WORK

Comfy Office Desk Chair:

My office chair at work is very comfortable. It has a lot of nice padding and lumbar support. Although it was adjusted and tested out for ergonomic usability by my office manager, I often have the worst posture in this chair. This is 100% my own doing. I find that having good posture all day keeps me alert… and sometimes I just want to slouch in my chair with a big warm blanket and mug of hot tea when I’m stressed out.

Focused Meeting Chair: 

The chairs we sit in during meetings are beautiful and modern. I love their clean lines and the way our organization’s logo is laser cut into the back. They don’t offer a lot of padding and aren’t as comfortable as my office desk chair. I usually sit at the edge of these chairs so that I can sit upright, focus, and listen/contribute to the meeting.

Too High (For This Shorty) Lounge Chair:

I’m five feet tall and loathe any chair that is bar stool height. I look super awkward getting up and situated on high chairs… and getting down from them is even worse! This particular chair in my organization’s lounge area gives me so much social anxiety.

Fun and Unexpected Elevator Chair Ride:

My favorite work chair moment this week unfortunately wasn’t photographically recorded.  However, I thought I’d share my experience, because it was a super cute office moment! When I went into the elevator on Thursday morning, a co-worker of mine and a security guy with two chairs were already in the elevator.  As I eyed the chairs my coworker sighed and said, “Yeah, I was tempted to sit too.” I shrugged and decided to just go for it. After I plopped down, I begged him to join me.  He luckily obliged. We said, “cheers,” clinked our coffee mugs together, and joyfully laughed the whole way down.

HOME

My Happy Place Couch:

My family room couch is soooooo comfortable. It’s one of those all-purpose couches where I feel absolutely content and cozy, no matter what I’m doing (lounging, working, eating, or sleeping).

Modern Dining Room Chair:

My husband and I have been redecorating and we just got these chairs two weeks ago. I’m absolutely in love with them. Their Mid-Century vibe creates a nice juxtaposition to our new farmhouse table. They’re also very comfortable. My only worry about them is that they’re white…

EXPLORE

I sat in two chairs for fun while I was visiting the Wilshire Boulevard Temple for my field study. They were both located in a secluded lounge area in the temple and had completely different vibes.

The Regal Chair:

I absolutely adore this chair. It feels fit for royalty or someone of high religious power. When I sat in it, I immediately felt more important and special. The bold red velvet seat cushion and ornate woodwork is absolutely breathtaking!

Laid Back Chair:

These chairs were less than ten feet away from the regal chair above. Although they look like they were made in two different time periods, they oddly compliment each other. When I sat in this chair, I immediately felt at ease. I just wanted to recline, relax, or have an intimate conversation.

IT’S ALL ABOUT CHAIRS! 

1. The Asian wooden chair:

This chair belonged to the living room set at my parent’s house. It has been in the family house for more than two decades. I would consider this as one of the handmade types of chair. The chair was handcrafted by skillful craftsmen in Asia, in solid large pieces of wood. The design of the chair was inspired by Asian nobles house from the 18 century. During that time, your set of the chair really communicate your political view and power level, the more powerful they were, the bigger and more massive the chairs they had in their living room. The seating area is big, and could almost would fit two people. The chair is heavy with a mixture of oriented details. However since the set of chairs were designed in the modern time, the details was eliminated to fit with the current time.

2. The McDonald’s chair:

I took this photo at Mcdonald store. The chair was made in a lightweight plastic material. The color of the chair is in light cream, complimenting the interior of the store. We can see that it is mass-produced, very basic modern shape, easy to clean and maintain. Since it is the fast food place, the shop wants customers to mainly grab and go.  I  noticed the chair is not that comfortable. I guess the shop does not want customers to stay for so long.

3. The designer chair:

I found this photo through an upscale furniture Instagram’s store. The set of chairs built in wood, with geometrical cutting shapes. The chair itself is a piece of sculpture. Beyond the functionality, the design of the chairs enhanced the shape of the table. It is truly one of a kind chair. I am not sure how comfortable it is, but the look of the chair is already inviting people to come and have a seat on it.

4. The guest’s chair:

This chair was brought together with our solid grey sofa. The chair is wide and has a cushion, provides comfort for a guest to come and sit or just relax and unwind. With the print on the cushion cover, it also communicates as an accent piece of furniture to the rest of the furniture in the room, which are all in solid colors. I know it is comfortable and nice, but for some reason, the way the chair was designed, it unconsciously sent a message to me that it’s a chair for guests using only. I have not spent that much time with this chair.

I guess everyone has their own favorite chair in the house.

5. My office’s chair:

This was the first time I got furniture from Amazon, and it was a pleasant surprise. I was looking for something sleek, simple and not too pricey of a chair to go with my industrial looking desktop. Since I will spend a lot of time working on the chair, I was hoping that besides the look, the chair should be comfortable for me.

The chair is covered in faux leather and was inspired by the mid-century with organic shape that hugs the body of the person who sits on it. It is combined with three different materials: stainless steel for the leg; wooden material for the back of the chair; and faux leather for the seat – creating the modern look for the room. The chair is very comfortable for a person with my height (I am not that tall), easy to install, and has wheels at the legs so I can move around.

Home seating

This is the couch in my living room. I love this couch. It is comfortable without being too plush and unsupportive. My cats enjoy sitting on the upper areas (hence the hair-covered blanket hung over the back of the couch) and observing my work from their vantage point. I sit here when relaxing and watching a TV show with my husband or occasionally when working on my laptop. Sometimes I put my feet up on the ottoman and work on my lap. Sometimes I have my computer sitting on the couch with me bent over my legs to type.

This is my desk chair at home. I have a gaming PC that I have built and upgraded over the years in my home office. I also occasionally work from home. I can hook up my laptop to my larger monitor and have a dual screen system to work with which is wonderful when I am working as a software engineer. I usually sit cross legged in my chairs (often with a cat in my lap) and having “floating” arms like these is hugely important for my comfort while sitting and working.

Over the years of vibrations in helicopters and pulling G’s in training aircraft, I have developed some lower back problems that make sitting for long periods uncomfortable. Because of this, my husband has turned my home desk into a sit/stand desk. He actually found a kit that would allow him to take my current desktop and add expanding legs with a motor. It has been a huge improvement in my ability to work (and play) from my home office.

I also sit on my floor a good amount in my office to read or to work on my laptop on the floor. If I want to sit but don’t feel comfortable in a chair because of my back, this is the best option for me. It allows me to stretch out my back and legs while I work. The downside is that cats like to attempt to attack the mouse pointer on the screen or lay on top of my keyboard while I work to demand attention.

Work seating

This is my chair in the office. I also have a sit/stand desk at my workplace so I only spend about half my time sitting. This chair has arms similar to my home office chair so I can sit cross legged or on one of my feet while I’m working through my most frustrating software problems.

This chair is one in the conference room we have at work. It is hard and uncomfortable with no cushion at all. An unfortunate side effect of this chair in this room is the volume of noise it makes when moved. We do a lot of conference calls with clients and remote team members. It is always painfully obvious if someone comes in late or has to move around the room at all. I think in some ways it is the perfect chair for a conference room because it encourages people to hold short meetings and also be on time for scheduled events.

Unfortunately…

Here are the other chairs in the conference room.

Surrounding the conference table of uncomfortable chairs is a series of extremely cushioned couches. Everything that those uncomfortable chairs did to shorten meetings is undone by the comfortable couches. While the microphones sit on the table with the wooden chairs, other members can sit back and extend meetings from their couch-perched peanut gallery if wanted.

Commuter seating

This is the driver’s seat of my 2007 Honda Fit. Kemosabe (my car’s name, don’t judge!) is my first and only car since I graduated college. He has transported my life and cats across the country multiple times over the past 11 years.

Unfortunately with my back problems now, the cushion and lumbar support offered by my base model car is no longer cutting it for my body. After any long stretch of time in the car, I have pretty excruciating back pain. My husband has a lumbar roll that I have to borrow for any car trip longer than about 2 hours.

I’m now in the market for a new car. On my list of amenities?

Better back support.

This bike was how I commuted to my development bootcamp for 4 months this summer. It has a great seat for a bike and helped me maintain daily activity while I spent a good amount of time staring at a computer screen for the rest of the day.

This is a standard weekday in the life of Greg Puett.

I wake up every morning, and get out of bed, do my morning routine and finally before leaving for work, I sit down at my desk to catch up on emails and maybe read some news articles or something. I’m in this chair almost every morning, and definitely every night. This is probably my most favorite chair that I’ve ever owned. Its got a (mostly) fully mesh construction. Living in Phoenix Arizona, this is pretty much a requirement, it lets air flow through and keep you constantly cool and refreshed. Another thing I really like about this chair is that it lets me be comfortable, no matter the posture. If I want to sit fully leaning forward with my spine in a big C (very poor posture), I can do so in complete comfort. If I sit up straight, the backrest has perfectly placed lumbar support and encourages me to sit property. If I’m watching a movie or show on my computer, I can lean all the way back and have my head supported on the headrest. I love this chair.

After this, I head downstairs (I live in a 3rd floor apartment) to my car, where this awaits me. I drive a high handling sports car, and sitting in this seat makes me feel secure. Its high sides hold you in place, and you feel like you can take corners at 50 miles an hour and not fall out. The car was designed to drift, so its seats need to be able to handle sideways pressure. I like it because it sits me low to the ground and that really connects you with the road. Sitting up higher just makes driving boring. Also the loop on the shoulder of the seat hangs onto the seat belt and makes it much easier to access every day. The seat has that red trim on the wings, and the stitching down the side matches. This looks particularly striking on the red models of this car. Mine is white, which also looks pretty nice. Interestingly, the model year of my vehicle only offers red trim, so even if your car is blue, it will have the red interior. It was an odd design choice by Scion and Subaru.

After getting to work, I walk in and get to my desk. I have a sit-stand desk, and I make an effort every night to leave my desk up in a standing position, so I start my morning standing. When I do finally sit down, it is in this chair. The Steelcase Amia. This is the chair that the majority of my office uses, and I’m not exactly sure why. The chair itself is fairly comfortable, but is fabric and foam rather than pure mesh like my desk chair at home. I already spoke of the benefits of pure mesh, but for some reason that is ignored at my office. It might be due to the willingness to keep the office at a constant 72 degrees, which prevents people from sweating and needing that consistent airflow. The chair has movable lumbar support to allow a much wider audience of users. My biggest issue with it is that the arm rests are TOO adjustable, so its very difficult to get them to be level without using a guide of some sort.

During the day, I regularly attend meetings, and while my office has several different chairs in the conference rooms, the one I encounter the most often (aside from the Amia) is this one: the Steelcase Think. This chair actually used to be my primary desk chair at work, but then my building underwent a remodel, and each desk got a new chair, and it seems that a lot of the older chairs got moved into conference rooms if there was a need. This is another pretty standard work chair, but thankfully it does have the mesh back. This is especially important in conference rooms where lots of people grouped together can quickly heat a room. Unlike the Amia, this chair has about 10 notches on its arm rests, so its fairly easy to line them up.

As the workday ends, I head back home and generally sit right back down at my desk there, and use my home chair. But I have a couch and dining chairs which are very rarely used. Their primary purpose is horizontal space. I’m not the most organized person, and instead of putting things away, the end up on chairs or couches. Its usually stuff that’s easy enough to put away, I just don’t do it. I have my couch, which I’m glad I own, but regret getting because the faux leather and its lack of air movement and cooling. (Are you noticing a trend? It’s important). The dining chairs have a similar problem, but only the seat is like this, and that is usually bearable during the course of a meal. If I ate at my dining table more often, I would likely look for new chairs, but since they are mainly used as an art piece in my dining area, they can stay. The chair shown is currently not in my dining area since I’m using my table as a temporary workbench while I build my own custom workbench.

Chair 1: My Bed
Arguably my favorite in this list, my bed is the primary spot for most of my life once I’m home. This ‘chair’ is easily transformed to fit whatever activity I’m engaging in; if I’m working, I can add some pillows behind me and use a laptop table, whereas video games allow me to lounge and shift my position as needed. This bed has a lot of emotional attachment tied to it as well, as it’s the main place my dog Rosie tends to hang out. She seems to hold this ‘chair’ in high esteem as well, as she spends all her time on it, and loves digging through the blankets to make that perfect puppy-cave. When sitting on the bed, my entire room is visible in front of me, whereas when sleeping, I may turn to one side and shut out everything by facing the wall. I love this spot!

Chair 2: Burger Boss Booth
This chair was located at a fast-casual restaurant in which I met a friend. While the booths afforded sitting, their physical constraints were extremely limiting, especially to those of taller stature. My friend and I were constantly bumping knees with each other, and the table associated with the system was too small to hold two trays of food. The benefit of these booths were their high backs, however, as they seemed to create a much more intimate space for us to have a conversation. The seats were comfortable although small, and gave the illusion of privacy within a crowded restaurant.

Chair 3: Waiting Room Couch
This comfortable leather couch was soft and seemed to encourage you to sink into it while waiting for the doctor to see you. The waiting room was strangely warm, working at odds with the leather material. This made it feel a bit sticky, but that was more than made up for by how soft and cushy the sofa felt. The context of the doctor’s office made this seat feel a bit strange, however, as one wouldn’t usually think of that type of place as a communal, social space, but this sofa seemed to suggest otherwise. It felt oddly dissonant with the area in which it was housed. That could have been done purposefully by the staff, in order to help patients feel “at home” and comfortable by associating the office with their living rooms, but that’s just conjecture.

Chair 4: Honda HR-V Driver’s Seat
Although I stated earlier that my bed was my favorite spot, this is easily trailing closely behind. The seats in my car are made of a very breathable material, which is a godsend for someone, such as myself, who tends to sweat. Further, the seat’s adjustable allowances let me customize my commute to the most comfortable extent! This seat allows me to adjust the pitch of the bottom, the angle of the back, the height of the head rest, as well as how close or far I am to the steering wheel. While most chairs seem small for me (as I’m somewhat tall), this chair allows me the most comfort due to its flexibility. This is one of the best seats in the house…or rather, on the road!

Chair 5: Steelcase Series 1
This chair could have easily outshone the qualities of any chair on this list, if not for the kiss of death – its materials. While the body and netted material of this chair have a wonderful, contemporary look and feel, the choice of heavy, industrial-feeling woven fabric for the back completely destroys anything it touches. The material is so unforgiving and rigid that it actually physically degrades material which rubs against it! Pilling on shirts, sweaters, jackets, and coats has become expected thanks to this chair – it’s gotten so bad that many of my coworkers actually bought blankets specifically to act as a barrier between their apparel and the chair’s material. Apart from that glaring and unfortunate design failure, the ergonomics of this chair are amazing. Full, movable back support and a wide range for both height and the placement of the elbow panels make this chair extremely comfortable in any position!

A. This is my bar stool. I use this stool a few times a day for eating and doing my work. Although it is not comfortable, I use it a lot. I usually keep things on the island out of the reach of my children, so I use this chair more often. One thing I like about this chair is that I can clean it quickly. It is also a fantastic space saver in my small kitchen.
B. This is my driver’s seat. I drive an average of 2 hours daily, so it is essential for me to be comfortable in my driver’s seat. The fabric is soft and anti-sweat. I feel in control because this seat is highly adjustable. I can also save my preferred adjustments so I can change the seat position with one click.
c. This is my work seat. I love to move around and fidget. The wheels provide smooth gliding, which is an amusing feature for my kids too. I also like the fabric on the seat and on its back. It prevents paint scratches.
D. This is my kids’ chair. I spend a lot of time sitting on this chair with my kids for drawing and eating. They want me to sit next to them on the chair while they’re eating or working. I don’t expect these chair to be comfortable for me, but I appreciate its stability. I feel safe when I sit on them.
E. This is my friend’s patio chair. I like its color and patterns. When I see them, it attracts my attention. Its simplicity provides flexibility for design and decoration. It can go with different quotients’ colors and patterns. With the addition of quotient, I can rest on them for hours. Its fabric does not hold water and rain. It helps the water dry out very fast. One thing I love about them is that they’re washable.
F. This is our community bench. The only good thing about it is that it has a cool design and style. The wood holds water, so I barely find it dry to sit on it. It is not comfortable at all. Besides form being rigid, it does not have any back support. Sitting on this bench is really tiring.

Objects, Part 2: Cindy Wang

Work Chair

A mystery to me – some days I come in and it’s on the lowest setting, some days the arm rests are different heights, and there’s all these knobs and I never know what is going on because they usually don’t do anything. One day, I found out that one of the levers adjusted height, but I couldn’t be sitting on the chair while adjusting. What’s baffling is that another similar but newer  model in the office can adjust chair height with you on it, so it was a hot commodity for a while. This chair blew my mind because it cost the company some $800+ each, and they’re everywhere in the offices. The budget for these chairs could have easily been several hundred thousand just for the DC offices. I don’t know if the value of these chairs are there. It’s nice and feels airy to sit on because of the mesh backing. I spend 40+ hours a week in these chairs and I’ve yet to experience back pain. However, I’m not entirely sure if it’s because I tend to not slouch at work as I do at home. I have noticed between this chair and the home chair (another, different industrial chair) that industrial chairs tend to be heavier, sturdier, and look/feel as if new even after several years of use.

Home Chair

Not much I can say about this chair because all I know was that it was poached from someone’s office and I thrifted it for $10. It certainly is an industrial office chair because it’s very heavy, sturdy, and has lived up to 3 years of use and abuse (by me and as a scratching post for my cat sometimes). The only indicator that it’s been used as a scratching post are some threads barely coming out of the chair. It still looks and feels like the day I got it three years, despite spending almost my entire time at home in it. I slouch and sit in all sorts of strange positions on this chair, and recently it’s given me some back pain.

Driver’s Seat Car Chair

I sit in this chair about an hour a day because of traffic, but I don’t notice it much because of habituation. I tend to focus on the driving and not the seating system inside so I don’t crash and die. I usually have the chair at default (as far away from reclining as possible) and recline only when I’m stuck at a light. To be honest, I never think about this chair, and it was evident even during this assignment because I totally forgot about it until I was getting my car picked up to be shipped across the country and luckily had snagged some pics earlier in the week. I do think that I sometimes think leather seats would be nice, but in the summer I am grateful that they’re fabric because the leather handles are so hot it’s sometimes hard to touch and drive. I also feel good about getting not-so valuable seats because cars only devalue through time.

Rowing Chair

At the gym I usually row for about 1000meters. The sessions are quick, not lasting for more than 15 minutes or so. The seat is minimal, usually a square shape with butt imprints. They’re usually plastic, hard, and textured. When I’m in the last stretch, I tend to buckle down into the seat and if I accidentally slouch, I’ll walk away from this machine sweaty, back hurting, and butt sore.

Yoga Mat

Another good chunk of my time at the gym sitting down is my yoga mat. It is a place to focus and breathe, and ironically is visually not a chair but functions as the ideal chair experience – my postures, the breathing, the poses, the relaxation – I not only feel great during, but better after my time on the yoga mat. The final pose in every yoga class is called the lotus pose, where you sit cross-legged on the mat. There is so much intention behind the act of sitting that makes it a meaningful experience, and this separates my experience sitting on a yoga mat compared to the chairs that I dread sitting on (Monday mornings in the office, rowing after a long day).

One of the chairs I spend the majority of my day in is the Herman Miller Aeron chair.  This is the office chair that is currently used in the office I work in.  Unfortunately, due to sensitive material, we are unable to photograph inside the office, so I got this picture from this website.  This chair is nice in the fact that it does offer a good bit of adjustments to be made, but it is often unclear what knob or leaver to use to make the adjustment that is desired.  One of the aspects I do greatly appreciate and enjoy is the mesh fabric material that comprises the seat and back of the chair.  I find this material to be supportive enough for my lower back, but to have enough give so as not to be uncomfortable.  In addition, it prevents the seat from getting too warm since the mesh allows for air circulation.

Recently, my office has gone through a renovation and one of the additions was this Brody Modular Lounge, the image for which was found here.  I often switch between this and the Herman Miller Aeron chair throughout the workday.  At first, when I saw these modular lounges, I thought that while they looked cool, they would not be that comfortable because they appear not to offer much support or customization.  However, much to my surprise, these are actually quite comfortable and enjoyable.  While they do not offer a space large enough for multiple screens, I find myself sitting in these when I have some important write-up or report to do because the semi-opaque plastic on top creates almost a little bubble around you that prevents you from the majority of the distractions of the outside world.  In addition, there are some parts that can be customized, such as the desk surface which can be moved towards or away from the chair and also be set to different angles.  I find this to allow me to sit comfortably and be able to reach my laptop with minimal effort.  There is also a small footstool, which I did not anticipate liking or even using, but every time I sit in one of these pods, I find myself putting my feet up!  It seems to put my body and back into a more suitable and comfortable position.  All in all, this chair that seemed very much like a modern novelty to me is one of my favorites!

Ah, my favorite seat of all!  This magnificent piece of leather is a County Sensation saddle, custom fitted for my horse and me.  This is without a doubt the most comfortable of any saddle I have ever ridden in, due to the support and cushion in the rear of the seat, which can be read about here.  Part of what makes me love this seat more is what it represents to me.  In my eyes, it represents a true connection with my horse and the ability to communicate with him through subtle movements in my body.  it also represents the freedom that riding allows me and the enjoyment I get from a good ride.  Because the saddle is customized for both me and my horse, and based on his reactions to it, I know that he enjoys this “seat” as much as I do.  The leather on this saddle is premium calf leather and very soft and supple, allowing it to mold to both me and my horse.  It does still hold up well, since the barn is not always a place where objects are treated with the utmost care and accidents during riding do happen.  This is one “chair” that I plan on being in my life for many years to come.

This is the chair that sits at the dining room table in my apartment, and is often where I sit when I am at home.  This chair came as part of a table set from an old farmhouse in southern Virginia.  While I do not care much for the faded pattern on the chair cushions, I do like the rest of the chair.  It is made of solid wood and good construction, especially considering it is likely over 50 years old at this point and still in excellent shape and usable.  In addition, I actually find the arm rests on the chair to be quite comfortable and find myself using them often.  I suspect that one of the reasons I like this chair and find it comfortable is that it was likely made for people of a smaller stature than most chairs today are.  I believe this because not only does it fit me (at a giant 5’3″), but also it was designed and created many decades ago, when people were generally smaller to begin with.  However, this is just my speculation based off of the readings from this week (Cranz).  I expect to use this chair for many years to come and continue to be a part of its rich history.

The chairs of my Life

At home, I have my couch and my kitchen table chair where I spend most of my time doing work or eating or living in the evenings and weekends. They are in the same area since of my apartment, so I am in the same space a lot when there. What I like about this combination is that they offer two different mindsets: usually, on my sofa I am more relax and less focused. While I am at my kitchen table sitting in that chair at the table, I typically am more focused and in a “let’s get down to business” sort of mood. It is interesting because you might be able to visualize those feelings just by looking at the material the seat is built from: hard wood versus comfy cushions.

The last three chairs are found around my place of work: one at my cubicle, one at my team’s typical meeting area, and one outside for my team’s informal afternoon break. The former two are very similar but do have differences in their general aura of importance, a fancier leather chair where execs invite business prospects to sit versus my chair that sits in the privacy of my cubicle for my own use. I fit well in my chair though, and it does allow me to fidget and reposition however many times a day I like so that works for me. The last seating area outside for my team’s usual afternoon break actually does not get very much sitting from us, as we tend to stand around for break since we sit all day at work anyway. Regardless of that detail, the seating area outside does not look very inviting to sit either as it is composed of hard concrete and does not offer back support. Nonetheless, it serves as a reminder of our light hearted, fun conversations we have during break time.

Chairs I have encountered in life

Bright and Right

When I was shopping for chairs for my kids, I have found those bright colored great looking children’s study chairs. The design combines function and ergonomics with good appearances. The chairs provide the kids the sense of being in their study environment just like their parents sitting in their offices, meanwhile add a homey feel that would blend in with the other furnitures. Apparently, the designer put thoughts in simple, airy shape and additional qualities a good work chair needs. The choice of the colors is a good reflection on the designs for children.

Less is More

I found this couch from an online furniture store. What I like the most about this couch is its leather surface: a preference I have over fabric. Another unique feature of the sofa is that it is also a convertible futon, which adds a hint of style and comfort to any room. Its backrest easily reclines while the side armrests are removable to be converted into a sleeping bed for guests. This chair is also built with an additional fold-down middle armrest with two-cup holders, it allows friends or couples to kick back and relax with their favorite beverages. So far, I really like my silky black leather chair; it adds the multifunctional lounging essential to my small-spaced apartment.

More than just a chair

I saw this edgy looking chair while shopping chairs for Maggie and Meimei at IKEA. I didn’t end up buying it, however, the design of this swivel chair really caught my eyes. It brings the spun, hidden and cozy space for the children, which to me is beyond what a chair could offer. The inspiration for the swivel chair comes from the designer, Monika Mulder ’s own childhood. It was not allowed at home to spin around in her father’s large swivel armchair in leather – to Monika’s great disappointment, but also an inspiration from her creative mind to craft something that provides a fun imaginary world for the children.

Corner Rocker. Pictured here is a little bamboo rocker chair in a corner of my bedroom. I use this more than any other chair in my apartment as I primarily work off a laptop placed on my knees. It’s generally difficult for me to sit or stand completely still hence the rocking affordance is a welcome addition. The striations in color and natural fiber material evoke a welcoming warmth feeling that most industrial office chairs can’t offer. A small throw pillow provides some needed lumbar support. The narrow chair back allows me to openly pull my shoulders back both to stretch and as a reminder to not slouch.

All weather-er. This basic chair on the apartment patio is where I often take evening meetings, call friends and family, and have dinner. In these scenarios being in a relaxing place outdoors takes priority over comfort as each individual activity doesn’t span too long of a time period. As a result I associate downtime and meals with the patio space and its furniture. If it’s too cold outside I revert to the rocker chair previously mentioned. As a mass manufactured plastic and steel chair from Ikea, its simplicity gives it strength to hold up to outdoor conditions.

Utility player. Despite being comfortable the couch is the least used seating item in my apartment. It was provided to the apartment by my roommate and because cultural norms of course dictate every home needs a couch. It is positioned in front of the living room TV. As someone who doesn’t even have his own Netflix account, the living room is a space I don’t spend much time in. As the biggest item, however, it does draw one’s eyes and thus greatly shapes the room and provides a sense of coziness. Its size combined with a few pillows allow you to fully stretch out. The size also provides some utility functions as it can be used as an extra bed in a pinch. On the occasion guests are over it provides lots of extra, comfortable seats and becomes a center of entertainment and discussion. Overall it contributes to a relaxing mood when one isn’t busy being a full time employee and student.

The commuter. I forgot to take a photo so this one (source) is representative of my seat on the company shuttle used to commute to work. In the San Francisco (SF) area it is not unusual for companies to provide their own transportation shuttles – particularly between the strip that is SF and San Jose. The seat is pretty basic. It’s utilitarian in that it provides a place to sit on my 35 mile commute which on occasion takes up to two hours. A seat belt exists as required by law. However I can rarely get into a comfortable position and the seats are packed tightly together such that two tall individuals often rub elbows while typing away. The jolts from stop and go traffic and feeling of being in a big box certainly don’t help either. Overall it gets me between two places because few if any have ever said they like their  commute.

Tallboy. Despite constantly moving desks I have managed to hang onto this office chair for nearly three years. I keep it quite elevated from the ground for two reasons. The first is it’s a less drastic transition when switching the desk between standing and sitting modes. The second is even whilst sitting I can look across multiple aisles to see if a teammate is available. In the bottom right of the photo is a footstool where I rest my feet. The swivel makes it easy to turn around to chat with my team and the wheels allow me to quickly move it out of the way when I feel like standing. It’s more than satisfactory considering I rarely sit in it for more than two hours at a time. If you haven’t noticed, I’m generally a fan of armless chairs.

– by Q aka Alex Duong

Home Office Chair
This is the chair in my home office. (Well really it’s a living room that I’m using as an office). I like this chair because it’s comfortable and not oversized or packed in with too many features. I also like the wheels because I move around a lot and the glide really smoothly over the wood floor.

Antique Chair
This is an antique chair that’s also in the front room. I love this chair because it used to be my grandmother’s chair and she did a lot of writing in it. I never met her, but the chair (and writing secretary it goes with) are important to my dad, who is 82, so they are important to me too.

Dining Chair
This is one of our dining room chairs and I don’t like it at all. My husband had the set before we met. Even though I’m not much of a decorator, I am not a fan of Craftsman revival. However, the chairs are very sturdy and comfortable. We only use them for holidays or when we have a bunch of people over and because I hate the fabric so much, I’m never stressed that someone will spill something on them. Spill away!

Breakfast/Kitchen Area Chair
This is one of the chairs in our breakfast area. Unlike the dining room chairs, I am worried someone will spill something on them because we use these chairs on a daily basis. In retrospect, I should have chosen a darker color. Like I said, I’m not much of a decorator, so I chose a neutral color and style for the chairs in the hope they would blend into to other furniture in the future.

Patio Chair
This chair is on our patio and I tried to capture the reflection so you can see what I see when I sit in this chair. Beyond our backyard is a big open area. It’s really pleasant place to sit and often I will bring my laptop or a book out to study. With the addition of the pillow, this chair has worked well for me and is comfortable even for a couple of hours. After I finish this post, I’m going to pour a glass of wine and go sit in that chair.

Car Driver’s Seat
This is the seat in my car. I like this seat because it has perforations that allow it to be heated or cooled. It’s a black car in Texas. The air-conditioned seat is a life-saver. Also, the controls are really intuitive and easy to use.

Office
This is a picture of my current office at Charles Schwab. As Cranz mentions, there is little variation in the modern office. Managing Directors and above at Schwab have offices while everyone else sits in an open area, but we all have the same chairs. The office does speak to status, but I don’t like it because I’m too far away from my team because there wasn’t an office available on the same floor. This will change soon. Our building is out of space and I’m currently working with corporate real estate to move all the UX people on Austin to a new location where we can all sit together.

New Office Location
This is one of the potential new spaces for the UX team that we would sit in until a new building is finished at the end of 2019. You can see that all the chairs and desks are the same. Very democratic. My only fear is that there are no dividers between the desks, so some of the team members are going to be unhappy. Also, there is no office in this area for me. On one hand I like the democracy of having the same space as everyone else. On the other hand, I have a lot of calls with various leaders in San Francisco and I’m going to have find random team rooms to hold calls if we move into this location. It’s going to be very inconvenient for me. Of the three spots I’m looking at, this one is the nicest, so this is probably the one it will be.

THEATER SEATING

I went to an older theater in Raleigh NC. The most striking feature of these seats is how they are different from modern cinema seating. Most modern theater seating tries to emulate your home recliner (e.g., La Z boy furniture). They are very plush, and the materials are supposed to ooze comfort. This seating arrangement was quite different, made of fabric with a small amount of padding. The seating were nostalgic of older theaters I went to growing up, but it was also kind of old and dirty. The seats didn’t squeak and were easy to access. They were not very comfortable, and I found that I had to readjust my position multiple times to prevent soreness and fatigue.

DRIVER’S SEAT

I drive a Volkswagen Jetta for my daily commute. The most striking quality of the driver’s seat is the red stitching. The stitching is there to suggest a sense of sportiness. It doesn’t actually make my Jetta sportier or the seat more comfortable. This is my seat for my commute to and from work (approximately 19 minutes each way). I like my Jetta and find the seats more comfortable than any of my previous cars. I enjoy driving and look forward to sitting in these seats. One problem I have is with the black “leatherette/fake leather” material that these are made of. They become very hot during the very warm North Carolina summers and uncomfortably cold during the winters.

HOME OFFICE COUCH

I bought my tufted loveseat for my home office. The most striking feature for me of this couch is the minimal amount of materials used to make it. I would assume this allows for it to be made rather cheaply in comparison to something like a recliner. The couch took up very little space when it arrived and I assembled it at home. I purchased this loveseat for reading, writing, and a place to comfortably perform general work. It functions very well for long periods of reading and working on my laptop. Overall this is a very comfortable seat; however, after about two hours, I start to feel fatigue from using it.

DESK CHAIR

The most striking feature of this chair is the materials used. I didn’t need a chair with leather and wood, but when looking for office chairs the better materials both consciously/unconsciously took precedence over more ergonomic options. This is my home office desk chair. I bought this chair because my old college one was giving me extreme back pain. The chair functions well, I am able to sit in it for several hours before becoming uncomfortable. It is rated for 10 hours of sitting, but I would say it is able to get me through 5 comfortably.

LOFT CHAIR

The most striking feature of this chair is the way it feels when you sit in it. There is no support, underneath the chair towards the back. This causes the chair to bounce when you sit down. This IKEA chair is made of wood and has a thin pad that goes over the top. It is in the loft of my house. I try to avoid sitting in this chair, but when there are guests over it provides backup seating. My cat uses it more than I do. This chair is frustrating. It is easy to get into, but rather difficult to get out of because of its odd shape and design. It is uncomfortable to sit in and has a weird bounce to it.

DINING CHAIR

Simple mass-produced dining chair purchased from IKEA. The most striking feature of this chair is that is light, easy to move and very simple in design. It is located in my dining room, though I rarely dine there. I don’t find this chair very relatable as I barely use it. It provides a place to sit but is not very comfortable for an extended period of time. I don’t have any strong feelings about this chair since I don’t use it that often. It performs a function of providing a seat at the table, but nothing beyond that function. It is not a particularly pleasant design. It is definitely not a work of art.

STARBUCKS

I find the fact that this chair is made of wood to be its most striking feature. It is simple and easy to clean. It is light and easy to move. This is a wood chair at a local Starbucks. I go to this Starbucks frequently with friends and family and have sat in this chair several times. It performs its function as a place to sit but does not exceed that function. It is plain and boring. It is uncomfortable after a few minutes of sitting, but I don’t have any negative feeling towards this chair. It serves it’s purpose well and adds to the atmosphere of the Starbucks.

Desk Chair

This is my everyday desk chair that I use for work. It makes me feel super productive when I work at my desk station versus the couches or bean bag chairs scattered all over the office and it makes me feel like whatever I’m doing at my desk must be super important. We have these chairs at every desk in the office regardless of your role. It functions like any other desk chair would. It is well cushioned which I appreciate. It’s a decent chair, but I find it’s not always super comfortable for my back (hence the pillow). Since our office space is very open, I find that the wheels play a huge part in my day to day. The ergonometric nature of this chair allows me to slide over to person behind me when I want to ask a question or simply move the chair to face the person next to me when we discuss something. I don’t necessarily have to get up and move around as much due to the proximity and physical placement of most of the people I work with. They are at most a glide away.

Bean Bag Chair

The bean bag chair is a ball of stuffing that your body just sinks into. The cushion is super comfortable and gives more off a more relaxed feel than a standard chair. This is my favorite spot to sit at when I feel I do not need to collaborate with anyone in the office which is around the same time as when my workload decreases and I have some time to “relax”. I find myself usually sitting there later in the workday when all that’s left for me to work on is busy work. It is my destress zone that allows me to still be productive.

Ottoman Chair/Table

These chairs are mainly used for when there aren’t enough seats in a meeting room. They are colorful and sturdy ottomans that are not very comfortable. It does its job during the ironically named daily “stand up” meeting. No one lasts more than one hour on that chair and if they had to, you’d usually see them standing. However, their flat surface allows it to be more versatile in a sense that it acts as both a chair and table. It comes with an optional metal top if you wish to transform the cushion top to a metal top and assure the safety of items stacked on top of it. These chairs are multi-functional but not the most comfortable.

Outdoor Chair

This is the chair I typically sit on when I take my lunch outside to the courtyard and want some fresh air. It’s a standard metal and wooden chair with legs and no arms. It’s not the most comfortable but it serves its purpose for the 30 minutes that I sit on it. It’s not the best chair, but it’s not the worst. It’s very much a standard chair and I have no feelings towards it whatsoever. It’s just okay.

Clothes Chair

Everyone’s favorite chair. It’s situated in the corner of my bedroom where This chair represents how I am doing in life and looking at affects my mood. If I look at this chair and it’s empty, I know I have my life together and makes me feel accomplished. However, if it has a pile of clothes and bags on top, I know I’m due for a reorganization of not only my stuff, but my priorities. The chair itself is fantastic. It bends in all the right places to make for the perfect chair in terms of structure and design. What it represents is what I love most about it. Its job is to silently tell me “good job” or “what are you doing with your life?”

Driver’s Car Seat

I sit on this chair pretty much everyday. It is a well-cushioned, adjustable, pleather chair that makes each car ride as comfortable as possible. The sides of the chair are designed to curve around your body to limit the undesirable body movements when turning. They are perfect for everyday commutes and can get uncomfortable on long car rides.

Toilet Seat

Ah, the porcelain throne. The seat itself is not meant to be super comfortable, but rather sturdy, durable, working, and easy to clean. I’m not sure what else to say except that it does its job and it’s not meant to be comfortable for a long period of time.

This is my office chair, which in my opinion is really comfortable, but would probably be heavily criticized by Galen Cranz. Having actually taken Galen’s class at UC Berkeley, I have a sense of what she would consider to be variables of good chair design. As an believer in the Alexander Technique, she spent her life advocating for positions that encourage natural spine shaped postures. Key takeaway being the desire for an S-shaped spine, she would criticize this chair as being suboptimal, positioning my spine in a C-shape for 8 hours a day. She would say that “sitting is the new smoking.” And while I find this chair very comfortable for the first few hours, I do have to agree that my lower back is not very happy with me by the end of the day. Because I am rather petite, I fit comfortably and sink into the cushions. But on the downside, it gives me lots of room horizontally to lean onto the armrests and thus often assuming a bad slanted posture. But, humans don’t always want what is best for them. I see a chair with thick cushion depth, a head rest, and a bouncy leanback, and I think “I love it!” In hindsight, after the reading, I should probably be more aware of how I sit in it, or sit on a yoga ball instead.

This is my home desk chair from college. I rarely use it because I never work at proper desks or tables at home, but I don’t have the heart to throw it out because it looks very comfortable. As I’ve said, I judge chairs by the cover based on how soft and thick the cushion looks. This one is not only that, but has further softened to the contours of my body since college. Again, I sink into it very well, which is perceived as a good thing, but actually very bad for my spine. Also, the desire for a headrest leads me to lean sideways onto an armrests. And like almost all chairs for me, I have plenty of room sideways and find myself habitually not sitting upright.

This is my couch which I bought on sale in college and use to brighten up my room. I spend most evenings on this couch because the width of the seat is exactly the length of my legs if I sit upright facing sideways. I have had this couch for many years and have fallen asleep in it many many nights after crawling home at before sunrise from the architecture studio in college. Not to sound like a broken record, but the cushion is very soft, and when paired with a pillow and blanket, feels very cozy. But I mostly use it to sink in and gradually enter a lying down position and never sit in it facing forward as one would with a normal couch. As a couch, it is probably not very comfortable and may feel way too small for 2 people despite being a loveseat. But being a small person, I love it as a couch/bed makeshift hybrid.

This is my seat in the car. Although it feels very comfortable in the first 5 minutes, this is the seat in my daily life that noticeably makes my lower back ache. Car seat designs are designed for the general population with very little range in the seat excluding the angle and height. From the manufacturer’s perspective, it is better to design and err on the bigger side so as to not exclude the population that is bigger, like a one-size-fits-all. And this makes total sense for them as manufacturers because it doesn’t alienate the smaller users. The smaller users will still buy the car and accept it as the norm across most brands. But, car seats leave my spine in a rounder C-shape than most other chairs and I should have a backrest or cushion to reverse the arch in my back.

This is one of the toilets I use in my day, but most toilets I use look the same anyway. I generally find the seats comfortable, effective, and simple. The only ones that have ever blown my mind are high tech toilets with seat warmers, but considering how few minutes in a day is spent sitting on a toilet, it makes little difference to me. My usual desire for a cushion or a backrest does not apply here, because, well, it’s a strictly business-only seat that probably shouldn’t be too comfortable to prevent other people from lingering…

This is the Philz Coffee chair I sit in to do homework on the weekends. I actually find it very comfortable. Because it is so small, it does not encourage me to lean sideways or fidget like a swivel chair. The height of the backrest minimizes my back from arching into a “C” and I find my posture straighter in this chair than most others, second only to my toilet posture. I find it easier to focus and sit for longer periods in this chair. This chair is also designed for their bar tables, and since I am relatively short, I work quite effectively without hunching over my laptop.

Desk Chair

This is my desk chair. It’s an inexpensive metal and cloth chair yet it is quite comfortable. The slight curve of the backrest and the stretchable mesh fabric supports my back while also forming to the natural curve of the spine. The armrests are nice to have, especially when leaning back and reading on the screen; they’re also a good height, not too low that they’re uncomfortable and not too high impeding the chair from being pushed into the desk. It would be nice if the chair was more adjustable, but for the inexpensive design, I can’t complain.

Bar Height Dining Chair

This is my bar height dining table chair. It is made of wood and extremely uncomfortable. The lower supports between the chair legs are an awkward height for resting your feet; not resting your feet at a bar height table is very uncomfortable. The back is also too straight making it very uncomfortable to sit on for long periods. Because this chair is so uncomfortable I rarely sit at the dining table.

Reading Chair

This is my reading chair, which I also bring out when we have guests over for additional seating. I originally chose it for its mid-century modern design. It is fairly comfortable with a good amount of seat cushion. The downside to the design is the low back, although alright for short periods, it becomes uncomfortable if I sit for a long time reading a book.

Footrest

This is actually a footrest but is very handy to move around as a short stool. I will sometimes craft on the coffee table and sit on the footrest which is a great height. It’s comfortable but of course, lacks back support. It’s perfect for moving around in a pinch but I wouldn’t want to sit for extended periods on it.

Couch seat

This is my seat on the couch. I almost always sit on this side of the couch because I have two cats and a dog who are very particular about where on the couch they nap. We actually got this couch from a family that was moving and didn’t want to bring it along. We had low expectations because it’s an inexpensive, plain couch, but it’s extremely comfortable (as I said, we have pets, so dark colored inexpensive furniture is a must). It’s so cushioned it feels like it absorbs your body in a cushioned embrace. Never sit on this couch if you have work to do, it is a napping hazard.

Driver’s seat

This is my car’s driver’s seat. I drive a blue Toyota Camry also known as Blue Bell. I’ve had Blue Bell for almost 10 years so I definitely feel quite attached to her. I have made so many memories driving her around, including moving from New York to California with two unhappy cats in the backseat. This seat has adjustable back support and can be adjusted forward, backward, as well as up or down to make the right fit for a person’s height. Having sat in this seat for very long periods of driving at a time, I can say that it’s quite comfortable. If my back starts to feel fatigued while driving, I find that adjusting the back support can help alleviate the tension, at least temporarily. This photo can be found here.

My chair in room
This is my desk chair where I usually sit when I study or work at home. It is thoughtfully designed with convenient armrests and a backrest. It features a five-wheel castered base with an adjustable height that is perfect for rolling, rotating and changing directions. The chair height can be adjusted no longer since the synchro tilt of adjusting height is broken, but fortunately it is stopped at the perfect height for me. This chair gives me a feeling of working hard. I feel like I have to do something when I sit in this chair. If I sit long in this chair for a long time, it means I have to do a lot of work and concentrate.

Sit on the floor
I usually sit on the floor leaning beside my bed. I created my own floor seat with a floor cushion and a big stuffed doll to make my posture comfortable. I sit here when I have a break, read a book, use my phone, or work without a monitor. I still have not found the right floor chair, so I made the floor space myself. I am familiar with the floor culture from the East. The floor is used in various ways in Korea, such as sitting, eating, hanging out, or even sleeping on heated floors.

Work chair
I recently switched to this height adjustable standing chair to pair with my standing desk in my office. I like this chair except that there are no armrests next to it. I usually sit in this chair for half a day and stand for another half-day. I sit on this chair when I am tired from standing for a long time.

Driver’s seat
This is the driver’s seat that I sit mostly when I commute. The comfort of the car seat is important in my daily life with long commutes. The seat is easily changed at any angle and adjusted to create a comfortable space. It is mainly used during driving, but this space is also used when taking a nap during the day. Sometimes when I am sitting here after work I feel comfortable like this place is almost home or my personal space.

Guest space chair and couch
There are two types of chairs in the guest area next to the front door of my home. One is a small-sized couch; the others are tub chairs. These are mostly used when visitors or guests come to home and have a short conversation. I believe that they are given more attention than the other chairs by being decorated with cushions and covers. I also relax on these chairs on the weekend, while there is a less chance of sitting on them during weekdays.

Spectrum rest chair
Irvine Spectrum recently remodeled the exterior and interior of the place and switched to new chairs to match with their new environment. In addition to providing comfort to people, their bright colors, unique shapes and design also make people feel positive, pleasing and wanting to spend time in the area. The design of these chairs fits well with the playful and lively outdoor experience.

HOME OFFICE CHAIR
I’ve had this home office executive chair for a very long time. It survived five moves between Los Angeles to Orange County, and one year in public storage.  This chair has many scuff marks in its ripple body, the height adjustable seat and tilt mechanism no longer work. Nonetheless, I like the modern look and the simplicity of this chair. I only wish this chair had added cushion for extra comfort.

CHAIR IN MY ROOM
The most attractive part about this chair is its chrome plated frame constructed in one single piece that looks like an X. The tufted black leather seat is slick and modern, and I really enjoy sitting in it while I read or watch television.  The armless structure of the chair make it feel inviting without hesitation.  This is not the most comfortable chair I own but it is more comfortable than my first impression of seeing this chair.

DESK CHAIR
The desk chair I bought for my son is the cutest thing. This chair is mid-century modern style with blue molded seat, held up by wooden legs, and legs reinforced by iron stretchers. I appreciate the combination of wood, metal and vinyl materials used to construct this chair. It is lightweight which makes it perfect for my little guy with little hands. When my son spilled Elmer’s glue on the chair in his attempt to make slime, the clean-up was easy.

DINING CHAIR
This dining chair is one of four dining chairs I purchased from Restoration Hardware. I like this chair because of its clean lines and comfort. The seat cushion is filled with down feathers, single foam base, and covered in easy to clean white canvas fabric. The chrome legs match my coffee table and accent table in the great room. My dining chair is conducive to my home décor.

OFFICE CHAIR
I think I sit in my office chair for about six hours a day. There is nothing unique about my black office chair as it looks like every other office chair I had before. It is a standard swivel chair with arm rest and mesh back for airflow and support. It has height and reclining adjustment controls underneath the seat with several other levers I don’t understand how they function. I don’t find it fun or exciting about my office chair.

DRIVER’S SEAT
I find my driver’s seat very comfortable indeed. I can adjust the height of my driver’s seat, legroom, back support and headrest all from my side door. The semi-bucket sport style seat molds into my body, making me feel snug and safe when I drive. I’ve always had black or gray seats with black or gray interior. Either I’m boring or I love the way everything looks harmonious in my car. The best part about my driver’s seat is that it can be heated. This option is great for winter time in Southern California!

No. 1: My desk and extra living room chair

This is the generic version of the famous “DSW” Eames Chair, but much cheaper and from my local World Market. I liked the design so much that I have two of the same chair, originally bought for the living room to provide extra seats for friends. When I moved to my current apartment, I didn’t have a proper desk chair and borrowed the second from the other room. Besides the material being quite hard and cold, the plastic is actually molded well to a human form. Although it doesn’t have armrests, it is comfortable enough to sit in for an hour or so (to watch a movie or play board games on the coffee table). The height of the seat is perfect for me to rest my feet flat on the ground (being five feet tall), but I suppose it would be different for taller people. Aesthetically it is pleasing, and it gets the job done.

No. 2: The worst counter-height stool

I posted about this chair as the “object I hate” because I avoid sitting at the dining table because of it. It is a stool and provides a curved top for a more comfortable experience, but it’s other features prove otherwise. The foot rests are too high to rest on, as my knees are constantly in a weird, disjointed position. It also has no back rest, and promotes bad posture and pain if I sit here for over thirty minutes. The only time I find this stool of use is when I have to climb up high to reach something. I bought these in college because they were $12 each, but feel like I haven’t gotten my money’s worth because they are not ergonomically comfortable.

No. 3: The drum throne used to play the keyboard

My boyfriend’s roommate is a drummer, so we use this chair to play his keyboard. It is an ergonomically cushioned seat, and is the most comfortable “stool” I have ever sat on. The cushion is lined with leather, and the top is a nice, black velvet fabric that provides a pleasant smoothness. The height can be adjusted by the metal knob on the main stand, and the feet are made of rubber to help absorb shock when a drummer is going hard. So far on the list, this is my favorite chair. Although it doesn’t have a back rest, this probably gives a drummer the ability to move around better. I should also mention that it swivels to accommodate where the person has to pivot. It is a superb stool.

No. 4: The office chair

My boyfriend’s desk has an IKEA office chair. While he says it was fairly cheap, it is quite ergonomically fitting and comfortable. The fabric is made of vinyl which absorbs most of my body heat, the arm rests allow for me to be rested at the desk, and there is a lever below to adjust the height. I’ve noticed that changes in height make a big difference in terms of fitting a number of people, and this could market easily to a mass majority. Although it doesn’t have an extreme amount of cushion, it keeps the user from falling asleep to be more productive. It’s a mediocre chair that works better than a standard four-legged chair for someone sitting at a desk.

No. 5: The big, huge lawn chair (my mother and I for size reference)

Okay, I know this looks ridiculous… but it’s more of a placemaking technique for Lake Las Vegas. It is a white, wooden oversized picnic/lawn chair that isn’t really for function, but mostly fun and looks. Because of the size, it acted as more of a lounge chair because my feet were barely reaching the edge of the seat. The seat was slanted downwards, making it quite comfortable to rest against the backing, but that made it difficult to get up and out of it. The armrests served as a nice surface to put our coffee, and if it were normal-sized, it would probably be a properly functioning picnic chair. Overall, this felt like more of an art piece to experience something larger than life and provided a fun novelty.

No. 6: The Netherlandish bench

This is a picture I took of a bus bench in Amsterdam back in May. While I thought it was cute and aesthetically interesting because of the illustration on it, it was a decent bench. Made of wooden planks bolted to a metal frame, the form contoured to my body. This bench was intended for people waiting around for little amounts of time, and didn’t serve much past it’s function. The form also affords for people to lie down if needed!

No. 7: My cardboard chair

I made this chair out of one piece of cardboard for a Principles of Design class back in undergrad. I was aiming for a more unique formed chair, and didn’t pay much attention to comfort (and passing the assignment by having an 150-pound person sit on it without having it collapse). If I’m being honest, the back didn’t serve much of a function because it wasn’t secured during construction, so the comfort of the chair wasn’t prevalent. I enjoyed the process of making it, but probably should have focused more attention on the comfort and human ergonomics.

These are the main chairs in my life. They tell a clear story about me.

This is my work chair:

It seats within the confines of my cubicle space. It has all the latest ergonomics aspects necessary to make my back feel relaxed and in posture. I can move it up or down with one lever on the right side of the chair. Another lever allows me to increase/decrease the tension of the back support with a simple axel rotation which I use and change several times during the week according to how my back feels. It is a light chair and the mesh material permits the constant dry feel with great body aeration. It provides me with a pleasant experience without making me go to sleep. I guess in a way it provides the right tension for me to be active and get up and down as many times as I need without hurting and/or promoting bad body postures. I don’t like the color, but I became accustomed to the latest technologies and design applied on this product and I will recommend to any business trying to provide a healthier experience to their employees. We spend many hours of our days seating, so having good technology support your body posture is imperative.

This is my recliner chair:

This is where I spend my leisure time, my place of Zen. This is where I relax and watch something on TV, read a book, article, or lecture. It makes me feel comfortable and cozy. It soothes me before I go to sleep is almost like a big panda bear that hugs me every night. Yea don’t get any weird ideas Jesse, is just a comfortable chair for me ?

One thing though is that during the summer it can feel a bet warm to the body. Other than that it’s great!

This is my cello chair:

Here is where I come when I need to escape to the world of music. Another place of Zen for me. This chair doesn’t have any adjustments or ergonomics but is the only chair in the house that allows me to be seating at the right Hight and leaning forward enough to embrace the cello correctly. All other chairs that can help me regulate the Hight and leaning angle have harms and prevent me from fitting the cello comfortably in order to play freely. It allows me to have the right body posture to play music without having to adjust while playing. Its interesting to me that depending on the application and specific use of the chair what the ergonomics require can be so different and opposite. I hacked into the ergonomics of this chair by adding a pillow to complement the comfortable leaning forward and prevent the metallic back from destroying my shirts as it has made a mess of new t-shirts that got tangle up in the metal imperfections causing small rips and deformations.

This is my study room chair:

Here is where I do my homework. Also, study, read, and take a lecture. This chair is very comfortable. It has the right amount of ergonomic levers to make any kind of adjustment. Is almost as good as the one I have in the office but less quality and ergonomics. One drawback ha to do with the leather, it doesn’t let the body breath as the mesh texture my work chair has. During long periods of work at home or study I get uncomfortable and humidity tends to accumulate where the body touches the leather. It is cool most of the time. It doesn’t get warm like the recliner, but is the only chair in the house that will make me break a sweat.

I love this beautiful leather seat!

It has taken me everywhere for the last 10 years. 150,000 miles of comfortable, ergonomics, and luxury, with a perfect fitting for my body and weight. It withstood the trial of time and friction. Visible is the only scar produced by frictions with my pants as I have entered and exit my car more than 20,000 times (my quick math showed). Aways delivering the same consistent luxurious feel and experience. It has the capacity to get warmed up for the cold winter nights with a fully electric set of controls that smoothly bring the seat up and forward as desired by the user. It also has a small lever that either fills or retracts a small section of the lower back providing more or less support for that area of the back, which happens to be one of my sources of stress and pain when I drive for long periods of time, so I really enjoy that little feature. Plus the only head support that truly does something positive for my neck and head.

Living Room Chair (past)

This is my old chair. Near the beginning of this exercise I decide, it was time for a new chair. This chair has gotten to the point where it causes me neck pain and headaches if I sat too long. There was no way to do things such as work with a computer, read a book or lay back comfortably. This chair used to sit in my living room where I could use it to watch TV, read and just sit. I relate poorly to this piece of furniture. I purchased it brand new from Ikea with a couch for under $1,000 and while it was inexpensive, it is not functional in the way I expect it to be as I’m unable to use it for more than a few hours at a time.

Living Room Chair (present)

This is my new chair. I don’t necessarily think it is very nice looking, but it is very comfortable. It is taller than the other furniture and doesn’t really fit the room. If I am not sitting in it, there is at least 1 cat in or on it, usually 2. The chair represents a place for me to be comfortable for long periods of time and to allow me to focus on school and learning. It is an electric recliner and is operated by a button on the side, and not a lever. It’s a microfiber type of material that has a suede type of texture. I don’t know the brand name of the chair it, but I bought it at a local store called Jerome’s that has multiple locations that sells furniture inexpensively.

Prius Front Seat

This is the front seat of my car. It’s a silver 2014 Toyota Prius 3 and it has grey cloth interior. I read another student with a Prius also mention that the interior is appropriate for what the car is and anything more, such as leather would feel odd and out of character for the car really stands for efficiency and simplicity. I agree and I like the interior, it is comfortable and considering I bought it to support driving long distances, comfort was a primary concern. The car has 68,416 miles and I would say I have been in the drivers seat for all but about 50 of those miles.

Lunch (Burger Boss)

This the seat I sat in when I had lunch earlier this week with Graham from class. It was comfortable for the time I was there, but wasn’t a place I would want to sit long-term. It was hard plastic and everything felt a bit compressed, spacing between the back of the seat and table and the size of the table. This seat was a place to allow me to focus on getting to know someone a bit better and have a good meal. The place was Burger Boss and I had the black bean burger with fries.

Office Chair

The chair in my office is pretty comfortable. I bought it about 6 months ago with the intention that I would be sitting in it a lot while doing school work as well as working. I use it at a sit / stand desk and so it isn’t always used when I am at my desk. Additionally, I use my chair in the living room to work in at times so I don’t always use my desk to do my school work. The chair is not leather but faux leather and was under $150. The chair means to me that I am able to provide myself with the appropriate chair for my needs.

Yoga Bolster

My yoga bolster is something that I sit as well as use in other ways on a regular basis. For its purpose, it could be a little more consistent, its become misshapen over the years I’ve had it. I believe I got it free from Yogaworks, it’s dark tan and has a canvas cover that comes off. I relate well to this yoga bolster as it is supportive of my needs and is flexible in my practice.

Meditation Pillow

I also have a meditation pillow that I also got from Yogaworks for free. The color is a light green and kind of reminds me to be calm when I go to sit on the pillow to meditate. It also has a canvas cover, however the contents inside are loose pellets and so to wash it I would have to empty them into another container. I also relate well to my meditation pillow. When I meditate regularly, life just seems to generally work better. The fact that I use a pillow or not doesn’t matter, but the pillow in some ways serves as a reminder to take the time to use it. I don’t tuck it away, rather leave it in the middle of my living space.

Chairs in my life

Furry fantasy in my living-room

Not very comfortable. Made me feel good when I bought it but haven’t felt the same since.

Bamboo bliss, not

Looks good in my living-room but can’t sit on this for too long either.

It’s a trap

This butterfly chair looks cool in the living room, fun to sink in, but is unstable when getting up. It’s less of a chair and more of a booby trap!

Workhorse

Boring-looking dining chair. Looks sad but delivers. I work from home and I’m usually sitting in this chair for most part of my work day. I love it/her. (Her?) It’s interesting that we give genders to objects that we like.

Isn’t it nice when things just work

This unassuming couch in my living room is the best. It is not the biggest, or the most expensive or the fanciest, but it is comfortable. I sit in it, lie down in it, sometimes get a short nap in it and love every bit of it. This is home.

Some other chairs that I sit in.

The unsung hero

Here’s a standardized public bench near my place. It lacks character, is generic and faceless in some ways. In fact, its face is somebody’s advertisement. So, it keeps changing with no identity of its own. These public benches are like the nobodies of our city and yet they play such an important role. They offer a comfortable resting place for strangers and neighbors alike.

Impulse cousins

Beautiful looking garden chairs being sold at the nearby nursery. They look nice but are not comfortable to sit. Their placement is designed to trigger impulse purchase. Somehow, people in a nursery always seem to be predisposed to buy things that go with their plants.

Uncomfortable by design

Outdoor seating in most busy restaurants seems to follow a trend. Most of the chairs are uncomfortable. Looks like the store owners do not want people to sit for longer.

Parrot greens

Saw these chairs at a Boba shop. The store had limited seating inside. And these chairs that they had laid outside were no better. Mat be the idea is to discourage people (esp. teenage clientele?) from sitting for too long.

Rejected twins

I saw these two by the road and felt bad for them. If they were in some developing country they’d still be in use. I felt sad for the chairs and the waste that has been created but did not have to be.

There are a few more, and unusual, chairs that I’d like to include in my list.

Keeps it cool

This earthy jute rug that I sometimes sit on,  and it’s  more comfortable than most of the chairs I have.

Think station

Toilet ‘seat’ that is more important than most of the chairs and rugs at home. It is a great place to relax and contemplate.

Chairs in our vocabulary

This assignment also made me think about chairs beyond my own little world. Chairs are a part of business and organizational vocabulary. Look at titles like ‘Chairperson’, ‘Chairman’, ‘Chairwoman’ etc.

There are other words created because of the roles that chairs play, like the Wheelchair.

Picture source: http://cdn.drivemedical.com/media/catalog/product/cache/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/S/T/STDS1074.jpg

Chairs can also create new words because of their unique feature, like the Revolving chair.

Picture Source:

https://n2.sdlcdn.com/imgs/a/q/r/Nice-Black-Metallic-Office-Chair-SDL770186739-1-95416.jpg

Chairs are also associated with games that children play like, the game of Musical chairs. The expression, musical chairs has gone further, it is also used to describe a situation characterized by uncertainty and frequent change.

Kids playing a game of musical chairs

Picture source:

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=musical+chairs&atb=v133-2&iax=images&ia=images&iai=http%3A%2F%2Fpartygames.guide%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F02%2Fmusical-chairs-1.jpg

Chairs as symbol of power

Like mentioned in Galen Cranz’s book, chairs have come to symbolize power and prosperity. In fact, the kind of chair being used says a lot about both the person using it. Chairs are an integral symbol of power in high ‘power distance societies’ (power distance societies are those where it is accepted that power is distributed unequally). In these societies the bigger or higher the chair the more important the person sitting in it. Traditionally, only kings and the royalty could sit in such chairs.

Picture Source:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/Akbar_II_in_durbar.jpg/220px-Akbar_II_in_durbar.jpg

Fingerprints of a king’s court are still all around us. If you go to a traditional Indian wedding ceremony in India, you’ll see that the bride and the groom are usually seated in a big throne-like chair. The chairs are placed on a raised platform that rises above the guests and their seats, just like in a king’s court from an era gone by. It is often said in India that “every man gets to be a king on his wedding day.”

A groom at his wedding (North India, 2016)

No chairs = poor

Not having chairs or other furniture is associated with poverty. In this short clip, from a well-known Hindi movie. You’ll see the landlord and his assistant are visiting a poor farmer’s home to collect unpaid rent. The farmer has fallen on hard times and has no chair to offer to the guests. Guests have to sit on the floor.

I feel like I need to preface this post with a disclaimer: I only use one chair daily, and it’s more like a swiveling stool with a backrest. I usually sit on it cross-legged, and ~80% of the time I’m standing at my desk or sitting on the couch with my feet up instead. But, in the spirit of “chairs are anywhere I sit for any reason”, here is each “chair” in my life, ranked from most to least frequently used.

(I’ve used the manufacturer’s photographs for all except #1, #6, and #13 because my house is an embarrassing mess.)

Chairs at Work

This is my work chair, where I sit 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. I haven’t had much time to go to the gym due to my busy schedule so I decided to invest in this exercise ball seat cushion for my work chair. This seat cushion is designed to work my core muscles by forcing me to sit in an upright posture and makes me feel like I’m getting a low-key workout at my desk. It makes me feel twice as productive while I work, since I like to convince myself I am simultaneously working out. The seat cushion is also 10x more comfortable than the original chair cushion, even when I’m sitting on it the wrong way. Admittedly this cushion looks a bit goofy but I feel like it’s really “me”, and it makes showing up to work that much more delightful. I also enjoy spinning around in this chair. I fidget a lot, so I always appreciate when a chair has wheels.

This is the chair I sit in when I’m talking to my boss in his office.  It’s a pretty mundane spectacle in a rather grotesque shade of lime green. After being used to sitting in my main work chair, this chair’s thin cushion pales in comparison. However, the more stiff structure of this chair causes me to feel more attentive and focused, which is helpful when interacting with my boss. I don’t typically utilize the back or armrests because I am usually leaning forward on my laptop when seated in this chair. While I do not like this shade of green, it does kind of brighten up the mood a tad (perhaps because it has hints of yellow in it). While this chair also has wheels, I do not spin around in it for obvious reasons.

Chairs at Home

This chair (if you can even see it) pretty much depicts the chaos that is my adult life. It is an office chair that faces a table in my room. I typically sit in this chair when I’m making jewelry for my online shop. This chair clearly has multiple functionalities as it doubles as a laundry basket. Sometimes I find myself in a haste and throw my clothes on this chair. The result is that I have slightly more than a couple inches of actual sitting space. To say that this chair causes anxiety would be an understatement. It seems that every time I remove my clothes from this chair, clothes find their way back. For what it’s worth, at least I can comfortably place my elbows on the armrests.

All I think of when I see this stool is my ravenous hunger being satiated. This is the stool I sit on when I am eating, whether it’s dinner or a midnight snack. While I wish this stool had a backrest, I’m usually far too hungry to care what I’m sitting on. In fact, I feel that since this chair does not have a backrest, it actually forces me to sit in a better posture which aids digestion. The cushion is a nice touch too, as it is quite comfortable. Overall, I have no qualms with this stool. It serves its purpose.

Perhaps my favorite “chair” of all isn’t even a chair, it’s my bed. When I am seated in my bed, it is usually the end of a long day. Whether I’m relaxing or working, sitting in my room on my bed always gives me an overall sense of peace. I lean back against two propped up pillows for added comfort while sitting. I like the fact that I can stretch out my legs on my bed. I also enjoy the fact that I feel very at home and safe when I am in bed. It feels like a space that is strictly mine.

Other Chairs

While the driver’s seat of my car is physically comfortable, what makes me enjoy sitting in it the most is how it makes me feel mentally/emotionally. I love being in my car’s driver’s seat because it makes me feel in control, as well as introspective. Since I am a person who finds it hard to sit still, I enjoy driving because it feels productive, like I’m going somewhere, even if that means I’m just driving around aimlessly to good music. Often while driving, I self-reflect and come to meaningful realizations. Beyond driving, I’ve also taken numerous naps in my seat  (hence the hanging dreamcatcher) as it is a peaceful place where I can feel genuinely isolated. I think a large part of why I love sitting in my car so much has to do with the fact I still live with my parents and can often feel stifled at home. Sometimes I’ll just sit in my car when I want some time alone. Other times I’ll be sitting with a friend having a deep conversation. Since I spend so much time sitting in my car, my waterproof seat cover is a nice add-on because I don’t have to worry about spilling anything. I enjoy leaning back and pondering life. I look at my car as a vehicle to my outer world and inner world.

A. Wooden Dining Chair: This foldable wooden chair is found in the kitchen of my office. I always take notice to it because it is originally made and intended for the outdoors. It folds for easy storage but it folds from the back and not the front which makes it hard to operate. Although it doesn’t look like it, it is pretty comfy and is so easy to clean making it a perfect (although unintended) kitchen chair.

B. Industrial Stool: The silver metal stool is located in the storefront of where I work. It has a rustic vibe, I love the look and it is more than likely mass produced. It is too high for the counter where it’s located so I have to slouch over my computer when using that work station. It is not intended for long term use and serves its purpose as decor.

C. Office Chair: This rolling chair with a mesh back is the only one of its kind in our office. It is located in one of our meeting rooms and no one is sure how it got there. It is probably the most comfortable chair in the office and serves to be ergonomic and functional. You can lean back on it, move around with ease and adjustments can be made to fit the person sitting in it. It promotes good posture and makes me feel like I should sit up straight whenever I sit in it.

D. Starbucks Chair: This wooden chair is located at a Starbucks in Oakland. I like that the chair matches the design of the table. It is unique in that there are grooves in the seat for where your thighs rest. It is relatively comfortable and a good height for the table. One thing I did dislike about this chair is that it is very heavy. When you move it in and out it makes a really annoying loud noise disrupting everyone else in the cafe.

E. Airport Chairs: These chairs were located in the Las Vegas airport. They are made with (I assume) polyester and metal. There are arms between each seat to separate one seat from another, which also serves as a great barrier between you and the stranger next to you. It separates space but also prevents people from laying on multiple chairs to sleep. The way the back is positioned makes me feel like I can lay back and relax.

F. Bart Chairs: These are the chairs located on Bart (Bay Area Rapid Transit). They are made of water resistant material for easy cleaning. I use Bart every day for 2 hours a day and am constantly thinking about how dirty these seats are because of the amount of people that use them daily versus how often they actually clean them. What is striking is that there are no arm rests dividing the seats. People crowd around you during rush hour and there is no sense of privacy. They are cushioned but not that comfortable and very worn down.

G. Kaiju Couch: This couch is located in our retail store. It has a custom made print cover of a kaiju cage match scene. The couch itself was bought second hand and reupholstered by our in house pattern maker. It is a representation of our quirky company culture and a conversation starter. I can lounge on it and appreciate how unique it is. According to Cranz, “They (artists) used chairs as an opportunity to engage in social criticism and comment on social arrangements, including status, even to make visual puns,” and this chair is all about starting comments and social interaction.

H. Island Stool: This stool is located around the kitchen island at my parent’s house in Las Vegas. This is where the family sits to eat dinner. It doesn’t feel like a cozy family dinner chair, the striking metal back reads very unwelcoming to me; like metal gates blocking entry ways. It is not particularly comfortable, very heavy and is supposed to rotate in circles but doesn’t do so easily. My parents purchased this for aesthetics and not comfort, “If the shape of a chair communicates the right message, we don’t care how it feels physically. How it feels emotionally is what counts,” (Cranz, 67).

I. My Office Chair: This is my office chair and I despise it. We have standing desks and higher stools for us to sit in when we don’t want to stand. It is poorly designed, the foot stool is broken so my legs dangle; by the end of the day I have knee pain. The seat is curved, the back support is flimsy so when you lean back you feel like you’re going to fall off the chair. I don’t stand as much as I should and I’m starting to think that we got uncomfortable chairs to promote more standing.

J. Home Couch: This is the couch I lounge around on in my own home. It is “L” shaped, large and perfect for binge watching Netflix. It is made with durable poly linen and matches the decor in the rest of the house. I have had it for four years and it has survived 3 moves. My favorite thing to do is to take naps on it (which I don’t get to do anymore)! It is not too soft and not too hard and has maintained it’s firmness all this time. 

K. Blush Velvet Accent Chair: The blush and gold colored accent chair lives in my bedroom. It has been sat on a total of 5 times and was a splurge purchase from West Elm. It is beautiful, modern, decorative and very comfortable. I can lean back on it and lounge on it whenever I please. I love that it is large and as Cranz mentioned in the reading, I subconsciously feel like a queen in it, “the bigger the chair, the more power and status accrues to the sitter.”

L. Chair on Chair: The bone colored accent chair is located in the guest room of my parent’s house. The striking feature of this is the massage chair on top of the chair that is remote controlled. I took a picture of it because it didn’t seem like the best chair to use for this purpose but it seems to work. It is super comfortable and the massage pads works great on it. The chair is firm and gives enough support for your back during the massage. It is not particularly beautiful with the current set up, which is probably why it’s tucked away in a private room but it has great purpose.

Citation

Cranz, Galen. The Chair: Rethinking Culture, Body, and Design. W.W. Norton & Company, 2000.

This is my desk chair at work. I don’t really care for it, but it’s tolerable. If I sit with my back against the backrest, the chair leans back, which is not conducive to typing on my keyboard. It takes a really conscious effort to sit up straight. The seat is pretty comfortable to sit on, which is good because I spend a lot of time in this chair.

I associate this chair with sitting in a cave because my office doesn’t have any windows. It really induces my biophilia.

 These are the seats on the Metrolink, the commuter train that I can take to Irvine. These are the best public transit seats I’ve encountered in Los Angeles County, besides maybe the commuter bus seats. I like them because they’re comfortable and have a high back.

They leave me with a bittersweet feeling, though. I like taking the Metrolink because it’s a nicer train experience and more reminiscent of European trains, but it runs so infrequently outside of normal commute times that I’m usually irritated or anxious about making the train.

These Metro seats are gross. They’re carpet, which means that they retain dirt and various liquids and bodily fluids much more easily. I don’t usually sit down on the metro, but if I’m on the train for longer than my usual commute it’s more comfortable to sit.

The seats invoke many mixed feelings because of the Metro. In LA, it serves mainly the low-income community, because those who can afford to have a car prefer to avoid dirty, uncomfortable, and sometimes unsafe public transportation. It comes back, in many ways, to the problem of homelessness that plagues LA. Which is not going to get solved anytime soon.

This is one of four Ikea chairs that I have at home, along with the matching kitchen table. The wood is hard and not very comfortable, so I don’t really enjoy sitting in them. Sometimes I actually eat standing up instead.

These chairs, along with others in my home, remind me of my current income bracket. They’re actually my roommates, and I can’t afford to buy new furniture, so I’m stuck with what’s there. I hope to one day not have to sit in them.

This is another Ikea chair that I inherited but don’t like. It feels cheap, but it’s ironically also heavy. The feet make an annoying noise when I move the chair, which means that I have to pick it up every time I want to adjust it slightly, or be subjected to a horrible grating noise.

Besides my financial state, I also associate this chair with my freedom and millennial flightiness. I’m not in a place where I want to own furniture because I don’t want to settle down in one city yet, which is why upon moving to LA, I scavenged the previous roommate’s furniture that she didn’t want.

This is the only chair in my home that I actually like—another piece of Ikea furniture that I do not own. I like that it allows for easy and comfortable lounging, with a high back and a headrest. The padding is actually removable and replaceable, which is very convenient. For about $30, you can have basically a new chair.

Unfortunately, I don’t actually sit in this chair very often. It’s the cat’s chair, and he likes to sleep on it.

Office Chair

I spend the most time sitting on my office chair at Old Navy HQ. It is a standard black swivel chair with adjustable height, reclining settings, and arm rests. The black seat with silver base is fitting for a more professional setting; however, much of our building contains a colorfulness that exudes the fun and playfulness of Old Navy’s brand. From a comfort perspective, the seat is pleasant and the backrest provides good lumbar suport due to the flexible rods that keep you upright, while contouring to the shape of your back. The adjustable settings work just fine providing a preferred height for the seat and armrest as well as angle of recline for the backrest. Overall it’s a very functional piece that does not embody the playfulness of our workplace.

Home Desk Chair

The desk chair in my bedroom is an Armen Living Summer Modern Chair In Green Fabric and Walnut Wood, which I bought from Amazon.com. Its Mid-century Modern form is reminiscent of Eames and fits well with the rest of my modern furniture in my room. The green cushion also plays well with some of the colorful accents in my room (e.g. bright orange clock and color gradient-ordered books in my book case). From a comfort perspective, the curved seat and armrest works well for someone my height; however, it is not adjustable and could be different for someone shorter or taller. The base does not allow for movement, so in order to move the chair, I must stand up and pick it up.

One interesting thing about the chair is that my girlfriend and I often place belongings on it. This is due to the lack of space in my tiny room. Also, its spacious, bowl-like shape allows for clothes to be hung on multiple sides of the chair and for items to be placed in the seat. I realize this wasn’t it’s intended function, but it serves well to hold things.

Overall, this chair is a beautiful piece of furniture that I purchased solely for aesthetics, although it’s actually pretty comfortable despite it’s limited function. It also serves an unintended purpose in my household, making it extremely useful in other ways.

Dining Room Chair

As my room is quite cramped, I don’t often work at my desk. Instead, I sit at the living/dining room table and study. This standard dining room chair came with the apartment and boasts little in terms of additional features. The seat has a firm cushion, and the vertical slat backing keeps me upright but does not provide much comfort. There are no armrests and the base is also stationary. There isn’t much to say about this chair, and I only use it in lieu of having a better study area in my tiny apartment. In fact, writing this reflection makes me realize that a good solution to my lack of good seating is to move to a bigger place!

Bike seat

While not a chair per se, I do sit on this object every work day on my commute and also for leisure on the weekend. This is the standard seat that comes with my Public V7 commuter bike. The pleather seat fits well with the green and chrome frame of this exquisitely designed bike. The seat’s material does not absorb moisture and its cushion is very comfortable with a hint of firmness. You can tell that this seat and every detail of the bike was built for commuter comfort rather than performance.

In fact, Rob Forbes, the founder of Public Bikes, was also founder of furniture company Design Within Reach, which is owned by Herman Miller (manufacturer of modernist designs such as the original Eames Lounge Chair). In this video, you can see the care he takes to ensure Public Bikes are accessible to all types of riders, while also being uniquely beautiful pieces in their own right.

My work office chair

The office chair I use at work is horrible, for me at least. For reference I am less than average height at 4 ft. 10 in. and I often run into many problems with how chairs and tables are designed for the “average” height person. The desk I have at work does not go lower than pictured (it’s a standing desk so it does go higher), and the chair does not go higher than pictured which is not high enough for the desk and my torso length, therefore my arms are not at the ergonomically recommended downward angle when I type on my laptop and I have elbow/shoulder issues on my left side. I use a back pillow to push me forward a bit so I’m not slouched when sitting, and a footrest so that my feet are not dangling (as I mentioned the chair is at its highest setting and I’m small). With the help of the back pillow and foot rest I manage to get by for a few hours of sitting, then switch to an hour or so of standing, then sit again when I get tired. This is my most used chair since I spend more time sitting at work than anywhere else and I really wish it was better.

My home office chair

I researched this chair before buying and it cost me a pretty penny at IKEA. The backrest is angled for good lumbar support. I don’t sit at my office chair at home as often as at work, therefore I have less complaints about this chair’s comfort level. Although I have a similar problem with my home office as my work office setup. I have to use a footrest since I raise the office chair to a high setting to have a better angle when typing on my desk. This is really more of a problem with desk height than the chair.

My cozy corner

I designed my room for maximum comfort and created a “cozy corner” for myself with many pillows and a shag rug for times when I just want to cozy up on the floor. As you can tell from the office chairs, chairs are not made for me. As a kid, I used to sit on the floor often to do homework and play and I like sitting on the floor more than chairs so I knew this cozy corner was a good idea. The foot of my bed + the pillows act as the backrest for this sitting area. I positioned the TV across from the bed + pillows and I sit here when I want to watch a movie. I also sit here when I read or if I want to get in a more comfortable position with my laptop.

Couch

This couch was my first big, adult furniture purchase—I got it right after moving to California, a year before moving in with my boyfriend. When I first sat in it at the store, I just melted into it and instantly knew it was the one. We pretty much sit on it every night to eat dinner, so I definitely spend more time sitting here than anywhere else in the apartment. It’s also the perfect size for both of us to lie down in, and every day I come home from work to find my boyfriend sprawled out on it, which makes the apartment feel like home.

Bar Stools

Every time we have guests over, they all immediately slide into the bar stools at our kitchen counter. Guests tend to gravitate toward the kitchen anyway, so having the stools there is perfect. They also have a very industrial, gastropub look to them, so I think that naturally encourages guests to sit down and have a beer. Though we rarely use them when it’s just the two of us (sometimes we’ll sit there and eat breakfast).

Dining Chairs

Our dining chairs were selected to match the white table. I like their beachy look and they help keep the apartment airy and casual. This has become my primary workstation at home and they are the perfect height for the table. However, without the red cushions that we added, they’re not very comfortable.

Balcony Stools

These are a new acquisition from Craigslist. The stools are comfortable, but since they’re used, the cushions do sag a little. They also aren’t quite high enough to be ergonomically typing on a laptop, so when I want to do work outside, I usually bring out one of the bar stools from the kitchen and use these stools as a footrest. But their sturdiness and durability are nice for when we have guests.

Bed

I often sit up in our bed to read or do work. It’s a memory foam mattress and very comfortable. I feel calm and relaxed when I’m sitting in it, and it’s a nice indulgence when I need to de-stress or unwind (though I can still be quite productive). But as my first memory foam mattress, sitting up in it actually took some getting used to. I was used to a firmer mattress without as much give. After three years though, I’ve completely gotten used to it.

Bedroom Balcony Chairs

We have a table and chairs on the porch off our bedroom that I hate. They are made of all weather wicker and the interwovenness of the material means it is impossible to fully wipe them clean of pollen. When I do sit there, I have to lay a towel over the chair so that my clothes don’t get covered in dust. They frustrate me so much that I’d prefer to just get rid of them.

Driver’s Seat

My initial mindset when buying a car was that I simply needed a vehicle to get me from point A to point B. And since I had just moved to California, where I knew I would be doing a lot of driving, I wanted something practical with good gas mileage. But a sleek silver coupe caught my eye. It had an all-black leather interior, with a modern dashboard and stereo, and when I sat in the driver’s seat for the first time, I felt like James Bond. Despite being a coupe, it’s actually a mid-size car, so the seats are very spacious. I can spread out and stretch my legs, and the leather has a nice give to it so it’s extremely comfortable. There’s an undeniable cool-factor with my car, and it makes driving that much more enjoyable.

Office Chair

My office chair is fine, it’s comfortable, I can appropriately lean back, and it has been tweaked and adjusted by the UCI ergonomics team. But because my desk is too low, that throws the whole equation out of balance. My chair should probably be a little higher, but as of now it occasionally scrapes the bottom of my desk whenever I pull it too far forward, so the height can’t be adjusted. It’s also the same kind of chair that we have in the conference room, so it doesn’t add any prestige or status to my office, despite being one of the corner suites.

This is my favorite chair even though I don’t get to sit in it often. This is the office chair that I have in my apartment and it’s been with me for years. The mesh allows great airflow and the backrest hits my lower back just right, providing great support for long hours of sitting. Although it’s not the infamous Herman Miller Aeron chair, this chair mimics Aeron’s ergonomics and came at only a fraction of the price. I can make several adjustments including the height, tilt angle, and arm height, which means I can make the chair as comfortable to my body as possible.

Everyday for work, I hop onto a Caltrain and plop myself into one of these seats. This chair, despite it’s look, is the least comfortable chair I sit on everyday. The seat has very little padding, doesn’t adjust, and there’s very little leg room. I sit in this seat for nearly 2 hours every work day and it’s the most unpleasant sitting I do all week. I’m sure these seats are mass produced and try to help you to sit upright. However, getting comfortable in this seat is an impossible task.

We were given these work chairs in our office. Although it has meshing on the back, I’ve found that this chair is not as enjoyable to sit in compared to my apartment’s office chair. The cushion stores up heat and becomes uncomfortable to sit in after a while. As my company grows, cubicle space seems to be getting smaller. This chair, which twists 360 degrees, allows for easily getting in and out of my cubicle.

These are my Toyota Corolla’s seats. They are rather comfortable because of how they mold to my body. The seat’s edges act like a brace for sharp turns and also lock me in place pretty well. I can adjust the back’s pitch, how close or far I’m from my steering wheel, and how high my headrest is. This allows me to create an optimal seating arrangement for driving.

The Chairs of My Life

Given that it may be a little inappropriate to take so many photos while with co-workers or friends, some of these photos are taken more casually and discretely. I may not have take several angles of a chair but I think one can get an idea from the following photos.

My Workplace: The Chairs at an English “Cafe”

One thing to note is that there are several English Language Cafes in Japan. People pay monthly fees to come in and talk to English speakers to practice their English in a more casual setting.

The main lobby of my workplace has several red chairs that contrast against the bold blue carpet floor. The red swivel chairs are different from the rest of the cafe as they are seats for potential new students signing up or other professional clients. Although the chair color does not differ from that of the chairs used by cafe guests, the rollers on the chairs at front desk make it much easier to move the chairs. On the other hand, chairs used by the cafe guests have 4 wooden legs and the arm rest is not very comfortable. Since lots of the table area are for students that wish to study and focus, a less mobile chair would seem fitting. It would be distracting for some students to see other students swiveling on the swivel chairs. The arm rests here are not necessary because I observed students placing their arms on the table more to write notes or use their laptops. The main lobby has the colors red, blue, white, and grey while the teaching areas have light green, orange, and white as the main colors. Because the colors are so different, the cafe/lobby area gives a more calming ” trendy cafe” ambience while the teaching area gives a more fun, enthusiastic atmosphere. I personally love this contrast.

My Home: There is no “Chair”

Although this could be because I just moved in last week to Japan from America, I currently do not have the traditional standing chair. However, considering my flat is small and I don’t want to clutter the place, I might be comfortable just sitting on my bed or working on the carpet.

Although recent modern houses in Japan do not have the old traditional tatami rooms, I still love the idea of sitting on the ground to eat and socialize.

One izakaya (drinking spots) near my workplace looked like an old home that was renovated into a drinking spot.

Here are some of my coworkers. Usually there are zabuton (cushions for seating) when sitting on ground. The great thing about tatamis in my opinion is the smell of the rice straws that it is made of. Some people think it smells like your grandma’s house and it can either bring out nostalgia and comfort or distaste by its archaicness. I think Japan still very much values sitting together on the group for social settings as, for me personally, I feel like I am more relaxed than if I were to be sitting in a traditional chair with legs.

My Commute: Bullet Trains

Although not common for a regular Japanese person, I frequently travel from Osaka to Kumamoto to see my grandmother once or twice a month. By bullet train, Osaka is around 2.5-3 hours south of Tokyo and Kumamoto is around 3 hours south of Osaka. Unfortunately, I was not able to take several photos of the bullet train chair but I was able to take a photo of the backside of the chairs. In my opinion, the chairs in front of your actual chair are more exciting and useful.

There is a tray that can be unfolded and the chair in front also has a knob on the top right to hang your belongings. Since lots of business men and women ride these bullet trains on the weekdays (although I see more men rather than women), one can comfortable work on these trays. Not included in this photo is the cup holder on the arm rest on the right-hand side. This is nice for when I want to sleep spaciously without the tray in front.