5 Contemporary Designs that Completely Redefine the Chair

One of my favorite things about home design is the wonderful variety of ways in which clever designers have re-invented the chair. When you picture a chair you probably think of one of the traditional forms of the chair, with a back and a seat and legs. But really, all that’s required for a chair is that it hold your bottom off the ground, a fact beautifully illustrated by these five contemporary designs,

Above: This clever design, by Studio Allt via The Design Home, creates a sort of frame for a big old poofy cushion that the sitter then nests themself inside. Unfortunately it appears to be no longer available, but maybe a possible DIY for the particularly crafty?

I’m a little in love with the Big Bold chair from Moustache, which consists of two connecting tubes (noodles?) made from metal and foam. I am a bit curious, though, about how comfortable it is to sit on. It’s available for 395€.

An exercise ball is the most unconventional of chairs, but anyone who’s ever tried to sit on one can testify that accidentally tumbling off is always a danger. This clever creation from Design Boom solves all that, with a rattan frame designed to hold an exercise ball, and provide the sitter with a little extra stability.

The U-stool by Takuya Hamajima, spotted on London Design Journal, adds arms and a surprisingly grand effect to a stool form we’re all familiar with.

Also spotted on Design Boom is this thronelike creation, designed by Adam Whittaker, one of the students tasked with creating a chair using laminate for Wilsonart’s annual student design competition. The sitting bits are applied to the front of an enormous circle, giving the chair a playful, even otherworldly, feel.