Boxy. That’s the first word that came to my mind when I saw the Bottoni Armchair over at Design Within Reach. But boxy isn’t necessarily a bad thing, oh no! On the contrary, its stolid appearance evokes images of durability and solid comfort. The colorful upholstery reminded me a bit about the Austin Powers movies, but not too much – it isn’t really that psychedelic. I think the fabric would look good on contemporary bistro chairs though.
The chair was conceptualized and created by Dutch designer Marcel Wanders in 2002. He wanted a simple type of seating that would be economical to produce, and he got the help he needed from an upholsterer. The fabric called Even, from Maharam, has serged seams and French topstitches that are of garment quality.