Chelsea Collection

• Prize
  Winner in couch & sofa
• Company/Firm
  Karim Rashid Inc.
• Designer
  Karim Rashid
• Other Credit
  BoConcept, Denmark
• Location
  Worldwide
• Project Date
  2020

The Chelsea collection epitomizes Karim Rashid’s design language of fluid organic forms. More than aesthetic, Karim’s decision to remove hard surfaces and sharp edges creates visual and tactile comfort and an arresting sense of calm, attributes the designer believes are vital in the compact-living settings that are Chelsea’s inspiration.
“For twenty years I was living in Chelsea in New York. And when you’re living in a small space, less is more. You need a soft environment and space to breathe, relax, socialize and work. To put a small, soft environment in a small apartment really makes sense”.
The Chelsea sofa and chair are crafted using cold-cure foam over a steel frame and high-quality springs which allows for precise 360-modelling, zero foam sagging and exceptional comfort. The lightweight design sits on a concealed wooden plinth in black, conjuring a sense of levitation. Collection features sofa, chair, coffee table, pendant and floor lamp.
Karim employs a design philosophy he calls ‘Sensual Minimalism’; very simple, reductive and minimal. But not minimalism in the way we think of it: hard edged forms, a square, a cylinder. Chelsea is about the human body.

Bio

Karim Rashid is one of the most prolific designers of his generation. Over 4000 designs in production, over 400 awards, and operating in over 35 countries attest to Karim’s legend of design. His award-winning designs include democratic objects like the ubiquitous Garbo waste can and Oh! Chair for Umbra and interiors like the Morimoto restaurant, Philadelphia and Nhow hotel, Berlin. Karim has created noteworthy designs for clients Method and Pepsi, furniture for Artemide and Vondom, brand identity for Citibank and Hyundai, high-tech products for LaCie and Samsung, and luxury goods for Veuve C

Other prizes
Numerous awards and accolades attest to Karim’s contribution to the world of design. He is a recipient of the American Prize for Design Lifetime Achievement award, as well as a perennial winner of the Red Dot award, Interior Design Best of Year Award, iF award, Chicago Athenaeum Good Design award, IDA Design award, Dieline award, Spark Award, Pentawards, and IDSA Industrial Design Excellence award. He holds Honorary Doctorates from Carlton University, Pratt Institute, OCAD in Toronto, British Institute of Interior Design, and Corcoran College of Art & Design