Fjord Chair
PROJECT: Simple Comfort
DATE: fall 2024
MATERIALS: solid ash wood, Danish cord
DIMENSIONS: 23+1/2” wide, 21” deep, and 30” tall
SURFACE TREATMENT: clear plant-based wax-oil
EXHIBITION: Sheridan Craft and Design Best of Fall Term 2024
BRIEF
Design a comfortable wooden chair. Explore the notion of comfort and how a hard material such as wood can provide it.
CRITERIA
must be 100% wood (solid wood, plywood and veneer)
upholstery options (should you wish to use them) are limited to cane or Danish cord
must have a backrest
does not need to include armrests
must not only be comfortable for you, it must be universally comfortable for the maximum number of people
INTENT
Two of my favorite armchairs are: the classic Round Chair, designed by Hans Wegner in 1949; and the contemporary Hiroshima Armchair, designed by Naoto Fukasawa in 2008. They're both elegant, purposeful, and quiet.
Inspired by these two chairs, my goal was to make a low-back armchair for dining or conferencing; combining a tactile, vintage-looking woven seat, with contemporary forms.
Overall, I'm quite happy with the chair. This is also my first time sculpting a continuous curve from one part to another, and I'm pretty happy with how that turned out. Early on in the project, I was worried that I would just be copying the Round Chair and Hiroshima Armchair. But after getting feedback on my ergonomic mock-up, I was glad I was able to come up with an armrest shape that would subtly differentiate my design from Wegner's and Fukasawa's. I think the shape of the armrests are congruous with the shape of the backrest, while creating an interesting transition between the two, while maintaining a continuous curve from elbow to elbow. The rush pattern also speaks well to the diagonal back-arm joints.