A small armchair to feel big in
Are you familiar with STRANDMON armchair? This is the children’s version, based on children's sizes, how they sit – and how they don't sit when the armchair suddenly transforms into a desert island or space rocket. Because when speaking to experts, we learned that having one's own, safe and comfortable armchair in the right size is more important than we may think.
Imagining that you are driving a car, working at the office, cooking food… "To mimic adults is a way for children to recreate the things they have experienced so that they can understand the world around them and how they fit in it," says Barbie Clarke, a child psychologist who has researched children and their development. With this insight, we wondered which armchair could be appreciated by children if the size was adapted.
Adapted for small bodies
The choice fell on STRANDMON wing chair. "It's timeless and cosy and has an immersive design, kind of like sitting in a protective hug," explains Nicolas Cortolezzi who was part of the development team. But it is not just about shrinking the size. "Children do not have the same proportions as adults and they don't sit like we do. They move around and like to put their feet up, which is why we made a fixed seat instead of having a loose cushion." The team worked with stability to make the armchair safe. Among other things, the legs where positioned differently for a centre of gravity adapted to how children use chairs. As for the fabric ─ we know the durability required when the armchair is sometimes used as a desert island or the world's highest mountain.
Making children feel accepted
All in all, it is about children being accepted and seen as the little humans they are. "If children are allowed to sit in a chair in their own size, they feel more involved in their surroundings,” says Barbie. “It really is essential for them."
