BoConcept‘s Chelsea chair is designed by Karim Rashid, an industrial designer well known for his organically shaped products. With its rounded corners and simple format, it seems utterly natural and basic, almost like a non-design. Yet, obviously, a lot of thought and experimentation has gone into the process of creating such an unambiguous object.
"I’ve always been interested in softening our physical landscape. I’ve created many blob-like forms over the years. I created the term “BLOBJECTS” in 1991 as a way to communicate sensual minimalism. This means there are no straight lines, yet the object is minimal, without any superfluous adornment. I believe that it is important to not necessarily over-embellish – to keep a certain truth to a product or space, but I also believe that objects and spaces need to touch our sensual side, touch our emotions, they need to elevate a certain experience, and they need to be human," explains Rashid.
Having been in the business of producing high-quality furniture since 1952, BoConcept delivered the requisite level of craftsmanship necessary for creating Chelsea. The chair has a high level of comfort, due to its springs and zero foam sagging.
"The Chelsea collection epitomises my design language of fluid organic forms. I worked closely with BoConcept to make sure the details were perfect – otherwise, such a simple form can seem shapeless. When you create something rounded and soft like this, what’s nice about it is that no matter where you touch it, you never feel like you’re hurting yourself or going against nature. It’s an extension of nature, really, that is very minimal."