Hospitality Furniture

I am, admittedly, a foodie. I like to spend long evenings over dinner with my spouse and kids, or with a group of friends I haven’t seen in a while. Cooking and eating brings people together, as it has for so many years.

But I’m not sure how I feel about furniture that’s designed to look like food. Bean bag chairs are one thing; they’re slouchy, may or may not contain beans, and generally look like a lump of soggy mashed potatoes in designer colors.

So what about an arm chair, a chair with form and shape, that was designed with an orange peel in mind? Olav Eldoy’s Peel armchair is designed to look like a falling orange peel, and to perform the orange peel functions of protecting its contents and stuff.

I just don’t know. Part of me, the part that loves impractical furniture and shoes, really wants to try this thing out. But the other part of me, the one that fears anything resembling a dentist’s chair, would rather stay away. Maybe if the Peel was used in a nail salon or spa, and I could sit in it while getting a relaxing pedicure… yes, that might work.

Still, I’m haunted by questions. What was it about an orange peel that inspired a furniture designer to try and capture it in vinyl? Why is the chair green, and not orange? If I leaned over too far to one side, would I really fall on my head? But, despite my misgivings, I must admit that this chair would catch my attention and probably provoke conversation, for better or worse. It would be one of the coolest-looking commercial reception chairs ever.

Obviously, I’m having trouble making up my mind. What do you think about this chair: artistic inspiration, or artless tragedy?