Spanish agency Alegre Design has redesigned a rocking chair traditionally used by new mothers to breastfeed and lull their babies to sleep, changing the basic form and adding breathable fabric supports (+ slideshow).
Alegre Design made the chair from an oak bucket-like seat connected to a rocking rail by tubular steel legs, which results in a gentler motion according to the studio.
The wooden seat extends up to create a frame for the backrest with a hollow centre. This form is upholstered in breathable Gabriel fabric, and the opening in the structure allows the textile to adapt to the sitter's body weight, with the intention of making it more comfortable for extended use. Reinforced cushions provide additional support.
"We wanted to use more modern shapes, without sharp angles that could be hazardous as the children grow up," Marcelo Alegre told Dezeen. "A new rocking chair design – nothing like the traditional ones, but a product that someone wants to sit on and enjoy these intimate moments with their child."
The wide armrests are curved at an angle designed to support the mother's arms while she is holding the child, and the chair comes with a footrest with built-in storage space for wipes, nappies and toys.
The studio chose the combination of white fabric and wood as a reference to the Scandinavian aesthetic that is popular with contemporary consumers.
"The concept originated from a personal need," said Alegre. "We developed Nana when my colleague Andrés and I watched our wives breastfeed our children in places that were not well designed."
"We checked the market and realised that there wasn't a nursing chair that took into account the position, materials and shapes for such intimate moments between mother and child," he added. "There has always been a huge development of products for the child, but very few products for mums."
Alegre Design is an industrial design and product development studio based in Valencia.