Transparent furniture has always walked the line between novelty and design icon, and the Mina Acrylic Ball Swivel Chair leans confidently into the latter.
With its transparent spherical seat and gleaming metal base, the chair feels like a playful nod to the futuristic optimism of mid-century design. The structure is built around a clear acrylic orb, creating a light, almost floating presence in the room. Because the material is transparent, the chair doesn’t visually weigh down a space the way a fully upholstered lounge chair might. Instead, it acts almost like a design accent — adding shape and personality while allowing the rest of the room to shine through. Continue reading Eye On Design: Mina Acrylic Ball Swivel Chair with Lambskin Cushion→
The frame of André Dubreuil’s Spine Chair (1986) is constructed from five steel rods, each shaped by hand in a vice or jig and joined with visible welds. Lengths of flattened iron tubing — purchased flat and then formed in the workshop — are openly attached to the frame, with the marks of manufacture intentionally displayed rather than concealed. This emphasis on process reflects Dubreuil’s rejection of modernist ideals of seamless perfection in favor of material honesty and expressive construction. Continue reading Eye On Design: Spine Chair By Andre Dubreuil→
When it comes to timeless design, certain pieces transcend mere function and enter the realm of sculpture. Such is the case with the extraordinary drop-front desk and chair by Samuel Marx, presented by Liz O’Brien at the 2024 edition of The Salon Art + Design at the Park Avenue Armory in New York. Continue reading Eye On Design: Samuel Marx Drop-Front Desk and Chair at Salon Art + Design→
Named after Blanche Dubois, the self-deluded protagonist of Tennessee Williams’ 1947 play A Streetcar Named Desire, Shiro Kumata‘s Miss Blanche Chair (1988) is an icon of postmodern design. Kamata originally experimented with embedding natural roses in the chair, but the flowers burned in the acrylic resin, so he instead used artificial flowers. Continue reading Eye On Design: Miss Blanche Chair By Shiro Kuramata→
Only in 1960s France could a chair double as a political statement, a pop art sculpture, and a place to park your derrière. Enter the Charles de Gaulle Portrait Seat, a surreal and strangely hilarious design object dreamed up in 1967 by the unexpected team of French sculptor César Baldaccini (just “César,” if you’re nasty) and industrial design legend Roger Tallon.
