Hand on heart I love minimalist design, I love everything about it. I love the stripped back, calming aesthetics of a minimalist space. Give me furniture design that has been reduced down to its basic elements, free of distractions and clutter. Ah Marie Kondo I salute you! 

From a visual perspective there’s something very pure and beautiful about minimal design. The lack of excess use of decorative colour, shapes or texture. The purity. Some people consider that boring. But not me.

However, even as a minimalist devotee, there’s a part of me that has to admit that minimalist furniture has an achilles heel. Sometimes it’s just not that comfortable. There I said it.

There’s been too many occasions where I’ve spotted something from across the room,  marvelled at the beautifully simple understated design, heart skipping, rushed over to sit on it. To find after a while the bum aches because the seat is too hard or I find myself constantly adjusting my sitting position because the backrest is too low to be supportive or the sharp lines are too sharp.

Yes, sometimes comfort has been sacrificed at the altar of aesthetics. Now on some occasions that might be fine. Maybe the seat is not designed to be sat on for too long, especially if it’s in a public place where the look is more important than peoples comfort. But in the home or at work, comfort wouldn’t go amiss. It’s pointless to a beautiful looking piece of furniture that you don’t want to use.

The battle between minimal and comfort/Choosing between minimal and comfort

It’s this dilemma that makes finding furniture that can tick both those boxes really hard. And why we spend [insert fact in one] when searching for furniture.

You want the minimal look but with comfort. But furniture design doesn’t always give you that option. It sometimes feels they fall more into one camp or another. 

Minimal but not comfortable. Comfortable but not minimal. There’s always a compromise. Why can’t they be more equal?

Responsive furniture can help rebalance/address

Responsive furniture is an attempt to rebalance that. To give people an alternative choice. Responsive Furniture uses GERS technology to transform from one state to another. In this case to transform from minimal to comfortable without compromise. 

This innovation opens up a whole new world of design possibilities. Turning previously static fixed form furniture into responsive furniture.

Cuba Chool

The Cuba Chool is the first Responsive Seat in the world. A seat with a responsive backrest that pops up when someone sits on it. 

This dual form allows you to have a low visual impact minimalist stool when not in use. Without the backrest on show, it reduces the visible clutter in a space, enabling you to create that calm and pared back environment.

But when needed, transforms into a comfortable and supportive chair when sat on. The responsive backrest able to offer the full height of a chair for prolonged sitting. Giving you the best of both worlds in equal measure.

Finally, minimalist fans can have their cake and eat it.