Josh Krute

Kuulas chair and End-grain fabric

Dialogue between Kuulas Chair and End-grain upholstery fabric

Kuulas is a low-chair designed for interior home or office lounge spaces. It is made from solid ash wood and designed for three interchangeable textile components: a soft wool blanket, a cushion with strap attachment, and a fully upholstered seat - all with a surface pattern entitled End-grain, representing wood-like textures and grain patterns of wooden blocks.

Kuulas, meaning ‘clear’ in Finnish, is a low-chair designed for interior home or office lounge spaces. Taking cues from Japanese and Danish furniture, Kuulas has notable low and wide seat proportions, and a refined minimal form to promote relaxation while sitting. It is made from solid ash wood and designed for three interchangeable textile components: a soft wool blanket, a cushion with strap attachment, and a fully upholstered seat, all with a surface pattern entitled End-grain.

The End-grain upholstery fabric, now produced by Annala Oy, combines black and white wool yarns with woven structures to represent wood-like textures and grain patterns of wooden blocks. For Krute, the End-grain pattern is familiar; it reminds him of how wood is commonly found in a lumber yard, as a bundle of loosely stacked two-by-four boards that have been sifted through by other carpenters. The pattern was integrated in the design to enhance the ‘low-sitting/essence of wooden materiality’.