In the 1960s companies started producing furniture that challenged the assumptions and used new and improved materials such as injection-moulded plastics. New concepts such as card board chairs that could be thrown away, inflatable living room chairs or bean bags whose shape was moulded by the sitter were introduced. 

The first inflatable chair to achieve international notoriety was designed by Paolo Lamazzi, Donato d’Urbino and Jonathan de Pas for Zanotta in 1967. However inflatable furniture was already available in Denmark as early as 1961. Zanotta also produced the ‘Sacco’ chair designed by Piero Gatti, Cesare Paolino and Franco Teodoro in 1969 (prototypes had been made several years earlier). The chair was filled with millions of tiny polystyrene balls which moulded to the body. This type of chair became known as the Bean Bag.

In 1969 Allen Jones produced a chair, table and coat-stand based on girlie magazine photo’s of women in fetishist clothing and poses.

Last updated: June 01, 2003

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