I know exactly when this one started, even if I can't remember the first time either of us actually saw the chair. My husband fell for it completely, and by the time we moved into this house, the Lamino was the thing he wanted most. We definitely saw one in person at Treacle George, a brilliant little shop in Tetbury that's since closed, though the chap who ran it still has an online presence, and I owe him a proper mention: Treacle George. He came over and, very politely, pointed out it wasn't cheap.
We bought it anyway, not long after we moved in. Four years on, it's had two homes in this house already, and it's the only piece we've written about so far that really only works for one person at a time.
The Lamino was designed by Yngve Ekström for the Swedish maker Swedese in 1956 and has been in continuous production ever since. In 1999 it was named Sweden's furniture design of the twentieth century, which sounds like a grand claim until you actually spend time with one.
The Lamino isn't trying to be the chair everyone sits in. It's trying to be one person's favourite chair. That's exactly what it's become.
What it's actually like, four years in
It started in the kitchen diner and has since moved to the living room, and the reason is simple: it isn't a sociable piece of furniture. When we have people round, nobody quite knows what to do with it. Someone usually ends up perched on the footstool instead of actually sitting in the chair itself.
My husband still adores it. He's tall, the chair is genuinely built with a taller frame in mind, and he finds it completely comfortable. I rarely sit in it myself, if I'm honest, it's a little large for me, but I love how it looks in a room regardless. The cat, for what it's worth, has no complaints at all.
We haven't done anything to it in four years beyond wiping the wood down occasionally and giving the sheepskin the odd going-over with the hoover, which I suspect isn't the recommended care method. It hasn't seemed to mind.
The one thing worth knowing before buying
If you're imagining this as extra seating for guests, don't buy it. If you're imagining somewhere to disappear with a book for an hour, it's almost perfect.
Was it worth it?
Yes, though it's really my husband answering that, not me. It looks genuinely beautiful in a room, four years of minimal care hasn't touched it, and he still sits in it every chance he gets. That's a good return for a chair, even one that isn't really mine.
The next chapter
We're moving house, and the Lamino is coming with us. It's already lived in two rooms in this one, so I'm not worried about finding it a home. I'm looking forward to seeing where it lands next.
Still worth keeping?
- Comfort
- Excellent, if you're the right size for it
- Ageing
- No real maintenance in four years, holding up fine
- Would we buy it again?
- Yes, without question
- Best for
- One person's favourite spot, not a piece for group seating
If it disappeared tomorrow, my husband would replace it before almost anything else in the house.
