Designing the Charming "Pop Saint"
Where it Begins
Our Pop Saint Seater was inspired by Article’s Denman Chair. We fell in love with its Scandinavian structure and the unique upholstery shape that is charming but also ergonomic. Overall, the form exuded a timeless look that will harmonize across many interiors and spaces.
Uphill Journey
Sizing & Dimensions
We first sketched things out freeform by hand. We initially wanted to make it smaller than the Denman Chair for small restaurants and living spaces. We ended up maxing it out because we did not want to compromise on comfort.
We wanted our Pop Saint to embody the important elements from its ancestor/inspiration, such as the primary form, the spindling details at the back, and the organic form of the upholstery. For our materials, we wanted to experiment with Burmese organic and hand woven cotton material with natural dyes from Pakkoku, northeast Bagan. Combining unique materials with the classic Zagarwah Solid Wood, we were confident that our version was going to be a ‘Modern Day Myanmar Classic’, personified in a chair.
Upholstery
Figuring out how the cushion would curve according to the form of the chair was a challenge. We first tried to support the back with a malleable plywood so that the backrest and the chair will fit snug perfect. That did not work. When you sit into a chair, you’re expecting it to hug you back. So we tried again and took out the plywood. That did not work, either. It was still not comfortable and admittedly, it looked unattractive.
Third time’s the charm? You bet! It just so happens that at the time of Pop Saint’s prototype journey, we were working on our Ta Mar Lounge Chair. For Ta Mar, we were using organic cotton stuffing, typically found in traditional pillows and bolsters here in Myanmar. Organic cotton was more soft, moldable to any shape we wanted, and comfortable. The only downside to it was that it doesn’t age well, subsequently having to refill it one to two years.
Our two failed attempts at our upholstery were made in our standard Olefin fabric, but for our third try, we decided to use fabrics from Pakkoku this time. We triple washed our fabrics to test its strength against multiple washes. The texture still came out a little tougher than we wanted, but that toughness is going to give the upholstery to be durable.
Final Form
Making Pop Saint was truly a labor of love. From running into multiple design issues, obstacles with getting the cushioning just right, we finally were able confidently introduce it to the world. Definitely an adaptation of the Denman chair with splashes of Burmese accents, Pop Saint carries an unexpected charisma, the understated blend between the East and the West, and the definition of personality.
