Preston Occasional Chair

The Preston Occasional Chair is 69cm wide, 82cm deep and 84.5cm high, upholstered in 100% polyester rated 40,000 on the Martindale scale. It turns on a swivel base with matte cashmere powder-coated steel legs. Only the legs need fitting.

A swivel base is the feature that decides where this chair belongs. In an open-plan room a fixed chair has to be aimed at something, and it is either facing the television or facing the conversation; a swivel does both without being moved, which is why it suits a room with two centres of gravity.

At 82cm the chair is deeper than it is wide, and that proportion is unusual enough to plan for. It reads as compact from the front and takes real floor from front to back, so measure the depth against the walkway rather than judging the footprint from a photograph.

Powder coating in a matte cashmere tone is a quieter choice than black or brass on a metal base. It picks up the warmth of the upholstery instead of contrasting with it, which keeps the chair reading as one object rather than as a seat sitting on a frame.