They say necessity is the mother of invention. I wonder what kind of necessity prompted Matthew Weatherly to come up with the Oom Stool? Was it because he entered some hotel bar somewhere that didn’t have a coat room or anything else where he could hang up his coat or jacket? Maybe he had an “Aha!” moment and thought, “I’ll make some commercial reception furniture that will help solve this problem.”
“Lights, camera, action!” Famous words that are heard in every movie set all over the world. The languages might be different but the thought behind them are the same. Once the director commands filming to start, everyone on the set follows his or her directions. And then the director sits back in the iconic director’s chair to supervise the action as it unfolds.
If I owned a bar or a hotel, I think it would be nice to have some of those chairs around, make guests feel like they’re in control of the action. But since I can’t get my hands on the ones used by superstar directors like Steven Spielberg or Martin Scorsese, I guess I’d have to satisfy this design wish with something like the Johnsonian Director’s Bar Stool by Eric Brand.
Christmas is a time for bright, flashy colors. But it doesn’t have to be only during Christmas when you can decorate your hotel or bar with furniture that has vivid, appealing colors. If you are looking for fun, brightly-colored barstools with which you can make a sweet, visual impact, then consider the Gumdrop barstools from Israeli designer Shlomi Haziza.
Parts of the human body are inspirational fodder for furniture designers. I’ve seen tables whose legs resemble a human female’s, sofas that look like oversized lips, to name a few. But I think this is the first time I’ve ever come across a dentally inspired chair. No, the chair doesn’t resemble dentures. It’s much simpler than that. Behold the Tooth Stool by Philippe Starck.
I must admit that this chair’s novelty is a delight to behold. It’s not just a stool. It can be used as a side table as well. Manufactured by XO, it is constructed in rotation molding polypropylene and comes in gold, silver, or copper lacquered metallic versions. A silver grey batch dyed version is also available.
If there’s one city in the world that is as multicultural as it can get, it would probably be New York City. It truly is a melting pot, and many establishments – old and new – reflect this. Take, for instance, the Hudson Hotel. Opened in 2000, it’s been described as owner Ian Schrager’s haven for strangers who don’t mind mingling with other strangers in that busy metropolis.
Much of the interior design was done by Philippe Starck, one of the titans in the furniture design industry. Though not all the furniture and furnishings in the hotel are Starck’s creations (bar tables, beds, sofas by other designers are installed there), it does include at least some of his pieces, one of which is the Hudson bar stool. In fact, Starck designed this particular seating item specifically for the hotel.
What do you see whenever you open your refrigerator? Sure, there’s the usual stash of food, fresh or leftovers, as well as water, drinks, condiments, and perhaps some things that are unidentifiable at first glance since they’ve been sitting in the fridge so long. But what else would you see if you really tried hard to look beyond the clutter? Well, Danish designer Hee Welling saw a stool.
The Japanese are a very spiritual people who appreciate the beauty of nature and seek to incorporate this kind of beauty in their everyday lives. Architects and furniture designers, I think, grasp this concept perfectly and this is why we can see nature-inspired themes in their creations. Take, for instance, the Ripples stool by Toyo Ito.