeMille. CUT!

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Classic lines from Sunset Boulevard

Joe Gillis: You're Norma Desmond. You used to be in silent pictures. You used to be big.

Norma Desmond: I AM big. It's the pictures that got small.

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Norma Desmond: We didn't need dialogue. We had faces!

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Norma Desmond: All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up.

Chair #287

HANG CHAIR

—Designed by Studio Niels & Sven

This cheeky chair is a nifty combo of a chair and a clothes hanger, and it's perfect to hang your jacket on. I call this the poor man's valet chair. You could even hang your watch over the hanger hook. Mr. 007 himself, James Bond, would definitely NOT own this chair.

Chair #286

LOUIS XVI THEATER CHAIR

—Designer unknown

Oh la laa. These fancy armchairs were signed Bauve and made for the theater at Versaille, France. Ce' Magnifique!

Chair #285

SPANISH LEATHER CHAIR

—Designer unknown

Spain, 1940s. Empire style chair with polished nickel and brass hardware. It has a curved back with leather seat and back. Amazing details, check out those webbed feet! Someone has a sense of humor.

Chair #284

CROCHET CHAIR

—Designed by Marcel Wanders

The Crochet chair is unlike anything ever produced. It is a brand new application for the old craft of crocheting. The open structure lends an airy lightness, yet the resin and fiber construction allows elegance as well as a durability.

Chair #283

WOOD SLICE CHAIR

—Designed by Mathias Bengtsson

London-based designer Mathias Bengtsson made just 2o of these beauties. He modeled this organic chair in 3D on a computer, then used precision lasers to automatically cut individual plywood slices which were assembled to give this chair the appearance of sculpted sandstone. Like Arches National Park or Bryce Canyon, it looks similar to a slice of years of sedimentary rock.

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How Sedimentary Rock Is Formed

For thousands, even millions of years, little pieces of our earth have been eroded-broken down and worn away by wind and water. These little bits of our earth are washed downstream where they settle to the bottom of the rivers, lakes, and oceans. Layer after layer of eroded earth is deposited on top of each. These layers are pressed down more and more through time, until the bottom layers slowly turn into rock.

Chair #282

LADDERBACK CHAIR

—Designed by Jon Brooks

Totally Tim Burton, isn't it? Brooks’ ladderback chairs are fine examples of his work. The beautifully shaped solid wood seats, arm rests, and back slats are combined with organically shaped branch material for the legs and rungs. The branch material was finished in black lacquer, and overlaid with colored scribble-like figure.

Chair #281

BUTTERFLY STOOL CHAIR

—Designed by Sori Yanagi

Long admired for it's sculptural silhouette, Sori Yanagi's 1954 Butterfly Stool has been an elusive beauty to net. Vintage examples often command upwards of a few thousand dollars at auction. Originally produced and distributed only in Japan, Vitra has secured the authorization and license to produce and distribute this classic.

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True beauty is not made—it is born naturally.

—Sori Yanagi

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Butterfly in Italian—farfalle

Butterfly in Spanish—mariposa

Butterfly in French—papillion

Chair #280

THE W.W STOOL

—Designed by Philippe Starck

Starck originally designed this piece for film director Wim Wenders where he required a fantasy office environment as a set piece. There were a few different pieces of furniture that Starck designed for this project, this one being called the WW Stool. The is no doubt that it looks great, and it fitted it’s primary purpose - but if you are thinking about using the WW Stool in a commercial application be aware that it is more of a visual trophy than a comfy, relaxing place to sit.

Chair #279

BARCA LOUNGE CHAIR

—Designed by Jakob Joergensen

This chair reminds me of a little boat. Can't you just see the gang from Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows floating down the river in this? Rat said, "There is nothing—absolutely nothing —half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." Indeed! The Mole has just seen the River for the first time, has just been befriended by the Rat, has just gotten into a boat for the first time, and is about to embark on his first ever River excursion with the Rat. During a quick stop-off at Ratty’s home on the river bank, Rat reappears “staggering under a fat, wicker luncheon-basket.” Here's how Grahame tell it.

'Shove that under your feet,’ he observed to the Mole,

as he passed it down into the boat. Then he untied

the painter and took the sculls again.

‘What’s inside it?’ asked the Mole, wriggling with curiosity.
‘There’s cold chicken inside it,’ replied the Rat briefly;
coldtonguecoldhamcoldbeefpickledgherkinssaladfrenchrolls
cresssandwidgespottedmeatgingerbeerlemonadesodawater...’
‘O stop, stop,’ cried Mole in ecstasies: ‘This is too much!’
‘Do you really think so?’ inquired the Rat seriously ‘It’s only

what I always take on these little excursions; and the other

animals are always telling me that I’m a mean beast and

cut in very fine!’

Delicious dialogue, isn't it?

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The Barca lounge chair was created by molding the identical ash boards around to form the semi-spherical lovely shape we see. This is probably one of those very difficult processes that craftsman like Jakob Joergensen make look easy.

Chair #278

BIRD CHAIR

—Designed by Judy Kensley McKie

American master Judy McKie's Bird Chair is simply soaring—a masterpiece throne fit for royalty. The Massachusetts furniture maker's witty pieces incorporating stylized animals have won her legions of fans and more than a few impressive accolades.

Chair #277

ODE CHAIR

—Designed by Jolyon Yates

In the ongoing quest to be green with renewable materials, it is refreshing when a designer makes it easy to fall in love with and feel good about soulful green design. Add to this the lyrical lines and soft contours that envelope and rock your world, and you have the perfect piece of furniture. Northumberland, England designer Jolyon Yates has mastered the art of design poetics and visual lullabyes with his latest Series 3 ODE Chair and Stingray Stools. Exquisitely handcrafted from renewable wood that the artist lovingly selects, these are elegant design pieces meant to last for generations, and his ode to form and function. Yates uses renewable birch (sourced from Scandinavia) for his creations as well as tulipwood and ash. Smooth in finish, these are very durable, one-of-a-kind artisanal designs meant to last for generations... a message that Yates, as a craftsman, feels rather passionately about. See also Chair 272 on September 29 of this blog for another of Yates' ODE chairs.

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The biggest contribution I can make to being environmentally-friendly is in carefully thought out design. I truly hope my chairs will be around longer than others, as longevity is surely good for the environment.

—Jolyon Yates

Chair #276

THE THINK CHAIR

—Designed by Finn Stone

The Think Chair is a custom built sculptural fibre glass throne chair. A designer production piece, this unique chair is formed from the wild imagination of Finn Stone; a sculptural artist with an eye for the practical. This exotic chair has to be seen to be believed... It’s organic curves are perfectly formed and its physical comfort takes everyone by surprise.

Chair #275

ANTIQUE AMERICAN BOARDWALK CHAIR

—Designer unknown

Imaging getting all sugared up on salt-water taffy and pushing yourself around in a chair like this? Antique wicker rolling chairs like these were commonly rented to Atlantic City, New Jersey Boardwalk visitors. On June 26, 1870, the first section of the Atlantic City Boardwalk opened along the New Jersey beach. Beautiful beaches, fresh sea air, luxurious hotels, fine restaurants, alluring shops, and a connecting railroad line from Camden, New Jersey drew visitors from all over the world. Atlantic City soon became a popular summer resort and winter health spa. Alexander Boardman, a railroad conductor, conceived the idea of constructing a boardwalk as a means of keeping sand out of the railroad cars and hotels. The city used its tax revenues to build an eight-foot-wide temporary wooden walkway from the beach into town which could be dismantled during the winter. The rolling chair, introduced in 1884, was the only vehicle allowed on the Boardwalk.

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Oooooh, under the boardwalk, down by the sea,

On a blanket with my baby is where I'll be.

Chair #274

CACTUS CHAIR

—Designed by Valentina Glez Wohlers

Love pink and green...so Lily Pulitzer. This whimsical cactus chair is appropriately named the prickly pair chair, and the button tufts on the seat actually have fabric hairs that mimic the prickly bits of the cactus. Valentina Glez Wohlers is a Mexican born and London based designer. Her cactus chairs made their grand entrance to the world during Milan Design Week, '09.

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Valentina Glez Wohlers, diseñadora nacida en méxico y situada en londres, ha creado estas sillas como una yuxtaposición entre la estética mexicana y europea, incorporando elementos de diseño formales al igual que humor para crear esta mezcla cultural. estas sillas se exhibirán en Milán design week 2009.