Taking its seat in the world of chair design

Design Trends: A Swedish company - Bla Station - has some very interesting notions as to what chairs should look like, writes Emma Cullinan

Chairs that resemble neat pieces of fruit peel; slumpy, sumptuous seating and a chair with a hood that lets you hone in your own thing in an open-plan office all epitomise the inventiveness of commercial furniture company Bla Station, which is changing the face of offices.

The business was begun by the current owners' father in Sweden back in 1986 with the guiding principle of designing inventively with a child's curiosity and, in addition, "a heart that refuses to take the easy way out".

The company makes furniture for commercial organisations although more daring homeowners will opt to use it too, says Leila Ahmedova of Nordic Living in Blackrock, Co Dublin (tel: 01-2886680 or www.nordicliving.ie), which stocks the furniture.

Materials were also important to Börge Lindau, who spent his career in furniture design before setting up in his seaside home town of Ahus, with the desire to completely do his own thing, in birch, steel and circular shapes.

The current designs appeal to architects, says Leila, and one firm is specifying the "Innovation C" chairs for the reception area of a hair salon.

"Other uses would be in stylish cafés and restaurants, including using the outdoor range of metal chairs in bright crazy colours."

Börge's son, Johan, also a designer, and daughter Mimi took over the company after Börge's death and they work with a team of designers to create furniture that follows the founder's philosophy.

They are obviously proud of their father. "Börge designed chairs like no one else. Ingenious chairs. Innovative chairs. Ergonomical chairs. Even comical chairs. Chairs in birch. Chairs in steel. Chairs in leather. And every single one of them always of the very highest quality.

"Börge no longer leads the orchestra. He is sitting comfortably on a cloud somewhere with his straw hat pulled down over his forehead and a glass of wine in his hand. Smiling with satisfaction as he sees how we have continued his heritage."