Named Chaise Espinhal or ‘Spinal Chaise’ in Portuguese, this unique-looking chaise lounge comes with an incredibly memorable design, featuring a spine-inspired rest made from 56 individual wooden cylinders aligned together and mounted on a sheet metal base. Depending on where you look at it from, the chaise does look like it has its own spine, and I imagine it would be rather fun to sit on (sort of like those wooden-bead car seat covers!
Designer: Mauricio Coelho
There’s an undeniable dynamism to the Chaise Espinhal, even though it’s pretty static to look at. The wood follows a Gestalt of continuity, creating a wave-like surface through a series of 56 wooden cylinders lined up precisely. The chair isn’t just visually appealing, it has a raw tactile quality too, and I can bet my bottom dollar that your hand will want to run itself along the wooden surface at least once!
A lot of Coelho’s work involves experimenting with forms, compositions, and proportions. A furniture designer by profession, Coehlo tries to make the mundane interesting, and the simple look complex. He often uses materials in expected and unexpected ways, sometimes making wood look soft, or leather look hard. For the Chaise Espinhal, the wood takes on a more human-like appeal, with its skeletal inspiration. Just like a spine looks delicate but can carry the weight of your entire body and then some more, the Chaise Espinhal has a minimal frailty to its design, but thanks to its sheet metal and wood construction, can comfortably take on the weight of a human.
