Design of an armchair / lounge chair

AUREA — Executive & Lounge Armchair Collection

Design Concept

AUREA is conceived as a premium armchair collection designed for executive offices, representative waiting areas, hospitality interiors and sophisticated lounge environments. The main objective was to create a piece that immediately communicates comfort and prestige, while maintaining a controlled, contemporary silhouette that can remain relevant beyond short-lived furniture trends.

Rather than approaching the armchair as a combination of separate cushions, arms and structure, the design is based on the idea of a continuous protective shell surrounding a softer upholstered interior. This relationship between a precise architectural outer form and a warm, comfortable inner volume became the main identity of the AUREA collection.

The result is a chair that appears elegant and relatively compact from a distance, while offering a generous and welcoming seating experience when approached.

Form and Design Language

The external shell creates the defining gesture of the chair. Its curved geometry wraps around the sides and rear of the seat, producing a sense of enclosure without making the product visually heavy.

A thin visible edge of wood emphasizes the precision of the shell and creates a clear contrast with the softer upholstered surfaces. The armrests are visually integrated into the composition rather than treated as separate components, while the broad backrest gives the chair a calm and recognizable silhouette.

One of the characteristic details is the 25 mm nominal rear shadow gap between the main shell and the upholstered backrest. This separation makes the backrest appear visually lighter and almost floating, while concealed brackets connect it to the internal load-bearing structure.

This detail becomes an important signature of the AUREA identity and can be recognized from both side and rear views.

Proportions and Ergonomics

The standard AUREA armchair was developed within a controlled envelope of approximately 860 mm width, 860 mm depth and 790 mm overall height. The front seat height is approximately 430 mm, with a clear seating width of 570 mm and approximately 540 mm of usable seat depth.

These dimensions create a balance between the generous presence expected from an executive armchair and the compactness necessary for integration into different architectural environments.

Comfort was treated as a fundamental design component rather than simply as an aesthetic consequence. The proposed seat-to-back angle is approximately 107°, while the seat surface incorporates a subtle slope of approximately 3°. The backrest rises approximately 20° behind the vertical, creating a relaxed but still supportive seating position suitable for executive meetings, waiting areas and prolonged lounge use.

The internal cushioning is conceived as a layered system combining firmer structural support with a softer upper layer, allowing the chair to maintain its sculptural geometry while providing adequate comfort.

Structure and Manufacturing Logic

An important part of the concept was to clearly separate comfort, structure and visual finish.

The chair is organized as a sequence of coordinated elements: upholstery module, comfort core, load-bearing carrier, external wooden shell, swivel mechanism and four-arm metal base.

The load-bearing system is independent from the decorative outer shell. A plywood seat pan combined with an engineered timber or metal internal frame receives the primary loads, with additional local steel reinforcement around the swivel mechanism and backrest connection points. This ensures that the walnut shell is primarily treated as a refined visual and protective layer rather than being required to carry the principal structural loads.

The proposed outer shell is manufactured from molded plywood with walnut veneer, with an initial shell thickness target of approximately 12 mm. Its exposed edges are softly rounded to provide a refined tactile quality and eliminate unnecessarily sharp transitions.

The base incorporates a concealed 360-degree swivel mechanism positioned above a sculpted four-arm metal support. The dark bronze finish visually anchors the chair and creates a sophisticated contrast with both the timber shell and lighter upholstery. Replaceable floor glides and accessible underside connections are included within the proposed development strategy.

Upholstery and Material Strategy

AUREA was intentionally designed so that its identity remains recognizable across different upholstery and material combinations.

Three principal expressions were developed:

- Signature: ivory bouclé, walnut shell and dark bronze metal base.
- Executive: tobacco leather, walnut shell and dark bronze base.
- Soft Lounge: warm grey chenille combined with smoked oak.

The Signature version emphasizes softness and contemporary luxury, while the Executive variation offers a more formal character suitable for corporate interiors. The Soft Lounge version creates a quieter, residential interpretation that can work particularly well in premium hospitality and private lounge environments.

Regardless of finish, several details remain consistent throughout the collection: the integrated broad backrest, thin shell edge, restrained upholstery seam, rear shadow gap, tapered metal base and concealed underside connections.

This allows material customization without losing the identity of the product.

AUREA Lounge Extension

The project was developed not only as a single armchair but as the beginning of a coherent furniture family.

The AUREA Lounge extends the proportions of the original chair into a more relaxed seating typology. Its preliminary envelope is approximately 880 × 980 × 880 mm, with a lower 410 mm seat height, approximately 590 mm usable seat depth and a more relaxed seat-to-back relationship of approximately 110–113°

The Lounge version preserves the same characteristic timber shell, floating backrest effect and metal swivel base, but introduces deeper cushioning and a more reclined posture.

A matching ottoman completes the lounge configuration and allows the system to function as a premium relaxation chair for executive offices, hotel lounges, private libraries and residential interiors.

This collection approach is important because it allows the AUREA visual language to expand in the future into additional seating typologies while maintaining a consistent design identity.

Design Details

Particular attention was given to details that become visible at close range.

The upholstery is conceived as a removable and replaceable module with a controlled seam line and concealed fixing or zipper system. This allows future servicing or material replacement without requiring complete replacement of the chair. The design also provides access to mechanical and upholstery components from the underside, supporting a more practical long-term product strategy.

The combination of natural timber, tactile textile or leather and dark metal was selected to provide both visual richness and architectural neutrality. The chair therefore has enough character to function as a statement piece, but remains restrained enough to coexist with different interior styles.

Final Design Intent

AUREA is ultimately based on the contrast between precision and softness.

The external shell represents architecture, protection and structural clarity. The internal upholstery represents comfort, tactility and human interaction. Between them, the shadow gap creates a small but recognizable detail that gives the chair its individual character.

The design has been developed through orthographic views, ergonomic sections, construction diagrams, exploded assembly logic, material studies and a secondary lounge/ottoman configuration. The technical documentation defines the intended proportions and construction strategy while deliberately allowing final engineering decisions, foam densities, structural sections, fasteners and exact production tolerances to be coordinated with the selected manufacturer and physical prototype. The current documentation therefore represents a complete design-development concept rather than a final certified manufacturing package.

AUREA is intended to be more than a standalone armchair: it is conceived as the foundation of a recognizable premium seating family — elegant, ergonomic, technically rational and adaptable to contemporary executive, contract and lounge interiors.