Love|Hate

Modernica collaborated with artist Peter Shire to design the Prince Charles Chair, playfully named after the originator of the design, Charles Eames. The chair is an elegant and ironic juxtaposition – past and present; a combination of two recognisable styles artfully embracing 300 years of furniture design into a single chair. But do we like? Ermmmmh????

Credits/Image: Today and Tomorrow

Fancy a lie down?

We've been inspired by Ercol's recent re-issue of the 'Studio Couch'.  Although not technically a day bed, the Studio Couch was developed to function both as a generously proportioned sofa and an occasional single bed for overnight guests.  First introduced in the late 1950s and designed by Ercol's founder Lucian Ercolani, its a British take on the Scandi-style that was so popular in the decade after the war.

Credits/Images:  Daily Tonic 

You decide ....

We've been extremely busy at chairsmith central this morning trying to pick a favourite from this little lot.  No joy, we just can't decide!  Perhaps you could let us know which is your favourite ..... the polling station is open and ready for you to cast your vote.

The CH445, also known as the Wing Chair, was designed by Hans Wegner in 1960 but only brought into major production in 2006.

The Kangaroo, or Model  No. 5672, by George Nelson alludes to traditional club chairs with its buttoned upholstery but is still very much in line with the Modern spirit.

The Womb chair was Eero Saarinen's first design for Knoll in 1948.  In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Saarinen's birth, Knoll has introduced the Womb Chair upholstered in a 100% pure natural colour cashmere (as pictured above).  One hundred chairs will be made, each with a commemorative plate numbered from 1 to 100.  To find out more, press here.

The CH468 was designed by Wegner in 1960, roughly at the same time as he created the Wing Chair and Ox Chair. Until its recent launch in 2010, the design remained a prototype.  One of the prototypes was carefully prepared for production through close cooperation between Carl Hansen & Son and the Hans J. Wegner studio, using Wegner's original drawings, clay model and prototype.

The Heron by Ernest Race was designed in 1956 and re-issued for the 100% design Exhibition.  The design incorporates technically challenging upholstery techniques which are still in use today, after 54 years.

Credits/Images:  Aram (CH445, Womb (cashmere) and CH468), Architonic (Kangaroo) and Race Furniture (Heron)

Balancing act

We thought we'd do something a little different today and have opted for, ermmh, sculptures and installations.  Yes, I know what you're thinking, but we are staying true to our roots.  Well, sort of!!  Here's our small selection of some extremely amazing propositions.  We hope you enjoy them.

The Black Hole by Michel de Beoin, 2006.

Installation by Doris Salcedo, created for the International Istanbul Biennale in 2003 and included over 1550 chairs stacked between two city buildings.

Wallpaper* magazine commissioned designer Martino Gamper to create a modern-day Chair Arch for the London Design Festival in 2009. Using Ercol stacking chairs as his building blocks, Gamper built two overlapping arches in the courtyard of the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Alejandra Laviada creates sculptures with found objects in order to alter our conceptions of everyday objects.

Helmut Palla transforms found chairs into unique art pieces.

This picture is from the series 'Memorandoms' by James Nizam.

'In the Woods' by Karen Ryan, 2009.

'Myth Monolith (Liberation Movement)' by Marc Andre Robinson, 2007

Credits/Images:  Design Boom (The Black Hole and Doris Salcedo), Alistair Hall (Chair Arch), Today and Tomorrow (Helmut Palla, James Nizam), Mocoloco (Chair Arch) and National Design Collective (Karen Ryan and Marc Andre Robinson)

Think small

Small people need chairs too, and here is our pick of the vintage crop ................

Child's chair designed by Dutch modernist Friso Kramer, 1963

Beech plywood child's chairs

Image:  MidMod Design