Chair
Design for living
During the third year of textile design we have two optional modules. The first one is the expansive module, this is a module that can be in your own area of studies or outside within DJCAD. The aim for the module is to expand your knowledge. I choose to do the module Design for living: domestic object. In this module we spend the whole semester in one of the workshops and learn how to work with those materials through the apprentice pieces. During the last 5 weeks we worked on a project of our own. I really wanted to create a piece in wood where I combined it with my knitted textiles.
The chair has the inspiration from the Wobbleboard, a balance board. I worked a long time on the design, because I started with the idea to make the top of the chair able to turn around or give the option to use it without the legs, this was however discurraged to do this for safety. I got the idea of putting the legs directly into the chair, but because I was going to laminate the seat this would not be possible. I also had the idea to use a normal chair and on top of that put the seat but this would make the chair a lot more bulky. I choose to make a frame in which the seat would fall, to make it less heavy and give the chair some stability.
My aim for this module was to use textile with wood, I just did not know how. The first 5 weeks we spend making chairs, so that seemed a logical choice for my object. I decided to upholster the seat of my chair, but the question was how do I do it? I did not want to use plastic in my work. The first idea was to create a cushion cover and fill that with foam, but I did not want to use any plastics. I wanted to look if I could create a thick fabric and attach that to the chair, but the bottom of the chair is also visible due to the curve of the chair and thus harder to get a neat edge. I wanted to work with textures and started experimenting with the industrial knitting machines so that I knew what I had to work with. I decided to speak with one of my lecturers within textile design and she told me to look into working in circularon the industrial knitting machine and to fill the fabric. This showed to be the perfect technique for my chair, but the fabric was a bit boring, so I experimented with the high and low butts and got to the final design.
I am really happy with the final outcome of the chair. The chair has a multiplex seat, the legs and frame are from beach wood and the frame and legs are waxed to give a soft feeling to the chair.