3 Chairs, 3 Colors, 3 Spaces

We’re highlighting three products used in three completely different projects to explore the influence color has in designing great spaces.

By GR Chair

Row of Reece Barstools.

There are few things more transformative in interior design than well placed color. Color can impact how we feel and perceive space, help inspire certain actions, and create an atmosphere. 

We know the power of a fresh color palette here at Grand Rapids Chair Company, where personalization is one of our core tenets. Each of our metal chairs can be powder coated in over 150 different colors through our Color Finder Program which you can view using the brochure on our Resources Page. On top of powder coats, we offer 16 wood finishes, and we can upholster many of our chairs in any fabric from any supplier. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Designers appreciate the way our products behave like chameleons from one project to the next depending on how they're specified. 

To illustrate this stunning effect and provide you with design inspiration, we're highlighting three products used in three completely different projects to explore the influence color has in designing great spaces.

The Sadie Chair

The wide angular planes on the Sadie II chair's legs and back are a prime location for a pop of color. This mixed material chair designed by Joey Ruiter turns hard steel into something playfully modern and combines it with a molded wood back and seat that contour the shape of your body. For extra comfort, you can opt to upholster the seat in any fabric. It's available in dining, counter, and bar heights, plus there's even an outdoor Sadie II! 

Sadie II can be found in a variety of spaces from your favorite burger spot to college cafeterias in tons of unique finishes, but here are three recent favorites that use color to make a space memorable and unique. 

1. Sparrows Coffee

Coffee shops are precisely the place to go when you're in need of a pick me up, and this use of pink is the visual equivalent to that first sip of a sugary iced coffee. Sparrows in Grand Rapids, Michigan is fresh, bright and draws you right in to where the fun is happening with a burst of color.  Metric Structure's designer Jacey Schacter's use of the Sadie II's in this space really nail the playful energy Joey Ruiter put into the shape of the steel frame. We also love the rich green tiles that cool off the space in the background behind the counter.

2. Smashburger

A major departure from the punchy pink at Sparrows, these Sadie II Chairs in a super neutral gray-brown finish bring an air of sophistication to Smashburger's dining space in Brooklyn. They subtly compliment the warm tones in the wood tables and benches while not taking too much attention away from the gorgeous murals celebrating New York City landmarks. With a recent remodel focused on elevating and updating the space, Smashburger's new vibe is sleek and modern, perfect for these monochrome Sadie II's. 

3. Milken Community School

This private High School’s stunning new library in Los Angeles was designed by OODA to give students and staff a beautiful place to study and work. The space expertly deploys the school’s energizing brand colors, with bright orange seating standing out beside deep blues and polished concrete around them. With a combination of nooks, benches, and chairs, there are plenty of comfortable spots where students can focus on their latest research paper or dig into a good book. 

THE HARPER A-FRAME CHAIR

This chair's silhouette is unmistakable. With a bold bend in the steel legs, the molded wood seat appears to defy gravity. This chair is an expertly engineered Joey Ruiter design that has certainly not forgotten to put the fun in functional. This chair is just one of the designs in the Harper Collection, which also features stools and chairs with X-Bases and more traditional legs. The Harper A-Frame can come with a seat made entirely of wood, or it can be partially or fully upholstered. With so many options, there's plenty of room for designers to let their creativity loose while specifying this seating collection. 

Let's see this chair's customization capabilities in action. Keep scrolling for 3 more fabulous interior designs. 

1. 98point6

Ever been to a doctor's office that looked like this? Designed by Best Practice Architecture, this office belongs to 98point6, a text-based healthcare app that lets you communicate with real doctors through secure text messaging. The design in this space makes use of "hyper-saturated zones" that define the boundaries of collaborative spaces like this one with long communal tables. More traditional workspaces feature a neutral palette. We love the deliberate way color was used to emphasize these social areas! It's a great way to draw people to seating meant to bring them together. 

2. Public School Agency HQ

Designed by Savannah Metcalf, this beautiful workspace in Atlanta takes cubicles in a whole new direction that we ADORE. These little house shaped spaces make wonderful use of white walls that make these spaces feel open and airy. Add in a dark finished wood seat and a jolt of bright yellow with the Harper A-Frame chairs and you've got one dreamy workspace design.  

Corporate office with yellow base Harper chairs.

3. Eastern Killey Distillery

Eastern Killey Distillery is a Grand Rapids producer of small batch whiskey. Their vibe is industrial chic, which is just the kind of elevated atmosphere you want while enjoying sips of authentic spirits and artful cocktails.  Using a reddish earthy leather to fully upholster the seat and a sleek black powder coat on the legs, the chairs are the center of attention against the gray booth upholstery. We're in love with the sophisticated feel of this last Harper A-Frame install. 

The Reece Chair

This John Kaloustian design takes inspiration from industrial task chairs, but with the right specification, the Reece looks at home anywhere from the bar of a hip restaurant to the communal spaces at a luxury apartment complex. Reece's seat and back can be upholstered or made in wood or laminate. Of course, the powder coated steel frame can feature any of our 150+ colors and it comes in dining, counter, and bar heights. It also features a convenient handle on the back, making it extra easy to move around.  

You won't believe what designers have been able to accomplish in spaces using this simple industrial chair. Check it out! 

1. HERE Atlanta

High above the streets of Midtown, this gorgeous communal kitchen is the perfect gathering place for residents who live in HERE Atlanta's luxury student apartments right across from Georgia Tech. With a soft dusty blue finish on the frame paired with a light natural wood, these stools fit beautifully into this trendy kitchen. The bright pink backsplash behind the counter energizes the tranquil soft blue space, a color that echoes the sky visible through the many windows lining the kitchen.  

2. Recess

These Reece stools at Recess might as well be electric! With steel that glows like neon tube and gorgeous cobalt blue seats and backs, the Reece stools at this restaurant are guaranteed to catch your eye while you walk through Atlanta's Krog Street Market. It's a 14-seat stall designed by Square Feet Studio with a "vibrant" and "healthful" menu featuring veggie centric dishes. From the interior design to the food on your plate, this restaurant is bursting with color. We especially love the high saturation pop art on the walls by Meredith Anne White.

3. Serafina

Taking the Reece stool to moody and elegant places, is this Italian restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Designed by Best Practice Architecture, this interior is a redesign of a space that has been open for 30 years. Taking a modern approach, but with nods to Old World Italian details, Serafina's fresh look evokes red wine with ample use of red tones. The Reece stools are finished in black powder coat and upholstery for a super sleek look.  

We hope you enjoyed this round up of colorful installations featuring three Grand Rapids Chair products. To view all the finishes available on our products, head to our Resources Page

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