Capsule armchair: when tradition, contemporary and Made in Portugal merge – Current affairs
In what is their first collaboration together, Teresa and João Gameiro decided to design a chair. The dream of creating something together was old and recently materialized with the launch of the Capsule Armchair. The starting point for the creation of this piece – whose design and shape plays with the geometry of the circle and the square, and whose lines take us back to modern Californian architecture of the mid-20th century – was a medical clinic.
“As this clinic had a more holistic approach to medicine and people went there to treat themselves and not their family, we wanted to explore the notions of privacy a little and create this kind of bubble, hence the name Capsule because it was a kind of defense and protection from the person standing next to it. That’s why these arms are raised”, points out João Gameiro about the concept of this decorative piece, originally created for another context, during a presentation to the press. “It’s interesting because when we look at the chair we think ‘with these arms, maybe I’ll feel a little tight or uncomfortable’, but that doesn’t happen”, complements Teresa Gameiro. Thanks to the positive feedback I received after its creation, in 2022 the pair of brothers decided to improve it and create a 2.0 version that could fit into other contexts. In this way, they thought it made sense to implement some changes.
In addition to trying to give it a more domestic aesthetic, I was concerned with producing a Capsule Armchair in different materials and colors. “There was a delicacy in choosing the materials and fabric for the seat and back,” explained a textile designer about this improvement which has given more robustness and firmness to this article whose arms, among other things, allow you to work comfortably at the computer. “It gives people, on a sensory level, another experience because the fabric on the seat and back is very textured, so it’s interesting to run your hand over the chair and notice the various textures. While the other one was more velvety, this one is done differently.”
Other novelties of this model relate to the fact that the entire iron structure lacquered in matte white is covered with fabric – which allows the armchair to be used outdoors even with due care – and that the customer can even choose fake feet for the chair that results from the perfect marriage between tradition and contemporary.
Sustainability and slow designthe DNA of the name Gameiro
Although sustainability is in fashion, this is a concern that has accompanied Teresa Gameiro’s work since the beginning of her career. Textile recycling and weaving are a trademark of the projects that, over the years, he has been signing as a fashion designer and that he decided to incorporate into the decoration objects that he started to develop in his own name. Since in the architecture and interior studio Studio Gameiro, João has always been concerned about working on projects that incorporate tradition, sustainable design and tailor-made solutions, it made perfect sense that the Capsule Armchair incorporated this vision shared by both.
For the seat of the chair, Teresa and João opted for 100% recycled cotton certified by the English brand Yarn Collective, with the sides lined with leftover textiles that the designer sheltered from the Portuguese and that, together with thread and yarn cotton, underwent a manual weaving process. But working with waste is a challenging process. “You have to make sure that Teresa has [desperdício] enough for everyone [os exemplares] are the same or as similar as possible. If we are now asked to make 20 chairs exactly like this one, with the upholstery fabric it participated, but with the waste fabric it is possible that it will not be exactly the same tone because it will have to be given along with the waste that exists in the various factories to if you get these tones. But that gives it that unique character”, says the designer architect, who concluded that the initial objective was to use linen as the main raw material, but that because it wears out more easily, he gave up opting for cotton. “The martindale measures how resistant the fabric is and [no caso do algodão] normally around 20, 30, 40. And this one has 100 thousand. It is very resistant”, he emphasizes.
But more than launching unique, quality products that offer continuity, the duo believes that part of their work also involves contributing to more responsible and sustainable consumption through slow design🇧🇷 “This type of object is made and thought out over time, in a careful and ethically responsible way”, says Teresa, who adds that it is also the responsibility of designers to respond to this new ecological awareness that is beginning to exist in consumers. “We are responsible for the life of this product, how this product is going to be in people’s homes and how it can be treated.”
A 100% customizable chair
Personalization is another aspect to be highlighted in this family project, which allows each customer to have a unique, exclusive and made-to-measure piece in their home. At Capsule Poltrona practically everything can be customized: from the fabric of the upholstery, to the legs of the chair, passing through the inclination of the seat itself, which can be adjusted according to the buyer’s taste. To beyond the capsule box – which is a kind of instruction manual for the chair where it is possible to access the different finishes available -, soon the Banema Store will have a catalog of fabrics in store that customers will be able to consult and, thus, start their design project. customization.
As this is a 100% customizable chair, customers can meet Teresa and João to explain their vision and, together, create the Capsule Armchair of their dreams. “We are creative, that’s why we like challenges”, says Teresa, who adds that the base price is set at 2,800 euros. “Whatever changes is already under Measure and on request: different feet, different textures, different fabrics.” All available feet are made with scrap carpentry scraps cut in different shapes and that customers can customize to their personal taste. Walnut, acacia and candal are some of the types of wood available.
Designed in Lisbon and produced in the center of Portugal, all examples of the Capsule Armchair that reach the market are numbered and include a certification certificate, where the customer can have access to the DNA of the chair that many should be just the first of projects to two. According to João Gameiro, the next step focuses on creating a line of fabrics and rugs that can be incorporated into the interior projects that his studio develops.
The Capsule Armchair is for sale, exclusively, at the Banema Store, in Campo de Ourique.