Dutch architect/designer Reinier de Jong, founder of the design studio of the same name, has designed a chair, a chaise longue and a stool; the kicker is they're all the same item.



"KEER means 'multiply' and 'turn' in Dutch. And turning is exactly what you need to do to multiply this chair [into its three iterations]. Rather than buying a separate stool, a regular chair and a reclining chair, why can't one chair just do all that?"

Technically speaking the KEER chair, constructed of lightweight polyethylene, has a fourth application; it can be widened into a bench. "Each polyethylene piece is 20 centimeters (8 inches) wide and can be connected to another by built-in magnets; it's up to you to decide the width," de Jong explains.

The Rotterdam-based designer struggled with different production methods before eventually settling on rotation molding. Why? As de Jong explains,

"The design basically asks for this production method:

1) Being able to turn the chair requires it to be light in weight.
2) The type of continuous homogeneous skin fits the curvy shape.
3) Connecting one piece to another demands a high level of precision.
4) The midsection of the shape is relatively thin and therefore it needs
to be stable, stiff and strong.
5) Once the mold is ready, it's easy to produce."

Rotation molding isn't cheap, and de Jong's currently seeking investors. Should he find funding, he estimates the chair can retail for between 100 and 200 Euros.

"I think anyone who is really into designing furniture will sooner or later come up with the idea of a chair that can be used in different positions," de Jong says. "But that is just the point from which designing really starts. And in between a concept like that and an actual design is still a lot to be discovered."

More info: www.reinierdejong.com/

Date Posted: March 05, 2008
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