Offbeat Chair Designs that Give Your Space a Whole New Look

Chairs are definitely a necessity, but that doesn’t mean they have to be boring. Don’t settle for four legs and a boring shape. Designers have come up with chairs that are artful and comfortable as well as functional. Instead of picking something that will blend in, pick a style that stands out and makes a statement with an unusual silhouette or innovative materials. Not sure where to start?  Take a look at these ten cool chairs with designs that are far from conventional.

Grid Armchair

Nordic inspired low chair
The wire frame is substantial and light at the same time.

Indoors or out, Fikissimo’s Grid armchair will grab the attention of design aficionados along with everyone else. A semi-circular, dimensional iron structure supports a gray disk made of cement. The round seat has a vintage look thanks to the triple finished cement. The chair’s architectural vibe and modern seat make it durable and practical in so many places around the home, from the patio to the living room. This very unusual cool chair is both spare and refined. Cozy it up with your favorite throw and make it the ultimate, stylish spot to relax.

Glass & Ply Architectural Chair

Nordic inspired low chair
Highly architectural design makes this a standout chair.

Like a tall city building with its stacked levels, the Glass and Ply Chair by Odddot is an architectural chair that will be the focal point of the room. Elegant, horseshoe-shaped curves of gloss-topped plywood successively build up to form the frame, each segment separated by a gleaming piece of metal. Inside the curve, a thick piece of glass serves as the seat, preserving the look of the successive levels. A modern and artful chair, it was created by the UK-based duo behind the company, who both have a background in exhibition design and manufacturing. The offbeat chair is a striking choice for a home office or living room.

Minimalist Reclining Chair

Nordic inspired low chair
This recliner is more streamlined than the typical model.

Minimalist and modern, this version of a recliner by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec is seriously stylish.  Unlike its overstuffed suburban relatives, the recliner features beautiful solid ash and an enduring design. The seat angle is reminiscent of a classic Adirondack chair, especially with its rectangular armrests. Of course, while that classic chair is a static piece, this Quindici recliner has a seat that is not fully attached, which makes the seated person feel as if they are floating, which creates a relaxing and ergonomic design.

The Bouroullec brothers created the collection  — it’s also available in a version without the leg rest — for Mattiazzi in their third collaboration with the company. The well-known French brothers have a Paris-based design studio.

Folded Metal Marvels

These folded metal chairs are modern and moody.
These folded metal chairs are modern and moody.

A bit like origami, these edgy chairs are simple yet very dimensional. The unusual lines look a bit like a seated human even when empty. The Arcana Metals design and fabrication studio of Queens, New York created these geometric beauties that have a very dramatic vibe. A masterful work of creased and bent metal, coated in eye-catching hues, these cool chairs are ideal for a dining table or for a conversation area in a modern living room.

An Armchair That Embraces

Mid-century designs are always cool, especially in robin's egg blue.
Mid-century designs are always cool, especially in robin’s egg blue.

Mid-century modern classics have their own cachet that never goes out of style and a great example of this is the Cherner “pretzel” chair. Originally designed by Benjamin Cherner in the 1960’s, the Cherner Chair Company re-released it in 2012. Created in the materials of the era — laminated molded plywood and solid wood — the rounded arms look like they want to hug you. The bright cushioning adds a pop of color that is also a nod back to the heydays of mid-century modern when bright hues became popular. It’s one of the cool classics that is as fresh today as it was back then.

New Twist on a Basic Shape

Simple lines get a new treatment in this beautiful wood chair.
Simple lines get a new treatment in this beautiful wood chair.

Rounded curves add new dimensions to a basic chair shape in the Sensi chair by Sasipat Leelachart, an ArtCenter environmental design student. The chair was one of the selected entries at the 2018 ICFF Studio competition in New York. The contest is for designers working in the industry for less than five years who have a working prototype that is not in commercial production. It was rightly selected because of the fluid lines of the two wooden curves that form the frame. The smooth and comfortable seat highlights the beauty of the wood used. Although it has a spare shape, the atypical design-forward frame style attracts attention.

A Chair that Makes You Smile

The Bunny chair is pure fun for adults.
The Bunny chair is pure fun for adults.

Lots of chairs elicit “oohs”, “ahhs” and “hmmms” but few will make people smile in happiness. The Bunny seat from Seges Redia of Lithuania exudes pure happiness. With a backrest that looks like two big bunny ears, the armless chair is a happy addition to a living room or bedroom. Adults and children alike will want to take a seat.  It also lightens the mood of a home — or corporate — office with its playful profile. It’s made with a strong plywood frame covered in elastic foam and upholstered in a range of colors. The Bunny chair is just plain fun!

Deconstructed Construction

Changing the basic assembly of the chair makes a totally different profile.
Changing the basic assembly of the chair makes a totally different profile.

This or That Studio’s chair has all the usual part – just in a skewed silhouette. The basic frame has an elongated seat and the cushion is placed at the front edge, while the typical backrest is actually behind it, resting on the frame. This allows the back cushion to be slanted, increasing the comfort of the chair. The Toronto-based studio makes all its creations in white oak, steel tubing and wool upholstery. It’s a quality piece of furniture in a modern form.

A little Nordic, a little Asian, this chair has seriously chic style.
A little Nordic, a little Asian, this chair has seriously chic style.

Low slung and ample, the Roque chair is a melding of Japanese and Scandinavian design inspiration. Designed by Trish Roque, it is the first piece in COFO collection. COFO is a platform design to introduced new designers and their products to the market. The frame has a pudgy profile and is made from laser-cut steel with an electroplated finish. The piece is completed with a cushion of organic latex and multi-layered high-density foam, covered in premium Italian melton wool Canadian Maple. While it has all the basic elements, the unique and angled design gives it a totally different look that will set your room apart from the usual.

From fun and cushy to architectural and elegant, new chair designs take all sorts of forms and present various vibes. Take a look at the unconventional constructions that companies are presenting and you’re sure to find a style that reflects your personality and make a cutting-edge design statement.