Tag Archives: Seating

This movable seater can also be your small library on wheels

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You probably won’t be taking this small mobile bookshelf outdoors, but you’ll at least be able to enjoy your favorite novel anywhere indoors.

Most of us have our favorite corners at home, our small areas of solitude and calm where we can curl up with a book and maybe even a hot mug of cocoa for comfort. It can be the couch, or it can even be your bed, any place that offers a smidgen of isolation that you could let you enjoy reading or thinking in peace. Not all places have such a nook or cranny, though, especially in more public indoor places like libraries. In those spaces, you might want to escape to a far-off corner of the room with your selected books to read, and this rolling cart for books lets you do exactly that and even offers something to sit on while you get engrossed in that new favorite book of yours.

Designer: Farhan Syahmi

Libraries are designed for reading books, of course, but most of them seem to make that a cold and alien experience that often scares off even bookworms. Long tables force many to uncomfortably share spaces with strangers, while chairs provide little comfort even to your back, let alone your posterior. There are exceptions to these, of course, with reading spaces designed to make reading feel enjoyable and comfortable, but most public spaces, including company libraries, turn the activity into something clinical and mechanical, more for dry studying than getting lost in the pages of a book.

Imagine, then, a library floor plan with more open spaces than unwelcoming rows of long tables, areas where you can pull up your own seat and read in isolation and privacy. You’d have to provide many personal desks and chairs, of course, which will inevitably lead to a lot of distracting pulling and pushing of furniture across the floor. That’s where Gambus comes in, presenting a sort of makeshift movable library within a library, one that you can silently roll around to your chosen spot and let you immediately sit down and read without missing a beat.

The movable library seater takes inspiration from a real gambus or qanbus, a wooden lute-like musical instrument with a large pear-shaped body and a narrow neck. The body of this Gambus seater is likewise made of wood, with a large cavern inside to fit a good number of books. The top surface serves as your seat so that you can sit down and read right where your books are. Alternatively, it can also function as a stepping stool to reach books on high shelves, though the wheels probably make that a bit risky.

The thin neck of the seater curves upward and ends with a tabletop where you can put the book you’re reading or even some of your stuff. You pull or push the Gambus using the tray, and the stem can actually function as a makeshift backrest as well if you’re so inclined. The Gambus is primarily designed so that you can pick a few books from library shelves and the plop down and read where you are (presuming you’re not blocking anyone’s path), but it’s not hard to imagine how the concept could be extended to create more personal reading experiences anywhere that has plenty of books and space to set up your own tiny fortress of solitude, even for just a few hours.

The post This movable seater can also be your small library on wheels first appeared on Yanko Design.

Vyper Workshop Chairs: The Ferrari of Shop Chairs

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Designed for use in workshops and garages by people who are all too familiar with their hands being covered in grease and/or fresh wounds, Vyper Shop Chairs are a high-end line of chairs designed with both comfort and functionality in mind. I can already see myself racing around the office on one, only to get an email requesting a meeting from HR a short time after.

The chairs are available in tall and short models, and with or without backs. I’m a tall, with back kinda guy, but to each their own. Optional upgrades include a tool tray or a sidekick with two cup holders (or one cup holder and one small dog food bowl) and a tool holder for your cordless drill or whatever you might be working with. Me? I only need a hammer.

The chairs start at around $550, so they aren’t the cheapest shop chairs on the market, but they sure beat sitting on a couple of stacked cinder blocks as I do now. My back hates me. Honestly, from all the stiffness and popping I hear when I get up in the morning, I’d say most of my body hates me.

[via The Awesomer]

This modular bench concept gives bikers a place to park and sit

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There is no shortage of ideas on how to give everyone a seat, especially outdoors. Of course, space for benches and chairs will always be a problem, whether it’s at a park or some vacant area in the middle of towering buildings. That’s not even considering yet those “in-between” places where people come and go a lot, only stopping by for a brief breather. Such resting places for cyclists, for example, are far and few in between, and they aren’t exactly designed for this segment of the world’s active population. That’s the very specific need that this bench concept is trying to address, giving cyclists a place to rest while still offering the option to accommodate a bunch of people at the same time.

Designer: Alonso Bastos Durán

Of course, there are public and outdoor spaces that cater to those who regularly take their bikes out, either for work, leisure, or exercise. In most cases, however, there is a single parking space for these bikes that are often a good distance away from where they might want to sit down and chill. Sure, that does force them to work their legs a bit more, but it might introduce inconveniences as well as concerns over the security of their metal steeds.

The Pinajarro Bench is designed to address those concerns by allowing bikers to park where they sit or vice versa. In a nutshell, the slots between the metal bars of this triangular structure might be very familiar to cyclists as a place to rest their wheels and chain their bikes down. At the same time, however, the bench can accommodate wooden or metal seats that hang over the top of that triangle, allowing the same bench to be both a parking slot and chair for cyclists at the same time, letting them catch their breath while keeping an eye on their bike.

The concept, however, goes beyond a single configuration. For example, the entire bench can be occupied by seats only, preventing anyone from parking their bikes. Conversely, it can have no seats at all and functions purely as a parking space. The orientation of the seats can very, letting people sit beside each other or back to back. Even the seats themselves can have variations in design. In one scenario, the back of the seat can have a flat flap that serves as a tray for drinks or other items for people sitting on that side.

The Pinajarro Bench can be made from a wide variety of materials, but the concept has a particular bias for sustainable options. The base itself will always be made from hard steel to give the structure balance and strength, but the seats can be made from wood or metal. The latter might be a better choice for benches that will be exposed to the elements 24/7. Regardless of the materials, the concept offers a sustainable and rather ingenious way to give bikers their own special space while still keeping the doors open for other seating configurations. It might even inspire other people to embrace a healthier lifestyle, knowing that there is a safe and comfortable place for them to rest when they need to.

The post This modular bench concept gives bikers a place to park and sit first appeared on Yanko Design.

Ergonomic Portable Seat promotes correct sitting posture all the time

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Having an ergonomic seat is important not only for children but also for adults. Getting a comfortable chair for study or work is essential, but it may not be enough. You need something that you can use anytime, anywhere if you want to maintain correct posture all the time.

No, you can’t bring your chair everywhere. What you can have instead is something like this Ergonomic Portable Seat. The new product design is mainly for those working at home since this kind of remote work setup is becoming the usual environment for many people.

Designers: Farhan Syahmi and Shah Alam

Ergonomic Portable Seat 1

Ergonomic Portable Seat Concept

Ergonomic Portable Seat is actually a project of two student designers for their product design course. Farhan Syahmi and Shah Alam made the special seater intending to offer comfort while sitting during long hours at work. You can move it with you to sit on your work chair, the sofa, and even on the floor.

Sometimes, you just need to have a different view when working at home. It’s okay to move around but make sure your comfort is not compromised. You can move to the dining table or maybe out to the patio. Perhaps you can choose to work by the pool or the beach. Wherever you decide to work for the day, just bring this Ergonomic Portable Seat with you.

Ergonomic Portable Seat 3

The Ergonomic Portable Seat is mainly a backrest with lumbar padding. This promotes ergonomic seating posture to help improve work abilities while at home. It’s user-friendly, multi-functional, and portable The product also comes with a storage tray compartment at the rear of the backrest. It comes with an adjustable hinge that provides the flexibility of user comfort. There is also a flexible strap to contain the sea in one unit form.

Ergonomic Portable Seat 3

Ergonomic Portable Seat 2

The seat cushion is made of polyester material. The outside form is yellowish pearl, giving a more elegant yet modern appearance. The main case of the seating is made of Polyurethane plastic to offer a support structure that also ensures strength to the body shell of the seats.

The Ergonomic Portable Seat features a clamshell design. This makes the product easy to carry and use anywhere. The intention is to promote proper posture, which many people forget, especially in remote settings.

Ergonomic Portable Seat 5

Good posture is a must as this helps improve one’s well-being and health. It’s an admirable goal, but some people need help and be reminded. Hopefully, the Ergonomic Portable Seat will be a valuable reminder.

The form of the seat encourages you to sit properly. We’ve seen something similar but what makes this better is its portability. You can fold it and carry it anywhere without being too bulky. If you can bring your laptop with you, you can also bring this portable seat.

Ergonomic Portable Seat Sketches 2

Ergonomic Portable Seat Sketches 2

Ergonomic Portable Seat 3

Ergonomic Portable Seat Details

Ergonomic Portable Seat Project

Ergonomic Portable Seat Design

The post Ergonomic Portable Seat promotes correct sitting posture all the time first appeared on Yanko Design.

This modular pouf and sofa hybrid concept looks a teeny bit uncomfortable

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Modular furniture has become quite the fad these days, especially as people begin to understand how little floor space they actually have. Furniture that performs more than one function is also en vogue because having two pieces of furniture in the space of one helps a lot in saving space and money. Not everything can be combined perfectly, of course, and some take a bit of creative thinking to get around contrasting or incompatible elements. There are times when you do end up with a solution that is visually interesting to the point of being beautiful but may, unfortunately, be impractical for the purpose it was designed for in the first place.

Designer: Rostyslav Sorokovyi

Adding poufs, sometimes called poofs, to a room is a common way to add a bit of visual flair while also adding functionality. Often confused with an ottoman, a pouf is a solid cushion that is mostly (or only) used as a seat while also adding some accents to the room. Since it doesn’t take up more space than a chair, it’s an easy way to spice up the space or bring a bit of color and contrast to an otherwise normal, boring interior.

A pouf, however, often only accommodates one person, which means you might want to have more of them if you want to seat more. You could get a sofa, but that ties you into a fixed size that will forever take up a portion of the area, at least until you throw it out. Combining pouf and sofa, the “Puffa” tries to let you have the best of both worlds while leaving plenty of room to change your mind repeatedly later on.

That’s partly because the Puffa is designed to be modular so that you can combine or remove segments as the need arises. You can have a single pouf-like arrangement with three standard size capsule-like cushions, or you can have a long sofa that combines a number of cushions with one extra tall piece for the backrest. You can even have two chairs if you don’t need a full sofa taking up a single stretch of floor space.

Puffa is envisioned to come in different colors, and you can mix and match them to your heart’s desires or aesthetic tastes. This meets the original function of a pouf to give some life to a room by offering something visually interesting for the eyes to settle on. Unfortunately, while the Puffa looks good indeed, it might not be the most comfortable thing to sit on.

The capsule-like design of the cushions creates arched shapes on top, which look a bit too bumpy for your bumper. It might even be less comfortable to lie on, which is what some people do on their sofas. The material could be soft enough to be comfortable, but the uneven surface could still be bad news for your body. There could be other ways to design such a modular “pouf + sofa” hybrid, like using blocks instead of capsules, but that does lose the visual appeal of a rather odd and eye-catching form in the room.

The post This modular pouf and sofa hybrid concept looks a teeny bit uncomfortable first appeared on Yanko Design.

Meditation Desk Chair Lets You Sit Cross-Legged at Your Computer

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The Pipersong Meditation Desk Chair is a desk chair designed for sitting cross-legged at your computer, so you can get your work done and align your chakras simultaneously. MULTI-TASKING. Not only is the chair suitable for cross-legged sitting, but also a variety of other unorthodox seated/kneeling/squatting positions so you can “activate your sit” or switch between numerous positions without the need for more chairs. Me? I’m lying in bed right now.

The chair is available on Amazon (affiliate link) in four colors and features 4″ of vertical adjustment in the seat, as well as a footstool with 360-degrees of swivel motion, so it can be placed to the side or behind you in the event you want to sit traditional style. Alternatively, greet coworkers crouched on your desk like a tiger about to attack. HR loves it when I do that.

Hey, whatever increases blood flow and prevents my legs from going numb, I’m all for. I hate walking on numb legs. Honestly, I hate walking in general. I mean, where the hell are the hoverboards Back to the Future II promised we’d have by 2015? You lied to me, Robert Zemeckis!

[via DudeIWantThat]

Monom Seater Concept Design rotates and adapts to human height

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Monom Seater Sample

Seating in public places is usually basic and boring. Not that form is a more critical function, but anyone can use the environment to express creativity and stir the imagination.

Design in public spaces is crucial because it can evoke many different feelings. It plays an essential role as these spaces are for the consumption of people who use them for various purposes. When it comes to public seats, the Monom Seater is potentially a winner.

Designer: Jurgis Judžentis

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The concept furniture piece is ideal for private establishments and public places that may need a waiting area or temporary sitting. It appears like an art piece or an interactive sculpture because of the rotating part. The Monom features a monumental concrete section that makes the seat stable on the ground. In addition, the wooden seat actually rotates to adjust to the height of a person.

Although we believe there are still limits to who can sit, the wooden seat accommodates different heights. There is no weight restriction but since this is only a temporary seating solution, it may still work. The wooden part appears to have a smooth finish and it’s a half-sphere that can rotate up to 10-degrees only. Kids will probably want to play with the moving part when not in use.

Monom Seater

Monom Seater Design

Designer Jurgis Judžentis knows industrial design and specializes in furniture and interior objects. The Monom is meant for public sharing, to be sat on, and to be admired. Looking at Jurgis Judžentis’ portfolio, his designs are mainly industrial as he regularly uses wood, concrete, and neutral colors. His style appears to be industrial minimalist, which is trendy these days.

The concept design by the young designer from Lithuania has the potential to become popular. The monumental concrete base is assumed to be really sturdy. We’re just not sure about the rotating seat, but we’re assuming it will be enough to carry average human weight.

Monom Seater Concept

Monom Seater Concept Design

We imagine seeing this Monom Seater in public spaces and even private establishments. Perhaps we can see a few units together with the BAMO Chair. They will probably look good together and may complete the look of a given public space. The design of the seat is simple yet one that will capture attention. When it comes to public seating, there are plenty of other design choices like the Surf Bench, the Blok system, the Flair, and that public seating design from Shoeb Khan.

Monom Seater Concept Design Description

Monom Seater Concept Public Chair

The post Monom Seater Concept Design rotates and adapts to human height first appeared on Yanko Design.

bold is a foldable legless chair concept that will have you rocking on the floor

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Everyone needs a place to sit down once in a while, but not every place has a dedicated seat or chair. Some might have simple raised structures that force you to precariously perch your behind on a surface, while others just have a flat floor to work with. You can always bring your own stool or sit anywhere on the floor, but that often poses problems for your back. This design concept tries to make a bold statement on portability and lumbar support but leaves the door open for questions about its ergonomics and comfort.

Designer: Wonjun Jo

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Legless chairs are becoming more popular these days, especially with the rising prices of living spaces and furniture. It allows you to have a seat without having to commit to a more or less fixed setup, especially when there’s a desk involved. For some people who actually prefer sitting near floor level, it’s actually more comfortable, depending on the design of the chair.

As with regular chairs, the design of legless chairs comes in all shapes and sizes. Most of them, however, try to offer an almost literal slice of a couch or sofa in terms of cushioning and upholstery. bold, however, goes in a completely different direction with a bigger focus on being space-efficient when not in use and providing support for your lower back.

bold doesn’t actually fold and more like separates into two parts. These parts can then be rejoined in a flat form that makes it look like it folded down instead. The entire weight of the chair is 0.785kg, and it’s only 5mm at its thickest part, making it extremely portable. You can, in theory, take it anywhere with you and set it up on any ledge, allowing you to sit without worrying about straining your back.

The backrest flexes a bit, though, but that design is intentional in order to provide proper support in the lumbar regions. The designer says it can still withstand 200kgf of force, so safety wouldn’t be an issue, at least in theory. The biggest question, however, is where it would be comfortable to sit on or even stable.

The curved shape of the seat itself means that it will be rocking back and forth on a flat surface. The hard material of the entire chair, which is presumably plastic, doesn’t exactly exude an air of comfort. The designer might have perhaps spent too much time trying to defend the idea of a sturdy, foldable chair while potentially forgetting how a legless chair also needs to be comfortable, or perhaps even more comfortable than a typical seat with legs.

The post bold is a foldable legless chair concept that will have you rocking on the floor first appeared on Yanko Design.

Virén Chair can pick itself up after a fall to make a sustainability point

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Plastic is almost impossible to get rid of at this point in human history. Despite their known negative effects on the environment, they are still one of the most widely-used materials because of their often superior properties. As part of efforts to at least reduce the amount of new plastics produced and wasted, some have put their focus on recycling plastic instead. Finnish energy company Fortum is showcasing one such material in a chair that has been designed to send a message of resilience and named after an athlete that embodies what it means to make a comeback.

Designer: Fortum

In the 1972 Summer Olympics at Munich, Finnish long-distance runner Lasse Virén fell in the middle of the 10,000-meter finals. Not only did Virén get up to finish the race, he actually won the gold for that event and set new records, some of which he still holds today. Fortum chose to name its revolutionary chair after the famed athlete as the Virén Chair represents standing up again, without external help.

Some chairs have the tendency to topple over, but none are able to get up on their own, not unless there is some clever robotics involved. Fortum, however, decided to use the very laws of physics that caused the chair to fall down to also raise it up on its own. The chair simply uses the momentum of the fall to roll on its back, where a specially-designed structure causes it to roll upright again.

This “self-rising” action isn’t the only metaphor that can be associated with Virén. Even the very design of the chair is a nod to dynamism and motion. The legs of the chair, for example, almost look like a runner’s in the middle of a sprint.

Fortum is also using the Virén Chair to stand up for a sustainability push, one that uses its plastic recyclate to produce more complicated forms and products. Recycle plastics are not new, of course, but their use has often been limited to simpler applications. Fortum’s Circo, which mixes post-consumer plastic waste with other materials, like cellulose fiber, was created to push the envelope of where recycled plastics can be used.

In truth, the Virén Chair is a showcase of the Fortum Circo can do, particularly in how it can be used to design products with more challenging shapes. Unfortunately, that also means it isn’t yet a product you can buy but more of a prototype for Fortum’s clients to examine. Hopefully, that won’t be the case forever, and we’ll soon see the Virén Chair rise up to the challenge of selling recycled plastic chairs in the mass market.

The post Virén Chair can pick itself up after a fall to make a sustainability point first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sensory Deprivation Skull Chair: My Evil Lair Demands It

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You know, I was just thinking the other day; I would probably do much better thinking in a skull-shaped sensory deprivation chair. Of course, I didn’t do that thinking in a skull-shaped sensory deprivation chair (I was laying in the shower), so maybe it wasn’t my best thinking. Regardless, Dutch design studio Atelier Van Lieshout has created such a chair, consisting of a fiberglass skull with two front-closing doors and a fur-lined interior, perfect for pondering life and death.

The chair was made as a limited edition of ten manufactured back in 2007, so if you want to get your hands on one (and body inside), you’ll have to do some searching. I took a quick look around eBay with no luck, but I did just spend way more than I should have on comic books. I see now why my wife tried putting a parental block on the site, which I had to bypass using my phone’s cellular mode.

It kind of reminds me of Darth Vader’s meditation chamber. I imagine Vader did some really good thinking in there. Granted, he was not good enough to prevent the destruction of the first Death Star by a blatant design flaw, but he was Emperor Palpatine’s enforcer, not his chief engineer.

[via OddityMall]