
In keeping with our Tullsta renovation theme from earlier today, we couldn't help but notice that Ikea's chair bears a strong resemblance in form to the brilliant Tokujin Yoshioka's Panna chair for Moroso. With a few inexpensive tweaks, we think you could transform an already inexpensive chair into something much more interesting...

Yoshioka is known for his innovative use of materials, often creating furniture out of startling substances like natural crystal. His Pane chair, which evolved into the Moroso version, was initially baked whole in it's raw state until solidified.
The Panna version, created using a similar concept but utilizing more practical manufacturing methods, is upholstered in "a puffy white quilted industrial fabric used for carrying precision instruments, pulled over the chair form". We think this "industrial fabric" looks almost exactly like standard-issue moving blankets, which cost around $5 each.

Using a couple of these per chair, along with some simple cotton batting and a staple gun, creating a similar version (at least visually similar) at home would take very little time, and even less money.
Quote taken from Dezeen.com; images via Tokujin Yoshioka Design
It looks like it's getting packed for travel. No thanks.
view oakland's profile
ugh.
view kimg924's profile
ditto the previous sentiments.
view Niamh's profile
Ew. And plus, as a previous owner of that chair, those things are back breakingly uncomfortable.
view protogarrett's profile
Hideous.
view burpchick's profile
I agree. It reminds me of those tacky crocheted toilet paper covers.
view jamesdamian's profile
no....
view amiencc's profile
no.
view Nudik's profile
Those chairs are so ugly why would anybody want to copy that?
view sea9262's profile
I've seen this chair in person and really liked it. The silhouette of sweeping curves and pointy seams and edges has popped up at a few of the european collections. It really does look like the love child of the B&B Italia Bombole chair and a piece of whipped confection.
That said, I think the idea of transforming the Tullsta is interesting in the abstract, but the materials selected probably won't work. The upholstery needs to be light enough to hug to lines and the pattern on the upholstery needs to be much smaller than the chevron pattern on a moving blanket. I fear this makeover is way beyond the skills of the typical seamstress/diy-er.
The good news is that that level of complexity makes this chair a nice design investment. Due to the labor intensive processes involved, you probably won't be seeing any reasonable facsimiles from CB2 or Ikea any time soon.
view RichardinLA's profile
I'd rather see the chair get kitted out in some lovely Anthropologie-type fabric instead.
view *heather leaf*'s profile
blech
view Carder's profile
Wow. Ugly. So very ugly.
view perdita27's profile
I honestly don't get people that just post "gross" as a comment. Use your words, for chrissake. Don't like it? I'm glad to see a different opinion! Try letting us know why you don't like it. And not just because "They had this in the 80s and it was a bad idea then." or "My grandma has this couch." RichardinLA's comment, for example, is both descriptive and constructive, and therefore interesting to read.
Interior design doesn't mean one design, it means a variety of designs from a variety of eras used in creative and interesting ways. Just because something doesn't look like it would fit into your Ikea model home doesn't mean it should be dismissed with a monosyllabic grunt.
It has seriously reached the point that it's not worth reading the comments on AT, which is a shame since so many of the posts are about how you, the readers, would use and construct interesting objects and spaces.
view organs's profile
I don't mind it so much - At least it doesn't look like a crappy uncomfortable chair from IKEA anymore...
view bepsf's profile
ugleh
view Eleno_Mome's profile
I don't find this attractive. It looks unfinished and bulky. The lines of the chair are ok but with the fabric treatment those simple lines are lost. I never did like clothing that was sewn purposely inside out to expose the seams. Some things look better hidden. That said, I can appreciate the artistic intention of doing something unconventional to a common object. Like some runway fashions though, this one only works on the runway.
view WendyJ's profile
Ok, someone on here said they wanted explanations so here goes: This chair reminds me of a wadded up kotex or a used baby diaper, sans poop. Neither of these remind me of anything artistic or innovative, but for some I'm sure they do. Sorry, but that's my opinion.
view citygirlincountry's profile
This is simply unappealing to me. 'Nuff said.
view KWorld's profile
Beatiful, great idea! I wish we could all see how the DIY "replice" looks like.
view chicago_girl's profile
Gross.
view kgreene's profile
so groos-Not! :)
view moddog's profile
Sometimes one word is more expressive of your thoughts and feelings than an entire diatribe. I hate the way this looks. I don't need to explain why.
view amiencc's profile
Hard to believe but the before was better.
view JPK's profile
Packing Fortune Cookies.
view TracyJ's profile
I really hate the fabric on the Yoshioka chairs, but the amazon moving blanket fabric looks a lot better, so maybe it could work?
view Finally Woken's profile
To agree with organs... if one word describes your feeling, why say anything at all? This is a place for conversation.
On that note, while I like the idea of the chair and even the style, it's the fabric I take issue with. I think this chair offered in a patterned fabric would be more striking.
Also I think that this would be hard to replicate, however the replication idea still sounds like a good way to rehab the Tullsta. Will someone try this and post pictures?
view rreader's profile
Maybe it's the way the moving blankets are photographed, but I think they look like a gun-metal grey, which I love a LOT, and I think that if someone actually took this project on, they might come up with something that actually surpasses the thing they want to imitate. No. Really. I mean it.
view Curtis's profile
Oooops, I like them. But then again, I like all those tee shirts with the seams on the outside. I think this would be great in a simple nursery or toddler room-it would take wear and tear, and it looks like fun. I'm not sure what other sort of decor this word work with, though.
view fleababe's profile
not my style but i like the creativity of it and i am sure someone could work it into a room and rock it well.
view Goody's profile
I have a Tullsta chair, (and for me it is very comfortable, as it happens to be a good match for my leg and body lengths) While the inspirational Yoshioka chairs are âinterestingâ looking as conceptual art, they do not look very practical for the actual function of a chair:to be an inanimate participant in the life of a home, where people actually sit in it.
It wouldn't be impossibly difficult to make a slipcover from movers blanketing, or other pre-quilted materials. The part of this that seems horribly impractical to me is having the seams on the outside and unfinished. The "stuffing" would likely come loose along those edges and not look attractive. And if you tried to wash the coverings, it would have disastrous consequences for your washing machine.
If I wanted to re-construct this look, I would make a quilted slipcover in whatever fabric desired, and pipe the edges with http://www.sahuc.com/know-how/p019_moss.htm>"moss fringe", a trim which is designed to give a fluffy fringed edge look, choosing a pale color to give the look of the original inspiration.
view fjorlief's profile
Oh Sorry, somehow my attempt to show what moss fringe didn't work. The link is here Moss Fringe
view fjorlief's profile
it is hideous...
view mvdiaz9's profile
awful. no thanks.
view cheverells's profile