Interactive Furniture: A Peacock Opens Up

Have you ever wished that when you sit down on the couch, your TV would automatically go on? If so, then this chair might be right up your alley.

The Peacock Chair, developed by Interactive Spaces, interacts with your actions by opening its feathers when you sit down. The feathers then retract when the sitter gets up from the chair, and remain closed when the chair is empty. This could be the beginning of a line of interactive furnishings that perform specific functions based on your actions. I caught up with Victoria Fang, president of Interactive Spaces, who explained where this cool peacock chair came from.


First, I had to know what the inspiration was for a chair that made its user into a peacock (of all things!). "The Peacock Chair grew from the simple notion that a chair is designed to frame the sitter," Victoria told me. "I wanted to use technology to enhance that aspect of a chair, so I started looking for inspiration in thrones and plumage."

Victoria found that the peacock's tail and its natural ability to open its feathers was an image she couldn't get out of her mind. It was whimsical, fun and delightful, and definitely an animal feature in nature that is appealing to many.

The idea of designing furniture for Interactive Spaces began with a furniture design class. "As an interaction designer who works in physical spaces, I'm always looking for ways to expand my understanding of materials and 3D spaces," Victoria says. She began thinking about chairs and how she could bring charm and personality to commonplace objects with interactivity.

Interactive Spaces, LLC specializes in the exploration, design and development of playful physical and real world interfaces. Beyond furniture, they look to blend technology with everyday physical objects and spaces to create a sense of connection, wonder and fun. Sounds like an ideal business to be in! I asked Victoria what might be next for Interactive Spaces. She explained that they're working on a few projects, including iPhone applications, interactive education materials, and of course, more interactive chairs.