At ICFF: Whole In One

If you’re one of those sad unfortunates who has never seen snow-raised, perhaps, in the perpetually blinding blare of SoCal sun, or the tropical stupor of the Sunshine state-then I highly recommend you take the next plane to Oslo, contract a ferry out to Sykklvsfjord, ascend the formidable peaks of Mt. Straumshorn, then throw yourself upon the glacial remnants to make all manner of snow angels. Only then will you truly appreciate the inspiration behind Whole in One, by compatriots Nora Furuholmen and Christian Sæther and manufacturer Mokasser. Based in the unlikely furniture mecca of Sykklvsfjord in the Norwegian Fjord country, Mokasser aspires to “continue Norwegian furnituremaking traditions, and quality standards, combined with the best of tomorrow’s form. At Mokasser we seek to inspire the design and quality conscious user both in private and public spaces.” They are also students of the science of sitting. Hence, Saether and Furuholmen looked to natural movement in a natural setting as the conceptual basis for Whole in One-and what could be more natural than the soft embrace of Norwegian snow?

Whole in One. Designed by Nora Furuholmen and Christian Sæther. Manufactured by Mokasser.

At ICFF: Whole In One

Made from moulded cold cure foam and fiber wrapped around a wooden frame, Whole in One resembles just that-a personalized sanctuary that cradles the entire spinal axis: “it offers great comfort both for sitting and resting, and its various possible sitting postures holds good support for the body.” Whole in One is essentially a square of foam (or equilateral diamond, if you prefer, given its orientation with respect to its feet) tilted up and hollowed out, so that the upholstered foam follows the body’s contours. It’s imaginative-and if the snow metaphor doesn’t do it for you, you could think of it as that most prized square of golf’s green, plucked from the links at Augusta or St. Andrews and made as pliable as pillows-yet versatile as well. Available in an endless palette of the bright and the cheery, as well as custom fabrics chosen by the client, Whole in One is “a chair to cuddle up in at home, but also a chair which can be recommended as multiples in larger public settings.” It’s right for living room or lounge, an airport atrium in Copenhagen or a coffee house in Prague.

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