Working with leather is an exercise in pattern creation and refinement. Leather, unlike fabric, is unforgiving in its material alteration and assembly. What is cut, punched, folded or sewn is permanent, leaving a lasting mark on the material. Therefore, the creation of a perfect pattern for full-scale reference is necessary for the success of the piece.

The challenge in the creation of a chair out a single piece of leather is in the test of intent, patience and concentration. The Double Shoulder Chair utilizes a single sheet of leather as both seat pan and back. Steel tube is used minimally to provide the necessary support and mould for the leather. The chair is named double shoulder as an ode to the large cut of leather required to ensure the cut is a single piece. As the leather straps coming off of the seat pan fold around the back tubing, the straps become tension pieces which move once one’s shoulders come in contact with the material.

The double shoulder leather sheet is dyed a British tan on the front face, creating a contrast between the front and back faces. This emphasizes the twisting transitions in the back straps. The leather is finished with beeswax, adding a matte finish to the leather, granting long-lasting protection from wear. The steel tube is three quarter inch with walls thick enough to provide structural support for the body and thin enough to maintain lightness to the chair. The tube is heated, bent and heated again to create a blackened-blue appearance, contrasting the warm leather and allowing for the leather to be the dominant visible element. The tubing is then welded and finished with boiled linseed oil, ready to host the leather sheet.

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Furniture Prototyping

Spring 2019

Instructor Jim Postell