About the designer – Eero Saarinen is one of the most pioneered names of the midcentury modern design scene. Both an architect and furniture designer, Saarinen has crafted many iconic buildings and furniture pieces over the course of his life. Saarinen’s legace is littered with projects that portrayed his out-of-the-box thinking and innovation. His TWI Terminal at the JFK Airport remains a study in style and unique aesthetics even to this day. His Tulip table has sprouted many reproductions and alterations over the course of the last five or more decades.
He was a talented man with a clever eye for creating comfortable ambiances and furniture pieces. Saarinen’s facination with materials and shapes defined many of his works as ‘trailblazers.’ He reinvented the conventional in the most iconic of ways. Further, we’ll take a look at the womb chair and its story.
About the product – It was in 1943 when Saarinen joined Knoll, and it was the request of Florence Knoll (an apprentice of Mies van der Rohe who wanted a chair like a basket full of pillows to curl on) that he came up with the design of the Womb chair in 1948. The chair was an instant classic. It was also highly comfortable to boot and actually supported many body positions in a snug and agreeable way. It was dubbed the ‘Womb chair’ based on the fact that no one could have experienced a more comfortable sitting arrangement since their mothers womb. Saarinen himself had said, “…The chair is an attempt to rectify this maladjustment in our civilization.” Furthermore, we wanted to dethrone the overstuffed arm chair that ran rampant in interior designs at that time, so he created something much more subtle, visually pleasant, and unique.
The purpose of the Womb chair was to deliver the best resting positions without compromising the aesthetics. The fully enveloping form of the chair did exactly that by providing a nice, relaxing way to rest your body while its sculptural form sets precedent for timelessly iconic visuals. Its single-piece form remains a classic even today, and the Womb chair has become a favorite accent furniture piece of many all over the world. The chair actually comes in 3 sizes (small, medium, and large) and is made from the sturdiest materials.
(Fun Fact: The Womb chair was the first mass-produced fiber-glass chair in America)
About the material – There’s an inherent artistic expression about the design of Saarinen’s Womb chair and ottoman. The cozy shape of the seat is made out of molded fiberglass while the fabric is upholstered on a foam-covering that is spread over the whole shell. The base of this chair is made out of tubular steel rods. Their finish can either be polished chrome or black paint depending on the needs of the user. Moreover, this chair is GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified as well!
The ottoman’s internal seat skeleton is made from molded plywood on which a foam cushion has been upholstered. Its base is also made out of steel rods with a chrome or black paint finish. The fabric for upholstery can be chosen by the owner to suit their interior designs.
Points to ponder before purchase – There are two things that you have to ponder before purchasing this chair. Let’s take a look at them:
- The size: Since the Womb chair comes in 3 very different sizes, you have to be sure about which one suits the build and contours of your body the most – the large one, the medium one, or the small one? Choosing the wrong size can compromise your comfort.
- The aesthetic: The elegantly organic form of the Womb chair is highly eclectic in visuals. It has the sleek, clean aesthetic of a midenctury modern creation, but it is unconventional in many ways. Make sure that it can suit your desired ambiance and current surroundings before you choose to finalize your purchase.
Matching interior design styles – The Womb chair would make an excellent addition in the following interior design styles:
- Modern: The cleanly lined organic form of the Womb chair would make an excellent addition in any modern interior. Its colorful upholstery and unique form would make a great accent piece.
- Eclectic: Furnishing the womb chair in the middle of an artfully mismatched ambiance would always ramp up its accent capacity, so it’ll look great in eclectic style interior designs.
- Contemporary: Like all of Saarinen’s furniture pieces, the Womb chair has a timeless aesthetic so it would look stunning and totally on-point in a modern contemporary style ambiance.
So here’s everything that you need to know about this chair. We hope you’ll better understand its distinctness and story now.