Chosen concepts

-Elaborate backrest is made visually lighter.
-Timber legs are kept simple to emphasis the backrest
-Exploring to have the seat facetted

-Focus on lines
-Legs and frame to be made with rods and tubes
-Exploring to have backrest and seat in a clear plastic (perspex)

-armrest incorporated into chair

More concept developments

Ideation

Some concept development sketches. Here I was trying to create the illusion of an elaborate backrest while still keeping it visually light. I also played with the possibility of combining the backrest and front legs into one fluid piece. While exploring different forms, I found drawing a simple profile of the side gave me much inspiration for three-dimensional forms.

Examining the backrest

I first thought the upholstery was glued onto the backrest. The fabric was stretched tautly without any creases and it was very neat. However after ripping the staples away, the fabric fell apart and revealed the plywood underneath. It was not glued on like what I expected. My first thoughts were, the craftsman did a very neat job but went crazy with the staple gun, because it took ages to remove just a section of it. The clean plywood also meant that reusing this part would be possible. This plywood backrest was connected to the seat with several nails at the bottom. Now if only that would be as easy to rip out as the staples.

I want the new chair to...

- Remain a dresser chair

- Retain some of its opulence, but without the kitsch

- Be quite delicate and with feminine qualities

- Easily incorporate with any dresser- super modern or very traditional

- More 'beautiful' than utilitarian

- Have a good proportion/balance of big backrest to short legs

CAD drawings

Hand-drawn exploded view