Whether you are sitting at a desk in an office or relaxing watching a movie, one of the most important things will be your comfort. As homeowners we look for the most comfortable lounge suite we can find, and employers and employees search for the most suitable chair for their office. However, some designers have decided that comfort is the last thing that should be considered when designing a chair, and below are some examples that could make your life decidedly less than comfortable.
The Pencil Chair
If you owned this chair designed by Kerstin Schulz it would mean no more losing your pencil down the back of the chair, it would just add to the chairs mass. Built from thousands of sharpened pencils this chair would make your life a real pain in the backside, and is so removed from the idea of comfort that I don’t get the point.
The Radiator Chair
This chair is hot stuff, or at least it would be if it were comfortable in any way. Constructed using an 80 year old radiator, the chair looks like it was knocked together in the back of a junkyard, though the $1,400 price tag suggests otherwise. If the radiator worked then at least you could get your body to a comfortable temperature as you are going to find it difficult to get it in a comfortable position. If you want a cool seat, this is not for you.
The Stick Chair
This very unusual chair was made for the 2005 carpenter’s autumn exhibition by designer Carlo Volf, and is another that puts comfort on the back burner. It appearance is more akin to a painters easel than a chair, and the easel may even be more comfortable. Based on a spoke design the chair seems to be too uncomfortable for most people and, to flimsy for the bigger frame. This may be the stick chair but I would prefer to stick to a more traditional design.
The Venus Chair
Unlike many chairs in this list, this is a beautiful chair, even though it still looks too uncomfortable to sit on. Made from natural crystals it is unlikely to be very forgiving in the seating area. The chair’s designer, Tokujin Yoshioka, created this unusual design in 2008 in response to the return to natural values he saw emerging. Unfortunately most of society would prefer not to join Yoshioka’s revolution.
The Concrete Chair
This may pay homage to a classic, but Stefan Zwicky seems to have forgotten the original was actually comfortable. Designing any chair from concrete is going to bring up several issues, one of them being the weight, and another being matching accessories. Fred Flintstone may have appreciated this piece of furniture, but I certainly don’t.
Designing furniture is not such an easy task as it appears,, but I can’t help thinking that a little more thought could have made these chairs comfortable as well as being design statements. It may be an idea for these designers supply cushions along with their designs in the future.
The author of this post, Jenny Wadlow, works at Adco Office Furniture. Her hobbies include reading and she is a regular at her local book club. Follow her on Twitter @JennyWadlow.
