Hipsters near and far are bound to be taken with David Rasmussen’s ReDesign Wingback Chair. The piece looks (and feels, one imagines) as if it were hijacked from the velvety lounge rooms and smoky bowling halls of the 70s and somehow reified in this second decade of the new millennium as a thoroughly appealing—if markedly vintage—contemporary chair.

ReDesign Wingback Chair. Designed by David Rasmussen. Manufactured by David Rasmussen Design.

ReClaim the past with the ReDesign Wingback Chair

But then “hijack” probably isn’t the best word, since this former diamond in the rough surely came eagerly, certainly went willingly to its 2011 incarnation. The piece is a re-constitution of sorts, as designer Rasmussen rescued ReDesign’s frame from a used furniture shop, then “stripped and modified it to bring in some modern style.”

Said modifications are many and varied, if rather subtly integrated. They include the addition of solid walnut arms; a comprehensive re-upholstering; and a razor-sharp seam on both front and back that points—like an A&D divining rod to find delicious details—to a lovely lone button.

The vivid blue velvet is, of course, the piece’s proverbial  pièce de résistance—for what better way to evoke the 70s signature appeal? But it’s the synergy of the whole that really gives the ReDesign Wingback its new shot of life, its second coming as a clever and comfy centerpiece with a bold new aesthetic.

About the Manufacturer: David Rasmussen Design is a design-build firm operating out of scenic Carbondale, Colorado. This one-time bedroom community for swanky Aspen (just up the road) is now a haven for artisans, artists, and craftspeople of all stripes, so Rasmussen fits right in. Raised and Educated in New England, the designer is well-versed in the art of fine woodworking, as well as period styles. With special knowledge of Danish, Ming Dynasty, and contemporary American studio furniture, Rasmussen excels at incorporating the old within the new—“my design is a response to modern aesthetics and resonates with iconic design.”