French designer Matali Crasset has done it again. His new creation, the Double Side chair, is a fine attempt to make our lives a little easier. The piece holds a double function, with one easy movement it can be transformed into a small desk, that can hold your laptop, writing paraphernalia, lunch etc. ‘At home today the structures are fixed, like a paused video with a paused picture, life is changing and it’s in movement and it reactivates the video so to speak. My projects work in the interstices of the activities, in passages between one paused picture to another in order to reattach them to one another and to renew the movement and the action in between the spaces,’ – Crasset says. The Double Side chair will be presented as a part of Danese exposition during the Salone del Mobile 2011 in Milan. 
The Coat Check chair from Joey Zeledón, made for Continuum, is not only modern, fun, and minimalist. It also promotes tidiness. And that makes it extremely lovable (no wonder its designer has already scored the Annual Design Review recognition from the I.D. magazine). The piece consists of steal tubing that serves as a frame for plastic hangers. Brilliant for house parties, this clever little item can bring an element of organization to your entrance area. And do that in a cool and non-condescending way.
Consider Chool from the London based design company Slam – a chair and a stool in one clever item. In its stool version, it can be pushed under the table or stored in a closet, taking very little space. But when the extra sitting is needed, Chool becomes a chair. The weight of your bum is all that is needed for the transformation to occur. The piece can also be locked in any position between chair to stool at the push of a button. Chool is fully customizable with different upholstery choices and finishes. Color combinations are plentiful. And if you happen to have an outlandish design idea that is not represented in the line, the kind people at Slam will make an effort to implement it.
You know what they say – all things are temporary, unless they were designed by Charles Eames. This chair was not. However, there is something unmistakably Eamesian about the shape and the use of the materials. The Shrimp Armchair, designed by Jehs+Laub for Cor, is a new twist on the universally loved classic. The piece appeals to all human senses with its elegant curves, firm support, and refined workmanship. As Design Milk pointed out, the leather looks as though it sinks directly into the plywood, which creates the effect of lightness. Truly mesmerizing piece of design. And who knows, maybe in half a century the Shrimp Armchair will be the one to emulate.
It is always nice when a piece of furniture has a soul. Even if it is a mysterious Russian one. This unusual object, called Tipsy Star, was created by the Moscow-based designer Alexander Matveyev. Envisioned as a chair-transformer, the piece is build around a titanium frame with hinges, which allow it to take and retain many shapes. The Tipsy Star is incredibly versatile, it can serve as a chair, a stool, an ottoman, a mat… Made out of a poliurethane foam and covered by a durable upholstery fabric, it requires very little maintenance. It might be the first tipsy thing you will actually like having round…
The fewer pieces of furniture we have, the more they have to matter. This item, for example, is not going to stand in the corner unnoticed. Designed by Pierre Brichet, the Marie-Sophie chair is definitely made to create a visual impact. Manufactured out of steel trellis and leather, the piece seems to be suspended in the air. The clever geometry of the base creates a negative space around the seat and showcases the elegant simplicity of the object. The Marie-Sophie chair is currently displayed at the Coming Soon Galerie in Paris.
This little folding chair was created by the Finish born and Paris based designer Elisa Honkanen, who proved once again that even inexpensive, utilitarian and temporary things can add delight to our lives. Hasta chair consists of two components – folding tripod and a cotton cover, which resembles kids ‘tell the fortune’ paper game. The beauty of the piece comes from its lightness and naive, even childlike simplicity. But in fact, to achieve the effect, the designer had to experiment a lot with textures and proportions. The piece is currently on show at the Making Of exhibition in Paris.
It is incredibly pleasing that the American turf can produce its own Jacobsens, Wagners and Kjaerholms. Meet Ryan Diener, a Cincinnati based industrial designer, whose works are inspired by the masterpieces of Scandinavian school. His latest creation – DK Stool – contains all attributes typical for the Danish design tradition. The piece is beautifully crafted, minimalistically shaped and made out of local materials. But the best feature of the DK Stool is that the top of it bends to accomodate the person’s weight, while the legs turn outwards for a better support. No mechanisms, no additional parts; all done by the physics of the form. Clever, simple and elegant… Can your stacking stool do that?
The subtle humour of this piece made me look. Bed Blend, designed by the Netherlander Roy Letterle (aka lero), lives up to its name. A bed and two chars are morphed into one minimalistic piece. The chairs serve as bedside tables and in turn start formation of a headboard with their backs. Both the form and the function of Bed Blend are stripped to their absolute essentials. Even the ‘blending components,’ two chairs and a bed, are quintessentially basic. One simple, rustic idea in all its bareness.
This candy-colored beauty is a collaborative effort of designers Igor Solovyov and Dzmitry Samal. A chair and a chaise lounge in one – a chair longe. The transformation occurs as the ‘lounge’ part slides under the seat via two railing mechanisms located on its sides. The gap in the middle is not only an eye-pleasing accent, it accommodates the steel handle that locks the chair in its position. Fun and robust, this piece fits perfectly in today’s rapidly changing environment. It can be displayed and used in its full lounging glory or ‘tucked in’ for low key gatherings or simply to clear some space.
