Creative agency Uncommon Creative Studio has produced a chair with collapsible arms that can be used to air out clothes, encouraging users to rewear garments rather than washing them more than needed.
The Rewear Chair, which will be showcased later this month during Dutch Design Week, was developed by Uncommon Creative Studio as part of a campaign for eco-cleaning brand Ecover aimed at highlighting the environmental impact of everyday activities like laundry.
The bespoke piece is a playful reappraisal of the ‘laundry chair’ which exists in many bedrooms as a place for tossing worn clothes that aren’t dirty enough to require washing.
The designers wanted to celebrate this behaviour, as skipping washes and allowing clothes to air out on a chair can save water and energy while also making clothes last longer.
“We’re taking a common behaviour and turning it into something beautiful and intentional,” explained Uncommon Creative Studio founder Nils Leonard.
“The eco-friendly choice can be the most beautiful choice too, and the Rewear Chair proves that good design can help us rethink our habits for the better. This is design at its best, solving problems but also asking questions.”
The chair’s circular seat is supported by nine vertical elements, each of which incorporates a collapsible arm that can extend to provide hanging space for clothing.
The designers pointed out that the hinged arms can hold up to a week’s worth of clothes, “allowing garments to air out in an organised and stylish manner.”
The chair is handcrafted in Dorset, England, from sustainable materials including wind-felled cedar that has natural deodorising qualities.
The joints are made from reclaimed ash wood treated with natural beeswax to make the hingeing motion smoother. A natural felt pad infused with cedar oil provides an additional deodorising detail.
The project is part of a wider sustainability campaign by Ecover based on findings from a report into the UK’s laundry habits developed in partnership with Falmouth University by PR agency Manifest.
The report revealed that nearly one in five adults mistakenly believe that washing less often doesn’t impact the planet, while one in ten feel pressured by societal standards to do laundry more frequently, despite being aware of their carbon footprint.
The Rewear Chair therefore aims to promote greener laundry habits such as increasing the number of wears between washes, washing at lower temperatures and choosing more environmentally friendly cleaning products.
The chair will be presented at Dutch Design Week taking place in Eindhoven from 19-27 October 2024. Last year, the event showcased projects including a mobile kit for turning unused plots into playgrounds.
Uncommon Creative Studio previously used artificial intelligence software to reimagine UK landmarks as soulless modernist edifices to help promote Thomas Heatherwick’s Humanise campaign aimed at putting “an end to boring buildings”.
The photography and video are courtesy of Ecowear.
