Core77

Last year we reported on the success of the Tio Chair, the environmentally-friendly and semi-modular furniture piece from New Zealand's Conscious Design; made from managed-forest pine and using only water-based adhesives, the chair's slipcovers can be swapped out for a variety of others designed by New Zealand natives. Now here's a little backstory about the creation from NZ designers James Whitta and Nathan Goldsworthy: the simple but beautiful Tio has led their fledgling firm to NZ $250,000 in sales (about US $180,500) in their first year, with the firm now on track for a cool NZ mil in 2007.

Mr Whitta said they were now at a critical point. They needed to choose between custom designing - "where we have our fun" - and coming up with the next big product. "It will take a bit of letting go," he said.

via stuff dot co dot nz