Just Hanging Out - Porky Hefer Design, South Africa

Anyone remember the 60's hanging chairs? For those who don’t, it's a design IKEA brings back every now and then, either in their kids' furniture department or in their staged living rooms catering to nostalgic adults. You may feel awkward about buying one these days, they simply don’t go too well with how most of us live and it would therefore be somewhat difficult to explain this purchase to your significant other. My biggest concern is the prospect of anchoring them into my ceiling, asking this construction to uphold the weight of my St. Bernard, Emma. (If I had a hanging chair, I already know where she would want to be.)

These type of chairs seem to be such a throwback to a time that some of us may want to forget, others may have no idea it ever even existed. However, be that as it may, let's all be perfectly honest here: we do all like these chairs - in a weird and rather interesting way. I think it is the sheer idea of us sitting in them that intrigues. Everyone who has ever had that experience will probably remember the cocoon-like feeling on the inside. Even if interior comforts may have been lacking, when perched inside you felt shielded and somewhat removed from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Not a bad experience at all if you ask me.

Along comes Porky Hefer, a South Africa-based designer who took it upon himself to bring back the hanging chair with considerable style: leather on the outside, teddy bear plush on the inside. I call that irresistible. Add a lantern and you’re looking at one of those deep-sea creatures Jacques-Yves Cousteau would have filmed.