Boss Design - Details 24

Details

Introducing Frida Kitt Eden Remi

Remi Lounge

Welcome to the Spring 2024 edition of Details. Inside we look at the concept of positive architecture – design that goes beyond functional considerations and seeks to create spaces that promote positive experiences, social interaction and a connection to nature. This approach is at the heart of Eden, our new pod system, which encompasses both human-centric and biophilic design.

This spring also sees the launch of three new Boss Design colour ways. Again, the connection with nature is at the forefront of our thinking.

Sustainability continues to be of the utmost importance. Focusing on continuous improvement and working closely with our suppliers we are now able to manufacture the shell of our popular Ola chair using 72% post-consumer recycled plastic, reducing its carbon footprint by 30%. A big win.

Last but not least, we’re pleased to be taking part in Clerkenwell Design Week again in 2024. As well as Eden, we’ll be unveiling two more very exciting products at the show. We very much look forward to seeing you there.

Editor

Natalie Murray

Colour24

Calming colour schemes with the new Boss palette

Boss Design’s Head of Brand Experience, Natalie Murray, explores our nature-inspired colour palette and ways of applying it

Insights

Whether it’s a restaurant, a shop, an airport lounge, an office, or your home, the colours in that space will affect how you feel. It can be subtle or overt, but colour is a powerful tool for setting the mood and atmosphere of the setting. Therefore, the release of Boss Design’s new nature-inspired colour palette is important news for us and the designers and specifiers we work with.

These natural colours help create tranquil environments, which is what people are looking for in an unsettled world. Green, brown, sand, stone, the sea and sky are all represented, and for me this is a palette designers will use to dial in the calmness in hospitality and commercial settings, choosing colours that set the mind at ease.

In the past, our colour palette has included brighter tones to use as accent colours, however in 2024 we are keeping it sedate and gentle. I see it as a flexible set of tones – you can keep your scheme soft and neutral, or you can use this palette as the foundations and bring in brighter elements here and there to create visual interest.

For example, there is currently a strong trend in interiors and fashion for pale blue in particular and the use of more bold colours, in contrast to neutral tones. Pale pink and soft pastels are also very much evident and I think we will see a lot of this in our industry particularly as we head into May and June and into the show season.

Moods and atmospheres

When looking for inspiration to create a colour palette, I’m often drawn to colours favoured in the 1970s, with a spectrum ranging from the natural earthy tones of brown, tan and green to the bright and saturated reds, oranges and pinks. Beginning with the natural tones of the Boss palette, there are some beautiful combinations that work really well for the creation of contemporary and stylish interior schemes. For example, combining sand and magenta pink, or pink and red, for a bold and modern aesthetic.

I have explored a lot of these colour combinations whilst working on the new evolved colour palette for 2024. In addition to biophilic colours, there seems to be an appetite for moodlifting saturated colours, an appearance of brighter and bolder tones is very much evident in fashion and interiors. Pale blue and pastel pinks are also dominating current fashion advertising campaigns and interiors. For example, tan and blue when used together create a very calm and fresh aesthetic.

“Our 2024 palette provides a foundation and you can go either way – create a whole space that is super tonal, subtle and natural, or you can bring in accent colours like pink, orange, yellow or red.

You can create an environment that is calm and comfortable, and add a touch of visual interest and excitement.”

Natalie Murray–Head of Brand Experience

Natural compositions

To use painting as a metaphor, our new, evolved palette gives designers and specifiers a set of optimistic tones they can use to block in their colour values and build atmosphere across the composition of a work or hospitality space.

The colours themselves complement one another but have also been chosen because of how effective they are when the same tone is applied to different materials and/or textures within a scheme. Tone-on-tone is particularly effective if you want to subtly develop the mood within a setting while maintaining cohesion.

The new standard palette might not designate an accent colour but it does offer soft and subtle yet characterful building blocks for interior schemes and welcomes the application of more vibrant tones in a flexible way. This colour selection has been designed to provide a canvas upon which designers can be as expressive as they desire – according to their tastes or to their clients’ requirements, such as tones chosen from a visual identity kit.

“There are some beautiful combinations that work really well for the creation of contemporary and stylish interiors.”

Natalie Murray

Remi

Our new tub chair is like a tulip opening in spring. Lead designer Aaron Clarkson explains how nature inspired Remi’s look and feel, as well as how it’s made

Lounge with Purpose

As with so many projects, Remi began with a business need. On paper, at least, our aim was to add a comfortable tub chair to the Boss Design portfolio – perhaps as an extension to the Paloma collection. As designers, however, we’re always driven to improve on what has gone before and here we set out to create a piece of furniture to exemplify natural beauty, comfort and sustainability.

A natural, holistic philosophy informed our design process from the beginning. It’s said that there are no straight lines in nature and Remi reflects this with its curvaceous, organic form and smoothly rounded surfaces. Like its cousins in our catalogue such as Amelia, Paloma and Manta, Remi’s sweeping curves offer an escape from the hard edges and corners of the built environment. We wanted it to look soft, comfortable and welcoming across hospitality, workplace and residential settings.

Focused on sustainability

The same respect for nature went into our selection of materials, leading to a ground-breaking level of sustainability. Remi’s sculpted form is rendered in injection moulded polyurethane foam. The PU foam typically used in furniture manufacturing is fossil fuel-hungry, which isn’t good for the environment. At Boss Design we’ve been exploring alternatives for a long time and Remi will be made with Bio-Pur® foam, which has a carbon impact 75% lower than conventional PU foam.

Instead of fossil fuels, the Bio-Pur manufacturing process relies on organic matter – mainly agricultural waste – a renewable resource which produces biomethane and bio-naphtha. Replacing crude oil and natural gas lowers the carbon footprint of the foam and Bio-Pur can be injection moulded using the same tooling. With no compromise in terms of quality, durability or comfort, it’s like for like but emits less carbon.

Products

All Remi’s other materials are renewable, recycled and/or recyclable. The box frame in the seat is FSC-certified plywood, which can be recycled. Likewise, its steel frame and base. Remi’s fabric coverings can be specified in recycled fibre, and even its screw-in feet are made from recycled waste plastic. Nearly every component used has been sourced from a British supplier, shortening supply chains and further limiting its carbon footprint.

Refining and perfecting

Remi will be a game changer for customers who want to lower their emissions, and we hope it will be the catalyst that leads to more Bio-Pur products – at Boss Design and throughout the industry. Our desire for it to succeed doubled our drive to create the most appealing chair in the category.

Every line, surface and stitch has been carefully considered. We began with two prototypes – one a version of Paloma with a seat section that continues down to the ground, and a second which was a fresh design I drew which shares some of its DNA with Paloma but had a unique visual within itself.

Preferring the second option, we progressed it through several further prototype phases. Its back and arms were inspired by flowers opening and curved seashells, while inside that form the seat rises like proving dough, soft and rounded, filling the space. Following an open and welcoming visual impression, we wanted to surprise the sitter with an unexpected level of comfort.

Working together, development upholsterer

Steve Bloomer and I painstakingly adjusted the lines, curves, surfaces and foam softness, testing each iteration with a variety of sitters and appraising its form from every angle. Then we made further adjustments, aiming to create a chair that looks enticing from anywhere in the room, delivers next-level comfort, and can be manufactured at scale.

Meticulous tailoring

Steve dedicated himself to refining Remi’s fabric patterns, cuts and stitching. To create the natural look and appealing silhouette we wanted, its covering had to fit like a supple skin, becoming one with the form. Along the arm and back, a topstitch is used for a very subtle seam, while twin-needle is used for the rear, internal and seat panels.

The seat has a soft dome of moulded foam on webbed suspension for a residential level of comfort. A pocket of cut foam has been included in the lumbar area to cushion the sitter’s back – the area most sensitive to the firmness of injection moulded foam.

Though it has a relatively small footprint, with its generous seat and steel base Remi is a weighty piece. For an added sense of freedom and flexibility, there is the option for a 360° swivel, or a 180° swivel with auto-return. The sitter can smoothly adjust their position to converse or enjoy a particular view but when they alight it will right itself without burdening housekeeping.

Following our holistic, natural philosophy, we have created a piece that transcends changing trends and fashions. We like to imagine that Remi has been smoothed and rounded by wind or water –a unique, timeless form to put people at ease, welcoming them to sit, relax and converse. Its longevity is ensured at a practical level too. Remi has been designed for easy reupholstering, so you can refresh its colour and fabric when the time comes to update your décor scheme.

Frida

Designer Aaron Clarkson explains the ideas and process behind Frida, our new focus pod

Floating on Air Products

Our brief with Frida was to design a focus pod that departs from the corporate look-and-feel of existing products and provides a level of comfort inspired by residential furniture.

We aimed for a totally different aesthetic that will appeal to architects and designers who want to specify pods in hospitality spaces, such as airport lounges and hotel lobbies. Influenced by the work from home culture, specifiers are trying to make offices comfortable and homely, so we wanted to deliver a focus pod that gives the feel of working from home but with the workplace benefits of social contact and collaboration.

Floating on air

From our earliest sketches, we developed a design that would convey a sense of comfort and tranquillity. We prototyped a sling-like structure with a curved seat base suspended from each side of the straight-sided pod which is reminiscent of a hammock. The seat appears to float on air – a soft and comfortable notion in itself.

The upholstery reinforces this emphasis on comfort. The seat and back are nice and foamy, yet firm and ergonomic enough for all-day use thanks to the application of CMPF cut foam technology.

We sculpted the seat cushions so that they thin to the edges, for a lighter, stretched out look, with a pinch stitch detail that brings nuance and unevenness. Not only is this suggestive of homelike cosiness, but it separates Frida from the clean and clinical look of existing focus pods on the market.

Our prototypes were tested by people with a variety of sizes and bodyweights, and we continually

iterated on the proportions to arrive at the optimum sitting experience.

Privacy and security

Whether it’s in an open plan workspace or an airport lounge, a focus pod needs to provide visual and acoustic privacy, without becoming claustrophobic. During prototyping, we lowered the sides at the fore of the booth so that it doesn’t feel too cut off from the wider environment. Padded in foam and fabric, the 40mm thick sides help provide acoustic privacy without appearing heavy or overbearing.

Beneath the seat is an ideal space for the sitter to stow their laptop bag, briefcase or luggage, behind their feet. Situated in a busy travel hub or shared workspace, Frida will give its occupant an added sense of security as passers-by won’t be able to grab their bag. It adds to the feeling that you can make the space your own.

Supporting either a laptop table or simply a cup of coffee, the Lina table we have designed to accompany Frida adds to the pod’s flexibility and functionality.

Simple and sustainable

Whenever we embark on a new project, we do so with a focus on sustainability. Often, the answer is to simplify the product, reducing the resources used, the range of components required and the complexity of the manufacturing process. Frida achieves all three objectives.

As comfortable as it looks, it is a slimline product using just three main materials – plywood, PE foam and fabric. The manufacturing process involves

cutting and the pressing plywood, upholstering, stitching and assembly. The latter is mechanical, with no adhesives.

As such, our supply chains and manufacturing process are kept simple for a lower carbon footprint, and Frida is easy to disassemble either for reupholstery – to lengthen its working life – or for separation to reuse or recycle its materials.

Defining an open space

More than just a focus pod, we envisage that Frida will bring comfort, cosiness, personality and a human touch, making open spaces friendly and approachable in large commercial premises, atriums, hotel lobbies and travel hubs. Specified in subtle, organic colours and with textured fabrics it will bring a level of softness never seen before in the focus pod category.

Its straight, vertical sides mean it can be grouped in sets of four, dotted throughout a wide area. Equally, it can be configured in a bank, creating a separating feature in the layout. Facing opposite ways to create an S-shape adds privacy, as well as the possibility to create a winding path of tranquil nooks through an open plan area.

We picture Frida pods positioned in front of panoramic windows overlooking airport runways or to take advantage of a cityscape vista from an office building. The thought of working there all day, using a laptop, making calls or just sitting, having a cup of coffee and watching planes take off from a private space is very comforting and appealing.

We talked to furniture designer Mark Gabbertas about how he fine-tuned the look, feel and timeless appeal of Kitt

With its timeless look and feel, natural wood textures and refined forms, Kitt is a stacking café chair with a smooth and gentle personality. From casual restaurants to hotel dining areas and on to work cafés, it’s a chair that puts people at ease and provides an excellent sit. Designed by Mark Gabbertas, Kitt is the perfect extension to the Lyndon portfolio and here he joins us to explain the thinking behind this chair…

Sustainability has become a key element of furniture design, both for manufacturers and for customers. How was it a factor in the design process for Kitt?

I’ve always believed in the idea of designing for longevity and I’ve always believed that the idea of buying a chair that lasts is the best form of sustainability. I would like to think that this is one of those chairs.

It has been designed very much from our perspective that: “I’m not interested in trends, I’m not interested in fashion, I’m not interested in what happens to be of the moment, for today.” This design is one that is meant to have a timeless appeal. That is always how we design. That’s always the way we will design.

So, there is creating something that physically lasts, and there is creating something that transcends trends or fashion?

Exactly. Let’s consider the build quality first. Kitt is being made by one of the most revered companies in the world for this type of product and we obsessed over the details and the design to give it a strength and to give it a quality of build that will last.

Secondly, I would argue the general approach and the aesthetic of this design is one that looks just right, and it looks just right because it has a universal, pleasing appeal that rises above novelty and mode and has the ability to be relevant for a long time. It’s a very tightly defined balance one hopes to find.

Why was wood chosen for this design, and what are its benefits?

My background is wood. That’s what I trained in, and that’s where I feel perhaps most comfortable in many ways, so it’s been interesting to go back to this material, having spent so many years designing more engineered and high investment types of furniture using more involved materials and systems.

It’s interesting to go back to the purity and simplicity of wood because it has this longevity of appeal and of course it has a sustainability perspective to it. From a commercial point of view, there is a move towards including wood in contract interiors as it is both a warm and inviting material and one that is a natural antidote to the mechanised, hard-edged industrial world. I find this reassuring in that sense and so I have a very soft spot for the material when it’s used in an interesting way.

The forms you’ve created lend themselves to that idea, don’t they?

It is something that we worked on for months and months, creating the right feel for the form of the chair. It has a soft but considered feel to it. It’s essentially a manifestation of soft engineering. There’s a precision to it, but there’s also a gentle serenity to it and it’s that combination that interests us. It’s that quite narrow band of aesthetic that you’re trying to find, and I actually do think that we have achieved this.

One compliment Kitt has received is that when you sit down it feels bigger than it looks.

This is about the ergonomics of the chair. I honestly think it’s the most comfortable chair that we’ve ever designed. It is really easy – and by God so many people have done it – to design a chair that looks great, but it doesn’t actually sit very well. The objective of designing a chair has to be that it functions first and foremost, and the ergonomics of this chair are excellent. It’s something that we obsessed about for a long time, testing out various shapes, curves and angles to get the ergonomics spot on. We experimented and tested at prototype stage every element of the laminations – their angle, curve, overhang, lip, shape, size and relative position to the nth degree. And then repeated.

How did you achieve the balance and subtlety of the form?

I think this comes back to the idea that it’s been engineered to use minimal form, slender profiles and very much a reduced frame design to take everything back to the basics of what the chair needed to perform correctly, both on a structural level and a comfort level. It is very much a process of reduction – to reduce, filter and minimise the number of elements needed to make this chair work.

What was most important to you when you developed Kitt?

Aesthetically, where we wanted to get to, and it goes back to creating the right emotional expectation from a product like this, was to make it appear welcoming, and I think that the inviting nature comes from a deliberate oversizing and overwidening of the back in relation to the seat. It does create an attractive appearance to the chair which says, ‘This looks comfortable, this feels inviting.’

Products

Eden

The Power of Positive Architecture

Pods that augment the architecture while heightening how people experience the décor require a holistic design approach, says creative director Ceri Lovett

Our mission to create destination spaces has changed the way we approach furniture design. Form and function will always be critical factors, but context has become hugely important to our customers. More than ever, the market recognises how much furniture influences the way spaces are used and how people feel when they’re in those spaces.

Today, we think of interior design, furniture and architecture as a continuum, and in that context our new Eden workplace pod system presented an opportunity to create an even wider gamut of spaces people want to inhabit. To design pods effectively requires a holistic approach, which considers a wider range of criteria than seating or desk design. With Eden, we have embraced the philosophy of positive architecture – a framework that aims to make a positive impact on the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the people who will use the structures and the space around them.

Based on over 15 years’ experience developing pod systems, Eden combines the best characteristics of Boss Design’s most successful products in the category and puts the user at the centre of the experience. Applying the seven key principles of positive architecture, we’ve created a pod system that completes the connection between the décor scheme and the architecture that surrounds it in a positive way, promoting well-being, functionality and productivity.

1 – Human centred design

Positive architecture puts the user’s needs, experiences and well-being at the centre of the design process, and our adherence to that has resulted in resulting in pod habitats that are comfortable, ergonomic, safe, accessible and satisfying for people to use. From floor to fabrics to lighting, sensory elements are used to heighten the human-centric experience.

2 – Biophilic design

Eden integrates natural materials, colours and textures, facilitates the flow of natural light into the space and can be specified with organic or faux greenery. Countering the hard edges and corners of the built environment, these biophilic factors help reduce stress and enhance well-being in the workplace.

3

– Health and well-being

Architects today consider the health and wellbeing of the people who use their buildings and this thinking is continued across the Eden pod system. Air circulation, lighting design, ergonomic seating and tables, soft fabrics and upholstery, and respect for varying degrees of visual and acoustic privacy ensure the user feels safe and comfortable, putting them in the right mindset to be effective in their role.

4

– Social interaction and community

Eden pods will provide spaces to communicate and collaborate, socialise and build relationships – all of which are essential to workplace cohesion and the formation of effective teams. Pod clusters can be specified to cater to groups of varying size, furnished to facilitate everything from formal meetings to relaxed socialising.

5

– Sustainability

Smarter building design is reducing the carbon impact of construction, and Eden reflects that with powerful sustainability crEdentials of its own. Its main materials – glass and aluminium – can be recycled, its fabrics can be specified in recycled fibres, and it has been designed for easy dismantling and reuse. As an architectural intervention, Eden pods provide specifiers with a cost- effective and sustainable way of redefining a space by eliminating the need for hard construction.

From wood to fabrics to lighting, sensory elements are used to heighten the human-centric experience.

Ceri Lovett, Creative Director

“We hope our design ethos bridges the realms of wellness, workplace dynamics, and productivity, creating environments that harmonise human nature with the demands of modern life.”

6 – Inclusive design

The principles of universal design and accessibility come to the fore, and Eden can be used to create spaces for people of different ages, abilities and backgrounds to work in ways that suit them as individuals. It’s a pod system designed with diverse, multigenerational workspaces in mind.

7 – Culture and sense of place

With Eden pods there is the opportunity to create a workplace culture that respects the identity, community and lifestyles of the people using them, integrating with both the décor and architecture to reflect the values of an organisation and the society it operates within. This engenders a sense of place, and a sense of belonging for the user.

Buildings designed according to the principles of positive architecture aim to inspire, uplift and support the well-being of the people who will use them. For us, it makes sense to continue this thinking in our approach to products that work in harmony with the architecture to positively influence the use of space within it. Together with our furniture lines, Eden will shape comfortable spaces that suit the needs of their users, promote happiness and wellbeing, and support a sustainable future.

Gambia

Delivering second life furniture with our partners Waste to Wonder

Our Business Development Manager Kate Grimshaw reports on an expedition to The Gambia

Nearly every client Boss Design works with is concerned about sustainability, so our partnership with Waste to Wonder gives us a great story to tell. However, I didn’t fully appreciate the impact this social enterprise has until I travelled to The Gambia to see the work they do first-hand. Our collaboration with Waste to Wonder is a lot more than a box ticked in an ESG summary.

The Gambia is a tiny country in West Africa. Other than a short coastline, it is entirely surrounded by Senegal, and is one of the world’s poorest countries.

My visit took place early in February 2024 – a whirlwind of a week which, it’s no exaggeration to say, was lifechanging. On day one, we went to a lower school and an upper school and the difference between British and Gambian schools couldn’t be more staggering. Everything is extremely basic and the heat in the day is overpowering. There’s no electricity, so there are no lights or fans.

When the truck arrived, it was laden with used chairs and desks. Back home this furniture was considered surplus to requirement – unwanted. It would have

gone to landfill or been pulled apart in a waste processing depot. In The Gambia, it was received with incredible joy. The children welcomed us and celebrated, the teachers gave speeches and there was cultural dancing.

During our trip, more shipments of second life furniture from Boss Design were delivered to other schools and a hospital. We also travelled to communities in Marakissa, Busura and Manduar to see borewells Waste to Wonder helped construct. One of these was funded by a donation from Boss Design.

They say that water is life, but you don’t realise how true this is. Running water is considered a necessity rather than a luxury in our country, but people living in the villages we visited had to walk long distances then carry their water home just to survive. Installing a borewell so that there’s a tap with fresh, running water in a village is literally life-changing for the people living there. They no longer have to worry about where water to drink and wash will come from. It was unbelievable how welcoming and happy the people in these villages were, even though they have so little.

Towards the end of our trip, we went to a market in the capital and bought hundreds of books and pens. The day before we left, we delivered these to the schools we had visited on day one of our journey, along with a football for every class.

The whole experience has changed my perspective on what we do at Boss Design, and on the world in general. Our furniture comes with a five-year warranty but it will last for 20 years or more and Waste to Wonder helps make sure it doesn’t go to waste before its time. As I said at the beginning, that’s a nice story.

However, what’s fundamentally different is that they track where our donations go. They make sure the recipient organisations are legitimate and that other parties don’t get hold of the goods and sell them for profit. With many big charities there simply isn’t this level of traceability. Waste to Wonder might be a relatively small social enterprise but it really is changing lives – I’ve seen it, first-hand.