Side by Side

Compact Chair for Two

Side by Side was developed in response to a brief calling for a stool or chair that could be compacted without the use of hardware. Rather than beginning with form, the project started with an examination of use where the object might exist and how it might be occupied.

During this period, I was also developing a children’s book and meeting with elementary school students to discuss creativity and learning. In one encounter, I spoke with a young girl seated on two stacked chairs. Initially reserved, her posture and attention shifted after I shared a writing tool with her. Near the end of our conversation, she stood and invited me to sit beside her revealing the second chair.

That exchange informed the direction of the piece.

Designed as a stool for two, Side by Side accommodates shared space without requiring interaction. The form expands and compacts intuitively, allowing proximity to emerge organically rather than being prescribed. The object operates quietly, supporting moments of closeness while remaining unobtrusive.

The stool is constructed from white oak with veneered plywood seats and finished with a beeswax and coconut oil blend. The exposed edges are painted with orange acrylic, introducing a restrained contrast that highlights structure and subtly references childhood without overt decoration.

Side by Side considers furniture as a social instrument one that shapes behavior through restraint, materiality, and spatial invitation rather than instruction.