Chair Design
Dining chairs, armchairs, tub chairs, molded shells and lounge chairs. Shape the seat and its cushion, the back from slats to a curved shell, the legs, arms and stretchers, and upholster it in linen, boucle or leather.
13 chairs to start from
From an upholstered dining chair and a slat back chair to tub armchairs, a molded shell and lounge chairs. Each is a starting point.
Tub Chair (bouclé)
Chair in walnut, seat 460 mm high.
Suede Armchair
Chair in walnut, seat 460 mm high.
Curved Tub Armchair
Chair in walnut, seat 480 mm high.
Curved Armchair
Chair in walnut, seat 480 mm high.
Upholstered Dining
Chair in walnut, seat 460 mm high.
Wood Slat Chair
Chair in oak, seat 460 mm high.
Slat + Fabric Seat
Chair in oak, seat 460 mm high.
Solid Wood Arm
Chair in walnut, seat 460 mm high.
Panel Chair
Chair in oak, seat 460 mm high.
Molded Shell
Chair in birch ply, seat 460 mm high.
Lounge (bouclé)
Chair in walnut, seat 460 mm high.
Barrel Tub Lounge
Chair in walnut, seat 440 mm high.
Curved Plinth Lounge
Chair in walnut, seat 400 mm high.
Every property, and what it does
Select a chair and these are its rows: its design and cut sheet, then its form, materials, seat, back, shell, base, legs, arms and frame. A field shows when it applies, so a tub chair has its shell and a slat chair does not.
Design and cut sheet
What the piece is, which design it carries, and what it takes to make.
| Field | What it does | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Rebuilds the piece as a different kind of furniture, where it stands. | Table, coffee table, desk, chair, stool, bench, shelving, cabinet, wardrobe, bed |
| Preset | Replaces the piece's design with another, keeping where it stands. | The 13 presets and your saved designs |
| Apply this design to | Gives every other piece of the same kind on this floor, or in the project, the same design. | This floor, the whole project |
| Save this design | Saves the design under a name as a preset of your own. | A name |
| Cut sheet | Counts the boards, sheets, yield, board area, edge tape, timber, bought in hardware and machining it takes, nested on the stock sheet you choose. | Read from the design |
Form
Whether the seat and back are two parts or one continuous shell.
| Field | What it does | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Seat + back | continuous = one molded shell that flows seat → back | Separate, Continuous; default Separate |
Materials
The frame, the legs and the fabric.
| Field | What it does | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Frame material | The main finish of the piece. | Oak, Walnut, Birch ply, Pine, White laminate, Travertine, Plaster, Concrete, Black metal, Steel, Linen, Boucle, Fabric taupe, Fabric grey, Fabric charcoal, Tan leather, Matte ink, Matte clay, Matte sage, Fluted oak, Brushed brass, Mirror, Quartz white, Led 2700k, Led 3000k, Led 4000k; default Walnut |
| Leg material | "match" = same as frame | Match, Oak, Walnut, Birch ply, Pine, White laminate, Travertine, Plaster, Concrete, Black metal, Steel, Linen, Boucle, Fabric taupe, Fabric grey, Fabric charcoal, Tan leather, Matte ink, Matte clay, Matte sage, Fluted oak, Brushed brass, Mirror, Quartz white, Led 2700k, Led 3000k, Led 4000k; default Match |
| Fabric | Upholstery for cushion / shell | Linen, Boucle, Fabric taupe, Fabric grey, Fabric charcoal, Tan leather; default Linen |
Seat
The seat: cushion or wood, its shape, size, height and corners.
| Field | What it does | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Seat | cushion = padded/upholstered; wood = solid/ply | Cushion, Wood; default Cushion |
| Seat shape | round = ellipse (set width = depth for a circle). rect = per-corner rounding under Advanced | Rectangle, Round; default Rectangle |
| Seat width | Width of the seat. | 0.38 to 0.62 m; default 0.48 m |
| Seat depth | Depth of the seat. | 0.38 to 0.58 m; default 0.46 m |
| Seat height | Height of the seat above the floor. | 0.38 to 0.55 m; default 0.46 m |
| Cushion thickness | Also the shell thickness in continuous mode | 45 to 140 mm; default 85 mm |
| Seat thickness | Also the shell thickness in continuous mode | 16 to 45 mm; default 26 mm |
| Seat smoothness | Soften the cushion edges: 0 = crisp box, 1 = rounded pillow | 0 to 1; default 0.5 |
| Seat scoop | Comfort dish in the seat pan | 0 to 60 mm; default 20 mm |
| Throw pillows | Add a pair of soft pillows leaning against the back | On or off; default off |
| Front-left corner | Round this seat corner on its own | 0 to 250 mm; default 40 mm; advanced |
| Front-right corner | Round this seat corner on its own | 0 to 250 mm; default 40 mm; advanced |
| Back-left corner | Round this seat corner on its own, raise both back corners to nest into a tub | 0 to 250 mm; default 40 mm; advanced |
| Back-right corner | Round this seat corner on its own, raise both back corners to nest into a tub | 0 to 250 mm; default 40 mm; advanced |
| Edge profile | How the edges are finished: square, chamfered or rounded over. | Square, Chamfer, Roundover; default Roundover; advanced |
| Edge size | How big the edge profile is. | 0 to 18 mm; default 6 mm; advanced |
Back
The back: its style, height, lean and recline.
| Field | What it does | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Back style | shell = wrap-around tub | Shell, Cushion, Slats, Panel, Ladder, Wood curved; default Shell |
| Back height | Height of the back above the seat. | 0.22 to 0.62 m; default 0.42 m |
| Back lean | How far the shell back reclines (negative = leans forward) | -0.06 to 0.2 m; default 0.08 m |
| Slats / rails | How many slats or rails make up the back. | 2 to 8; default 4 |
| Recline | Lean the back / rake the rear legs | 0 to 18°; default 6° |
| Crest rail | A rail across the top of the back. | On or off; default on; advanced |
Tub shell
The wrapped shell of a tub chair or armchair.
| Field | What it does | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Wrap | How far the tub shell curves around (higher = arms reach forward) | 0.32 to 0.72; default 0.5 |
| Arm drop | How far the tub arms slope down to the front | 0 to 0.7; default 0.45 |
| Shell smoothness | Blend the inner-surface seams into a smooth skin (higher = smoother, arm fronts stay crisp) | 0 to 1; default 0.4 |
| Shoulder | Smooth the whole crown → arm-front sweep: 0 = defined shoulder, 1 = one straight incline line (whatever the back height / arm drop) | 0 to 1; default 0.85 |
| Edge roll | Roll the arm fronts and the back's top edge together, from a flat square cap (0) to a soft upholstered bullnose (1). Flatten now, add smoothness later by raising it. | 0 to 1; default 0.7 |
| Back drop | Push the back crown down toward the arms for a low, even-topped tub | 0 to 0.6; default 0; advanced |
| Back curve | Straighten the round barrel back into a flat panel (0 = rounded, 1 = straight) with rounded arm corners | 0 to 1; default 0; advanced |
| Arm reach | Reach the arm tips forward over the seat | 0 to 0.25 m; default 0 m; advanced |
| Back base | Push the bottom of the back down past the seat to close the rear gap | 0 to 0.2 m; default 0 m; advanced |
| Arm base | Push the bottom of the arms / sides down onto the seat to close the gap beside it | 0 to 0.2 m; default 0 m; advanced |
| Front arm top curve | Bevel the arm's front top corner, 0 = square upright front, 1 = the sharp top-front corner is rounded down and back into one smooth continuous arc along the crown→seat line. Works with Edge roll off. | 0 to 1; default 0; advanced |
| Front arm bottom curve | Curve the arm's leading edge back near the bottom, shapes the lower half of the arm-front arc down to the seat (0 = straight, 1 = as much as the arm can take) | 0 to 1; default 0; advanced |
Molded shell
The one piece molded shell of a shell chair.
| Field | What it does | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Side curve | Curls the sides up into a bucket / wings | 0 to 140 mm; default 55 mm |
| Continuous arc | Wrap the sides forward into a tub / barrel with arms | 0 to 1; default 0 |
| Arm rise | Raise the sides into integrated wrap-around arms (a tub). Pair with Continuous arc | 0 to 0.3 m; default 0 m |
| Smooth edges | Round the shell rim: 0 = sharp cut, 1 = full bullnose | 0 to 1; default 0.35 |
| Top arc | Arch the top rim: high crown sweeping down to the arms | 0 to 1; default 0; advanced |
| Bottom arc | Sweep the front / bottom rim up toward the sides | 0 to 1; default 0; advanced |
| Front arc | Bow the seat front forward into a curved, D-shaped lip | 0 to 1; default 0; advanced |
Base
Legs, or a plinth the seat sits on.
| Field | What it does | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Splayed legs, or a curved wood plinth wrapping the front (a tub lounge) | Legs, Plinth; default Legs |
| Plinth wrap | How far the wood base curves around the front | 0.35 to 0.9; default 0.62 |
| Plinth thickness | Thickness of the curved wood band | 30 to 110 mm; default 60 mm; advanced |
| Cushion overhang | How far the seat bulges out past the wood base | 0 to 140 mm; default 45 mm; advanced |
Legs
The legs and the rear uprights.
| Field | What it does | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Leg profile | The shape of the legs. | Post, Tapered, Round, Turned, Hairpin; default Tapered |
| Leg taper | Narrowing toward the foot (tapered / round / turned legs) | 0 to 0.7; default 0.35; advanced |
| Leg splay | Angle the legs outward, mid-century style | 0 to 25°; default 0°; advanced |
| Front leg size | How thick each leg is. | 24 to 60 mm; default 40 mm |
| Rear stile size | Size of the rear uprights. | 24 to 55 mm; default 36 mm |
Arms
Open arms, or none.
| Field | What it does | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Arms | Tub shells wrap their own arms | None, Open; default None |
| Arm height | Armrest height above the seat | 0.15 to 0.3 m; default 0.22 m |
| Arm size | Size of the arms. | 20 to 48 mm; default 30 mm; advanced |
Frame
Stretchers between the legs.
| Field | What it does | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Stretchers | Bars linking the legs near the floor | None, Side, H, Box; default None |
How chairs are designed
Open Custom furniture
In the editor, open Furnish and choose Custom furniture, or type CUSTOM (CF). The presets open, by kind.
Place it
Pick a chair, then click where it goes, at a table or in a corner.
Shape it
Change the seat, its cushion and corners, the back and its recline, the shell, legs, arms and fabric.
Get the cut sheet
The cut sheet counts every board and nests it on stock sheets, with the edge tape, timber and hardware.
Chairs questions, answered.
Which chairs can I design?
Dining chairs with cushion or wood seats, slat, panel and ladder backs, armchairs, tub chairs with a wrapped shell, molded shell chairs and lounge chairs on a plinth.
Can I upholster a chair?
Yes. The seat cushion, back and shell take a fabric: linen, boucle, taupe, grey or charcoal fabric, or tan leather.
Can the seat and back be one piece?
Yes. Set the form to continuous and the seat and back are one molded shell.
Can I get a cutting list?
Yes. The cut sheet lists the boards, nests them on a stock sheet size you choose, and adds up the edge tape, timber, hardware and machining.
Read on
- Tables: The table it goes round.
- Stools: Bar and counter stools.
- Custom Furniture: All ten kinds of piece, and their cut sheets.
- Furniture and kitchens docs: The catalogue, custom furniture, pots and plants.