The Chair Story -

Written for Home and Soul, Dubai UAE.

Chairs come in all different shapes, sizes, colours and finishes. Some chairs are designed for functionality, while others are for pure aesthetics. Chairs have existed since the beginning of time; when I say chair, I mean a perch or a place to take the weight of those tired prehistoric feet. Historically, chairs were symbols of hierarchy; their importance was much more than the average chair we sit in, eat, work and relax on.

Recently, I threw a New Year party, and as with all parties, a little stress is involved in the preparation, so my first concern was where we sit everybody in our very modest (by modest, I mean tiny, compact home!) so, I did a head count on chairs - indoors and outdoors and to my surprise we had 37 places that our guests could sit. Now, I am not saying that these chairs were all dining chairs; some, in fact, are rather uncomfortable to sit on, and most certainly none of them are symbols of hierarchy, but they all have a personality of their own. The pretty ones are my favourites, but nobody really sits on them! Have you got chairs in your home that are not all that functional but simply beautiful?

No other piece of furniture in your home can offer the same possibilities of making and facilitating connections as well as a chair does. Past and present designers, manufacturers and craftsmen take great pride in producing a chair. A chair can be an expression of taste, a necessary component, or an elegant addition to your home. A chair can tell a story of its values, origin and cultural significance.

Chairs are massive players in the history of design regarding innovation and application of materials and technology, meaning the chair has evolved throughout the ages; in saying this, the best chair designs come back into the design arena once again to steal the limelight. Think of the café style chair by Thonet in the mid-1800s, beautifully bent solid and wood, constructed with a woven cane seat; I’m sure I have seen a reproduction of these around lately, have you? Riemerchind chairs of the early 1900s are also significant design classics; he loved to use woven rattan and mesh seating. And how could I not mention Breuer with his many interpretations of the traditional chair? Breuer also loved mixing material and used a cane in his creations. Let us fast-forward to the 40s, when the mix of cane, rattan, and wood appeared in the standard household chair. This marriage of materials can be seen in every chair design at Home and Soul, with authentic and natural characteristics.

So, the moral of the chair story is that simple natural materials creating an impact that tells the story of how the chair was made are the ultimate qualities of good design.

What is good design when we look at the average chair? Good design is honest; good design is long-lasting; good design is thorough; good design is unobtrusive; and good design is aesthetic. Good design is generally at its best when it is handcrafted, naturally inspired and with minimal materials. The best chairs are the chairs that are both visual and functional winners. Chairs that are made rather than manufactured carry with them individual purity and their own story.

Telling their own story of origin, travel and design, the chairs at Home and Soul offer more than just a seat. If you want them to be part of your story, drop by to find chairs that suit your taste and that can tell a story in your home, whether it be a functional chair or a pretty chair you will be happy to know the chair story at Home and Soul is all about good design.