Header: Xingwang Xiong
The design of Ishi, aka the stone stool, is informed by the Japanese perception of objects. According to this line of thought, the meaning of objects is flexible, dependent on human perception rather than on the objects themselves. For instance, a stone can be just a stone, or a sculpture or a seat, depending on the function attributed to it by humans.
Xingwang Xiong
Going back to the basis
Following this logic, the designers of the Ishi Stool developed the concept by asking a simple question. What happens when you remove everything that isn’t essential? Further, what is the minimum required to make a stool? Does a stool even need legs? What about the decoration? The Mililab design studio decided to reduce the stool to its minimum requirements. As a simple piece of furniture, the stool is a surface placed at a sitting height.
The studio removed all unnecessary elements frequently used in stool design – the legs, the ornaments, the backrest- until all that remained was one subtle volume designed for sitting. Seemingly weightless and surprisingly thin, at first glance, the stool looks unstable as though it might tip. But the simplicity of the design hasn’t affected its stability. Even in its reduced form, the stool provides outstanding support.
Uncovering the beauty inside a tree
Mililab designers have chosen solid oak for the construction of the chair. Unlike veneers, whose patterns are printed on the surface, the solid oak’s beauty isn’t skin-deep. As the wood bends and the surface is polished, the grain continues to reveal the beauty hidden in a tree. Natural and different for every chair, the grain changes shape at every point of the bend, opening, widening and reflecting light along the way.
Instead of making a stool from a single long split, the designers selected a more permanent solution. Ishi uses a panel built from several solid wood boards combined. By laying grain against the grain, the design prolongs the durability of the object. So it holds its form for generations to come. Unlike construction that shows itself where the top of the surface meets the seats, Ish is characterised by a seamless, almost jointless design.
Xingwang Xiong
Six finishes
The soft cushion ensures that the chair is comfortable to use. After all, its primary function is to sit on it, not look at it. The buyers can choose from six textile finishes:
- Dry Clay Linen,
- Soft Cloud Bouclé Wool,
- Burnt Amber Leather,
- Olive Moss Alcantara
- Black Tide Wool
- and Warm Sand Wool
Alternatively, the buyers can choose to buy a stool without a cushion. Leaving the oak bare provides a solid, flat surface that can be used as a coffee or side table. Small measurements of W 600 mm X D 400 mm X H 430 mm, and a lightweight construction (under 8kg per stool), allow the user to easily move it wherever they go.
Simple and practical, the Ishi Stool can be used in multiple ways, as a seat at the table, as a coffee table by the sofa, for leisure activities outdoors – the possibilities are endless. This practical yet eye-grabbing stool was awarded the SIT Furniture Design Award for the Best Stool Design.
