This isn’t a topic we’ve given much thought to, although considering how often we encounter it everyday and how important to our comfort it is, we can’t quite work out why. Just one word for you: upholstery.
In her work Zieharsofika, Meike Harde has sat down and had a good think about the possibilities of re-inventing and improving the cushioning we all take for granted. The German product design graduate has used all her theoretical schooling to come up with this clever but simple idea – taking a flat piece of rubber/foam matting and reshaping it with the use of elastic bands.
The results are surprisingly ornamental given the basic materials – they’re relatively inexpensive – and there is another advantage to this technique: since the cushions are only attached to the wood by the elastic, once worn, they can be easily and cheaply replaced. Sit on that, Ikea.
