WL Design 25 Winners 2025: Sustainable Seat

It might be easy to underestimate just how complicated it is to design a bar stool that ticks all the boxes: there’s a surprising number of stress points when it’s in heavy use, so place said bar stool in a commercial or hospitality environment and that’s when you’ll know if you’ve really figured it out. Romney Shipway of Shipway Living has created a full-circle design with his Evrim stool (from $1,495 USD): it’s aesthetically beautiful, but it’s also created to be both durable and ultimately repairable and recyclable, too.

Steel spindles seamlessly pass through both the back and front aprons for strength and visual appeal—while eliminating the need for excessive fasteners or adhesives—and the strategic placement of bolts underneath the seat allows you to replace the seat’s upholstery without compromising the stool’s integrity. The wood is all FSC certified, the leather is vegan and so is the wood glue—the latter a particular rarity in furniture design—and even the latex cushion is eco-certified. It’s both a soft-on-the-planet design, and a soft seat at the bar.

Project: Evrim stool
Designer: Shipway Living Design
Location:Vancouver

Meet all of the 2025 WL Design 25 winners here.