Dezeen Magazine

La Schaise chairs by Smarin

Smarin designs sunloungers that are "Hockney-universe friendly"

This collection of brightly coloured poolside furniture by French furniture brand Smarin will make its debut at the Centre Pompidou's David Hockney retrospective.

La Schaise chairs by Smarin

The La Schaise seating features soft elastic straps, wrapped around simple tubular steel frameworks. The range includes a lounge chair with a footrest as well as an updated take on the deck chair.

The coloured metal supports are reminiscent of the vivid shades used in many of Hockney's swimming pool paintings, which he completed during the 1960s and 1970s. This led to a collaboration with the Centre Pompidou, where the artist's touring retrospective exhibition is set to open on 21 June.

La Schaise chairs by Smarin

"I was invited by the Centre Pompidou Boutique because La Schaise was David Hockney-universe friendly," Smarin founder Stéphanie Marin told Dezeen.

The La Schaise chairs are intended as a more comfortable alternative to hard outdoor furniture, with the seats designed to improve bad sitting habits.

La Schaise chairs by Smarin

"I focused on the feeling of the body," added Marin. "And made a seat which allows the body to be unrestrained and find a natural position for the back, the muscles and for blood circulation."

"The mechanics of the body's functions and movements is an essential matter for me, and that is why this furniture is so minimal. The chairs follow the body, instead of having the body adapting itself."

La Schaise chairs by Smarin

The studio has also created a floor lamp, which comes in two heights and features a circular light disc supported by a trio of legs.

The pool lounger will be shown exclusively at the Centre Pompidou's David Hockney exhibition – originally shown at London's Tate Britain, where it drew over 400,000 visitors – until 4 September 2017. The whole La Schaise collection is due to launch January 2018.

La Schaise chairs by Smarin

The whole La Schaise collection is due to launch January 2018.

Smarin was set up in 2003, and works across furniture, product and set design. Its approach is often playful, with the studio creating everything from a "nap bar" with dune-shaped lounge chairs, to a vape alternative that uses essential oils to encourage better breathing habits.

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La Schaise chairs by Smarin
La Schaise chairs by Smarin
La Schaise chairs by Smarin
La Schaise chairs by Smarin
La Schaise chairs by Smarin
La Schaise chairs by Smarin
La Schaise chairs by Smarin