12/11/2020 -
Merano, the armchair that set the bar for new design, was introduced by
TON exactly ten years ago. Made by crossing two pieces of bent plywood and setting them into a solid wood base, Merano brought the company its first global award for design and became one of its most popular products. To mark the armchair’s ten-year anniversary,
TON has created a
limited edition of 30 Petit Merano armchairs. The armchairs will be offered to the public in the form of an online auction throughout the month of November, with part of the proceeds going to support programmes for children.
"The idea to make a small version of the armchair came to me seven years ago. My friends’ son was celebrating his first birthday, and I kept thinking about what gift would be most suitable. In the end I made a small version of the Merano armchair that he uses to this day,” says Alex Gufler, Merano’s designer and TON’s Art Director.
“But the Petit Merano edition is about more than child-sized furniture. It’s an object that can feature on its own in an interior, and become a collector’s item,” added Gufler.
Gufler’s Merano armchair has been one of TON’s most successful products. More than 50,000 pieces have been sold since its introduction, and the design has inspired a number of similarly shaped armchairs from other manufacturers.
“People appreciate its simplicity, its clean, almost geometric lines, and its timeless appeal. Indeed, finding a unique element in the chair’s simple design was a key challenge in the product development process,” explained Gufler.
“The design emerged from a logical approach to the raw material and its form. When I saw the final prototype I was very pleased, and that’s usually a good sign,” added the designer.
The petite version imitates the full sized armchair in form and construction. However, as a limited edition piece not intended for large-scale production, Petit Merano requires a higher amount of handwork than the original. All 30 pieces are made from oak, finished with oil. The underside of the seat features an engraved special-edition logo with the designer’s signature – a guarantee of the product’s origin.
The sale of Petit Merano will take the form of an online auction on the company’s website (www.ton.eu). The auction will commence on Monday, 9 November 2020, and continue until Sunday, 29 November 2020. The website includes information about the process and rules of the auction.
“We are quite keen to know how far Petit Merano will travel in the world. No matter where, though, we are sure it will bring lots of joy,” noted Gufler in closing.
TON on Archiproducts.com
