Military Chair, designed by Gerrit Rietveld (1888 – 1964) in 1923 for the Catholic Military hostel in Utrecht 🇳🇱
@raganwald if it is anything like the Red and Blue Chair it will be amazingly comfortable
During lockdown I used his original plans and notes to make a replica Red and Blue Chair. For a chair which is all flat surfaces and angles it is remarkably relaxing and nice to sit in.
All came from a knowledgeable friend who saw my White Stripes album and explained the name. I then saw the design and loved the idea . I had to give away the chair when I moved house but it's still used daily.
Will dig out a photo if I can find it
@MatthewNewell My journey began forty years ago with a bicycle racing team sponsored by a 🇫🇷 conglomerate that owned Look. Look made ski equipment and had a bright idea: What if bicycle pedals, but ski binding releases in an accident?
Look used Mondrian-themed branding, and I loved their jerseys without knowing where the designs came from.
I stole Mondrian's look for a different hack many years back.
My iPhone had developed cracks on the back surface which really annoyed me - and made me worry they would spread. Rather than buy a case or just tape it together I got creative with Sugru!
From 16 years ago
Great design and stationery - a perfect combination. Love it
@MatthewNewell The Zig-Zag Chair is another iconic design. I commissioned a set of six replicas from a carpenter I found on the old newsgroups. They were my dining room chairs in the 90s, and the four holes matched some china that I happened to have picked up for a song when a high-end design shop decided to get out of accessories and focus on furniture.
I have had happy times with these objects, but I bet you must feel an immense satisfaction at making your chair. Respect++
@MatthewNewell Yes and no!
That came from a furniture company called Palazzetti that specialized in knocking off classic designs in a very low-quality way. And mine was a floor model that had seen some wear.
It is now an object d'art to look at, but I only rarely put anything like a cup of coffee on the top.
I now know that they did not use any of Rietveld's techniques, and recommend that anyone who wants a knock-off pay close attention to the construction.
Reginald
Matthew Newell
