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View Full Version : Barstool...from 12 years and an award ..



Mark Singer
11-14-2004, 3:33 PM
My post on design has made me think of previous projects...About 1991 I designed this barstool for a client...At the same time I was designing a home for Mr and Mrs Eberlie, owners of Sitag a Swiss based furniture company. He loved the design an requested me to design a series...side chair, lounging chair,barstool, They trio had swivel backs that conform to your seating position. I made the first prototypes myself from wood and then it went to my friend Frank Smart and he executed it in stainless. It then came back to me. I made hand laminated contoured backs and seats from veneer...forming plywood ...the edges were trimmed and sanded an oil finish was applied... It led to other projects...I made the son Reto a bed ...now it must be somewhere in Europe. The chair design is not current with Sitag , but it was till recently and the design still has its influence on their current line. I submitted in 1993 and it won a Jury Excellence Award from the AIA. We still get requests for them...it is just a lot of work to make the custom ones ...one by one.

David LaRue
11-14-2004, 10:55 PM
Outstanding! I like it.

Ken Garlock
11-14-2004, 11:58 PM
Mark, there you go again showing us your immense talent. It is just depressing to see a man with such depth of capabilities; it makes me want to go out and kick my tools :o

Those chairs are so neat :cool: :cool:

Aaron Koehl
11-15-2004, 10:19 AM
I'd definitely like to see more of this here in the Design forum. Great work!

Dave Richards
11-15-2004, 10:39 AM
Mark, that's an intriguing design. Congratulations on the award.

Curious thing about that barstool is that the shape of the sides made me think about slumping back but I can see that the back of it is too low and I imagine that there'd be no inclination to slump if I was actually sitting in it. I like that sort of thing.

Years ago in a woodworking class when I was at the University of Wisconsin I designed and built a seat that looked like it would surely tip to one side if you sat in it. It didn't, though.

Keep showing us your work, Mark.

Dave

John Miliunas
11-15-2004, 11:13 AM
Mark, way, WAY cool! :D :cool: So, you think you could pack up just a *little* bit of your talent and UPS it to me? I'll gladly pick up the s/h! :D :cool:

Chris Padilla
11-15-2004, 11:30 AM
Very nice, Mark. Do you still have your wood prototype? I love the mixing of metal and wood...I've got a few marbles of ideas rolling around my noggin here and there.... :D

Mark Singer
11-15-2004, 11:32 AM
Dave,

The intersting thing is that since the back swivels to automatically adjust to the contours of your back...you don't slump unless you move your behind forward on the seat.


Mark, that's an intriguing design. Congratulations on the award.

Curious thing about that barstool is that the shape of the sides made me think about slumping back but I can see that the back of it is too low and I imagine that there'd be no inclination to slump if I was actually sitting in it. I like that sort of thing.

Years ago in a woodworking class when I was at the University of Wisconsin I designed and built a seat that looked like it would surely tip to one side if you sat in it. It didn't, though.

Keep showing us your work, Mark.

Dave

Pete Lamberty
11-15-2004, 3:51 PM
Cool chair Mark! Is the frame made of round or square stainless steel tubes? What I like is the chair seems to be in motion. I could almost see myself bouncing up and down in it. :D I have had an idea for a chair that contains metal. What/who would I look up in the yellow pages to find someone who would do something like this? Will they do just one chair? What or how do they charge? It really is a nice design. Thanks for shareing your experience.

Dave Richards
11-15-2004, 4:21 PM
Mark, I imagine if I slumped down on that stool, I'd flip over the back. Of course I have that problem with most furniture--gravity has a strange attraction to me. :D

Actually I think I got the impression of the slumping thing from the curve of the sides. That's not a bad thing, it's just a little surprise to me. I think the shape is one that would make someone look a little harder at the piece and not take it for granted like we take most furniture. I like that.

I'm not explaining myself so well but I hope you get the idea.

Dave

Mark Singer
11-15-2004, 7:56 PM
Dave,
The barstool holds your bottom and your back....so it doesn't really matter what the sides are doing. If the base is long enouh it will not tip over. I will look to see if I have photos of the other 2 chairs before they were shipped to Switzerland.

Chris, Sorry ...like so many models (homes and furniture) it is gone....I will look for photos of some earlier chair and table designs I did...my archives suck...I can't find anything...but I will try.

Dave Richards
11-16-2004, 6:26 AM
Mark, I've been explaining it badly. My apologies. I realize it won't tip over and that it will support the user. I like the form and the sweep of the sides.

I'll just stop trying to explain before I dig my hole deeper. :D

Nice stool, Mark.