Yes, Please: An Eco-Spin on A Classic Design

Have you ever hoped for an eco-friendly version of your favorite chair?

Sometimes I think about famous designers of the past and what they'd be doing today. For example, I wonder what Charles and Ray Eames or Verner Panton would be creating now? Do you think they'd be considering environmental responsibility or sustainability?

What about Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, perhaps he'd be designing an eco-friendly version of his famous Barcelona chair? I bet it would would look something like the Butaca Vandagan X chair from Mélange Collection. Don't get me wrong, I am not a fan of reproductions, but the Butaca is more of an homage than a copy.

The Barcelona chair was first designed by Mies van der Rohe back in 1929, when he was asked by the German government to design the German Pavilion at Montjuic as part of the Ibero-American World's Fair, which was to be held in -- where else -- Barcelona. In the 1950s the Barcelona chair's frame was redesigned to be made of stainless steel for a seamless look and its pigskin covering was replaced with leather. Knoll snapped up the design rights and has been manufacturing the classic beauty since 1953.

When I saw the Butaca Vandagan X chair, I thought, it was an interesting, eco-conscious take on a very recognizable and timeless chair. The frame is made from manchiche (Lonchocarpus castillo), a tropical hardwood from a certified managed forest in the Petén region of Guatemala. Besides being inspired by Mies van der Rohe's classic, it also makes a nod to the Mexican "butaca" chair, a sling-like lounge chair with a wooden body. Even more impressive and beautiful are the handmade repurposed jute coffee sack cushions (at top; organic cotton immediately above, is also available). I love how they carefully placed the burlap bag designs to maximize the wording and colors from the original sack.

What's really great about this chair besides the eco-conscious choices is the fact that it still feels modern. That's what makes the design of the original Barcelona chair so popular -- it spans eras and generations, never feeling dated. The Butaca's design does the same thing, except updates the chair's materials for the current time.

The Butaca chair will run you about $1,350 (ottoman is $725), not cheap but about one-third the price of an authentic Barcelona chair.

What do you think of the Butaca chair? Love it or hate it?

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