Design Daily: Rod + Weave Chairs by Eric Trine
Author:Sarah Virginia WhiteOne of the biggest trends to emerge in recent months is the rebirth of sexy sling furniture. I’m seeing modern designs that reference the rosewood-frames and tufted cushions of a midcentury Westnofa lounger or the clubby chrome versions that came around in the 1970s, but one of my favorite interpretations right now is the Rod + Weave series from Portland-based designer Eric Trine.
I first spotted Trine’s lounge chairs at the East, Meet West showcase by Design Milk at Bobby Berk Home in New York in May during ICFF. I loved the candy-colored pasted steel frames juxtaposed with the masculine leather straps, and made a note to explore the work of this talented designer, who spent some of his formative years as an artist-in-residence at The Lab and The Camp in Costa Mesa in California. A quick trip to his site revealed the fantastic variations that he’s created of his Rod + Weave design.
The idea behind Trine’s Rod + Weave sprang out of a bare bones leather-sling and rod-framed creation that he made during his 5 Chairs Project in 2012 (during which he created five chairs from scratch within five days). His prototype for Chair No. 2 matured into the woven versions you see here, in various iterations that came to include ombré-dyed leather straps and glossy pastel frames.
Though I admit it’s hard to play favorites, one of Trine’s earlier Rod + Weave versions, the Technicolor Edition, above, tops my list. He created it to celebrate the opening of the first brick and mortar shop of LA-based Poketo, formerley an online-only retailer, in 2012. He sprayed leather dye on a series of straps to get the beautiful ombré effect that he’s played with in his future Rod + Weave series. Scroll down to check out a couple more variations on the theme and be prepared to lust after them.
The Rod + Weave V3.0 version features black buffalo leather and wood armrests:
A single-hued Rod + Weave for the NohoNext exhibition by Sight Unseen made using green leather hides:
For now, Trine’s work is available through custom order, and he can be reached via email, etrine@gmail.com, or his website.
