Inspired by the block colours and simple shapes found in the work of American minimalist artist Ellsworth Kelly, Claesson Koivisto Rune has upholstered the pair of padded Kelly chairs in vivid tones.

The rounded seat and back of the first chair appear to be formed from one section that is pinched at the place where they join.

A giant square back with rounded corners and a rectangular seat of the same width make up the larger chair.

Designed for Italian furniture brand Tacchini, both models have thin metal legs and bracing that look like they rest lightly against each other.

The legs of the bigger chair are stabilised with two crossed rods at the back, while the smaller seat has a single bar that spans beneath the seat to join the secondary struts on each side.

Tacchini is showing the furniture at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, stand C25 hall 16, until Sunday.

The Swedish designers are also presenting a kit-of-parts for a prefabricated Scandinavian house in Milan this week.

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Claesson Koivisto Rune sent us the text below:

Kelly seating family

Inspiration does not follow straight lines. Only in hindsight does it appear logical. But one thing is true: Inspiration is inspirational.

One inspired artist is American Ellsworth Kelly. And that inspired us.

But it takes more to create inspired product design than an inspired Swedish designer. It takes two to play. This crazy, weird, childish, beautiful, wonderful play-doh-graphic universe is just the kind of inspiration that you can only develop into serious furniture together with an inspired manufacturer. And we’re so happy we’ve got Tacchini, the Italian friend willing to play.

It’s not art, it’s just design. But that’s what we do. With joy. Enjoy.

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for Tacchini appeared first on Dezeen.

Milan 2011: Swedish studio Claesson Koivisto Rune presented this series of sofas with different-height backrests for Italian brand Tacchini in Milan last week.

Intended to be grouped in clusters for contract interiors, the Highlife series comprises seats with the same arms, frames and cushions but interchangeable backs.

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The information below is from the designers:

HIGHLIFE seating collection

The basic sofa as landscape.

A family of sofas and easy chairs – fairly simple in form – with one prominent feature: different heights of the backrest. A family of furniture that creates dynamic spaces within interiors when used in contract spaces such as hotels etc.

The high backrest is today something that has gotten a renewed interest in the contract market, since the need of privacy has arrived with the use of cellphones, laptops, iPads, e-readers, etc.

However, most of the current designs often have three of their four sides high, giving a box-like appearance, ”closing off” these pieces into individual cocoons. We believe this is excessive. In our opinion, the greatest need is actually for visual privacy from behind.

By giving each piece in a small collection – where many of the components, such as armrests, pillows and seat cushions, are essentially the same – a different backrest height creates an interesting visual dynamic.

Backrest comfort can be created with a double row of loose pillows. This eliminates the need for a perfect backrest angle.

Detailing

Within our design team are people with tailoring experience. During the development of HIGHLIFE we played with familiar fasteners from clothing. Columns of buttons on the armrests and backrest are the result of this idea.

This detailing, together with carefully selected fabrics – chunkier for the backrest, smoother for the armrests and seat – help strengthen the appearance of the sofas as being ‘well dressed’, a bit like an elegant city gent.

See also:

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Baklava by Claesson Koivisto Rune	Vindobona by Claesson Koivisto Rune	Eve bracelet by Claesson Koivisto Rune

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for Tacchini appeared first on Dezeen.