The stacking chair should be a staple of any home; a number of them piled neatly atop one another and slid into a closet would be useful for an impromptu dinner party or game night.
And just because they are convenient and efficient doesn't mean they can't be made with some great and enduring design principles. The ONE chair, made by Anders Norgaard for BoConcept (boconcept.com) has won numerous awards, including a Good Design trophy presented earlier this year by the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design together with the Metropolitan Arts Press. The chair appears to have been made out of one piece of lacquered brushed steel - hence the name - and comes in red, black and white. It is designed so that up to 10 chairs can be stacked in one high, solid tower.
Also bucking the plastic trend that has so far come to define the field of stacking chairs, is the Cinto, from New York-based Humanscale (humanscale .com). Designed to be ergonomic and comfortable, it is made from steel and polyproylene with a belt design across the back that offers extra lumbar support. Up to 15 chairs can be stacked. For more information, call Humanscale at 2581 0570.
Copenhagen-based Louise Campbell (louisecampbell.com) is making news in the design world with her Spiderwoman chair (right), a laser-cut rubber-coated steel chair designed for indoor and outdoor use.
Campbell says she has another chair in the works, called Random, which will be available from this month. Local orders can be made through Design Link, 110 Ruttonjee Centre, 11 Duddell Street, Central, tel: 2868 0991.
Even design maestro Philippe Starck is turning his hand to the stackable chair. Along with designer Eugeni Quitllet, he has created the Dr Yes for Kartell (kartell.com), a super-sleek and modern piece that is all angles and straight lines around the frame but then curves in to create a comfortable seat. There are numerous online sources that ship internationally.