Cappellini Thinking Man’s Chair, 1988

Thinking Man’s Chair by Jasper Morrison for Cappellini.

The Thinking Man’s Chair is a design that invites contemplation. Morrison designed each element of this chair to ensure maximum comfort, allowing the user moments of reflection and relaxation. The armrests of the chair have integrated glass trays.

Morrison was inspired to create the Thinking Man’s chair when he saw an antique chair with its seat cushion removed for repair. Thinking the chair looked more interesting without the cushion Morrison decided to design a chair which was, “all structure and no closed surfaces.”

The terracotta version is also available as a special edition, embellished with writing that emphasizes the curvature of the metal structure.

When creating the first chair Morrison hand-sprayed it with a red oxide rust-proofing paint. Once completed the designer thought it looked raw and so added the dimensions in chalk and set them with hairspray.