For Claus Breinholt, design is only as exciting as the difficulties it presents. “I am inspired by challenging materials and processes,” he says. “I like to challenge production techniques; it’s like inventing something new.”
Breinholt’s father was a furniture designer with a classic Danish aesthetic, which sparked his interest early on. Though he initially studied graphic design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts’ School of Design, he found his passion lied in more physical pursuits. “Product design engages me on a different level,” he says. “The fact that it is
3D makes it all the more interesting.”
Seating proved to be his ultimate calling, leading to a longterm partnership with Italian company Infiniti, for which he created his signature Loop chair, the first ever to boast a one-piece shell with armrests. “For me, it’s about the beauty of the curves in a chair and matching those curves to the body,” Breinholt says.
Among his latest launches is the Queue chair for Bernhardt Hospitality, a relationship he considers “a meeting of the minds.” Marking his American debut, the monobloc chair is made of resilient, durable polypropylene, a material Breinholt chose so he could elevate it beyond the original perception of plastic chairs and embrace “the comfort and the simple beauty of the products.” It speaks to Breinholt’s passion: “As long as the material gets challenged, I’m game,” he says.
Using resilient material, the monobloc Queue chair for Bernhardt Hospitality is a modern take on the classic café chair.
