Jazelle Dining Chair

The Jazelle from Four Hands is an armless dining chair built around one idea: a back shaped like a bolster. A rolled cylinder of upholstery sits across the top of a boxed, webbed seat, and the whole thing rests on a tan-finished solid wood frame joined with mortise and tenon and corner blocks. Depending on the version, the seat is wrapped in top-grain leather or patterned fabric, and the back comes in shearling, a textured weave, or a contrasting upholstery.

The proportions and the mix of materials point to midcentury and Seventies furniture, when leather, wood and soft textures were set against each other without apology. The rounded back keeps the silhouette from reading as a standard side chair, so it works as a set of six or as a single odd chair at the end of a table. Warm wood tones, brass, plaster walls and a patterned rug all sit comfortably beside it.

Pull a few up to a dining table, or use one at a kitchen island or a writing desk. The armless frame tucks in close, and the bolster back gives some support without taking up much room. Leather and fabric each wear in their own way over time, and the leather will soften and show use where you sit most.