Tag Archives: stool

This laser-cut steel stool looks like a parked spaceship from a sci-fi film

Posted on by

We’ve seen our fair share of stool concepts and prototypes, and, more often than not, these often come in wood, plastic, or even stone. The ones that are made from metal often convey smooth curves and forms to contrast with the material’s often cold appearance. There are times, however, when sharp edges and corners, visible nuts and bolts, and overlapping sheets of metal present a more interesting visual experience, especially when it’s associated with a certain theme. That’s what this steel stool prototype brings to the table, metaphorically speaking, with a design that would perfectly fit in a sci-fi, cyberpunk, or even dystopian movie set.

Designer: Leon E.

Almost all stools and chairs are designed with comfort and stability in mind, at least the ones that are intended to actually be used. After all, who would want to sit on a chair that’s not only uncomfortable but also dangerous? An unrefined metal stool with sharp edges and corners, for example, could end up cutting your skin every time you move or carry it.

The Stool .03 throws all those conventions and expectations out the window to create a piece of furniture that appeals to a certain aesthetic taste while still promising stability when someone does sit on it. It wholeheartedly embraces its metallic nature and makes no effort to hide it, looking unpolished yet at the same time refined. Its polygonal surfaces and triangular shapes call to mind designs used on TV and in games when portraying sci-fi or futuristic objects. Alternatively, it also looks like an alien craft with its three wings folded in a state of rest, ready to expand and lift off at any moment.

More than just the design itself, the development and manufacturing process behind this stool is just as interesting. The goal was to design a stool that could be cut from steel sheets using a laser, a rather unorthodox process for producing steel chairs. The overall design was also intended to make use of diagonal lines and angles to create a dynamic appearance without the usual flowing curves.

The result is a stool that is sharp and edgy in a good way. It definitely looks different and unique and will probably appeal to certain people with a penchant for more industrial designs. Whether it’s comfortable enough to sit on for hours or even a few minutes, however, is an entirely different question. Perhaps someday, we will be able to use a material that has the same visual identity as hard steel but with the soft comfort of textile. Then this Stool .03 will easily become a fixture in the homes and offices of the future.

The post This laser-cut steel stool looks like a parked spaceship from a sci-fi film first appeared on Yanko Design.

Front Stool’s intuitive design allows it to function beyond as an entryway seat

Posted on by

Front Stool Design

When you are an automotive design student, it may feel restrictive to design just vehicles. Perhaps that is what Ji Woong Cha feels, so he decided to work on the Front Stool. He must be interested to see what his design process will come up with. The result is this Front Stool he imagined for a single-person household.

The Korean designer noted the importance of designing for a smaller space. A small household cannot hold many items, so a functional shape is preferred. The Front Stool comes with a modern and intuitive design that fits right at the entrance. It’s more than just a stool as it also works as an umbrella stand and support for when you need to put on or take off your shoes.

Designer: Ji Woong Cha

Front Stool Launch

The Front Stool combines two stools in different materials and thicknesses. The wooden part can either be Walnut or Cypress while the other part made of High Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE) material comes in four color options—Light Gray, Crimson Red, Blue Green, or Dark Gray. It comes packed in a small rectangular box with separate pieces secured and organized.

Stool + Footrest + Umbrella Stand

The Front Stool is easy to assemble with dowel pins and holes and requires minimal maintenance. We like that you can use the HDPE part or the footrest to put your foot on when you need to tie your shoelaces. The level is not the same height as the stool, so it’s convenient to use. When not in use, you can use the Front Stool to store your shoes or slippers.

Front Stool

Front Stool Example

The designer of the Front Stool is an automotive design student. He has designed several concept cars and motorbikes. This is the first time Ji Woong Cha is sharing his furniture design. However, we believe this won’t be the last as what he just presented shows he has the potential to go beyond designing cars. This young designer should consider this industry for he’s got a knack for intelligent and functional design.

Front Stool Sample

Front Stool Detailed Design

His early sketches show the intuitive design and we see an organized design process. He sees a universal need and works to deliver an intelligent solution. As a result, he was able to make a simple furniture item into something functional, practical, and beautiful at the same time. The Front Stool may be left outside your door and remain in the entryway, but we know it can draw compliments for its unique design.

Front Stool Sktetches

Front Stool Illustration

Front Stool Design Details

Front Stool Colors

The post Front Stool’s intuitive design allows it to function beyond as an entryway seat first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Sycamore Chair’s unique hand-carved backrest makes it look like you’ve got wings!

Posted on by

The Sycamore Chair, meticulously carved out of maple wood by Japan-based woodworking artist Masaki Kondo, sports a rather non-functional design that sits more on the latter half of the design-to-art spectrum. The chair’s borderline mythical design (it’s a stool, technically) has three organic legs that look like the furniture is kneeling, with the rear two legs sporting massive wings that emanate outward, like an archangel. Sit on the Sycamore and it looks like you’ve magically sprouted wings!

The chair gets its name from the winged Sycamore seed, although its wings take on a much more feathered shape. Kondo lists his reference as the swan, with its wings stretched backward. A closer look at the chair without the seat shows a keen resemblance to the swan’s graceful form too, with the front leg of the chair looking like a swan’s neck bending downwards.

Designed as a bespoke single piece, the chair was probably commissioned by a lucky patron. Masaki works out of his woodworking studio in Kannami, Shizuoka, which he’s been running since 2008.

Designer: Masaki Kondo

The post The Sycamore Chair’s unique hand-carved backrest makes it look like you’ve got wings! first appeared on Yanko Design.

Green offices need this 360-degree rotating ergonomic stool that is recyclable by design

Posted on by

In the past couple of years, the definition of the office environment has drastically changed. We are more rooted to our seats than ever before as the digital work age transports us into a new era. A good, comfortable office chair can instantly increase productivity, thanks to the comfort it guarantees. But to fill the void for a comfortable seat with a more adaptive and less space occupying option, a designer has envisioned an ergonomic stool that will adapt to the user’s body movement during long periods of sitting.

Designed to guarantee comfort and instantly increase concentration and physical fatigue, the Axis stool is, according to the designer, the first ergonomic stool created from sustainable materials. The stool is intended primarily for the demanding needs of a flexible office environment, for which, it is made lightweight and stackable – two essentials of a modern office where space comes for a premium.

Designer: Florian Blamberger and Alexander Knorr

In addition to its ergonomic design, sustainability is at the Axis’s core. The seat is made from injection molding bio thermo-polymer, which makes it a biodegradable and recyclable seating unit for the greener offices of the future. To create more impact with little mechanical intervention, the entire stool – the base and the seat – are held together using a single screw. The convenient manufacturing makes it possible that the specially engineered seat on the top can tilt in any direction so the users don’t feel the pressure while leaning from one desk to another. The base and the seat are placed inches apart from each other to allow 360-degree tilting without friction between the two components.

Axis is by virtue then, comfortable enough to let you work efficiently for long hours, albeit a backrest. The firm base of the stool keeps it sturdy on the ground, its lightweight structure permits it to be stacked up after use, while the eco-friendly construction ensures the stool can be completely recycled at the end of its life cycle.

The post Green offices need this 360-degree rotating ergonomic stool that is recyclable by design first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Malicious Bar Stool, A Stool Inspired By Middle Age ‘Iron Chair’ Torture

Posted on by

What do you get for the castle owner who already has everything? How about a bar stool inspired by the iron chair torture devices used in the middle ages? You might not want to be around when they open it, though, or they may demand a demonstration – or threaten to throw you in the dungeon if you disagree. Castle owners are always so demanding.

Created by Merve Kahraman, the $3,700 Malicious Bar Stool is topped with 41 CNC-cut rounded aluminum studs finished in gold, which actually withdraw into the leather seat cushion when pressure (read: your butt) is applied. According to Kahraman, this creates “a very pleasantly surprising sensation.” I’m…not sure I want to be the judge of that.

Obviously, you should buy two of the barstools and modify one, so the studs don’t retreat into the cushion. Then have a friend get comfortable sitting on the unmodified version and swap them out when they’re in the restroom. The look on their face when they sit on those spikes! I mean, I can’t think of any better way to spend $7,400.

[via DudeIWantThat]

Meet the newest DIY flatpack stool that takes only 4 steps to assemble without any tools or hardware!

Posted on by

Small stools can come in handy anywhere. From empty art studios to crowded offices, stools can make the simple difference between sitting on the floor and having a seat. They especially come in handy when they’re designed for easy assembly and storage. Developed by Alondra Elizalde, That Stool is a flatpack DIY small stool designed with easy assembly to provide a practical means of having a stool anywhere, at any time.

That Stool is comprised of only a few parts: a seat rest, five legs, a couple of star-shaped spindles, and some connecting nuts and bolts. All contained within a flatpack corrugated cardboard box, the parts of That Stool are easy to assemble with no additional hardware required. Following the imprinted instructions on the underside of That Stool’s top cover, users will first attach each leg to the corresponding screws on the star-shaped spindles. From there, connecting fasteners secure the legs and spindles in place, providing a sturdy bolster for the seat rest to mount.

Assembled in only four steps without any additional hardware, That Stool is a practical and easy solution where small stools might come be needed at a minute’s notice. Whether you volunteer at an art gallery or tutor youngsters through an after-school program, That Stool is a simple and versatile piece of furniture that can be used anywhere, at any time.

Designer: Alondra Elizalde

The post Meet the newest DIY flatpack stool that takes only 4 steps to assemble without any tools or hardware! first appeared on Yanko Design.

Oddly satisfying stool design uses just three interlocking strips of wood

Posted on by

The Tie Stool’s beauty lies in its sheer simplicity – of not just design but also materials. The stool comprises three bent plywood strips that conveniently lock into each other, creating a tripod form that you can easily sit on. The design could easily expand to accommodate more strips to create a 4-legged (or even 5-legged) stool, but the dynamic nature of having a tripod format really gives the Tie Stool its appeal. I don’t know about you, but I can’t unsee the Google Drive logo in the stool’s design!

Designer: Deniz Aktay

Fabricating the Tie Stool would require a few simple steps. The three plywood strips can, in fact, be split into 6 total parts (you can see the parting lines). The individual parts are formed using high pressure and temperatures that cause the plywood to bend and retain its shape, and cutting/finishing processes are performed on the parts to make them interlock into one another. The entire stool can potentially be flat-packed and shipped to customers, who would simply have to plug the pieces together to get a stool that’s as beautiful as it’s simple… and hey, it’s stackable too!

The post Oddly satisfying stool design uses just three interlocking strips of wood first appeared on Yanko Design.

This folding chair is inspired by origami and can be literally hung like clothes on a hanger!

Posted on by

Chair designs are the first category designers are told to explore because it is simple and yet the smallest of tweaks can make it innovative. Also, let’s accept it – you never get tired of looking at new chair designs! It could be a new material, a bold shape, maybe it has a dual purpose or something like KERF – a space-saving chair that you can literally hang up like clothing!

It can be called a stool or a chair, but KERF gives the otherwise rigid object warmth and flexibility. You can literally put it on a hanger and store it like clothing in a wardrobe which makes it stand out from its counterparts. When needed, simply open the fold and you can get a setup ready for your guests in a few seconds.

The intention was to enrich plywood, make it flexible and fold it like it was paper for origami art. KERF has been designed for small living spaces and for practicality, it is perfect for those living in urban apartments or shared spaces. It reminds me of Japandi style furniture or Scandinavian home decor with its warm and minimal aesthetics.

The unique chair gets its name from the technique of kerfing – it is the method of bending plywood by patterned cutting. It is only good for doing it once to achieve the desired curvature, but not suitable for repetitive, long-term bending because that would cause the veneer layer to crack. The kerfing technique can be optimized for the CNC milling process to save production time and cost.

The mood board for the project shows bending plywood with kerfing, flat-pack laser cut furniture, folding chairs, and interlocking leather belts – all of these come together in the final design as details. The chair us.es kerfing, the hinges are made from leather, it can be compactly packed and it has an origami-like silhoutte.

To make sure it was durable yet flexible, Hamza decided to use thick leather instead of hinges. This detail lets KERF withstand repetitive bending cycles while the alternative hinge (leather) can outlast the traditional hinge making it a piece of furniture that stays with you in the long run (its moving-friendly too!). KERF is definitely a wonderful example of how chairs can be simple while still adding on to the existing form and function!

Designer: Hamza Bavčić

Furniture meets vacuum cleaner with this bagless design that hides in a cork sidetable

Posted on by

Make way for this cork-body vacuum cleaner – a fascinating concept that conceives a vacuum cleaner in a sustainable form factor that can double as furniture after use.

The market is flooded with corded, cordless, bagged, and bagless vacuum cleaners.  These are now stylish for modern interiors, absolutely noiseless, and of course, don’t leave behind trash to clean. But unfortunately, after using all of them need to be stacked in the corner for they wouldn’t play out for any other purpose. This conceptual appliance emphasizes the proposition of reuse. When not being used for its intended purpose of cleaning, the entire contraption can retire into a cylindrical body which then functions as furniture.

This intriguing concept for a vacuum cleaner is not only multipurpose in design, it is also sustainable in construction. The storage section of the vac is made from cork, which is biodegradable and has a warm ambiance to it. The vacuum pipes and other parts are designed in a manner to be stored within the cork shell that then neatly covers using a lid. The possibility of concealing the entire appliance from sight saves valuable space at home and leaves the vacuum to still be used in the open with a different purpose.

Measuring about 45cm in height, it can be used at home as an additional piece of furniture, for instance as a side table or even as a stool. The parts on the inside of the contraption, except for the motor of the vacuum cleaner, are all made out of biodegradable plastic. The mouth of this cork storage container is closed using interchangeable lids made from darkened ash, which allows it also to be used as a chair in one configuration. For the functionality of the vacuum, it is a cylindrical bagless model which can be used for extensive cleaning and then packed back for a different purpose.

Designers: Ivo Erichsen and Tobbias Bihlmeyer

This playful bar stool uses rock climbing hand grips as foot rests to meet your feet wherever they fall!

Posted on by

12 Steps is a cushioned chair design that features a system of footrests in the style of hand and foot grips on a climbing rock wall.

It’s no secret that stools are usually more functional than they are comfortable. With a hard seat rest, stools aren’t built for long sitting periods, and depending on your height, your feet are either swinging midair or only just touching the floor below.

Built as a whimsical alternative to the traditional stool, 12 Steps is a new cushioned stool from HaYoung Yoo that comes with built-in footrests designed like rock wall climbing steps so that people of varying heights will have a place where they can prop their feet.

HaYoung Yoo’s 12 Steps stool is built on a six-sided wooden pillar that’s punctuated with climbing holds more commonly found on rock walls. The climbing holds that fill up the stool’s wooden pillar are placed so that users can use them as footrests.

The stools also feature a rotating seat designed similarly to traditional bar stools so that the positioning of the footrests can meet users where their legs fall. The footrests can also function as hand grips for when you might want to move 12 Steps around the room. Ideal for a kid’s classroom or whimsical art studio, 12 Steps was built for comfort, functionality, and playfulness.

Designing innovative chair designs is a tough ask–they’ve been around for as long as any of us can remember. Innovation in new chairs might come through with their multifunctionality, adaptability, or simple comfort. 12 Steps reaches for all three, with an adaptable footrest system, rotating seat rest, and cushioned top.

Designer: HaYoung Yoo