Sentar Baixinho
Stools and chairs are pieces of furniture that vary all over the world. They are frequently influenced by the culture and the traditions of their society. In Portugal we have our own typical stools. One of them is called “Mocho” (owl) and it is used from family get-togethers to particular professions’ work. Usually build in pine wood, it is known for its short height and craftsman-style and sturdy construction.
Based on Mocho, the challenge was to develop a new product were it makes sense to “sit on a low little bench. Any local craftsman can easily produce it in his/her workshop.
Four different stools were created – our approach aimed to provoke some reaction from its users or even spectators, preferentially a humorous one. This way, the stools transform into short metaphors that pursue the tastes of all ages.
The stools’ names evoke the origin of the new stool.
UMPÉ
“Umpé” arises from a playful appropriation of the typical one foot Swiss bank, used for milking cows, to the Portuguese aesthetics, inspired by the Mocho stool.
UMABOTIJA
“Umabotija” is a stool created from the idea of sitting "warm"- when one sits in a place which was being occupied, and we use the popular expression "you have left your place warm for me."
UMABENGALA
“Umabengala” is a stool in which a leg ends with an axis and a wheel. A cane fits in a simple hole in the sitting part, and the stool can be "driven" like a toy car. The design brings together the ages of life as the cane evokes the elderly and children playing with push toys. The fact that you can play with it refers to the childlike spirit in all of us.
