The butterfly-style camp chair. It’s something we’ve all come to know, love and truly require for a multi-day camping trip, afternoon at the park or bonfire on the beach. It’s genuinely functional and provides a little bit of coziness from home while we’re exploring off the grid.
Originally created by Jorge Ferrari Hardoy, Antonio Bonet and Juan Kurchan in 1938 in Argentina, the butterfly chair design started off as a simple structure, easily collapsible and transportable, and relatively lightweight without sacrificing comfort–think a super upgraded, home furniture version of the chairs your parents brought to your elementary soccer games. Outdoor brands have recently taken this symbolic design to the next level by modernizing it with youthful colors and innovative structure like the Alite Designs Monarch Chair, which is the original tent-pole seat. Other brands, such as REI’s new evrgrn line, have also made the butterfly chair more contemporary through the addition of features such as bamboo rocker rails and technology stash pockets, which is an homage to the one of the most celebrated mid-century modern silhouettes, the Eames Rocker. Also, Go Out has a crazy selection of butterfly-style chairs you can only get in Japan, and we’re totally drooling over the playful prints on the Monro x Helinox Chair Elite styles. Although this style of camp chair has been a huge hit in the outdoor realm, we’re also starting to see the design dip its toes into the lifestyle and home sector as well.
One of the most notable examples of this intentional crossover is the Spring 2015 collab that brought together NEIGHBORHOOD, a Japanese lifestyle brand largely influenced by motorcycle culture, and wilderness equipment specialist Helinox. Within the collaborative three-piece Camping Collection is a special edition of the Chair One, a signature Helinox butterfly-style seat outfitted in tan/beige-colored fabric and black legs, the perfect addition to your campsite, backyard OR deck.
Some of our favorite pieces utilizing this iconic style in the homewares arena are the Parabellum Butterfly Chair, available in Pumpkin or Black-colored bison leather and copper-plated or powder-coated hardware, and Carhartt WIP’s version, which is handmade in Germany with premium canvas upholstery and black steel.
Help us keep an eye on this trend as it develops and share photos of your favorite butterfly camp chair-inspired seats on Instagram. Be sure to tag #outdoortrendz for a chance to have your photo featured on our feed!
Images via Alite Designs, REI evrgrn, Parabellum and Helinox.
XX SYDNEY