KI hosts universal design series

Instead of style over substance, universal design is style with substance.
Award-winning designers Dan Cramer and Paul James will discuss universal design principles at the first “Night of Universal Tastes," April 30 in Chicago for architecture and design (A&D) professionals.
Sponsored by KI and Pallas Textiles, the event focuses on furniture design that can accommodate various body types and allow interior designers to create a consistent aesthetic. The event series is designed to familiarize the A&D community with this concept and offer immediate solutions that can be used in projects.
In addition to remarks by Cramer and James, who designed the industry’s first universal seating collection, KI’s Arissa Collection, a tasting of wine and hors d’oeuvres from around the world will follow the presentation.

For more information, contact Christina Sorbello, csorbello@mower.com.

Bariatric furniture design goes functional, sexy

We are a fast food nation.

As the population gets bigger, furniture companies are taking note and are designing beautiful furniture to accommodate everyone. KI introduced the Arissa Collection, a bariatric furniture line, at NeoCon this year and it looked amazing.

I had no idea the pieces were for obese people. At the show, I saw a 90-pound woman try a chair and she didn’t look out of place. The furniture line is designed to accommodate individuals up to 300 pounds.

The design mantra behind the collection is to create furniture that is comfortable and accepting for people of all sizes, according to the company. The Arissa collection uses a universal form to accommodate virtually any body type.

The furniture line was designed for use in the healthcare industry to create seamless designs. However, I think this trend will carryover into mainstream furniture design. It will be interesting to see at NeoCon 2009 how many other companies are offering specially designed bariatric furniture.