We Love This: Tabourets What is a tabouret, exactly? Is it a stool? A table? A plinth? Yes.
By Lena Hunter | Press photos
The name derives from the Old French word tabour, meaning drum, in reference to its armless, backless form. The tabouret peaked in 17th century France, when courtly guests would perch upon an elaborate carved and upholstered version in the presence of King Louis XIV in Versailles. Today, the tabouret has been simplified and reimagined by numerous furniture designers as a multipurpose platform for the fashionable home. Its non-conformist shape and history might allude to privilege, but when IKEA popularized their cookie-cutter Swedish take on the design, it became truly democratised. Austere as a seat, stylish as a table, and unblinkingly functional as a footrest, the tabouret is for the people – and it is très chic.
BEKVÄM Taburet by IKEA
This humble stepladder-esque tabouret in natural solid wood is at home in any interior context, as a bathroom perch, a living-room display shelf, or a casual kitchen stool.
€20,
PK33 by Fritz Hansen
The iconic PK33 is the epitome of Poul Kjærholm’s use of assembly techniques, his exploration of materials and his stringently simple form. The three-legged matt chrome spring frame borrows elements from Kjærholm’s other designs, while retaining its own unique expression.
€3993,
Tabouret Cabanon by Le Corbusier
This solid chestnut-wood tabouret was designed by Le Corbusier in 1952 for his Cabanon, a cabin he built on the Côte d’Azur in which he envisioned housing furniture pieces exclusively designed like boxes. A spartan yet sophisticated seat, the masterful dovetail joints highlight the connecting points between the solid wood pieces.
€735,
8 Tabouret Tournant by Charlotte Pierrand
This iconic tabouret swivel stool draws inspiration from the Fauteuil tournant designed by Charlotte Perriand for her Paris apartment in Place Saint-Sulpice, and was one of the furnishings exhibited at the Salon d’Automne in 1929.
€2005,
CH53 by Carl Hansen
Hans J. Wegner – also known as ‘The Master of the Chair’ – designed the CH53 stool in 1966 and it remains a symbol of his passion for craftsmanship and everyday functionality. The CH53 stool’s solid-wood frame and hand-braided seat epitomize his design legacy and unique ability to succinctly express the innermost soul of a piece of furniture.
€350,
Fox by Magniberg
Crafted from solid Swedish pine, Fox is an essential stool distinguished by its artful form. Fox is inspired by the ‘allmoge’ genre of design – a traditional Swedish genre of peasant architecture that was popular until the 20th century.
€645,
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