Vitra Home Stories
for Spring 2024
Vitra Home Stories
for Spring 2024
World-famous Swiss manufacturer Vitra is synonymous with ground-breaking 20th Century design. A family business for over 80 years, the campus at Weil am Rhein, Germany, has grown to house the Vitra Design Museum by Frank Gehry amongst its numerous buildings by renowned architects. Today, in combining technical and conceptual expertise with the creativity of contemporary designers, Vitra seeks to continue pushing the boundaries of design. Each season, Vitra releases product updates and provides inspiration by showcasing fresh, unexpected ideas for the home. This spring, the focus is on the dining area - the social hub of most homes - with the launch of the Mikado chair by British design duo Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby.
This season also sees the launch of vibrant and versatile Colour Frame Mirrors by Julie Richoz, Eames stools - counter and bar height versions of the Eames plastic chair and the Eames wire chair, plus the release of a new textile option, Cento, a high-quality and sustainable virgin wool upholstery fabric that has been awarded the EU Ecolabel, thanks to its material purity and ecological use of resources.
Mikado Dining Chair
Mikado is a chair with a serene yet commanding aura that aims to impress not by its form but through its comfort – whether used around home dining tables, in restaurants or for meeting rooms. The Mikado seating experience is defined by upholstery on all sides as well as the movement of the backrest. An ingeniously simple mechanism concealed beneath the seat allows the back to recline slightly, adding to the comfort level.
"With Mikado, we have made a chair of supreme comfort. It utilises the very best of Vitra's engineering excellence - dynamic components that enable the back to move independently - all of which are concealed deep inside the soft upholstery."
Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby
Mikado was designed with sustainability in mind from the outset: the covers are not glued and can be removed for cleaning or replacement. The legs may be replaced individually or exchanged for a different material option – wood or recycled aluminium. The inner seat panel is made of aluminium with a high recycled content, and the backrest shell is produced from recycled post-consumer polypropylene, which can be easily separated from the foam padding during recycling. The concept of a simple exchange of components gives Mikado long-term versatility, thereby ensuring longevity.
Mikado is available as an armchair with the suggestion of armrests or as a side chair, with each offering a distinctive seating experience. Yet they are so similar that they can be combined without disturbing the visual harmony around a table or within a given space. Different legs, two backrests, a choice of fabric or leather covers and numerous colours afford a wide variety of possible combinations. On display in store in Iroko cream fabric with natural oak legs.
Eames Stools Medium & High
The Shell chairs by Charles and Ray Eames are counted among the most important furniture designs of the twentieth century. Their organically shaped seat shells can be combined with a variety of different bases. In collaboration with the Eames Office, Vitra has launched stool versions - medium height ideally suited to kitchen counters, and high for bars and standing tables. The base is a variation of the classic DSX four-legged base, in chrome or powder-coated basic dark, ergonomically adapted slightly for the higher seating position with a footrest to ensure added comfort.
Colour Frame Mirrors
Inspired by children's building blocks and their myriad combinations, the Colour Frame Mirror designed by Julie Richoz is imbued with a simple graphic quality. Made in three sizes and three colour palettes - two bright and one neutral - the four sides are each designed in different hues. The depth of the frame makes it a useful storage shelf for small things: keys, sunglasses, or objets d'art. Several mirrors can be arranged together - like building blocks - to create individual compositions with interacting colours. Large and small hang vertically whilst the medium mirror can hang vertically or horizontally.
Outdoor Dining
The dining area is the social hub of most homes: where household members gather to eat, entertain guests, work, play, talk and laugh. Wherever it is located - usually indoors, but also outdoors in spring and summer - it is important to find the right chairs and tables for every use and setting.
Now is the time to reclaim your balcony, patio or garden from the cold winter months - savouring a relaxed breakfast in the garden or spending long evenings with family and friends outdoors. Many items of Vitra furniture are not only suitable for the dining room but also for outdoor spaces, letting you turn garden corners or balconies of any size into a place of enjoyment and well-being.
Cento Upholstery Fabric
Cento is made of 100% high-quality virgin wool and therefore fully recyclable.
Cento is the result of joint development efforts by Vitra and Rohi. Thanks to its material purity and ecological use of resources, the sustainable fabric has been awarded the EU Ecolabel. The colours are inspired by nature and its hues, creating fresh and elegant tones. Its bouclé appearance and three-dimensional structure create a lively surface texture with a voluminous granular feel. The wool fabric has a thermo-regulating effect and is resistant to dirt.