The Most Versatile Chair in the Universe
Meet the Duochrome Catifa 46 by Arper. These are just lovely so when I spotted them I wanted to share them here with you. They debuted at the recent Salone in Milan and join the Catifa family of chairs, designed by Spanish design firm Lievore Altherr Molina and made by Arper, which debuted in 2004.
I tried to count how many variations of the Catifa are already available, but then my brain started to hurt — way too much math. There are 14 styles of the chair on the Arper site, but each of those is then available in 100s of combos of base style/finish/seat material and colour. I love how the same seat can be interpreted in moulded plastic or wood or can be sheathed in leather or fabric. Even in so many different forms the chairs are still identifiable as Catifa. What an incredible feat of design!
The Duochrome palette includes rosé, petrol, yellow, ivory and smoke. As the name suggests, the colours are meant to be combined in twos to create a soft palette, the effect of which is amplified by combining 4, 6 or more chairs in a dining room or commercial space. Monochrome versions are also possible. Please enjoy this photo gallery.
Isn't it fantastic? To me the Catifa family calls to mind the Polypropylene Stacking Chair, designed by Robin Day in 1963 and still ubiquitous today. Here's a peek at that one to refresh your memory:
Remind you of school days or every cafeteria or gymnasium theatre presentation you've ever been to? But still so good, right?
And one last tidbit to share. The first time I encountered the work of Lievore Altherr Molina was when working on a story on this kitchen for a House & Home special issue.
This is an all-time favourite kitchen design and was executed by Lloyd Ralphs Design. The David Weeks light and Smile stools by our Spanish friends sure kick that IKEA cabinetry up several notches! I was pleased to have a chance to voice-over a video about the virtues of this kitchen, which you can catch on House & Home TV.