Central Swedish firm Offecct (located far, far away from Ikea in Skaraborg) won the 2010 Red Dot Award for two products, including Fly, a lounge chair designed by Patrick Norguet. A piece that serves for both indoor and outdoor living areas, Fly is patterned after a kabuto. What is a kabuto? Good question. It’s a Japanese helmet traditionally worn as part of a Samurai’s armour. Featuring a great curving top, the kabuto lends Fly its distinctive shape, which is achieved by using a 100% polyester mesh fabric that is stretched over a metal frame. The result is “an organic design language where the fabric itself creates much of the shape.” In case you’re wondering, Offecct’s other winner is Geo, an acoustic panel designed by Ineke Hans.

Fly. Designed by Patrick Norguet for Offecct.

Fly has a cantilever frame to hold the knitted fabric skin, making it give with the weight of the person who’s using it. This give-and-take echoes the overall shape of the design, which makes Fly look as if it’s about to take off. The rounded back, along with the ovular hole created by the base, lend Fly a sense of movement. Available in black, brown, and green, Fly adds a touch of whimsy wherever it lands. The green chair in a predominantly white living room looks almost like a piece of sculpture. And the black one outdoors, grouped around a sparkling blue pool, creates a fluid set piece that stresses the rippling effects of the water. Offecct’s lounge chairs are usually interesting: check out their flat-pack animatronic Robo as well.