Stackability

Dornob‘s done it again, this time with a unique take on economic, stackable chairs.

Design? Meet function!

The Triplette Chair by French designer Paul Menand is a sight for sore eyes for yours truly.  I used to work in a liquor store with a tasting room, and for every event we had to set up tables and chairs for our customers.

Cue entry into the cobwebbed storeroom, filled with stacks of bent old nested chairs.  They were a nightmare to separate and even worse to stack again.  Even though they were upholstered, they weren’t very comfortable, and at 5’4″ I can tell you that lifting one of the metal monsters above your head to try and stack it so that it won’t fall on you while you’re negotiating the stack back into the closet isn’t fun.

Menand solved my problem and thousands others like it, not to mention the woes of entertaining in small loft spaces, with his Triplette.  Who doesn’t want three chairs in one?  The best part of this design is that the “storage container” can be used as a single chair when you’re not in need of extra seating.

More for your money

swingchair!

There are a lot of neat chairs in the world, especially of the ergonomic variety. Some of the “bendiest” chairs aren’t available in the US, like the Lay Flat Chair, which allows you to stretch out for a nap at your desk — but is only for sale in Japan. That’s why I’m so pleased that we are now carrying SmartMotion Technology’s SwingChair at SeatingZone.

Available in two different styles (the second pictured comes with a headrest, a thicker cushion, and a chrome base), the SwingChair is thusly named because it moves with you — if you lean forward, the chair supports you in doing so; if you relax back, so does the chair. While the SwingChair isn’t sentient (as far as I know), it does make a pretty good show of being sentient by responding instantly and automatically to your position without the need for knob-fiddling. Once we get one of these babies here at the ranch, I’ll hit up the blog with a bona fide review of its coolness. I’m sure it’s gonna have oodles.

it’s coupon time!

Graduation gift? Father’s Day? Wedding? Memorial Day barbeque? Whatever your occasion, there’s probably a chair for it — and with our 5% spring coupon, now’s as good a time as any to splurge on that special seat. Enter BLGX05 at checkout to receive 5% off any order through June 30th! Overwhelmed by the choices? Then I’d suggest one of the many new HON chairs we’re featuring, including the ever-popular Ignition. Your grad-dad-bride-hot dog griller will be glad for somewhere to rest. Somewhere there’s a seat with their name on it!

ERA quick ship chairs!

It’s promotion time again…

Fans of large office chairs, rejoice! ERA debuts their Quick Ship Program this week for two of their great big seating options, the gorgeous Galaxy and the colossal Chairman. There’s now a 72 hour turnaround on these chairs with specific configurations. Normally you’d have to wait 21 days, so this is a phenomenal opportunity!

one good chair

The finalists for the Sustainable Furnishing Council’s One Good Chair Design Award were announced in late December, and from what I can tell, they should be picking a winner pretty soon! (This week is the affiliated Las Vegas Market, but I’m not sure if they’ll be choosing the winner there.) It’s not too late to vote for your favorite. I personally can’t decide, but so far I’m partial to the Broom Chair pictured above. Inspired by how brooms are assembled, the Broom Chair – like all of the finalists in the competition – fits well with the “Minimum/Maximum” thememe, which “embraces the idea that smart design can both preserve natural resources and amplify human delight.” That’s what we like to hear!

GSA sales at seating zone!

You asked, we listened – SeatingZone.com is now a proud GSA-approved contractor! We are an authorized reseller for a number of GSA-approved brands of office furniture, including the ever-popular HON Company.

For complete info on this program, be sure to check out all the info over on SeatingZone.com. If you’re ever surfing the front of our site and you need to find it easily, there’s a tab at the top and a link at the bottom (under Terms & Policies). Happy shopping!

seating inc. task stools

“What do you have for a really tall desk?” You might be surprised how often we receive that query here at SeatingZone. Folks who work at receptionist centers, counters, or in special workstations are all in need of the same thing: seating that goes above and beyond your average office chair, literally!

 

Here’s one task stool, the Seating Inc. Zircon II. Crazily customizable, with a zillion options and even more fabric choices, it’s rated up to 275 lbs. and protected under a lifetime warranty.

The Zircon II is one of many awesome Seating Inc. chairs we carry, most of them designed for intensive or specialty use or with a high weight rating. The whole line is worth checking out if this is the sort of chair that meets your needs, and chances are, Seating Inc. has a chair that will…whether or not you need it to reach that super-high counter.

songs from the big chair

(source)

 

Sometimes you need a really big chair. Whether it’s due to LCS (Large Chair Syndrome) as depicted in this cartoon, or because you really need something substantial and sturdy, SeatingZone’s got the line for you: ERA Products. Makers of fine big & tall chairs, ERA is famous for creating custom seating in luxury vans and the like. It’s this attention to quality and detail they bring to their office chairs, all of which feature a steel frame! But seriously, don’t just take my word for it: this video shows you the insides of an ERA chair as well as the outs, and it’s built like a machine!

To illustrate:

Sturdy on the inside….

 

…still purdy on the outside!

classic iron rocking chair

Iron Rocking Chair, circa 1850

I came across this iron rocking chair from 1850 via designboom, and something about it really called out to me. I like the smooth, curving lines, the rich velvet padding, and the way the lushness of the upholstery contrasts with the coldness of the iron. As it turns out, this style of rocking chair became very popular during the Victorian era after it was shown at two World Expos in Britain around that time. The designer was most likely Peter Cooper, an American who not only designed and built the first steam locomotive, but was a philanthropist and a presidential candidate. Busy guy!

Nice muttonchops to boot.

There’s also this great aluminum version from 1980, a modern take on a classic chair. I don’t think this one’s ended up at any World Expos, but that doesn’t stop me from digging it.

A little more lightweight.

happy hanukkah!

The Festival of Lights began last week, and to celebrate, here’s a whole parcel of menorahs based around the theme of chairs! I was surprised to find that the chair menorah is actually a traditional design, and you can see a few real examples from 19th century Russia among the eclectic crop I present to you here. Apparently, these were often made by children out of tin or pewter. The tradition continues with a few modern interpretations, like the kitschy beach chair menorah in this group.  I’d say that some things shouldn’t be messed with, but all these menorahs work for me. Much like with the actual chairs we feature here, creativity is the name of the game.