Tag Archives: Shin Chen

This minimal and multifunctional furniture design serves as a coffee table, high stool, and bench!

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Furniture pieces can make or break a home, but something about a furniture design that is multifunctional makes it 10x alluring to me! Shin Chen’s ‘& Chair’ is a prime example of a multifunctional piece of furniture that provides unparalleled functionality, while perfectly integrating with your home. Chen describes the & Chair as not simply a chair, but “a partner which lives together” with you. It’s a simple and minimal piece crafted from natural materials like ash wood and felt. Much like its name, the chair actually mimics the ‘&’ sign, which also represents its multifunctional nature.

Based on how it’s placed, and its position – the furniture piece can function as a coffee table, high stool, and a low stool or bench. Pretty ingenious, no? When placed upright and vertically, the & Chair functions as a high stool, that could make an interesting bar stool! When placed horizontally – it can function either as a coffee table or low stool, depending on which side it is placed upon. When used as a coffee table, the & Chair provides ample storage space to place your magazines, books, and other personal belongings.

The unique curved wooden detail in the chair is probably its most important feature, and also the most interesting one. The curved form supports the multifunctionality of the design, and also adds an also poetic form to it. At first glance, the & Chair may look like a simple wooden furniture design, which it is, but it’s also much more. It manages to packs a punch of functionality with its homely and minimal form, while also harmoniously merging with the rest of your living space.

Designer: Shin Chen

This multifunctional coffee table transforms into a sitting bench and more furniture to save you space!

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Saving space in tiny homes should be considered a sport. Finding the right furniture and storage organizers can take a while, but the wait is always worth it once the right pieces come along. One way to save space is by choosing multifunctional furniture like the & Chair from Taiwan-based designer Shin Chen, a piece of furniture that blends storage into a coffee table that doubles as a high stool and bench.

Inspired by the shape of the ampersand, & Chair flows into a natural shape, handmade from a collection of sustainable materials like felt and ash wood. & Chair can be positioned in different placements to change its use‒from upright to horizontal, the & Chair changes function as it changes position. When placed upright, the & Chair morphs into a standing coat rack with ample drawer storage, where smaller items like magazines and umbrellas can be stored. Then, users can bring the & Chair down, allowing it to work as a coffee table with storage space made available through a slot-and-rack system, where magazines and coffee table books can be kept. The & Chair can also always work as a bench when placed horizontally, making for an inviting entryway sitting bench where you can tie your shoes or a more discreet seating area for overflow in the living room.

Modeled after the ampersand, the & Chair’s name is symbolic for its multifunctionality, bringing out its chameleonic personality. Designed from warm, natural wood, the & Chair enhances each living space with a hint of abstract Scandinavian design marked by its wooden structure and unique shape that changes with each of its different uses.

Designer: Shin Chen

The & Chair functions as a coffee table, storage organizer, and sitting bench, making it an ideal piece of multifunctional furniture for small living spaces.

Using a slot-and-rack storage method, magazines and coffee table books can be stored in the & Chair when its placed horizontally on the floor.

When positioned upright, the & Chair can work as standing coat rack.

Moving from upright to horizontal, the position of the & Chair defines its use.

The & Chair is hand constructed from sustainable building material is felt and ash wood.