Manhattan Home Design Reviews | The Womb Chair and Ottoman – How to Expertly Use Them

Manhattan Home Design Reviews. The Womb Chair and Ottoman, designed by Eero Saarinen in 1948, is a timeless piece of furniture that has stood the test of time. In this entry of Manhattan Home Design Reviews, we take a look at its unique and organic shape that adds a modern and sophisticated touch to any living room. When paired with the matching ottoman, it creates a comfortable and inviting space that is perfect for relaxing and entertaining.

Womb Chair and Ottoman
Womb Chair & Ottoman
Red Chenille

To get a unique living room design using the Womb Chair and Ottoman, it is important to consider the overall style of the room. The Womb Chair and Ottoman have a mid-century modern look that works well with other pieces from the same era, such as the Eames Lounge Chair or the Noguchi Coffee Table. However, it can also be incorporated into a more contemporary space by pairing it with clean-lined furniture and neutral colors.

Different ways to use the Womb Chair and Ottoman

One way to make the Womb Chair and Ottoman stand out in a room is to use them as focal point. This can be achieved by positioning it in the center of the room or by placing it against a bold-colored accent wall. The chair’s unique shape and curved lines will draw the eye and make it the centerpiece of the room.

Another way to incorporate the Womb Chair and Ottoman into your living room design is to use it as a contrast to more traditional furniture. For example, pairing it with a classic leather sofa or a vintage armchair will create an exciting mix of old and new. This contrast can also be achieved by using different textures in the room, such as pairing the Womb Chair and Ottoman with a shaggy area rug or a plush throw pillow.

Colors and adaptability

When it comes to color, the Womb Chair and Ottoman are versatile and can be upholstered in a variety of fabrics and colors. The classic version is made of white or black fiberglass shell and comes with cushions in black or white leather or wool. To make the chair and ottoman stand out, consider choosing a bold color or patterned fabric. This will add a pop of color to the room and make the chair and ottoman the focal point.

When it comes to accessorizing the Womb Chair and Ottoman, less is more. A simple lamp or a small side table will be all you need to complete the look. A plant or vase of flowers can also be used to add a touch of nature to the room.

In summary, the Womb Chair and Ottoman are a timeless piece of furniture that can add a modern and sophisticated touch to any living room. To create a unique living room design using the Womb Chair and Ottoman, consider using it as a focal point, pairing it with traditional furniture, and choosing a bold color or patterned fabric. By following these tips, you can create a comfortable and inviting space that is perfect for relaxing and entertaining.

Be sure to check out our other articles here

Manhattan Home Design Reviews | Why Is The Womb Chair One of The Main Examples of Biomorphism?

Manhattan Home Design Reviews. Biomorphism is one of the oldest aesthetic and artistic trends in human history. However, it wasn’t known by that name until almost the middle of the twentieth century, when the British poet Geoffrey Grigson and later Alfred H. Barr coined it in 1936. Its concept is based on the design of physical objects whose characteristics emulate the structures and shapes of organisms present in nature. This makes it a very appealing trend as it has spawned a whole constellation of diverse designs that are part of this movement and have been making it popular over the decades. In this article from Manhattan Home Design Reviews, you’ll discover why the Womb Chair And Otto Red Cashmere, and other MCM designs are valid references to explain this aesthetic phenomenon.

womb chair and ottoman
The Womb Chair And Otto Red Cashmere

Since the origin of humanity, the first men were inspired by the designs of nature to create their first objects, weapons, and crafts. Later, this would be a constant in almost all manifestations of design. It’s well known that even Leonardo Da Vinci used biomorphic designs as inspiration to develop the plans for his machines. Just as primitive men managed to get inspiration from these models, the great designers of the Mid-Century Modern style also managed to give these aesthetics to many of their most important creations, always taking the features of the organic as a source of inspiration.

With new MCM trends, the world quickly and easily got used to these aesthetics. Pieces like the Saarinen’s Womb Chair would arrive to transform in a very important and transcendental way the preconceived schemes that were had in terms of modern chair design. Some other pieces, such as the Noguchi table or the Shell Chair, would reinforce this trend of curved lines and smooth contours.

What Is Being “Biomorphic”?

In the case of the Eero Saarinen Womb Chair, it’s believed that the Finnish creator assigned that name to the piece as a way of alluding to the “womb” in which the user would feel being in such a cozy chair, capable of surrounding and cradling them completely.

Features such as aerodynamics, curved lines, asymmetrical silhouettes, a sensation of movement, and certain technical properties make a piece a biomorphic design. During the twentieth century, the trend gained so much recognition and acceptance that it even had a lot of importance in the world of means of transport, and planes and trains began to appear that took certain characteristics of birds and other species to develop faster and more aerodynamic machines. However, it’s important to clarify that biomorphism doesn’t necessarily consist in making exact copies of natural models, but rather taking inspiration from their forms to take advantage of the properties they can provide. Some biomorphic objects are thought and made solely for decorative purposes.

saarinen womb chair
The Saarinen Modern Chair

Some design analysts have associated biomorphism with some other trends such as surrealism. Some of these designs are noted for presenting proposals that suggest new ways of life and emulate those already known, giving them an atmosphere that contrasts in a very interesting way with the known world. Even in the world of painting, biomorphism has gained space for participation. Such is the case of Yves Tanguy and Roberto Matta, who presented this aesthetic in their paintings.

Imagine the advantages of filling your layout with many biomorphic designs. Marking originality and good taste is always something you can achieve in many ways, and this trend is an excellent starting point for it. Discover the interesting thing about biomorphism through the most amazing designs that have been created and give a new spirit to your compartments.

Manhattan Home Design Reviews | Shell Chair: Christmas with midcentury modern designs is here!

Manhattan Home Design Reviews. Decorating and furnishing for Christmas is an important task because it helps maintain that festive and uplifting style, but it is fundamental to never forget that your preferred style should always be still the main factor of design, you don’t live in the north pole with Santa Claus after all! So in this Entry of Manhattan Home Design Reviews, we take a look at a very solid chair that we recommend for these situations where you need to balance mid-century modern and festive, The Shell Chair. The magnificent product of combining wood, leather, and the amazingly well-designed European shapes.

shell chair
Shell Chair

A classic shell chair with modern standards

Manhattan Home designs followed the same manufacturing process as the original to ensure quality and the same satisfaction. A high-quality genuine aniline leather, stain-free polyester fabric, or molded walnut plywood are masterfully combined to create the Shell Chair. Hans Wegner originally created this iconic piece, and our fine replica stays faithful to the well-known original. It is appealing enough to stand alone in any contemporary house while still being adaptable to a variety of settings. Waterproof aniline leather upholstery may be cleaned with just a damp towel and doesn’t require any time-consuming maintenance or harsh cleaning products.

Why is it important to Christmas decor?

Well, decorating and designing your layouts and general setups is important to keep them fresh and different! It also renews the energies of some people. Holidays are a perfect opportunity for you to be a little happier, and decorating accordingly is one of the key things you should be doing in order to have a merry Christmas! The shell chair comes in handy thanks to the wood and variety of leather presentations that include dark gray, dark brown, red Italian leather, black aniline leather, yellow polyester fabric, and more! it really fits very well with garlands and the tree!

Unexpected versatility!

Whether Mies van der Rohe initially intended it to be as adaptable is unknown, but another one of the great features of the Shell chair is its amazing versatility! Place it in your living room, your bedroom, your study room, next to the coffee table… Wherever you think it looks very good! In fact, when other people see it they may be a little surprised, but they will quickly realize that the shell chair is a versatility and adaptability wonder

And there you have it! a quick resume about the egg chair, its features, and why you should consider getting it for Christmas furnishing and general design!

Be sure to check out our other articles

Manhattan Home Design Reviews | Flag Halyard Chair: The Ultimate Expression of Authenticity

Manhattan Home Design Reviews. Originality… The jackpot that many interior designers and decoration enthusiasts seem obsessed with, but few actually get. Even some masters of furniture design like Hans Wegner dared to go further with pieces like the Flag Halyard Chair. In this Manhattan Home Design Reviews post, we want to let you know why this is one of the most legendary pieces in history.

That chair meant a break in the pattern of his designs. Until then, had been mostly made of wood, in a catalog that included more than five hundred models. Originality has a price, and that of the famous Dane was daring to try new materials and techniques that were reflected in a product that didn’t seem his creation, but that had successful results in every way.

flag halyard chair
The Flag Halyard Chair

Every person, even if they’re not lovers of interior design or don’t have much experience, is called to find their style, preferences, and be original as far as possible. Knowledge is not all, and although recipes tend to work very well in many cases, the mission will always be to find “your own voice” that guides you to achieve favorable and unique environments.

It’s not enough to just take note of what the greats have done, try to imitate their work, or walk the same path. Breaking molds, finding new techniques, and rethinking outlines are achievements that get visible in every aspect of the job.

The Meaning of Having a Great Chair

The living room is a key area when it comes to originality. It’s practically the most important place in the house, in aesthetic terms. It represents the cover letter of the whole place, and it’s the compartment in which your guests, friends, and family will put their attention first, and they will have that valuable first impression about your decorating skills.

Finding a Hans Wegner Flag Halyard Chair in your house is an excellent first sign for anyone who loves modern designs, especially if it’s a person with knowledge about the most famous pieces within this trend. Although it’s a very recognizable chair, it’s not the type of piece that you’d find in every modern environment.

modern chair
Hans Wegner Flag Halyard Chair

Arguably, the most common trend is to choose sturdy, overstuffed accent chairs with sophisticated upholstery and a style perhaps very close to that of the sofa you’ve picked. A Flag Halyard Chair replica like the one from Manhattan Home Design can work very well both indoors and outdoors.

Depending on each area’s configuration, the colors you’ve chosen, the predominant materials, and the lighting design, among other factors, a chair as striking as this can easily become the focal point. In other words, the most striking spot in the place, which will attract all eyes.

iconic chair
Modern Flag Halyard Chair

The interesting flag line woven that makes up the seat and back of the Flag Halyard Chair reproduction is one of its most remarkable attributes, but maybe the ultimate detail in all its structure and finishes is the sheepskin cover that sets it apart from any similar piece.

In fact, its reclined-beach-chair-look is probably because it was conceived on a sunny summer afternoon by the sea but, its details, like that soft, delicate finish and the leather-upholstered cushion that set it apart from other rest chairs, reaffirmed it as the original piece that the genius Danish set out to create.

Manhattan Home Design Reviews | LC2 Chair: Much More Than You Can Imagine

Manhattan Home Design Reviews. We wanted to dedicate this installment of Manhattan Home Design Reviews to the LC2 Chair by Le Corbusier for several reasons: it’s an iconic piece, an incredibly elegant modern chair, and such a comfortable and ergonomic seat that its designer studied human anatomy when giving it form. There are some other reasons that you’ll discover throughout this text. We invite you to find out the wonders of this piece and to quickly and easily understand why it’s still much more than an accent chair.

le corbusier chair
The Lc2 Chair

The LC2 chair is a legendary design that’s part of the collection made up of other pieces of a similar nature. It’s filled with high-quality quilted upholstery to ensure great comfort, capable of lasting for generations and being part of any MCM style you want to integrate into. Probably, the decorative chair that most modernism enthusiasts would like to have in their spaces.

Few things are as pleasurable as sitting in a modern chair with thick cushions and upholstered in premium leather. There are many users who declare that they have experienced such pleasant sensations with this design and that, alone, is one of the reasons why it became one of the best-known references within its style. Today, displaying the Le Corbusier collection in your living room or office is a statement of style and taste for modernism. The LC2 Chair is one of the clearest examples of how and why a Mid-Century Modern design can be timeless and highly versatile.

lc2 chair
Le Corbusier 2 Style Chair

The piece was designed in 1928 and stood out a year later, at the Salon d’Autumn in Paris. The collection of which it’s part was the product of the collaboration between Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand, and Pierre Jeanneret. One of the features that have always attracted the attention and the eyes of all kinds of people is its interesting outer frame made of tubular steel. It isn’t something that is found in every model of chair or sofa, and that produces a great visual impact from the first encounter.

iconic modern chair
An Iconic Chair

Many people who don’t have much experience in interior decor or don’t have much knowledge about furniture design may believe that these creations were made recently when the most overwhelming truth is that they are already well on their way to a hundred years since they came out to the market for the first time. This way, when a product becomes so relevant to the point that it has even appeared in comic strips, you know you are dealing with a legendary design. It’s exciting to discover that Le Corbusier’s LC2 chair is still in people’s minds as a key piece of modernism.

Discover everything this chair can do for your layout and your floor plan, especially if you accompany it with the rest of the extraordinary pieces in this collection. The Le Corbusier collection is available in the Manhattan Home Design catalog.

Manhattan Home Design Reviews | The Barcelona Chair: a Product Fit for Royalty

Manhattan Home Design Reviews. Few people know that the Barcelona chair was created with the care that goes into a design that will be used by royalty, as the king and queen of Spain were expected to visit the German Pavilion to witness the International Exposition where these creations would be released. For this reason, architect and designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe knew that he was facing an unprecedented degree of pressure in his career since he not only wanted to deliver a piece that lived up to expectations, but also one that had valuable meaning within the world of design, and was specifically framed within the modernist trends that dominated the market and the taste of users in an increasingly accentuated and evident way. It was under this premise that this and all the pieces of the Barcelona Collection made their appearance for the first time in 1929. In this edition of Manhattan Home Design Reviews, you will learn a little more about the importance of this piece and why it became so relevant.

barcelona chair
The Barcelona Chair

Although little less than a century has passed since that event, it’s still surprising that the chair continues to be so popular and, above all, the fact that over the years it has won so many merits, to the point that many see the piece as another celebrity, taking into account that due to its prestige it has constantly appeared in series, movies and audiovisual productions in general, magazines, and innumerable layouts for enthusiasts and professional staging projects in interior decor. The influence is undeniable and the iconic value of these models has already transcended several eras and generations.

Traits of a Great Piece

The Barcelona chair and the ottoman that complements it are pieces that many would like to have in their spaces. For most specialists, the scissor shape in which its legs are arranged is inspired by the design of curule chairs, a type of folding seat with curved legs and no back that served as a chair in the days of the ancient Roman Empire for high-ranking government authorities. The van der Rohe design, which he co-developed with Lilly Reich, would turn heads not only for that kind of detail but for its minimalist flair, sleek geometric lines, and top-notch materials used in its construction. It was an extraordinarily successful combination of form and function.

barcelona modern chair
An Iconic Modern Chair

Other features of this masterpiece include its frame constructed of superior grade steel for stronger support and resistance to chipping, corrosion, and rust, its cushion surface with individually cut and sewn leather panels for optimum detailing and quality; full tufting of all appropriate seams, and a heavy-grade leather saddle straps that color-match the upholstery. Both sides of the leather straps are finished for extra strength.

iconic modern chair
The Perfect Accent Chair

As you can see, the Barcelona chair is much more than a popular modern chair and much more than a best-seller product: it’s a transcendental design with a legendary history that has made it prevail for many decades as one of the most influential pieces of the Mid-Century Modern style.

Manhattan Home Design Reviews | The LC3 Chair By Le Corbusier: Much More Than an Accent Piece

Manhattan Home Design Reviews. The majestic versatility of the LC3 Chair by Le Corbusier is something that can be seen with the naked eye. When your eyes fall on its tubular structures and its finest leather finishes, you realize that it’s a model that will look good in practically any environment with any decorating style, but especially in a Mid-Century Modern or Industrial layout. Much of its appeal is visual; for this reason, in this installment of Manhattan Home Design Reviews, we want to introduce you to one of the most famous chairs in the history of design and explore a little the reasons for its greatness.

Some people underestimate accent chairs as unnecessary or merely an optional addition, which is true only in certain cases. Everything will depend on the number of people who usually use a space and how often they do so. The truth is that an accent chair like the LC3 Chair can be key not only to achieving a higher aesthetic level (especially if you have included the rest of the pieces that make up this collection in the floor plan) but also because it would add that additional seat that you have surely missed many times. In other words, a piece like this can be precisely the key for your floor plan to be complete and functional.

LC3 Chair
The LC3 Chair

An Iconic and Valuable Product

When people say that a design is “iconic” they say it not only because of the importance of the product alone but also because of the relevance of its creator. Le Corbusier is known not only for his amazing pieces but also for the knowledge he imparted and his achievements in the field of architecture. They were creations that exuded greatness in every aspect due to their originality, cutting-edge ideas, and the innovation they represented. They were pieces so far ahead of their time that, amazingly, they still look like newly created designs today. In fact, many design enthusiasts have no idea that this is a piece that came onto the market almost a hundred years ago.

le corbusier chair
The Le Corbusier LC3 Chair

When you come across an LC3 Chair in any living room out there, waiting room, or lobby, remember this: it’s a chair that has stood the test of time for many years and has been conquering new generations for decades. Its permanence and evolution over time are probably the most infallible proof of its importance.

In addition to all of the above, a Le Corbusier 3-Style Chair will also be memorable for the incredibly comfortable usage experience it can bring. Your friends and family will carry it in their memory as a pleasant seat that they felt very comfortable in, that looked amazing in your area, and that demonstrates your fine taste for the best of modernist style!

iconic modern chair
The Le Corbusier 3-Style Chair

Manhattan Home Design Reviews | The Womb Chair: a Next Level Seat

Manhattan Home Design Reviews. It’s easy to talk about modern chairs when the main features that make these types of pieces be classified within that category have been identified. Modern chairs are very convenient products in many cases for important reasons: they have a design that doesn’t look outdated, they work well with all kinds of ornaments and fixtures that can compose an updated interior layout, and, in addition, as a general rule, they are objects with great functionality and aesthetic value. However, among the various modern designs, there are also iconic models, and in this edition of Manhattan Home Design Reviews, we’ll give our attention to the fantastic Womb Chair by Eero Saarinen.

First, it’s necessary to clarify that the most prominent iconic chairs are famous precisely for having somehow transcended some paradigm within their style. In that regard, the Saarinen Womb Chair is not just a chair: it’s a first-class seat in every sense of the word. The brilliant designer made sure that the piece was made of top-notch materials: it has a fiberglass frame with foam rubber lining, molded with every intention of giving the user maximum comfort and just the right amount of support.

womb chair and ottoman

The Perfect Support For Your Body

The piece’s structure contains ergonomic components that make it unnecessary to fill it with cushions. In addition, there’s a very valuable justification for why the designer thought that the chair should have an organically shaped seat: so that it would be flexible and thus be able to easily adapt to any type of posture that the user wanted to adopt while using it. The armrests are parallel to the floor, at a perfect height for the average adult’s body to rest on, something that virtually no modern sofa can provide with the same efficiency.

One of the secrets that make it so cozy is its pleasant wool upholstery, which also covers the small square cushion on the backrest. It’s important to emphasize that the concept of “uterus” is not a random idea or a merely allegorical image: quite the contrary, the name of the chair has to do, more than anything, with the biomorphic characteristics that allow the user to feel the sensation that they are “protected” inside a seat that reminds them of a baby’s bassinet, with its walls surrounding the body and sufficiently supporting in virtually any position they want to put their body in, even curled up.

saarinen womb chair

Comfortable and Durable

The Womb chair also has a feature that only a few modern chairs boast: it’s a comfortable and durable piece at the same time. Not all modern chairs can offer you those qualities in addition to the iconic value that this design has. It’s a chair made to withstand intensive use, even in a home with children or pets. In addition, the vast majority of versions of the chair include a type of stain-resistant upholstery, so it should retain its aesthetic properties extremely well, removing the inevitable stains and traces of dirt with a water-based stain remover.

iconic modern chair

There is no doubt that Saarinen and Florence had a very specific vision when they decided to develop a high-quality chair. They consulted a boat builder to use industrial materials such as fiberglass and resin, and tubular steel for the legs. You only need to try it once to understand why it’s one of the chairs with the best reputation in history. The Womb chair and many other iconic models are available in the Manhattan Home Design catalog.