What better place to get felt up than a cocoon-like space with just enough room for two? It touches, fondles and caresses – keeping out noise and keeping you focused. No, it’s not sexual – it’s material.  16mm thick felt made from 100% natural wool; with fall fashion now entering stores, consider investing in this cozy cocoon rather than woolen wear. “Cut and folded in two places, a flat piece of felt has created a new space.”

Felt Up. Designed by Charlotte Kingsnorth.

Designer Charlotte Kingsnorth’s Felt Up Chair consists of a bent metal supports upon which a flat base rests. The single, thick two-dimensional sheet of felt folds and bends to create a three-dimensional space on this platform. “When sat in Felt Up cocoons the occupier, lulling them into a state of relaxation.”  It wraps and protects; similar to Sofa Coussin designed by Inga Sempé for LK Hjelle, although Felt Up lacks the cushions that make up Coussin thus the firm base and felt provide a place to sit but not to sink into. Like Eero Aarnio’s Bubble Chair, it provides a quieter space, muffling out sound and creating a feeling of comfort and protection.Kingsnorth explains, “[The felt] acts as a natural insulator from noise, which helps further to create a chilled space in which to sit.” 

Kingsworth, a recent graduate of Bucks New University in the UK, presented a sofa inspired by obesity at New designers 09 in London last month. The timber frame is engulfed in pink velvet upholstery wrapped in latex sheeting. “At One is a sofa which has been devoured by its obese occupier,” says Kingsnorth. “It tells a story of a relationship between a person and their sofa and the evolution of their bond through time spent sitting together.  At One is simultaneously intriguing and hideous.