Furniture as a permanent residence in every living room and workroom is large in determining form as well as function. Cuddly armchairs and sleek coffee tables, they will both make or break a space or, the worst-case for them, blow up on its face. Whereas some pieces of furniture become ageless and in vogue for centuries, others are not so lucky—usually disappearing into the annals of history after failing to quite cut it. So why do some pieces of furniture bomb so utterly? In this article, we take a look at some of the most famous furniture flops of all time, and find out why some designs just don’t cut it.
The Eames Lounge Chair (Not the Success You Think)
Before we transition into some of the all-time largest flops, it only seems fitting to name the counterpart—some bits of furniture bomb initially but turn out to become gigantic successes eventually. The Eames Lounge Chair, for example, was developed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1956. At first release, it didn’t blow everyone away. Others criticized the design as being too unorthodox, and others went as far as to criticize the material used, namely plywood. Nevertheless, in time, the chair became an icon for its perfect balance of comfort and style.
But it proves the fact that sometimes a design that initially appeared to be a failure will end up as a masterpiece. And that is what makes furniture design so interesting—what is loved by one person may be despised by another. So, what happens when a design is a failure from the get-go? Let us take a closer look at some of the most famous furniture fails that never made it beyond the drawing board.
1. The Futuristic “Ball Chair” That Wouldn’t Fit
The Ball Chair, created by Eero Aarnio in 1963, was to be a futurist leap with a round sitting experience instead of more conventional furniture. Fibreglass and with its pod-like, covered form, it was to offer privacy in space-age style. It was space-age and high-tech, but the “spaceship” style failed to catch on in the end.
Why not? While the Ball Chair was chic as a photography studio backdrop and a temporary gauge of popularity, it was not practical. The enclosed form was hard to get in and out of, and the bulging and ungainly shape was non-adjustable. It was not practical in most living rooms and was an impractical piece in larger and larger rooms. The uncomfortableness of the chair—at least compared with more traditionally arranged chairs—and its near claustrophobic environment for some clients resulted in its being labelled as a speciality chair instead of as a subset of a wide mainstream line.
The Ball Chair was one of the great flops to show how great things fail. It was just too new, and people just weren’t quite ready for that revolutionary leap from what they were accustomed to.
2. The Clapper Sofa: A Design Failure
Next up is one of the all-time head-scratchers of furniture design, the Clapper Sofa, which hit store shelves in the late 1990s. The idea was to have a sofa with speakers integrated into the side that would play music or even respond to the clap of hands. It was a theoretically fun, offbeat concept marrying technology and comfort. After all, who would not want to hear their music on the couch without needing to use additional speakers or sound systems?
But the Clapper Sofa was a novelty, not a revolution. The sound quality was terrible, and tinny, distorted music was a common result that left listeners disappointed. To add insult to injury, the clapping action that was supposed to turn on the music was sluggish to respond or didn’t respond at all. It wasn’t a question of being a novelty—it was a question of whether or not the functionality worked as advertised.
The issue with the Clapper Sofa wasn’t its idea as much as it was its execution. Technology and furniture together are a great idea in theory, but if the technology isn’t good enough, it will be a failure. The Clapper Sofa was an embarrassment of crazily ambitious bad design and was forgotten.
3. The Hovering Chair: A Sci-Fi Horror Gone Wrong
When Hovering Chair initially came out, it felt like a dream come true for all individuals who ever got irritated with the fact that normal furniture did not hover. Sci-fi-inspired, the chair was designed to float magnetically over the ground, giving consumers the most comfortable sitting experience in the future.
First, the chair gained popularity among design enthusiasts and technology nerds. Having a floating chair idea was fascinating, and the prospects of future living rooms, it was endless. But this technology didn’t seem mature enough to produce it on a large scale.
The Hovering Chair had some technical issues as well that made it unsuitable for regular use. To start with, it was too heavy. The chair needed a huge, gigantic magnetic base to stay levitated and, as a result, it was heavy and clunky to shift around. The electromagnetic fields that were employed for levitation were also unstable, failing as well as safety concerns. The chair needed to be operated by a monster power source so that you couldn’t just plug it into a regular socket. Eventually, it was something that was way ahead of its time and just couldn’t come together with a pleasing user experience.
This kind of failure is a lesson that, no matter how much excitement technology and design generate, it must mature together in harmony if usability, security, and ease of use need to be guaranteed.
4. The Ridiculous Inflatable Couch: All About Form
Ideal for dorm rooms, casual living rooms, or surprise visitors, the inflatable sofa was convenient and inexpensive.
But while inflatable furniture was lightweight and transportable, it also possessed some serious shortcomings. Above all, it did not have the structural support of a normal couch. The instant you sat on it, the sofa would sag beneath you, or the feel of its surface would be unpleasant after sitting for a long time. Also, the inflatable sofa appeared—well—bargain basement. It would typically have a plastic, vinyl-type finish that was not so much “luxury living room” material. The consumers then found that the convenience was not worth the compromise on durability and comfort, and inflatable sofas became novelty pieces instead of functional furniture alternatives.
WHY DO THESE DESIGNS FAIL
All these examples have one thing in common with one another, and that is why they did not work for the masses:
Too Innovative Ideas: All of these vehicles were revolutionary in how they appeared, in technology, and in materials, but they were just too cutting-edge for the times. Innovation is wonderful, but it has to be paired with pragmatism so that it can work on a mass scale.
Poor Execution: Other such works did not succeed because the technology or material employed could not meet expectations raised by its publicity. Whether or not the design was innovative, if it is poorly executed, it will perish.
Lack of Comfort or Usefulness: By definition, furnishings must be usable and comfortable. When furniture cared more about how it looked rather than its purpose, it was made useless. Otherwise, no one would be bothered with a seat that they could not use comfortably.
Aesthetics Over Function: Though some of these designs were a visual delight, they had given up on the fundamental function of furniture—as a functional and comfortable home decoration. When the unction is overpowered by form, the design won’t work.
Conclusion: The Fine Line Between Bold and Bizarre
Furniture falls apart, yes, sometimes amusing and engaging, also remember designers’ setbacks. It is far too simple to wish for a salacious innovative concept to become popular, but as we know, success for a design is all about creativity, realism, and manufacturing. For each revolutionary piece that becomes a classic, dozens don’t quite make it, giving us a chuckle at our quirky, failed designs—and valuable lessons for the future of furniture design. Whether it’s a floating chair or a hat-shaped one, these pieces remind us that not all daring ideas make it into our living rooms, but they are lessons learned for the future of furniture design.
