Gentle curves, contrasting materials and manually bent wood. At IMM Cologne 2018 TON will introduce the new Chips lounge chair from the Czech designer Lucie Koldová. The eye-catching centrepiece with plush upholstery was designed as part of the Das Haus project.
“I like to work with translucent materials, so in this design I chose a visually light yet intentionally oversized backrest, which is made from perforated fabric framed by manually bent wood,” describes Lucie Koldová the key features of Chips. Her signature style, best known for her work with light fixtures, enables the chair and the space that surrounds it to permeate each other harmoniously.
I wanted a chair that would be defined by its gentle curves, a chair that would be comfortable and inviting at first glance. A solitary piece with a distinctive character and story. And in contrast to a conventional chair, I wanted a chair that would feel sexy.Lucie Koldová
Chips hits the mark. The commanding, airy backrest, which also forms part of the chair base, resembles the typical shape of a potato chip. The backrest stands in strong contrast to the massive seat, which is supported by moulded plywood. In addition, seating comfort is enhanced with a removable back pillow.
At first I thought that the most challenging part of the design would be forming the backrest. Surprisingly, we had to pay more attention to the strength of the chair base, to ensure that the backrest would withstand the forces applied to it.Lucie Koldová
Next to its sensual shape, Chips is interesting for its manual wood-bending production process. “I recommend a look at the video showing how individual bentwood pieces are made. It’s fascinating – fast and yet complex. I see it as a creative dance,” says Koldová. It all begins with steaming the beechwood in special steam baths, where it stays for several hours. Once steamed, the wood is placed into metal moulds and secured by a special flange that applies pressure and allows it to be shaped into a new form. The wood is then dried, left to acclimatise for several weeks, sanded, stained and varnished. In Bystřice pod Hostýnem furniture has been made this way since 1861.
Chips will be on view from 15 to 21 January 2018 at the prestigious Das Haus project, a simulated house that presents a vision of future living. Each year Daus Haus is created anew under the direction of a different designer, who uses architecture, interior design and furniture design to create a unique vision of the future. This year’s featured designer is Lucie Koldová, who focused on light to create her vision. “I tried to imagine light on multiple levels and complement it with iconic objects that help complete the story,” adds the designer. Chips will feature in the creative ‘Inspiration’ zone, where it will define a relaxation area.
