Wong chair Milk Design & ELMO

Milk Design was founded in 1998 by Chi Wing Lee in Hong Kong. The credo of this design studio: to design everyday products through a continuous exploration of new ideas and solutions that are culturally, socially and environmentally relevant.

Inspired by Ming design

Milk Design collaborated with Elmo, a furniture company also based in Hong Kong, to design the Wong chair. The Ming design, originating from the Chinese Ming Dynasty from the 14th to the 17th century, is both minimalist and highly developed, symbolizing a special era in Chinese art of living and creation. In order to explore the current design in a different way, the study of the tenons and mortises used at the time served as the basis for the design of the Wong chair. Inspired by traditional Chinese chairs, Wong benefits from a balance established from the beginnings of its design.

A desire to enhance know-how has also been instilled. How to explore new elements while incorporating traditional Chinese cabinetmaking techniques?

An artisanal design

Handcrafted in a small Chinese cabinetmaking, the Wong chair bears the alliances of classic and modern beauty, balance, softness, but also robustness. The main structure was made in white oak and the backrest in walnut. These two essences make it possible to highlight interesting contrasts, both on the colors, but also on the shapes. White oak, a hard and solid wood, was ideal for the design of Wong, which has a relatively thin and thin structure. When finishing, a thin layer of polyurethane-based matt oil was applied. The Wong chair maintains a balanced structure derived from traditional Chinese chairs. Within the seat and the backrest, rather stiff and straight, have been integrated rounded elements to soften the shapes and make the use of Wong more comfortable.

New uses for tenons and mortises could be explored, meeting one of the objectives of the project. Three types of joints were then developed thanks to a triangular base, thus becoming the support of three wooden pieces. Once assembled, they form the structure of the chair. With only three legs, Wong's seat becomes stable and its design unique.

WE love

The refined design resulting from both contemporary design and ancestral tradition