Modern Commercial Seating

Pick up sticks is an old game, one that has been very popular with children throughout the ages. Players have to have steady hands to remove one stick in a pile without getting the others to move. One variation of the game is called Mikado. The Japanese-sounding name notwithstanding, it actually originated in Europe. Sticks used are made using a variety of materials, including wood, ivory, and plastics.

The sticks are a big source of inspiration for French-born designer Emmanuelle Moureaux, who created what she simply calls the Stick Chair. It was exhibited at the 100% Design Tokyo 2007 show, and was also featured in several design sites, like designboom. The big round wooden sticks, seven of varying colors for each chair, are very much reminiscent of the game.

The first thing a person would probably ask upon seeing Moureaux’s Stick Chair might be “does it work well as a chair?” Quite an understandable concern, as it may just look interesting but not be effective in terms of functionality. Would it be suitable for a commercial setting, say as modern bar furniture. It certainly looks modern enough, though.

Moureaux explains that the oblique way the sticks are positioned provide more than enough support for the chair’s thick acrylic seat. An optical illusion also appears in the seat where the sticks come up to form the back and go down to form the legs, making it seem like they are placed in water. The Stick Chair is the result of Moureaux’s efforts to find “unbalanced balance,” paradoxical that may seem.

Moureaux has made a name for herself in the world of design in Japan and abroad. Her work has won several awards and she has designed the interiors of numerous establishments in Japan, including the Spoon Café in Tokyo.