Design Exchange, Toronto

The FELT Armchair designed and made by Kathryn Walter was commissioned by The Design Exchange for this exhibition curated by Rachel Gotlieb.

This chair is one of four prototypes by artists, architects, and designers with a focus on sustainability. It is made from wool felt, a renewable resource, produced with no waste, and is convertible by design. 

Here felt is used as both a surface and a structure. Folded felt forms the seat held together by four metal rods, and four metal supports extend above the seat to create the arms. Built from 2’ x 6’ wide pieces of felt stitched, folded, and bolted together, it uses the 6’ wide dimension of the raw material to maximize the yield of material. This seating system can be converted to an ottoman or expanded to form a bench.