Proportions and comfort are the key factors in seating. Designers and companies pool their expertise to create complements that trigger harmony in interiors, but also wrap the body, supporting it in a safe, comfortable way. Alongside the new offerings, historic models are being updated, eliminating rigidity, inserting armrests or developing new proportions, also considering the fact that human stature has changed with the passage of time.
Pedrali, for example, enhances the Blume collection designed by Sebastian Herkner with a new model boasting armrests. The Blume armchair, also available in a lounge version, reprises the soft, rounded forms of the collection, whose distinctive feature is the sophisticated profile in extruded aluminium, with a silhouette in the form of a flower. The enveloping curve of the armrests has been skillfully shaped to bring continuity to the petal-shaped sections.
Thonet also includes armrests in the “Offenbach” chair, again by Sebastian Herkner, launched in 2018. In the 118 the rounded legs in the front part and the slightly rounded angles in the front reflect the typical trapezoidal form of Thonet chairs. The angle of the back adapts perfectly to the body. The armrests in curved wood have a slightly flared design, for a pleasant, stress-reducing tactile experience.
The Roundish collection designed by Naoto Fukasawa for Maruni stands out for the design of its curved lines, stemming from the desire to shape wood into soft, rounded shapes. The series includes various models: entirely in wood, with a covered seat or with covering on both back and seat. The two latter elements have a rounded structure, wrapping the body and supporting it. The armchair version offers just the right amount of support.
Armrests have also been provided for the Loft Chair with armrest designed by Thomas Bentzen for Muuto. The chair embraces the body, pairing warm oak for the back and seat with the steel of the powder-coated frame.
Another enveloping seat is Charla by Patricia Urquiola for Kartell, a dining chair that puts guests at ease. The legs in recycled plastic, in this product that combines elegance with ecology, come in black, while the coverings are in bouclé or mélange contract fabric.
The UNAM collection by Very Wood, inspired by the creations of Pierre Jeanneret, again with the signature of Sebastian Herkner, is a seating family of great visual impact, where the back is in nautical rope or gray parchment, and the padded seat is covered in fabric or leather. The ash wood structure is made with solid wood, determining the proportions. The weave on the back and the range of available colors enable the pieces to adapt to a wide range of contexts. Their curved embrace makes these seats the perfect place for relaxation and a sense of protection.
Wood is also a material of the T-Chair OW58 by Carl Hansen & Son, created by the Danish designer Ole Wanscher. The chair has a T-shaped back that joins with the solidly positioned rear legs, giving it the look of a tripod. The updated version keeps faith with the original design, simply altering the height of the seat by adding two centimeters, adapting to the greater average height of users with respect to 1958.
Cristina Celestino has designed the Veretta chair for Billiani with a particular ring in curved solid beech that wraps the seat and interlocks with the back. The latter can be provided with frontal padding, while the rear surface brings out the image of the wood and the particular joint with the seat ring, which remains open: from the circle with its rounded form, the designer has removed a small portion of material to display the two ends, crafted by hand.
Neil Leather by Jean-Marie Massaud for MDF Italia puts the accent on the details, seeking optimal proportions and comfort. The support structure in black chrome steel forms a simple, light architecture, while the thick full-grain cowhide cover creates a sense of welcome. Sartorial details, like the stitching and the colored borders, underline the exclusive quality of the cowhide and its workmanship.
Functional lines are projected in space to form the light silhouette of the Koki Wire collection designed by Pocci + Dondoli for Desalto. This is a large family, composed of a chair, stools and a settee, as the natural evolution and completion of the previous Koki collection.
Kids also have the right to have a favorite chair: Panton Junior by Vitra, designed by Verner Panton in 1959, is available in six colors. A true design icon, it is made in a single piece, with an injection-molded colored polypropylene shell. The chair has the same proportions and materials as the model for adults, differing only in terms of size – smaller by about one fourth.
The Trespade collection by Testatonda includes – among the various products – a lounge chair and an ottoman, entirely made in hand-polished steel. The seat and back, composed of a single assemblage of steel, bent and woven by hand, repeat multiples of the number 3 in the volumes and sizes, playing with a surface that is never smooth and rigid, but alternates concepts of encounter and absence.
For Lithea, Elena Salmistraro has created the Pensieri Panteschi collection, which includes the Sibà stool, to combine with the table. Inside the round seat in white stone a round plate of colored marble is inserted, while the five legs are in white stone with curved forms and an engraved surface.
Boa is a doughnut shaped ottoman created by Sabine Marcelis for Hem. A graphic form for this upholstered piece, covered without stitching thanks to a light, smooth knit fabric. Boa is perfect for nestling, as a footrest, or for lying down, taking advantage of the form resting directly on the ground.
A piece that responds to indispensable criteria of function, quality and elegance, with a particular focus on design and decorative details – the Rodeo ottoman by Armani Casa has a wooden base, with a seat covered in elegant colored fabric.
