The Top 5 chairs from the smow design spring. In no particular order.

Foldable cardboard chair by Stuart Miller at deignersblock, Milan

We lie: there is a slight order. First up is our favourite chair from the smow design spring: Stuart Miller’s unnamed foldable cardboard chair from the designersblock showcase in Milan. Over the course of the smow design spring we didn’t see any thing that even came to close to capturing Stuart’s simple, practical and comfortable chair. We’ve sadly lost sight of the project a little, and lack the requisite degree in Information Technology to navigate Glasgow Caledonian University Website, If any one knows anything please let us know!! Unnamed foldable carboard chair. Quality seating instrument!

And as of now … In no particular order.

Duct Tape Chair by Jason Miller

Duct Tape Chair by Jason Miller. In our original post from the floor of the ICFF press room we mentioned the similarity between Jason Miller’s Duct chair and Easy by Klausner and Carpenter for Established and Sons. After long and careful consideration, however, we decide to include Duct chair in our  tip five. A form sicher and wonderfully comfortable chair, Duct Chair is also not only aesthetically pleasing but intrigues the viewer so shifts from passive chair to active element of a room. Duct Tape Chair. Quality seating instrument!

404 H by Stefan Dietz for Thonet

404 H by Stefan Dietz for Thonet. In our world bar stools count as chairs, mainly because we spend a lot of time on bar stools - having as we do a raised breakfast bar in the kitchen of the (smow)flat. For Thonet Stefan Dietz has created in 404 H a wonderful addition to one of the most tradition-conscious German design houses. In comparison to some other long established design houses, for Thonet tradition if more than just marketing rights tio the name of a long since deceased designer; rather for Thonet tradition means continuing the tradition that made that designer successful and famous - and in the case of Michael Thonet that means innovation.404 H. Quality seating instrument!

And uncomplicated, high quality wooden furniture.

Such as the 404 H.

Vegetal by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Vitra in Milan

Vegetal by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Vitra.  Even before the start of the Milan design week Vegetal had already established itself as one of the stars. And it didn’t let us down. Yes it looks like a cheap garden chair, yes it reminds one of Chair One by Konstantin Grcic, but no it is neither of these things. The fruit of four years labour by our favourite porcupine and fox, Vegetal is a wonderful, stable, comfortable and versatile chair perfect for indoor and out. And we’re fairly certain unbreakable. Vegetal. Quality seating instrument!

Bansko Bo lounger chair and Ottoman by Design Apparat

Bansko Bo by Design Apparat. Without question one of the finest proper loungers we saw this spring, and that from one of the best new design studios from the smow design spring. We live in Leipzig, we don’t like nOSTalgia, we do like many elements of the design style that developed in Eastern Europe  during the decades of iron curtains, Warsaw pacts and ICBMs. Bansko Bo is a wonderful new design, but one that has its roots unmistakably in the Bulgaria of the 1970s. Looks good, works and will probably last longer than the regime of Todor Zhivkov. Bansko Bo. Quality seating instrument!

Despite Lufthansa’s best effort we made it back to Leipzig yesterday evening.

We only hope our luggage will arrive this evening.

And despite the joy at being back in our green oasis with our wonderful view over the romantic historical ruins of East Plagwitz, Milan remains very much in our thoughts and we will continue to intersperse the blog with news and updates.

214 by Michael Thonet - a couple of bits of wood and a little skill.

As we never tire of telling anyone who will listen to us, furniture needn’t be complicated.
The design process can be complicated yes, but not the final product.

The 214 by Michael Thonet, for example, or the S 43 by Mart Stamm both being perfect examples of how simple a good chair can be. And indeed the Thonet stand in Milan perfectly demonstrated not only this maxim, but also how a company such as Thonet can remain innovative and contemporary without losing sight of their heritage. Stools such as the 404 series from Stefan Diez working wonderfully with the Michael Thonet classics such as the 209.

404 H by Stefan Dietz for Thonet

As an addition to the 404 range Thonet now offer it as a delightful, three-legged bar-chair. version; the saddle-shaped seat meaning that seating comfort is guaranteed even over a longer period.

Another German manufacturer who live by the motto that less is more -and certainly more comfortable - is Richard Lampert. The Egon Eiermann table frames, for example, being a fine example of what can be achieved with a few lengths of chrome - if you shape them correctly. On their stand in Milan Lampert reinforced this simple conecpt, and in a similar fashion to Thonet,  also clearly demonstrated how easy good modern design can be mixed with design classics.  Herbert Hirche studied at Bauhaus under Wassily Kandinsky and later worked for Egon Eiermann - and his classic 1950s Lounge Chair shows that he had not only paid attention but also reflected on what he had learnt.

In-out by Eric Degenhardt (and sidetable Flip by Alexander Seifried) both for Richard Lampert

In 2006 the German designer Eric Degenhardt slightly re-worked Hirche’s design - a process that obviously left an impression on Degenhardt as can be seen in in his wonderful In-Out chair. Again based on the simple bent chrome concept, in-out may look supiciously like a cheap angler’s chair, but is a wonderfully comfortable, relaxing armchair in which we could well imagine spending a summer evening in the garden or a winter afternoon in front of the telly. And, as the name suggests, one comes easily in and out - your smow(blog) team having tested it extensively.