The Luma Chair

Last year we introduced our Luma wing chair in both indoor and outdoor versions. Both versions are upholstered in burlap with contrasting piping and exposed painted blue wood legs which are made of poplar* in the indoor version and teak✝ for the outdoor. (Burlap, a traditional industrial material, also gains character when left in the elements.)

And now for 2013, as a special edition to be featured in the Line Hotel‘s three bay suite, we remade the Luma in red mohair velvet with an unfinished poplar frame and legs. Mohair, a combination of wool and the long silky hair of the angora goat, is extremely luxurious to the touch and renowned for its luster, softness, and strength. Touch this chair and be immediately surprised by this mohair’s rich, downy surface—not at all like the velvet you were expecting. Mohair also makes the color more vivid than is typical of other red velvets.

The result is a hue that is more of a passionate lipstick and less of a bloody red. Red velvet has a long been associated with royalty. Its the very image of aristocratic glamour and old world luxury and carries the legacy of everything from the Parisian opera house and old Hollywood to the Storyville brothel. It’s that deep connection to both the high life and low pleasures that gives our Luma wing chair such rich decorating possibilities.

* Teak is a hardwood that is extremely durable, weathers well, and is well suited for outdoor applications (a traditional material used for boat decks). Teak’s high oil content, high tensile strength, tight grain, and silica content make it highly resistant to warping, shrinkage, rot, fungi and mildew and requires very little maintenance.
✝ White poplar is an extremely fast growing wood (it can grow up to 16 feet tall and 3 inches in diameter in a single season) that occupies a part of the ecosystem where other trees won’t grow, qualities that help make it highly sustainable. Like harder woods, poplar won’t shrink, swell, or warp.