Carys Pullar, Blanket Chair (WORLD 2023)

Country:
New Zealand

Wood is a hard, straight, and heavy material. A blanket is soft, light, and flexible. Two mediums with very contrasting characteristics that I wanted to somehow merge into one. From this the wooden blanket was born. The “blanket” is made of thin Ash laminates that were steamed then bent over a form. The grain of the Ash really accentuates the flowing curves of the blanket. The frame is also made of Ash and is round inspired by the slender metal frames seen in Minimalist, Modern and Scandinavian designs. It has bridle joints at the front and castle joints at the back. I wanted the frame to be subtle, continuous and have no sharp points. I spent a lot of hours hand shaping the joints and the curve of the backrest to achieve a frame that flows seamlessly. Shaping by hand also brought softness and character that machines can sometimes take away. The cross supports gently curve upwards, drawing your attention to the blanket, the focus of this piece. The frame supports the blanket literally and visually. The arms are higher, and the seat is lower than standard chair sizing. I wanted to snuggle up on it with a book or sit sideways with my feet up, it’s a great chair for just chilling.

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