Turkey is this month’s country, it would seem. First, Alicita Rodriguez wrote about Cenk Kara’s Lemon Sinks, and now I’m bringing you a whole lot more “k”s with the Sheetseat from Ufuk Keskin and Efecem Kutuk. Currently, Efecem Kutuk’s website is under construction, so I cannot ascertain for sure that he is, in fact, Turkish. On the other hand, Ufuk Keskin’s website is complete. Unfortunately, Keskin doesn’t actually delineate his heritage, but his BA in Industrial Design is from METU in Ankara, so I’m guessing he is indeed Turkish. Which is a long introduction to a simple idea—Turkey is producing some A+D products of great interest.

Sheetseat. Designed by Efecem Kutuk and Ufuk Keskin.

Much to my liking, Keskin and Kutuk’s Sheetseat is flat and, therefore, eco-friendly. The folding chair is made from a single sheet of ¾” plywood. The flat packing minimizes transportation costs (and energy) and economizes space (in transport and once arrived). The construction of Sheetseat also emphasizes saving energy: “It’s easy manufacturing process minimizes use of energy and labor during production.” Still a work in progress, Sheetseat has already managed to get a fair share of attention, having been “featured at DWR’s M+D+F 2009 and IDSA’s Equilateral 09:02 Exhibitions during New York Design Week.” Keskin is happy to receive emails regarding Sheetseat, eagerly awaiting collaborators “to bring it to life.” Given the popularity of Spring Chair, Ecosystems, and other plywood furniture and/or furniture that packs flat, someone should soon take up Keskin’s offer.