Seating

If a man's home is his castle, Dandy makes a dandy throne. Meritalia's regal chair has a 52-inch-high back and sharp-angled wings to keep courtiers at bay. The cotton-upholstered body rests on aluminum feet. Studious sovereigns will appreciate the built-in light, too. 76-78 Via Como, 2066 Mariano Comense (Como), Italy; 39-031-743100; meritalia.it. circle 313

Who knew that the ascetic life could be so indulgent? The solid-walnut Floating Angle bench has a 3-inch-thick seat that looks like something on which monks from a particularly austere order would sit in moments of contemplation. At 56 inches in length, 30 in height, and 15 in depth, the bench can be stained natural or chocolate and can also be ebonized. 20 Van Dam Street, Brooklyn, NY 11222; 718-963-2616. circle 314

This quirky design studio has come up with an unusual riff on recycling chic: tubes made to hold kraft paper have been pressed into service as stools. Take a tube 17 inches across, slice it into segments about 173/4 inches long, cut out circles from the sides, insert brightly colored coiled-rope seats, and you've got Banquinho Biju. (Roughly translated, it means biscuit bench, an allusion to its color.) 456 Rua Manduri, Jardim Paulistano, 01457-020 São Paulo/SP, Brazil; 11-3518-8919; superlimao.com.br. circle 315

Cutler Anderson Architects designed this chair for an award-winning building near Seattle. Bent-plywood Grace is available in beech, white oak, cherry, and maple veneers, in measurements of 21 inches wide by 20 deep by 34 high. Comfort and convenience are built in—there's a shelf tucked under the seat. 711 Westchester Avenue, Suite 2, White Plains, NY 10604; 914-220-0277; reveal-designs.com. circle 317

The Gobbi club chair's deep seat and stout back cushion invite the weary sitter to sink in and relax—while the boldly curving lines beckon the eye to travel. Custom upholstery conceals a walnut frame, resulting in dimensions of 32 inches wide, 36 deep, and 331/2 high. 322 Sixth Street, San Francisco, CA 94103; 415-437-2284; jiunho.com. circle 316

For anyone who has ever yearned for sharp design with a playful edge, behold the Quatro by Jacqueline Terpins. Like something out of the "shapes" corner in preschool, the chair is constructed of four squares of 3/4-inch-thick transparent red or yellow glass sheets, held together by glue cured under ultraviolet light. The result measures 30 inches high by 311/2 wide by 28 deep. 101 Henry Adams Street, San Francisco, CA 94103; 415-255-0992; eco21usa.com. circle 318

Lefties, take heart! Oppi, a jaunty design with serious flexibility, has a tablet arm that swings from the right hand to the left. The slim tubular legs come in chrome-finished or powder-coated steel, and the back is plywood. Measures 33 inches tall. 11 Hämeentie, 00530 Helsinki, Finland; 358-9-774-5330; vivero.fi. circle 319

X marks the spot for the snappiest director's chair this side of Hollywood. Jean-Marie Massaud's Aster X glamorizes the clean-cut frame with steel arms and legs in a gunmetal finish. The 24-inch-wide seat and back—filled with polyurethane padding and polyester wadding—are covered in leather offered in 90 colors. 77 Strade Statale, Kilometer 74.5, 62029 Tolentino, Italy; 39-0733-9091; poltronafrau.it. circle 321

Go ahead and admire the graceful lines of the Panther. It won't bite—though the updated cabriole legs appear ready to leap. Finished in a super-shiny gloss, the chair's mahogany frame is 18 inches wide, 17 deep, and 36 high, with a seat height of 181/2 inches. 654 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10021; 212-888-3241; victoriahaganhome.com. circle 320

It may look like bent paper clips, but Pulse's welded-steel frame is hardly a craft project. Peter Haas engineered this ergonomic chair to move with the sitter's weight leverage. Plus, the lumbar support panel flexes with the user. Available in 15 finishes for the frame and 10 colors for the thermoplastic seat. 1642 Crystal Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64126; 800-821-3500; fixturesfurniture.com. circle 323

Tired of boxy sofas? So is Lluis Codina, whose modular Athos isn't really curvy but isn't all straight lines either. The separate back and seat, attached by internal screws, together measure 28 inches high by 38 deep. The coordinating rectangular or square table is available in a black, white, or silver finish. 23 Avenida Arraona, 08205 Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain; 34-93-745-79-00; perobell.com. circle 322

Like its namesake, Felix is nothing if not tidy—a wafer-thin chair that stacks neat as a pin, up to three at a time. The methacrylate seat is available in shiny transparent orange or Rouge and sanded blue or green. The frame comes in lacquered aluminum and chrome, measuring 33 inches high by 21 wide and about 15 3/4 deep; the seat height is 18 inches. 71 Via Direttissima del Conero, 60021 Camerano, Italy; 39-071-730-4112; bontempi.it. circle 324

The mod shape of Talya begs to be noticed. One corner of the roomy glass-reinforced plastic seat twists like a link in a paper chain—though Giorgio Gurioli and Marco Maggioni see their design as a life-cycle metaphor. (Don't ask.) The seat comes in red or white, the base in steel. 8 Via Primo Maggio, 33070 Budoia, Italy; 39-0434-654752; odue.it. circle 325

Available in a wide range of fabrics and leathers, Balance has all the features that an ergonomic task chair should: adjustable back and seat angle, seat tension, and seat height, all on a synchronous knee-tilt mechanism. But here's the kicker—the mesh support structure and cushioning automatically adjust to the contour of the user's back. Nice. 3904 North Texas Avenue, Bryan, TX 77803; 800-446-3746; igoergo.com. circle 326

Gamma, by Martin Ballendat, dresses up the side chair with a slim, curved plywood back available in beech, cherry, oak, or black-walnut veneers. The seat comes in myriad fabrics and leathers. For the base of chrome-plated steel, choose among three versions: curved, a single column, or four good old straight legs. All result in a height of 32 inches; the width is 22. P.O. Box 1730, High Point, NC 27261; 336-887-9296; tononitalia.com. circle 327

Perched on bent stainless-steel legs, the upholstered seat of Jose Manuel Ferrero's stackable Messö has a custom cover that can be easily removed and changed, making the chair ideal for home and hospitality venues alike. (The manufacturer offers three grades of standard fabrics, plus a COM option.) The piece measures 29 inches high by 19 wide by 221/2 deep. Ampliación Parque Industrial Rey Juan Carlos I, 10 Calle Gregal, 46440 Almussafes, Valencia, Spain; 34-96-179-00-18; do-ce.com. circle 328