Louis Ghost Chair

Louis Ghost Chair

The Louis Ghost Chair is the most famous of ghost chairs. Philippe Starck designed it for Italian furniture manufacturer Kartell and it first appeared on the market in 2002. Its inspiration was a chair of similar proportions from the period of King Louis XV in the 18th century. This influential era of French design has been revived in this postmodern, and maybe slightly retro piece of contemporary seating.

Starck has done away with the woven seat and back upholstery. Gone too are the decorative engravings and curved legs. In fact, I think all that really remains here is the skeleton of the original; its essence and spirit. But that's okay. I wouldn't personally want a relic from 1775 in my living room anyway. What we have instead is a mold-injected, polycarbonate based Ghost Chair. I would imagine it is so-called due to the fact that the original release was of the most iconic 'Crystal' model, which is almost entirely see-through. It's certainly my favorite. It's light, airy, and beautifully made. If you look closely at the joins of the chair you can see that it's been impeccably put together too. I don't get the feeling that it's been thrown together with a blowtorch and chisel like I do with a lot of other types of plastic furniture, but I digress.

The Louis Ghost Chair sits so unobtrusively in my living room that I sometimes don't even notice it's there. Its name is certainly apt. It's almost like a mirage. If you place it near a window it will invariably reflect the light coming in and radiate it around the room. It serves its inherent function as a chair without cluttering up your living space. It will complement and enhance your other furniture, whatever the style, simply by giving it room to breathe. Okay, I'm going to stop with the personification now.

If you are considering purchasing a Louis Ghost Chair, please also take a minute to look at the other Philippe Starck Ghost Chair available to buy. For a brief overview of the whole topic have a look at the main page.