Bariq, a new chair from Zeitraum, manages to pull off the tricky balancing act of working with a trend. In this case, the faceted, pleated, folded look creates a product of timeless appeal.

Bariq. Designed by Hertel & Klarhöfer. Manufactured by Zeitraum.

The Berlin-based design team of Hertel & Klarhöfer, who have worked on several successful products with Zeitraum in the past, explained they found inspiration in the work of coopers, especially how the individual staves were cut, bent, and joined to become sturdy, solid barrels. Working off that concept, they experimented with CNC wood processing to finalize their design. Boards of Oak, European Walnut, or darker American Walnut are routed out into the individual segments and then pieced back together with glue and dowel supports. This process retains the grain’s natural pattern across the entire chair, providing the illusion of folded wood. Bariq isn’t an overly large chair, but its strong, graphic look definitely delivers in the style department.