We're going on a chair hunt: Vitra Lounge Chair Special
Conjure yourself an image of a designer lounge chair, and it’s likely the design you’ll bring to mind will be somewhere in the Vitra catalogue. The brand rules lounge chairs, it’s an iconic chair machine. From mid-century classics to the fresh and contemporary, if you need to recline and want to look good doing it, Vitra’s got your back in so many beautiful and supportive ways.
But which chair to opt for? They’re all so alluring. Firstly, there are questions to be posed. Where’s it going? Somewhere private or on full display? Backing onto a wall or centre stage to be looked at from all angles? Who’s it for – you? Visitors? When’s it for? Every day? An occasional treat? Why do you need it? Clandestine napping? Reading? Board games? Deep thinking? What do you like? Are you a leather or fabric person? Colour or neutral? Do you need to swivel? Do you need to tilt?
You are never more yourself than when you’re fully relaxed in your own home, which is why choosing the right piece of furniture to wind down with is such an important task. Just as the home is a reflection of lives lived and the personalities within, the contemporary lounge chair also narrates the style and story of its owner and offers a peek into who they are in their down time at their most comfortable and calm. The material, the functionality, the colour, the texture and of course the aesthetic tell the tale of you when the day has ended, when barriers are down and when your stripped back personality is presented – so choose wisely
The Big Hitter
Lounge Chair by Charles & Ray Eames
This is the big hitter. If there’s a single lounge chair completely synonymous with luxuriously leaning back and ingrained in modern day culture, it’s the Lounge Chair, designed by Charles and Ray Eames in the 1950s with the aim to give the armchair the ultimate levels of comfort. Built around moulded wooden shells cushioned with leather, the chair moves with the user, flexible and outrageously snug. Produced continuously with virtually the same making methods for the last 70-plus-years, it’s celebrated as one of the pinnacles of great 20th century design.
Go for Vitra's Lounge Chair if...
A Modern Classic
Grand Repos by Antonio Citterio
A modern classic designed by Antonio Citterio in 2011, the Grand Repos wing chair neatly conceals a mechanism beneath its upholstery which can lock the seat into any position, tailoring each sitter’s comfort every time they sit down. The curved, wraparound head section creates a sense of seclusion for private calls or sheltered snoozing, the modern designer lounge chair’s flowing, sculpted form put on a swivelling pedestal to be revolved for 360-degree admiration. The fabric or leather covers can now be fully removed and replaced, while the plastic elements of the inner body consist of 95% recycled materials.
Go for Vitra's Grand Repos lounge chair if...
Compact Yet Comfortable
HAL by Jasper Morrison
Compact yet focused on comfort, the HAL Lounge Chair by Jasper Morrison is made up of joyfully rounded shapes which radiate an easy sense of the soothing. The tall, thin back feels modern and experimental yet familiar, the compactness of the body supported by generously sized arms which are an open invitation to sit down and curl up. The covers come in a rainbow of colours and materials and are removable for washing or replacing, giving the chair a longer lifespan and a tick in the sustainability box.
Go for Vitra's HAL Lounge Chair if...
A Journey of Softness and Support
Grand Relax by Antonio Citterio
The clue’s in the name. This luxurious designer lounge chair is devoted to utter tranquillity. The result of years of research into comfort, Antonio Citterio’s 2019 Grand Relax Lounge Chair is journey of softness and support. Upon taking a seat, the sitter slowly sinks into enveloping leather or fabric cushions, while a concealed integrated mechanism absorbs the weight and gracefully moves the chair into a reclined pose, the seat and backrest moving independently in synchronicity. Doesn’t feel right? Rotate the control knob to change the resistance, or lock the backrest at your angle of choice.
Go for Vitra's Grand Relax Lounge Chair...
Best of the Rest
Coconut Chair by George Nelson
Designed by George Nelson in 1955, the iconic Coconut Chair bears hallmarks of mid-century modernism as well as reflecting the ongoing space race with its – then – futuristic Sputnik-like silhouette. Shaped like an eighth of a sectioned coconut, the modern lounge chair’s broad, open design lacks a defined back and armrests so the sitter isn’t restricted from assuming any position, Nelson explaining; ‘I developed the chair to give lounge seating comfort, together with great freedom of movement.’ Its colouring is the reverse of a coconut, a white outer shell supporting an inner covered in cushioned leather or fabric upholstery, the overall affect is geometric, extravagant and intriguing – is it a chair? Is it a piece of art?
Plywood Group LCW by Charles & Ray Eames
How do you know when a chair is a big deal? When it has its own Wikipedia page. Created by Charles & Ray Eames in 1945/1946, the form stems from the design duo’s early experiments with three-dimensionally moulded plywood. Crafted from five individual panels, the Plywood Group LCW lounge chair (LCW standing for Lounge Chair Wood) has a smooth, organic form which somehow nods to the shapes of nature. Remaining slightly flexible, the iconic chair adapts to the shape of the user to create custom comfort despite its lack of or slim upholstery options.
Heart Cone Chair by Verner Panton
An expressive, happy piece of design, the Heart Cone Chair was created by Verner Panton in 1958. A contemporary take on the traditional wingback chair, the vibrant piece harnesses the Pop Art vibes of the era, the designer commenting; ‘The main purpose of my work is to provoke people into using their imagination. Most people spend their lives living in dreary, grey-beige conformity, mortally afraid of using colours. I try to show new ways, to encourage people to use their fantasy imagination and make their surroundings more exciting.’ While enchanting to look at, the iconic lounge chair is also based around comfort, the all-over padded soft shell surrounding an upholstered cushion centre.
Slow Chair by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec
Generously proportioned yet wonderfully lightweight, the Slow Chair sprung from the minds of designers Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec in 2006. The delicate aesthetic – understated frame, barely-there fabric, simple curves – contrasts its playful palette options of soft pink with green or zingy teal with blue (as well as neutral cream or black), the slimline seat and back cushions further enhancing the contemporary lounge chair’s graceful contours. The oh-so modern designer chair is defined by its translucent sling cover which tones down the would-be vivid colours and is made from a high-tech, precisely knitted material, which is extremely strong and creates ergonomic support that moves with every sitter.