Since the dawn of the loom, all mankind has experienced it. We’ve done our best over the millennia, but there are some things that remain constant – that pile of laundry that’s neither completely dirty nor completely clean. It exists in a liminal state somewhere in between. Simon Gertz––designer, inventor, and many other things––presents it Laundry chairan answer to an age-old problem. With a swiveling secondary arm that’s perfect for placing worn clothes, but not ready for the laundry basket, this chair turns what was once a nuisance into a beautiful and functional solution.
Upholstered in a smart, olive cord, this chair is meant to stand on its own, even without the clothes. Solutions need to be fair, beautiful and do exactly what is expected to be truly successful – and Giertz has done it again. Design is not meant to change human behavior, but to work within the parameters of how we already exist. In the case of laundry – a task that costs time, energy and money – the unassuming chair relieves the mental anguish of managing piles, while better preserving clothes in between.
Various fashion cultures include slips or other undergarments to keep outerwear clean, reducing the need for washing, as it is still an incredibly laborious task to complete by hand. Frequent washing is also not recommended for most fibers, much less pure natural ones. Denim cleaners seem to be the strongest in this regard. Either way, the smartest approach to doing less laundry is to create less laundry in the first place, and the laundry chair makes that process easy. All your fabrics can be lined up for visual and olfactory inspection.
“As a perfectionist… I think there’s something I need to practice a lot, which is standing proudly next to things that are imperfect and loving them anyway,” shares Giertz. “I think it’s really about trying to focus on volume. It’s not volume in the sense that you’re creating a ton of content or trying a lot of things, but the worst place to be is to be stuck. Sharing something that’s half-finished can be a great way to break free or just keep some kind of momentum going and push it forward.”
Not to be dramatic, but Simone Giertz might be one of the closest things to a modern Da Vinci we’ve done. A solver of novel problems, everyday frustrations, the smallest details are usually what separate the good from the great designs. Giertz has turned her love of robots and engineering into a full-blown obsession with invention, where common problems have the opportunity to become delightful solutions.
To learn more about Simone Giertz’s laundry chair, visit yetch.studio.
Photo by Yetch Studio.
