The Masters chair takes on “the Master of the chair,” Hans J. Wegner.

Our March Madness series—where we pit classic chairs against one another—continues! Today Calgary interior designer Alykhan Velji lays out the pros and cons of the Wishbone chair and its stiff competition, the Masters chair. But first…

The History: You wouldn’t know it by looking at it, but the signature Y-shaped Wishbone chair of 1949, designed by Danish-modern designer Hans J. Wegner, takes more than 100 steps to complete (and includes a hand-woven seat made up of 130 metres of paper cord). Wegner designed more than 500 chairs and this one, his most successful of all time, has been in continuous production for Carl Hansen and Son since 1950. French designer Philippe Starck is back on our March Madness chair list with his 2009 Masters chair (his Louis Ghost chair is up against Herman Miller’s Aeron right now), which is a plastic hybrid of the 7 Series by Arne Jacobsen, the Tulip Armchair by Eero Saarinen and the Eiffel Chair by Charles Eames.

But which chair is BEST? Designer Alykhan Velji weighs in:

 

wishbone-chair

Wishbone Chair

PROS: Adds great texture and warmth to a space through its wood material and woven paper cord seat. The style pairs well in both traditional and modern spaces, very versatile. Light in weight and form, it’s a great alternative to heavier-looking dining chairs. 

CONS: If the seat needs repair, it’s not always easy or inexpensive to fix. Not the most comfortable chair for everyday dining, nor is it child-friendly: the weight makes it easy to tip and the seat is not stain-resistant.

masterschair

Masters Chair

PROS: The material makes it very durable (wipeable!) and suitable for outdoor use. Also, no assembly required! It stores easily: stacks up to four chairs and is very comfortable chair and ergonomic. 

CONS: The modern and unique design means it doesn’t work in every space and it has high arms that won’t fit under all table heights.

Which chair should win? Tell us below!

Check out the full March Madness bracket here.

Western Living

Western Living

The editorial team at Western Living loves nothing more than a perfectly designed space, place or thing: and we’re here to tell you about it. Email us your pitches at [email protected].