Who has more experience living in cramped spaces than prisoners? Modeled after a jail cell, the ironically named Freedom Room is a 96-square-foot micro apartment offering “a different idea” for temporary and social housing, hotels and hostels. Inmates at Italy’s high-security prison in Spoleto served as consultants, using their intimate knowledge of tiny living spaces to create a living unit that is flexible and adaptable. In working with the prisoners, the Freedom Room project leaders discovered that by necessity, most prison furniture is used for purposes other than those intended. Objects have to be multi-functional in order for such a small space to serve as the one room they have available for functions ranging from studying to working out.The designers explain that many prison cells are lined with shelving made of cigarette cartons, and storage can be hard to come by even for the few personal possessions the prisoners own. As a result, the prisoners packed the Freedom Room with as much storage as possible, with a doorway dividing the living area from the sleeping area doubling as a shelf.
In less than 100 square feet, the inmates have managed to fit a work/dining area, two beds, drawers, overhead storage, a kitchen with a slide-out cutting board serving as a counter, and a bathroom. Additional seating hangs from the wall. Even with all of this function, the apartment feels surprisingly spacious and uncluttered – a far cry from real jail cells, and a option for meeting the growing needs for increasingly compact living spaces.Anyone with an interest in design would at some stage have had a love affair with a chair. At Hecker Guthrie we know this feeling all too well – we become obsessed with a new chair almost daily! So in this round up we wanted to share a really nice cross section of chairs, which includes everything from mid century classics to everyday affordable options, with a strong edit of Australian-made options in the mix too. We hope you find the one for you! 1. No.B9 Le Corbusier armchair from Thonet ($511.00 AUD) – There is not much to say about the No.B9 Le Corbusier chair other than it is elegant, classic and undeniably appropriate in almost any space.
2. Butterfly chair by Ercol from Temperature Designs ($830.00 AUD) – The Ercol Butterfly chair is of English origins. Launched in 1958, it is as equally relevant today as it was back then. We love it in the mint! 3. Bento chair by One Nordic from Distric 246 ($from 600.00 + gst AUD) – One Nordic Bento chair is founded on Scandinavian design ideologies, while embracing easy assembly and DIY playfulness. It comes flat packed and can be assembled in four-steps. 4. IKEA PS 2012 from IKEA ($99.00 AUD) – The aim of the Hunt / Gather column is to provide a broad range of options that suit a variety of budgets, and frankly it doesn’t get more affordable than IKEA. We love the shaker qualities of the PS 2012 chair. Ebba Strandmark designed it with comfort and quality in mind, as detailed in the chair’s high-strapped back and arm rests. 5. Pelleossa chair by Miniforms from Café Culture ($657.80) – Contrary to what its name suggests, Café Culture sells a swoon worthy range of dining chairs, including the Pelleossa chair by Miniforms that we particularly love.
Available with or without arms, this chair has a lovely fineness to it and is inspired by some of the great Italian classics. 6. Navy chair by Jardan ($775.00 AUD) – Jardan’s newest member of the family is the Navy dining chair. They describe it as ‘modern with traditional craftsmanship’. 7. Butter chair by DesignByThem ($695.00 AUD) – The Butter chair is made in Australia from 100% post consumer recyclables, derived almost entirely from recycled milk containers. That makes it one of the most ethically produced chairs we could find, and also means an added bonus – it’s suitable for either indoor or outdoor use. DesignByThem and also offers a product stewardship program, taking back chairs to be repaired, reused or recycled. 8. Fable chair by Ross Didier ($442.00 AUD) – The Fable chair is one sixth of a range of essential items inspired by children’s tales designed by all round nice guy, Melbourne-based Ross Didier. 9. Jake chair by Koskela ($440.00 AUD) – The Jake chair from the team at Koskela in Sydney presents a glorious combination of limewashed timber and a veritable rainbow of powder coat colours.
Just to keep it all a bit off kilter, there is a bit of mismatchy happening with the legs! 10. Dining Chair #107 by Tony Parker from Workshopped ($899.00 AUD + fabric) – Workshopped in Sydney have recently secured a relationship with Covemore Designs to reintroduce selected pieces from the mid century range designed by Tony Parker. Dining chair #107 is one such piece from an exciting collection of furniture, which for many is a bit of a blast from the past. 11. Cab chair by Mario Bellini for Cassina from Corporate Culture ($3360.00 AUD) The Cab chair is one of the most significant chair designs of the 20th Century. Its beauty lies in its sculptural form, the singularity of finish, the quality of the saddle leather and the exposed stitch work. Oh and did we mention it is also outstandingly comfortable?! 12. Series 7 chair by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen from Corporate Culture ($2790.00 AUD) – Designed by Arne Jacobsen and produced by Fritz Hansen, this chair would have to be up there in the list of Denmark’s greatest exports.
A recent study trip saw Hecker Guthrie director Hamish Guthrie visit the factory where this chair is produced, and as a result, his appreciation of this chair has been further heightened. 13. CH20 Elbow chair by Hans Wegner for Carl Hansen + Son from Corporate Culture ($1395.00 AUD) – The Elbow chair was designed by Hans Wegner in 1956 and is in production by Carl Hansen + Son. Coined the CH20, this wooden stackable chair certainly embodies Wegner’s ideology and skill for craft and minimalism. 14. Superleggera chair by Gio Ponti for Cassina from Corporate Culture ($3376.00 AUD) – Design maestro Gio Ponti designed the Superleggera chair back in 1957 under the premise that it was so strong, yet so light that a child could lift it with one finger. Light it is, and it is still relevant in today’s design scene. It also happens to be Paul Hecker’s favourite chair of all time! 15. Pocket chair by Discipline from Stylecraft ($2835.00 + gst AUD) – The Pocket chair by Discipline is fabulous as it bridges the gap between dining chair and lounge chair.
Discipline is new to the market straight from Europe, and according to Stylecraft (Discipline’s exclusive Australian stockist) the range is going absolutely gangbusters. It seems none of us can get enough of this tan leather thing! 16. No.18 Thonet by Thonet ($368.00 AUD) – Still one of the most affordable classics, the No.18 Thonet is available in a variety of finishes, but we like it best in black or white with a contrasting ‘sock’! 17. Tom Dixon Peg Chair from Dedece – The Peg chair by revered self-taught British designer Tom Dixon is inspired by Japanese architecture. It also happens to be one of Hamish’s favourite chairs! 18. Fritz dining chair by Freedom ($129.00 AUD) – This simple chair from Freedom presents an affordable alternative. We love it’s contemporary shape and singularity of material. 19. SixE dining chair by Pearson Llyod for Howe from Living Edge ($476.00 AUD) – This modest stacking chair is named SixE in reference to the six Es that define its six key characteristics, which include: Ergonomic, Efficient, Elegant, Environmental, Economic and Ease of handling.