Tulip: A Timeless Classic Dining Chair

Elegance, Strength, and Practicality Combined

With its light weight of 7kg and stackability of up to 4 chairs, the Tulip represents elegance, strength, and practicality all rolled into one. Functionality, such as ergonomics and stackability to reduce shipping costs, are key elements of the design. The motivation behind the project was to create a contract-use suitable chair without compromising comfort and elegance.

Rich and warm American Walnut is used for the frame, and the front legs have a double tenon joint to provide extra strength. This, combined with the hard-wearing leather upholstery, makes the chair perfect for high-traffic areas. All parts are manufactured using CNC machines for detailed shaping and maximum accuracy.

The Tulip's main purpose is to serve as a dining chair but can also be used as a desk or conference chair. The shaping of the backrest provides comfort over a few hours since the seating position can be changed to facing sideways and still have back support.

The Tulip project started in January 2012 and was completed in March 2013. It was exhibited at 100% Design in London 2013 and at 100% Design South Africa in 2014. It has also become the preferred seating solution of Soho House worldwide for the Private Function Rooms.

With the Tulip, the designers aimed to create a chair that someone will purchase from an antique store a century from now. A timeless classic piece that has the durability to last long enough and will still have the appeal inspired by design icons of the 20th century. Extensive research was conducted on how to improve glue joints and ergonomics using 3D computer programs. All parts are engineered using CNC machinery.

The creative challenge was to create an elegant piece that is suitable for contract use but is still elegant, sophisticated, and timeless. All of this had to be achieved within a viable budget for the target price. Especially the organic-shaped detail on the backrest had to be incorporated into a certain wood thickness available on the market. Another challenge was to achieve strength with as few parts as possible.

The designer's inspiration for the Tulip was the simplicity and organic beauty of the Tulip flower. Well-designed ergonomics combined with traditional craftsmanship, using the latest manufacturing technology, are reflected in the quality of the piece. The solid construction and the possibility of stacking four chairs onto each other make the Tulip suitable for high-traffic areas such as restaurants and hotels. The designer's choice of using American Walnut and leather seat upholstery give the chair a warm and sophisticated feel and look.

Image Credits: Photographer Frances Marais, 2016

Awards and Accolades: The Tulip was awarded Bronze in the A' Furniture Design Award in 2016. The Bronze A' Design Award is bestowed upon outstanding and creatively ingenious designs that authenticate experience and resourcefulness. Esteemed for incorporating best practices in art, science, design, and technology, they exhibit strong technical and creative skills and contribute to quality of life improvements, making the world a better place.