RORY DINING CHAIR

On Rory the back curves round and becomes the arms — one continuous shape rather than a back with arms added to it. 57 × 57 × 85 cm, on shaped solid wood legs.

One shape, which is the hard way to do it

A chair with separate arms is made from parts that are joined; a back that wraps into its own arms has to be shaped as a single sweep, and the upholstery has to follow it round the turn without a gather, a pleat or a flat spot. The two turns also have to mirror each other — the eye reads a chair from the front, so an arm 5 mm higher on one side is immediately visible. There is no joint line to disguise anything.

Low arms that still clear the table

Because the arms are part of the curve rather than bolted on top of it, they sit low — which is what lets a chair with arms go under a table that would stop a conventional armchair. Still measure: from your floor to the underside of the table top, and compare. A deep apron is where this goes wrong.

57 × 57 cm, and comfort over two hours

Square in plan and wrapped on three sides, Rory is the chair to choose when people stay at your table. The curve supports your back and your elbow at the same time, which an armless chair cannot do however good the back is — if you host long dinners this is the difference you feel, and it is the honest argument for it over Bellini or Echo. Allow about 62 cm of table edge per person and 75 cm of clear floor behind.

Materials and sizes

57 × 57 × 85 cm. Solid wood frame with shaped legs; fabric or leather — any of seventy-six leather shades across twelve families — and your own fabric (COM) is accepted. Genuine leather only. Handcrafted in our Istanbul workshop.

Where it belongs

A dining room where people linger, a restaurant, a boutique hotel, a refined meeting room. It is also comfortable enough to use singly at a desk or in a corner.