Every piece at KEFINO starts with a "What if?" In the case of the A-Chair, the question was: Can I make a chair that feels like a single, uninterrupted thought?
Let's open the digital archives to show you a project that currently exists only in pixels and technical drawings. It’s a story of geometry, the tactile warmth of cork, and the reality of the design process (and even the parts where people disappear).
The Geometry of the "A"
From the front, the A-Chair is unmistakable. It takes the stability of the first letter of the alphabet and leans into it. The frame is a continuous tubular steel line. In practical terms it would be broken up into multiple pieces and discreetly screwed together, though.
The inspiration stems from the classic mid-century hairpin leg. Instead of four separate legs, however, the steel travels in one continuous line. It is sweeping up from the floor in a sleek, narrow taper and precise angles. On the back, a slight, intentional tilt moves away from the seat —just enough to invite a lean, but sharp enough to keep the profile modern.
By using a single tube, we eliminate visual noise. That's the goal.
There should be no chunky joints or messy welds to distract the eye. It’s just one path of steel, defining the space it occupies.
Material Contrast: cold steel vs. warm cork
At KEFINO, an object is never just about being "modern". Because that could mean it follows a trend and we all know how quickly they die and look awful in hindsight. First and foremost, it has to feel human and have a personality. Therefore, to balance the industrial edge of the tubular steel, we looked toward organic textures.
- The Backrest: This is the soul of the chair. A solid, cylindrical bolster made of natural cork (or a deep-grained oak for a more rigid feel).
- The Seat: A square silhouette, but softened. Rounded edges mimic the radius of the steel frame. It creates a floating effect within the A-frame. Also here, cork would be the preferred material for a softer experience.
The contrast is where the playfulness happens. You have the hard logic of the steel geometry meeting the soft tactile invite of the cork. It’s a chair that looks like a sculpture but begs to be touched.
A note on the design: Modern furniture doesn't have to be cold, but it needs to to be intentional. With that comes simplicity. The A-Chair is an exercise in stripping away the extra until only the personality remains.
A ghost story
In the spirit of total transparency there is a spooky admission: The A-Chair hasn't seen the light of day yet.
Design is a collaborative sport. There were renders and technical drawings and instructions and a commitment to get it build. Money even changed hands. But the welder was so unsatisfied with his result getting the angles right, that he abandoned the project. He went silent and so we have a literal "ghost" in the production line.
On the positive side, this was purely a personal endeavour and not client work. While frustrating, it turned out to be less stressful than having to find another manufacturer months in and start from scratch.
In the past, we might have rushed to find anyone with a bender and a blowtorch to get a prototype finished. But the A-Chair requires precision and thus the continuous loop means there is nowhere to hide a mistake. If the bend is off by a degree, it will be very obviously skew.
So, for now, the Alpha remains in the studio as a digital blueprint. We’d rather it stay a perfect render than a compromised physical object.
Why sharing it?
The Blog-Series "From the Studio" is not supposed to just be a gallery of finished products. Design is a process and not all processes end in a clean-cut perfect object.
There is also beauty in the attempt. The A-Chair represents the KEFINO DNA:
- Playful Geometry: Taking a literal letter and making it structural.
- Sleek Continuity: Finding the longest line possible.
- Unapologetic Standards: Waiting for the right hands to build it, rather than settling for "good enough."
What’s next?
For now, the files are sitting on the desk. Perhaps it will be simplified, such a breaking down the long tubular steel in several pieces. We are on the lookout for new manufacturing partners (if you are one just shout − be it in London or Cape Town) who see the vision as clearly as we do. But there is no rush. Good design is patient.
Until then, there's the renders and a fading memory of a ghost.
