Dezeen staff • February 2025
Dezeen Showroom: Norwegian furniture brand Varier has updated the colour offering for its distinctive 1980s Ekstrem chair, created by Terje Ekstrøm to cater to a variety of sitting positions.
The Ekstrem chair is now available in Blossom, Scarlet, Umber, Sand, Olive and Pool colourways – ranging from neutral to vivid in hue – in addition to previously-released Black and Sulpher.
It is upholstered in a soft and breathable wool textile that is custom made by Norwegian manufacturer Devold – a material with elasticity that helps it fit snugly over the chair’s complex shape.
Designed in 1972 but not released until 1984 when Ekstrøm finally found an interested manufacturer, Varier‘s Ekstrem chair is now an iconic design appreciated for its sculptural form and unexpected comfort level.
Made of fabric-covered foam wrapped around a steel frame, the chair invites the sitter to try a multitude of positions, such as sideways with their legs over the armrest, back-to-front with their torso against the back of the seat, and other unconventional postures.
As well as this ergonomic innovation, the Ekstrem chair offers up a striking form, with its tangle of soft tubular limbs serving as a sculptural object and a symbol of playful postmodernism.
Resource: https://www.dezeen.com/2025/02/14/ekstrem-chair-varier-terje-ekstrom-dezeen-showroom/?
