Old Techniques and Materials Shaping a Modern Chair Design: Cool-Chair

The collaboration between Karoliina Priha and Kaleb J Cardenas Z resulted in the creation of a fun-looking chair that combines traditional techniques with contemporary design. The Cool – Chair was born after over a year of work, as the final test students in the upholstery department from prestigious Swedish school Carl Malmsten Furniture Studies need to pass to graduate.

Assigned to design and develop a furniture item with a student in the upholstery department, Kaleb J Cardenas Z worked with upholsterer Karoliina Priha on the Cool – Chair and the result is a hybrid between old techniques and modern design. Using a new technique developed especially for this piece, designers used horse hair to stuff the wool tubes shaping the intriguing back rest supported by a wooden frame.



“A master piece requires many rules and old techniques that must be added to the piece and are inspected by some of the most talented Master Upholsters in Sweden; it was Karoliina´s desire to not just make a traditional chair, she wanted to implement all this requirements and old techniques into a fun and attractive piece of furniture. “Cool – Chair” creates a comfortable space to sit, an attraction to the eye that fulfills all this expectations and wishes.”