Dezeen Showroom: architecture firm Gensler has designed Arper's Mixu chair, which can be mixed and matched with different materials and finishes to give interiors a personal touch.
The Mixu chair consists of three parts – a seat, backrest and base. Each part can be customised in a myriad of colour and texture options to create an individual product.
Through the combination of post-industrial recycled plastic, FSC-certified wood, fabric and leather, the chair's minimal silhouette can be adapted into many different looks, ranging from playful to sophisticated.
Gensler initially set out to design a plastic chair that would suit a wide range of contract projects but noticed when conducting research interviews with interior designers that they were ambivalent about this product category.
"There was a strong consensus amongst the participants that a plastic chair lacked both a sense of craftsmanship and humanistic qualities," said Gensler product design director Daniel Stromborg.
"In response, we realised we needed to create a chair that offered interior designers a degree of authorship and a sense of the human touch," Stromborg continued.
"With this in mind, we pivoted from the original design brief and co-created a direction that focused upon accommodating customisation."
As well as incorporating recycled materials, the product can be shipped disassembled to reduce its volume and carbon footprint. The chair is held together without glue or staples, allowing for easy replacement of parts and correct disposal or recycling.
Mixu is also available as a stool with a comfortable seat in the same size as the chair's.
Product: Mixu
Designer: Gensler
Brand: Arper
Contact: info@arper.com
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