We sit on them every day without giving them a second thought. I imagine the first chair a human ever sat on was probably a rock. The rock chair, I assume, was practical and durable yet extremely uncomfortable.  Somewhere along the line our species developed a taste for style and comfort, and in doing so, the following chairs came into existence and made our outlook of furniture and the comfort of our booty enormously better.  These five are my favorites. 

Chair #1: The Aeron Chair

Image from Guardian.co.uk

By Donald T. Chadwick and William Stumpf

Its been said that this chair looks like something Darth Vader might wear to the beach, this super ergonomic seat, designed for the venerable Herman Miller Company in 1992, is the real-life answer to the prayers of anyone who sits at a computer for hours at a time.  It comes in three widths and it also expands with age as to protracted sitting (suggested retail price is around $1,300, but simplyergonomic.com has them starting at $629) 

Chair #2: The Crystal Chair

Image from Freshome.com

By Fendi Casa

 A design triumph, its iconic form will certainly add a sparkle to your modern home. Radiating timeless beauty like a sculpture, this chair has a faultless finish. The sumptuous seat cushion is available in leather or fabric to tone with your interior. The chair stands on a metal base available in a variety of finishes, such as chrome. The seamless lacquered-polyurethane shell comes in black, ivory, platinum, or silver and with a number of variations for the seat cushion and metal base. Not cheap at $3,000, but think of it as an investment buy for those of you who can afford it. Available at Louvre. 

Chair #3: The Egg Chair

Image from Bauhaus 2 Your House.com

By Arne Jacobsen

This chair is a reproduction of the Egg Chair, which was originally designed in 1958 for the lobby and reception areas of the royal hotel in Copenhagen. This wonderful chair is one of the most recognizable chairs due to its unique shape.  This high quality reproduction is of polyurethane foam with fiberglass reinforcement. The shell has an adjustable tilt which can be adjusted to the weight of the individual user. The chair comes in wool, suede or leather; it is also available in a range of colors. Cost various depending on vendor, material and colour.   (Suggested retail price is between $600.00 to $4,000.00 

Chair #4: The Wood Chair

Image from Home Decor Ten Best

By Marc Newson

When I first took a look at this piece I did not think chair. It just did not seem to be something that most people, including me would consider when wanting to put our lower end down. I have to admit that comfort went out the door and admiration took its place, I simply could not look away. 

This spectacular chair was designed in 1988; it reinvents the bentwood chair that has fascinated furniture makers since the days of the art-nouveau curlicue rocker. It’s made of beech heartwood. (Suggested retail price around $5,700 at unicahome.com). 

Chair #5: The Windback Chair

Image from Guardian.co.uk

By Tom Dixon

Manufactured by a 200-year-old company (George Smith), this 2008 chair is one of the most beautiful, elegant, and comfortable pieces of modern design ever created. I read somewhere and agree with the quote that it lights up a room like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s WOW. The chair is made of mohair velvet upholstery (available in 15 colors) and has solid turned leg with black lacquered or natural finish.(suggested retail price is around $6,500). Tom Dixon chair!

MEET MARLENE

Marlene Pratt

 Marlene Pratt – Casa Latina’s resident home improvement expert – has over a decade of interior design and renovation experience. Marlene has served as co-host of Discovery Channel’s Fix-It Line, hosted Telemundo’s Saturday morning ” Mehorando Su Hogar” home improvement segment and appeared on FOX, CBS, WNBC, CNN and WB’s WPIX-TV as an interior design/renovation expert.    

 Marlene has also been featured in major magazines including Latina, Good Housekeeping, Parent and People En Español. As co-creator of Casa Latina, she is now dedicating her time, experience and enthusiasm to Casa Latina!   

MARLENE’S MISSION

Upper West Side Kitchen, NYC

“The biggest fear most people have with design is selecting new colors. I have discovered that they are wary of changing colors because it is difficult to envision what the end result will be after repainting a room for a second time. I ask my clients to be bold and to allow me add a little color into their lives; together we’ll explore how to integrate color and end up loving it”     

 “My job as a designer is not to impose my tastes on you, but rather to educate you. I’ll give you the best possible advice and work around any given object. I am obliged to always give you my most honest option, which may not always be the same as yours. With Casa Latina I will share my knowledge, passion for design and a lot of little secrets and tips I have learned along the way.”  

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

“I have two main philosophies as a designer. The first is that you don’t have to spend a million dollars to acquire a million dollar look. There are affordable ways to redecorate or renovate rooms in your home without having to break the bank.”     

Before-and-After

 “Not everyone has the budget or the desire to go out and buy everything new, but if you take a good look around your home you will be surprised that many items staring you in the face can be used to obtain a different look or function. For example, the chest that’s been sitting in your bedroom collecting dust for years can now be relocated to the living room and, by just placing a piece of glass on it, you can create a new coffee table.” 

 

Not only does it look good, but you’ve saved yourself a few hundred dollars. “I strongly believe that your home should be a reflection of who you are at all stages of your life. A part of all the individual personalities who live in the home should be reflected in its décor and style. As Latinos, our ethnicity is important to us and we should integrate elements of our heritage into our home. This is not to say that one should completely change one’s style or preference. But keepsakes and mementos can be displayed in an orderly manner; they do not have to be eliminated to create an exciting new look!”