Extra Dorm Room Seating Arrangements

The only seating you will find in a dorm room is a basic desk chair (some art schools supply stools) and a bed. You might even go a little fancy and pick up an Eames inspired walnut stool. Neither of these provide enough comfort for hours of studying. Studying in bed does not lend to good posture, and most desk chairs just make your butt go numb. This is why you will want to consider looking into extra seating options for the dorm room.

Chair cushions are a valid option to add to your desk chair especially, if you don’t want to lug a big piece of furniture to campus. Make sure the cushion for your dorm chair isn’t too flimsy. Check out stores like Pier One Imports and Ikea for Outdoor furniture cushions that are waterproof and will clean up well.

Video game chairs are low to the floor compact chairs that are very comfortable for hours of video game playing or perhaps reading. Bean bag chairs can also serve the same function. Speaking of video game chairs, the Emfurn lounge chair aka their Eames lounge chair replica would make a fantastic video game chair. Just look at how comfortable that thing is!

Sphere or butterfly chairs fold up for easy transportation and are a great seating option for when desk chairs are too hard or dorm beds are too high. They are also inexpensive and come in fun colors.

Futons are great if you are lucky to have a large dorm room or are willing to sleep inches from the ceiling in a loft bed. Beware of cheap futons costing only $100.00 because they will probably not be comfortable. Futons are also a must if you plan to have the occasional overnight guest.

Recliner chairs are a man’s best friend. They are heavy, hard to transport, but make a dorm room very manly. Of course you will need a room with the space for one, or two. The best news of all is that your grandpa, uncle, or perhaps dad will have an old one in their basement or garage that they will be willing to part with.

For long hours of studying, you may want to put aside your dorm supplied chair and replace it with an ergonomic office chair. Your back will thank you, and you will have a chair for guests to sit on.

Floor pillows are another seating option for the dorm room. They are great for people who don’t want to lug furniture, plus they are easy to stack in a corner when not in use. In addition, they can be used as a backrest of a twin bed so it feel more like a sofa.

Should I?

I’ve been eyeng this chair all week: fb.me/8cs06QYwr 

I’m thinking of buying it this weekend… should I?!

Mid-Century Modern Furniture: Who was Arne Jacobsen?

Born February 11, 1902 in Copenhagen, Arne Jacobsen was the designer of some of the biggest-selling furniture pieces of the 20^th century. A trained stonemason, Jacobsen found the scrupulous approach of Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe an eye-opener. At age 23, he was awarded a silver medal for his chair design at the Exposition des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris.

source: wikipedia

Bella Vista Estate in Copenhagen
Jacobsen had already established himself as an architect in Denmark by the 1930s but, after World War II, he asserted himself as a furniture designer. His greatest achievement of this period was the Bella Vista estate in Copenhagen, which was during the time when most of his designs were derived from Mies, Le Corbusier, and Swedish Functionalist Gunnar Asplund. Jacobsen later found his own style in the 1950s.

 

source: EMFURN

The Ant Chair
In 1952, Arne Jacobsen designed the Ant chair, a combination of fluidity and precision. Made from two parts (a base of three tubular-steel legs and a plywood seat shaped by steam), the Ant chair’s design made it easy to mass-produce. It is clear that Jacobsen was influenced by Eero Saarinen and Charles and Ray Eames in the construction of the seat.

source: Travelpod

Copenhagen SAS Royal Hotel
Jacobsen designed the building and interior furnishings for the SAS Royal Hotel, Copenhagen’s first skyscraper, from 1956-65. Commissioned by SAS (Scandinavian Airlines System), the building consists of a two-story horizontal plinth attached to a 19-story tower. Jacobsen had a keen eye for detail and insisted that every element of the building meet his strict standards. Today, many of those designs are available to buy, which is sad because much of the hotel is no longer how Jacobsen designed it.

In 1960, Arne Jacobsen designed the building and interior furnishings for St. Catherine’s College in Oxford, which was completed in 1963. In 1961, he began to design the Danish National Bank, which was completed after his death in Copenhagen on March 24, 1971. Jacobsen will always be remembered for his combination of soft lines and attention to detail.

 

 

Update!

Haven’t posted in a while.. I should have a new article coming soon…stay tuned! 🙂

Living Room Furniture Buying Tips

Not everyone that walks onto a furniture showroom is looking for just a new sofa or just a new cocktail table. The fact is, that there are plenty of people out there looking for whole living room furniture sets. That search, though, can be one that is difficult if you are not sure what you are doing when you walk into that store. By understanding a little about living room furniture sets and how to best shop for them, you can make the process that much easier.

Understanding Living Room Furniture Sets

When you go in search of living room furniture sets, the first thing you have to do is arm yourself with the knowledge of what you want, what you need, and what will fit in your living room.

What You Want

A living room furniture set can be as few as two pieces or as many as 8 pieces depending on how you and how the furniture store defines a living room furniture set.

For example, a living room furniture set could be as simple as a sofa and loveseat or sofa and chair. In a smaller home, that may be enough to get a fresh new look in the room. On the other hand, a living room furniture set might be a sofa, chair, loveseat, cocktail table, a pair of end tables, a sofa table, and an entertainment center.

So take a look around your living room and decide what exactly it is that you want from your new living room furniture set.

What You Need

Take a look at the shape of your room and think about what you need from your new living room furniture set.

For one, look at where walls will fall in relationship to the furniture. Do you really need an end table on both sides of your sofa? Is your sofa’s back flush against the wall? If so, then you may want to skip the sofa table when you buy a new set. Be practical about what you need to complete your room with your new set. This will likely save you money as well as a lot of stress when you realize you have no spot for your sofa table or that your second end table will be sitting in front of the loveseat.

What Will Fit

Perhaps the most important thing you can do before going to a furniture store for your new living room furniture set is to measure. You need to measure a couple of different ways to ensure a good furniture buying experience.

First, especially with a new living room furniture set, you need to measure the room itself. To go along with it, you should probably take the time to map out the room. See how much room you have for furniture and since you will have already determined what you want and need, you can use that information to determine what size you can accommodate in those pieces.

One strategy for finding out how furniture of various sizes will fill a room is to tape newspaper to the floor in the space that would be taken up. This will give you a feel for how much space you really have.

The second reason to measure is to make sure you can get the furniture into the room in the first place. Despite what you may think, doorways do vary in width height, as do stairs and hallways. The result is that not every piece of furniture will fit right into a home, much less a specific room. Measure all doorways, hallways, ceilings, and stairwells through which your new living room furniture set will have to go. It will be valuable information when you make your final decision.

Material

Once you have decided on what you need, what you can accommodate, and what you can get through the doorways and hallways, you should think about material. Now, more than ever, there are a variety of materials available for the upholstered pieces of your living room furniture set. There are three basics, though, to consider

Leather: Leather furniture sets are going to be the most durable. Depending on what type of leather you get, though, it may stain or show scratching pretty easily. In many cases, though, it is durable, stain resistant, and stylish.

Microfiber: Microfiber is a material that has been set on a tightly woven backing that makes it virtually stain-proof. Additionally, most microfibers have a nice suede look and feel to them. Aside from leather, it is the most durable covering.

Fabric: Fabrics come in a variety of colors, material, and overall durability. The key is that you can get virtually any color you want, but the drawback is that this is, in most cases, the least durable covering.

What to Ask

Eventually, you will be standing there in front of a living room furniture set with a sales person. What questions should you be asking? Here are a few that will help you to have a good experience.

What is the warranty like? While warranty is not the end all be all of furniture, it is worth asking. Specifically, find out about frames and cushions since these are two things that will get much of the wear.

What is this made of? Ask about what the frame is made of, ask about what the covering is made of, and ask about what the tables or entertainment center is made of. Knowing what you are getting in terms of material can give you insight into the durability as well as the comfort.

The Shopping Process

If you are looking for a new living room furniture set, then you should take your time. Furniture sets are a big investment and since the return policies of many furniture stores are not favorable to the consumer, you should make sure you are getting precisely what you want.

While it is debatable, depending on who you ask, whether or not it is a good idea to buy furniture on-line, it is always a good idea to shop there at first. This can do a couple of things for you.

For one, you will be able to compare pricing from a number of stores without the hassle of travel. Additionally, you can look at many different sets and see various setups easily and quickly.

Once you have started with the internet, you need to start visiting showrooms. Sit on the living room furniture sets to get a feel for them. Comfort is a huge part of what furniture in your living room should be about. Visit a number of stores and showrooms to compare not only prices, but also delivery charges and warranties.

Shopping for a new living room furniture set can be daunting. After all, you are filling an entire room and changing the look while spending a fairly large sum. In order to have a good experience, though, it is worthwhile to make sure you do a couple of things. Make sure you are educated on the basics of living room furniture sets. Additionally, make sure you know how to shop for furniture effectively. Armed with these tips, you can find the best living room furniture set for you at the best price, and then have the best possible experience going forward. I’d encourage buyers to simplify the process a great deal by going straight to the source of top quality furniture. Emfurn is one of the best furniture retailers online and can help you put together your dream living room.

 

 

The Elegant Egg Chair

Designers of furniture and other house fixtures are really creative. They try to create concepts and models out of the things they see around them. They might pattern to leaves, they might pattern to animals, they might pattern to human, they might pattern to objects, and many more. Have you seen such a simple yet an amazing and really a kind of a fabulous design? This may prove the saying that, the beauty in its simplicity. This is what describes the egg chair.

The designer of the egg chair is the renowned Arne Jacobsen. He created its first product in the year 1958. The chair was ordered by one of his many clients. This is a hotel business – the hotel Radisson SAS. The manufacturing entity was the famous Fritz Hansen. Fritz Hansen is also branded to be “-Republic- of -Fritz Hansen.-” This is a Danish fixtures and furniture company.

The chair illuminates the classic Jacobsen concepts style of art. This was made from modern and high technology materials.

 

If you will look at the chair, you can see its resemblance with another design called the womb chair designed and conceptualized by the great Eero Saarinen. This is true, and it is being said that the inspiration was taken from this design. You can see the same traits from it. But with respect and in fairness with Arne’s egg designed chair, this is can be claimed to be more wholesome when it comes to design aspects.

Other Jacobsen’s designs of art that can be compared with his egg design, are his Ant design, his Cigar design, his “7” design, his Swan design, his grand prix designed chair, his Drop design, his Pot design, and his Giraffe design.

Arne’s egg designed chair also comes in a couch model, just like with his Swan designed chair. But based on their inventory, a minimal to limited sets of egg couches were only manufactured. Mostly, these egg couches version are produced for hotel Radisson. They also created egg couches labeled as limited special edition of it. You will be amazed by the price. The price is a staggering Danish kroner four hundred thousand or with an equivalent amount of sixty thousand US Dollars. Are you wondering why they only produce limited editions of the egg couches versions? The reasons are, to promote exclusivity, and the acknowledged intricacy in producing and making such. They were also saying, that it is because of a limitation in its design. The egg couch’s size is said to be huge that the whole cowhide may not be enough to cover at once.

10 tips before purchasing a barcelona chair replica

A Barcelona Chair might just be one of the finest piece of designer furniture  you can add to your home or office. The notoriety of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich’s renowned Barcelona chair carries its cultural importance to any environment or living space in which it is placed. In interior design, this Barcelona Chair is known to epitomize mid-century modern art. And in architecture, the Barcelona Chair is a timeless designer masterpiece created by the master of the modern architectural movement himself. The proper form and function of the design elements in the Barcelona Chair require both high quality material and superior craftsmanship to show the genuine spirit and cultural significance of this piece of elite modern furniture. Poor workmanship diminishes the Barcelona Chair’s sophisticated and cultural impact, in addition to speaking poorly to its surroundings. If you’re looking for a replica of this chair, then only the finest reproductions that replicate the purism of the Barcelona chair should be purchased. When buying a Barcelona Chair, it is highly recommended that this following list of ten design and material elements of the Barcelona Chair should be considered before buying:   1) The stainless steel frame should be perfectly smooth and flawless. It was Mies’s intent to redesign the original 1929 Barcelona Chair in 1950 due to the advent of stainless steel. Using only stainless steel is imperative to maintain the integrity of the Barcelona Chair’s modular style. There should not be any seams or braces on the welding joints.

2) The recommended stainless steel is “authentic chromium-nickel alloys” of series 301, 302, 303, 304, 309, 316, or 321. 304 and 316 are the most prevalent grades. For Barcelona Chairs, the 400, 500, and 600 combination of stainless steel aren’t accurate replicates, partially a result of the metal’s “over-durability, ” however higher grades of steel will often be used in replicas. The stainless steel in the 200 Series of “authentic chromium-nickel-manganese alloys” is perfect for chroming for the Barcelona Chair, but it’s not at all ideal in hot, humid areas. The Barcelona Chair may are also made of Chrome, but stainless steel tends to have a higher resiliency to corrosion.

3) A highly distinctive element of the Barcelona Chair would be the polish on the stainless steel frame. A  No. 7, a reflective finish, or No. 8 mirror finish is an absolute must.

4) The upholstery should only be cowhide. Synthetics should never be considered unless it is used for straps. A high quality top grain Italian leather is a great choice for leather and aniline leather would be an even better one. The Knoll authentic version of the Barcelona Chair uses a good yet untreated top grain bovine natural leather, however the porousness of the leather gives it the unfortunate susceptibility to stain easily. (Knoll’s official Barcelona Chair uses “1. 1 mm thick, grain corrected Spinneybeck Volo natural leather. ”) Full grain natural leather tends to acquire the well-aged look over time but top grain is the most durable on the market today. Your choice should depend on quality and the environment where the chair is to be used. The untreated full grain leather is probably not a practical choice in the business lobby or areas in your home with plenty of social engagements.

5) The foam density can vary between countries, but should be between thirty and thirty six kgs per cubic meter with the Barcelona feel. Personal comfort is the key consideration. Ideally, the cushions should be constructed using resilient urethane foam and a Dacron polyester fiberfill. Additionally, a great deal of attention should be paid to fire safety certification requirements in your region.

6) The Barcelona chair cushions should be held up by 17 straps of bovine natural leather, approximately 7oz to 8oz within weight, dyed the same color as the cushions. Although to replicate the authentic look, real leather strap are needed but from a practical perspective, synthetic leather straps do a much better job holding up the cushions and last a lot longer.  The straps should be secured to the steel frame with 34 screws, which can either be stainless steel or aluminum. (The authentic Knoll version has used both type of screws in the past.) The screws (and rivets if used) should not be noticeable. (Being in a position to see the screws and rivets is a poor replica.)

7) The Barcelona Chai should have 40 tufted panels, preferably hand-tufted.

8) The interior of the leather-covered buttons should be hollow.

9) Rope should be used for piping; nevertheless hemp and cotton can be acceptable. Plastic piping reflect poor quality and  construction.

10) The cushions shouldn’t be overly large to the point where its overlapping this frame. After all, Mies will be the father of the saying “less will be more. ”

Buying a premium replica of the Barcelona Chair on your home or business is undoubtedly no easy task. Evaluate your purchase of the Barcelona Chair using the ten tips in this guideline. It will help ensure that your Barcelona Chair reproduction is of the highest quality, and truest to the varieties of modern design that Mies in addition to Lilly inspired decades ago.  To make it easier for you, Emfurn carries the highest quality reproduction of the Barcelona chair. Please visit www.emfurn.com to learn more.

Welcome to my site!

Thanks for visiting my site. This site is going to be about mid century modern chairs only. I plan on writing about the designers of mid century modern chair such as the barcelona chair and eames lounge chair and egg chair and various designing tips. I love a good mid century chair as much as you so do look out for great things! Feel free to contact me anytime if you have any questions.

 

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The Classic Barcelona Chair

Barcelona chair, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, is an icon depicting the remarkable product of craftsmanship and design of the early twentieth century. Ever since the chair was first used in the Villa Tugendhat it has received worldwide recognition and reputation. The chair got its name “Barcelona” from a city of Spain — Barcelona — where it was first used.

Barcelona chair is made up of stainless steel and bovine leather. Although the chair has undergone several minor modifications since its development, no major changes in the design made by the original designers have been made. Originally, the frame of the chair had to be bolted together but in 1950 designers decided to use stainless steel instead, which allowed them to make the frame a single piece of seamless steel. However, no changes in the design of its subtly curved legs that give rise to ‘X’-shape was made. Similarly, ivory-colored pigskin that was used in the original Barcelona chairs has been replaced with bovine leather. Most part of the Barcelona chair is hand-labored. From polishing the steel to pasting the final sticker containing the signature of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, everything is done with hand. This indeed adds pride to the chair and the owner of the chair.

Talking about comfort, Barcelona chair is another name of comfort. Nothing is as comfortable and cozy as this chair. When your body rests on the soft bovine leather, framed in stainless steel of the Barcelona chair, you feel completely relaxed and a positive vibe flows through your body from head to toe. The more you sit on the chair the more you’d not want to get up.

Not only Barcelona chair is super-comfortable to sit and relax, it is also equally attractive. Most of those who have bought original Barcelona chair prefer to keep it in the living room so that everyone who enters your house gets a glance of it. Almost all of them who get a glance of the chair don’t forget to admire and give complements. Even from a distance, the stainless steel of the chair shines bright enough to catch the viewer’s attention!

Barcelona chair is often regarded as a luxury item as it is very costly. An original Barcelona chair can cost up to US$ 6,000! It’s indeed a lot of money to spend for a chair, isn’t it? But keep in mind, it’s worth it. Barcelona chair is not just a chair, it’s The Chair. No matter how much it costs, once you get a glance of it and touch it, you’ll not have a second thought in your mind about buying one for yourself.

Although Knoll Inc, an American  designing and manufacturing firm, holds the license and trademark to manufacture and market the Barcelona chair worldwide, several companies such as Kardiel and Rove Concepts sell replicas of this chair and claim to be of high quality; however, none are proven to be higher in quality than the Barcelona chair replicas from Emfurn. Emfurn uses real leather and stainless steel to manufacture their chairs and also sell replacement cushions and straps if needed.