Upholstery in 3D Comes to ICFF 2013
Laminate triangles put this award-winning chair ahead of the curve at a New York City furniture fair
With a design of the future on top and a nod to the past on the base, this eclectic chair mixes iconic and innovative design in an award-winning piece of furniture. Katie Lee, a product design student at the University of Oregon, designed this “6 Shades of Gray” chair for Wilsonart‘s ninth annual student chair design competition. The chair will be showcased at the 2013 International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York City.
ICFF 2013
Dates: Trade: May 18 to 20; open to all May 21
Hours: May 18 and 19, 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; May 20, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; May 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tickets: $60
More info
ICFF 2013
Dates: Trade: May 18 to 20; open to all May 21
Hours: May 18 and 19, 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; May 20, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; May 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tickets: $60
More info
Lee used industrial adhesive to stick high-pressure laminate triangles to cotton canvas. She liked the way the contrasting materials felt, and made a "pelt" to drape over the chair's backrest.
Six shades of gray laminate — shown here — combine in an ombré color treatment. Lee used a CNC (computer numerical control) machine to cut out the hundreds of triangles, which she hand sanded to get just the right shape.
Six shades of gray laminate — shown here — combine in an ombré color treatment. Lee used a CNC (computer numerical control) machine to cut out the hundreds of triangles, which she hand sanded to get just the right shape.
Lee tried other shapes but went with triangles for their subtle movement. When attached to the foam-covered chair back, the triangle-covered canvas creates interesting three-dimensional shapes — a nice contrast to laminate's normally static form. This shot shows Lee playing with paper triangles on fabric, before cutting out the final laminate shapes.
You can also see 3D ripples on the back of the completed chair. The angled chair arms emphasize the triangular pattern. A single red triangle on either side of the arms pays homage to the iconic Wilsonart sample chip. “It almost looks like the tips of the arms were dipped into a bucket of red paint,” she says.
The plywood seat contrasts with painted dowel legs. Steel rods on the legs emanate the iconic Eames’ DSW chair.
The plywood seat contrasts with painted dowel legs. Steel rods on the legs emanate the iconic Eames’ DSW chair.
Each year Wilsonart works with a different design school to reinvent the chair using Wilsonart laminate materials. This year the company challenged University of Oregon product design students to reinterpret the classic café chair. "My favorite part about going to cafés is that they're also a gallery," says Lee. "The way I designed my chair, the laminate is like art."