Backflip
Designed for Hay
Why should a folding chair be a compromise?
For decades, folding chairs have been designed around storage and transport, often at the expense of comfort and everyday use. With Backflip, the ambition was to approach the typology from the opposite direction — to create a good chair first, and a folding chair second.
The result is a chair that moves easily between use and storage while maintaining the comfort, character and presence expected from everyday furniture.
Design Approach
I have always been fascinated by objects that change their state.
A folding chair is a particularly interesting example. It exists in two conditions: open and closed. Yet most folding chairs are defined by the compromises required to move between them.
Backflip began with a desire to challenge that assumption.
The project focused on creating a chair that would feel equally at home around a dining table, in a meeting room, a restaurant or a larger public setting. It should never feel like temporary seating. It should simply feel like a good chair.
Achieving this balance required years of development, testing and refinement. Every decision was shaped by the relationship between comfort, construction and movement.
The ambition was not to make folding the defining feature of the chair, but to integrate it naturally into the design.
Material & Construction
Backflip combines a solid wood frame with moulded plywood components and a concealed folding mechanism integrated into the backrest.
Rather than exposing the technical complexity, the construction allows the chair to maintain a calm and familiar appearance. The mechanism becomes part of the structure rather than an addition to it.
This approach made it possible to achieve a level of comfort and visual simplicity rarely associated with folding furniture.
The final design reflects a balance between engineering and restraint. Every component serves a purpose, while the overall expression remains straightforward and intuitive.
Backflip is ultimately a project about transformation — not as a feature, but as a natural part of how the object works.