although we use chair and table together, most designers seem to design them in isolation. A chair is meant to function with just about any table in its genre. True we have a dining table and chair sets but these are only stylistically matched. One can match any dining chair with any dining table because although we use a chair and table together, most designers seem to design them in isolation. A chair is meant to function with just about any table in its genre. True we have a dining table and chair sets but these are only stylistically matched. One can match any dining chair with any dining table because standard tables are designed for standard chairs. There are few pieces of furniture in which chair and table have been designed together and such pieces usually offer extraordinary functionality. The old Irish school desk with combined seating is one such design where the ‘whole is greater than the sum of its parts’ tables are designed for standard chairs. There are few pieces of furniture in which chair and table have been designed together and such pieces usually offer extraordinary functionality. The old Irish school desk with combined seating is one such design where the ‘whole is greater than the sum of its parts’.

Stylistic combination – Eames Kids Chairs & Extraordinary functionality – Modular Irish school furniture

I got the opportunity to design a few pieces like that. It was a liberating experience because one could start from scratch. Both the table and chair can be special. Style, materials, and sizes can all be customized.

The cafeteria table and chair (originally designed for Bhartiya International) were space saving pieces that could only be used with each other. 4 chairs fitted under a round table.

OPUS cafeteria table and chair & Chair-A-Mez educational furniture where the table and chair can be coupled or de-coupled at will

Chair-a-Mez is another such combination. Together the chair and table provide for educational furniture that can transform pedagogy. When separated they are less than an ordinary chair and table.

Pyramid workstation with tall tables and Pyramid Chairs without backrest and wheels

It is difficult to change the height of an office table, even if this brings superior ergonomics, mainly because available chairs will not work with it. For Pyramid workstations, the table height was increased by 150 mm because the Pyramid chair was also designed at the same time. Together the table chair combination makes great ergonomic sense. Amongst the users at Space Design Consultants office, the furniture brought down the incidence of back and neck pain by 50%.