Chair of Soul

“Chair of Soul” is my entry point of use as a starting point for design thinking. Since I have long been practicing meditation for destressing and calming my body and mind, I am hoping the design of the chair could reflect a completely relaxed condition for the body. Overall design is thereby focused on its function, where the user would sit upright on the chair and his/her upper-body weight be perfectly supported through the height of the chair, the backrest at the waist, and the armrests. The curvature of the slightly bulging backrest embraces the body; this waist-supporting chair design offers supports for the human body, so that tensions around user’s shoulders, neck, waist, and limbs would all be relieved – user would be welcomed with a comforting sensation similar to a hug.



When producing a hereditary chair, what is more important than ensuring its functions is finding ways to incorporate visual aesthetics. I am using Chinese traditional Ming Dynasty style furniture as my blueprint, borrowing its elegant and simple exterior design and principles on proportion. And through enhancement of overall structural system, a unique arc structure is used as the support that connects the legs and the seat of the chair. The design is further complemented by the mortice and tenon joint as the reinforcing linkage between parts, bringing betterment to the complex composition found in old-fashioned traditional furniture. In addition to strengthening the chair’s mechanics system, a simplistic and spiritual appearance is thereby created for the chair.



A chair that is aimed to improve the user’s health would need to value the choice of material as equally important as the design that would fit precisely to human body proportions. I have especially chosen the ebony produced in Sulawesi, Indonesia as the chair’s main structure element; its fine material and deep-black colored lines flawlessly interpret the sophistication that the chair should exhibit. Pairing the material with the metallic copper tube of the legs and the purple cow Nappa leather seat, harmony, elegance, stability, and sustainability are incorporated altogether.