BH | Studio Bergamo Armchair

The club chair takes its name from the private clubs where deep, low armchairs were made for long conversations. Later in the century designers pared the form back to its essentials, squaring the arms, lowering the back and letting the upholstered block itself become the sculpture. Mid-century designers loved bouclé, named from the French for curled after the looped yarn that gives it a pebbly surface, because it softened a hard-edged shape, and it has come back into favour for exactly that reason.

This armchair follows that later, pared-back line. Its squared, angular arms rise only a few inches above the seat and its low back keeps the profile compact, so the chair reads as one clean, solid form from every side. The nubby bouclé gives each crisp edge a warmth that invites a hand. Inside is a sturdy wood frame with sinuous springs, the zigzag wires that support the seat, under dense foam padding. It is rated to hold 330 lbs, a matching accent cushion comes with it, and soft glides protect the floor.

It belongs in a sitting room beside a low table, in an entrance hall where guests wait, or in a home office as the chair for thinking. Put a lamp next to it and a book on the arm, and it will become someone's favourite seat.