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The teak and jute chair Aarohi built, in a warm studio with soft light across the floor

Accent chair range · for Lakkadhaara

From Form
to Chair

A range of three accent chairs for Lakkadhaara, drawn from the seashell, for small homes and priced at ₹15,000–20,000. I designed the range and built this one at full scale.

Role
Research, design, making
Materials
Teak, jute rope
Built
Full scale, by hand

The range

Three chairs.

Click a chair to see it on its own, with its drawings.

The finished chair seen from above

The little things

Up close, from above.

Move over the chair to look through the loupe. Each marker is a decision.

Process

Paper to teak.

Every stage of the making, from the first pencil lines to the finished chair.

Scroll to move along

PaperPencil sketches of ribbed shell forms and chair frames

01Pencil sketchesRibs of a shell turning into spindles.

Pencil sketches of round chairs

02Rounder, lowerWorking out a round seat on splayed legs.

Line drawings of shells turning into chairs

03Line studiesThe pearl in the scallop becomes the arch.

ModelSmall paper model of the chair

04Paper modelThe chair at small scale, with a round woven seat inside the ring.

Render of the teak and jute chair

05RenderThe chosen chair, before any wood was cut.

WorkshopTeak ring being shaped in the workshop

06Shaping the ringThe back ring, cut and faired from solid teak.

Teak ring sections on the workshop floor

07Ring sectionsThe pieces laid out before joining.

Ring, seat frame and spindles dry-fitted on a board

08Dry fitRing, seat frame and spindles fitted together.

The chair frame standing on its legs

09It standsThe frame holds itself up for the first time.

Assembled raw teak frame before polishing

10Raw teakFully assembled, before polish.

SeatHands weaving jute rope across the seat

11Weaving the seatAbout 840 m of jute, woven by hand onto the frame.

FinishedThe finished chair standing outdoors on a paved courtyard

12Woven and polishedThe finished chair, photographed as it is.

Turn it

The finished chair.

Shot from every side in the studio. Drag the chair to walk around it.

Drag to turn

The finished chair from the front The finished chair from a three-quarter view The finished chair from the side The finished chair from the back, three-quarter The finished chair from the back, other side