When conceiving the Marie armchair for German furniture-maker Freifrau, designers Brigit Hoffman and Christoph Kahleyss – co-founders of Hamburg-based studio Hoffmann Kahleyss – challenged themselves to create a chair that was equal parts super-soft and supportive. 

That initiative resulted in seat with a slender steel-tube frame that opens like a pair of outstretched arms. Fitted with a supple cushion with “casually crumpled” upholstery, the Marie armchair invites the sitter to linger, providing a comfortable perch that supports meditative relaxation as well as engaging communication to those seated nearby. 

Marie’s structured steel frame – which can be powder-coated in a range of colourways – includes a rear bar that wraps around and pinches the plush cushion to enhance its laid-back appearance. 

A wide portfolio of upholstery fabrics and leathers are available for Marie’s cushion cover, which is zipped on and then screwed directly to the frame. Enhancing its aesthetic versatility and sustainability, the cover can be easily unscrewed, removed and replaced with an updated colourway or pattern; further, the entire chair can be dissembled to individual parts, which can then be recycled.