There are items we have at Panik Design that are just SCRUMPTIOUS! And it gets better than that. This is an item that is scrumptious AND has a story! The 'story' is what we live for at Panik. It's the story that takes you on the journey, allowing you to experience the designers' thoughts and feelings that go into each piece. Reflecting on the inspiration behind each finished creation is the magic of owning a piece of contemporary design. The Cuero Butterfly Chair has a tale to its name. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin....
First developed during the 1800s by British inventor Joseph Fenby, one of the Butterflies claim to fame is that was photographed seating Thomas Edison & Henry Ford! Originally, it was a folding canvas chair with wooden legs, making it a hit among the British officers during the First World War. It's not often that a chair can be labelled as a war hero, but here you have it! Moving forward to 1938, the design was then revamped by 3 young architects who transformed the Butterfly Chair into a frame of solid steel, accompanied by a luxurious seat made of saddle leather. What happened next is what we would described today as 'going viral'! This 50's style fashion makeover was so in trend during the Rock n Roll era that it became an absolute must in every teenage room around the world. To the utter dismay of parents, this allowed permission for the 'slouch' position that we all complain about as it was impossible to sit up straight in this chair!
”People are taller now than they were during the early 20th century” says Nils Kjerstadius, Lars’ son and present CEO of Cuero Design. ”I believe the old version is too small to sit in, making it uncomfortable today”.
Despite being one of the most famous and iconic designs of the 20th century, it must be addressed that it was one of the most uncomfortable chairs to sit in! Enter here Lars Kjerstadius, a Swedish entrepreneur who found the chair so intolerable that he decided to do something about it! Lars expanded the entire model giving it both more height and width than the original. This made it not only attractive visually but posturally agreeable too! The new and improved version was a soaring success and got the name Mariposa, meaning 'butterfly' in Spanish. Collaborating with some of the worlds most prominent tanneries Lars used the finest leather for his armchair, making the Mariposa a familiar piece in some of the most exclusive homes and hotels worldwide.
Celebrating the evolution of the Butterfly Chair has started a party at Panik Design. If you are anything like me you are going to want to go SOFT AND FLUFFY with this chair so check out the sheepskin version for that little extra sumthin sumthin!
First developed during the 1800s by British inventor Joseph Fenby, one of the Butterflies claim to fame is that was photographed seating Thomas Edison & Henry Ford! Originally, it was a folding canvas chair with wooden legs, making it a hit among the British officers during the First World War. It's not often that a chair can be labelled as a war hero, but here you have it! Moving forward to 1938, the design was then revamped by 3 young architects who transformed the Butterfly Chair into a frame of solid steel, accompanied by a luxurious seat made of saddle leather. What happened next is what we would described today as 'going viral'! This 50's style fashion makeover was so in trend during the Rock n Roll era that it became an absolute must in every teenage room around the world. To the utter dismay of parents, this allowed permission for the 'slouch' position that we all complain about as it was impossible to sit up straight in this chair!
”People are taller now than they were during the early 20th century” says Nils Kjerstadius, Lars’ son and present CEO of Cuero Design. ”I believe the old version is too small to sit in, making it uncomfortable today”.
Despite being one of the most famous and iconic designs of the 20th century, it must be addressed that it was one of the most uncomfortable chairs to sit in! Enter here Lars Kjerstadius, a Swedish entrepreneur who found the chair so intolerable that he decided to do something about it! Lars expanded the entire model giving it both more height and width than the original. This made it not only attractive visually but posturally agreeable too! The new and improved version was a soaring success and got the name Mariposa, meaning 'butterfly' in Spanish. Collaborating with some of the worlds most prominent tanneries Lars used the finest leather for his armchair, making the Mariposa a familiar piece in some of the most exclusive homes and hotels worldwide.
Celebrating the evolution of the Butterfly Chair has started a party at Panik Design. If you are anything like me you are going to want to go SOFT AND FLUFFY with this chair so check out the sheepskin version for that little extra sumthin sumthin!
