Know Your Chairs: The Roly Poly by Faye Toogood

While relatively new to the world of iconic furniture, British artist Faye Toogood's arresting Roly Poly chair has earned its place in the canon of classic contemporary furniture.

Toogood says when she first introduced it in 2014 as part of her Assemblage 4 series, people said the Roly Poly chair reminded them of a baby elephant or a 1960s pop chair. It makes me flash on The Flintstones with its Neolithic chunkiness. But in fact, Toogood says it was inspired by motherhood! Her website says, "The fibreglass chairs are hand-cast in moulds by a skilled, small-scale, British manufacturer and made to order in colours raw, charcoal and cream. Further editions of the Roly-Poly chair have explored working with different solid materials and finishes, from brushed aluminium to gold leaf. Faye Toogood's Assemblage 5, entitled Earth, Moon, Water pushed the boundaries of manufacture with chairs cast in solid cob composite, patinated bronze and crystal barium glass."

This delightful piece can be seen in design-forward spaces all over the world...

The marvelous Roly Poly chair also comes in a dining chair iteration as well as a sofa...

The chair can be purchased through Toogood's lifestyle site, here.

Happy designing!

Amberg Studio Creates Digitally Printed Leather

English leather craftsman Bill Amberg of The Bill Amberg Studio commissioned artists and designers to create patterns to be digitally printed onto leather hides. This new technology offers exciting possibilities in the world of leather upholstery but also other applications as well: leather floor tiles, wallcoverings, and fashion items like bags and shoes!

Avant garde furniture designer Faye Toogood opted for an abstract pattern reminiscent of cave drawings...

...while L.A.-based interior and product designer Natasha Baradaran went a different route with a traditional floral lace pattern.

Design icon Tom Dixon created a pattern that mimics crinkled aluminum foil! This trompe-l'œil effect will surely delight anyone who first sees the pattern and then feels the soft smoothness of the leather!

And interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud imagined a set of hand drawn concentric circles in soft, comforting colors. They recall growth rings of trees.

Happy designing!