The stool, like other types of contemporary furniture, is undergoing a period of change as contemporary design focuses on material sustainability, end-of-life disposal, and the durability of each object. Designers today are concerned with single-material construction, repairability, and material circularity, creating products for a world facing overproduction and the climate crisis.
In this context, form follows material and production techniques, leading to ever-evolving and surprising results.
Stools That Define Contemporary Aesthetics
From the 1990s to today, we have gathered on this page a selection of design stools that have shaped the evolution of thought and aesthetics surrounding this object.
We have highlighted the work of designers who are making an impact in the design world, reinterpreting the stool in intelligent and aesthetic ways.
Zig Zag Stool
It’s hard to say at first glance whether Pols Potten’s Zig Zag is a stool, a pedestal, or a decorative object. And that’s exactly its strength—a sculptural, energetic design that slips past traditional definitions. Made from lacquered polyester and available in a bright range of colors, Zig Zag is a piece that stands out, both visually and in how you can use it. Its jagged lines and angled shape echo a kind of postmodern aesthetic, somewhere between Memphis and reimagined tribal totems, but with a distinctly contemporary spirit.
Backenzahn Stool, 1996
The Backenzahn stool is the piece that launched Philipp Mainzer’s career and established the success of the manufacturer e15. Nearly thirty years after the release of the first collection, e15 still maintains a strong reputation for the elegant and sustainable use of solid wood, with a distinct identity. The uniqueness of the Backenzahn stool (which means “molar” in German) lies in its essential geometric form and, most notably, in the craftsmanship of the solid wood. The splits and grain of the wood that emerge during the maturation process are preserved and visible, becoming a fundamental part of the design itself. With this stool, a type of design with a strong natural aesthetic, linked to wood craftsmanship and sustainability, is reborn.
Bit Stool
Designed by Simon Legald for Normann Copenhagen and released in 2021, the Bit Stool is made entirely from recycled plastic sourced from household and industrial waste. The material, melted into colorful fragments, forms an irregular surface that’s unique to each piece. Its compact, cylindrical shape recalls architectural monoliths, but it’s meant for everyday use—as a seat, side table, or decorative stand. Withstanding temperatures from -10°C to +50°C, it’s suitable for outdoor use too, showing how recycled materials can give rise to solid, expressive objects built to last.
Cork Family, 2004
Jasper Morrison’s words about cork reveal much about his relationship with this unusual material in the world of industrial design: It’s a great material for both its visual and tactile qualities, but above all, I love what it does for the atmosphere of interiors. As a fortunate result of Morrison’s research into the use of cork, Cork Family became one of the British designer’s first successes with this material. Ironically, Morrison had envisioned these design objects as side tables to accompany low seating, but the public embraced them as a series of stools. Thus, we have a famous example of a stool-table.
Dejà-Vu, 2005
The design stools from Naoto Fukasawa’s Dejà-vu series also possess a unique atmospheric quality, a hallmark of the Japanese master’s work. At first glance, the stools appear simple and essential, with a discreet and ordinary look. These very characteristics make Fukasawa’s design (especially in these stools, which sparked the concept of Super Normal) both anonymous and universal.
Miura, 2005
Nearly twenty years after its debut, Konstantin Grcic’s Miura stool remains an innovative and visionary design. Following the success of the angular and faceted forms of Chair_ONE, with Miura, Grcic aimed for an essential design that perfectly fits the body in its role as a stool (despite its unexpected shape, it is incredibly comfortable). Miura is a stackable stool made from injection-molded polypropylene and is a gem of functionality and design, suitable for both indoor and outdoor spaces. It is featured in the world’s most important museum collections, including MoMA in New York.
Plopp Stool, 2008
Plopp is a stool designed by Polish designer Oskar Zieta, who, during his studies at the prestigious ETH Zurich, perfected a method of welding steel sheets and then inflating them with strong jets of air. The result is a design object that, despite being mass-produced, always yields unique results. The Plopp stool is an example of an instant classic; since its debut in 2008, it has set sales records and won numerous design awards, including the Red Dot Award 2008, the DesignPreis 2009, and the Forum AID Award 2009.
Atlas Stool
Designed by John Astbury for New Works, Atlas is a compact, sturdy stool made from solid oak, available in either oiled or smoked finishes. Its measured proportions and pared-down shape give an immediate sense of stability and support. Clean lines highlight the raw material, letting the natural grain of the wood come through as a quiet decorative feature. Compared to similar pieces, Atlas stands out for its robust character and the care put into its construction, striking a balance between craftsmanship and Scandinavian sensibility. It’s a quiet object, but one with weight—a celebration of wood’s inherent beauty through a restrained, timeless language.
Bureaurama, 2017
Bureaurama is a series of colorful and playful stools with contemporary colors and geometries. Designed by Jerszey Seymour for Magis in 2017, they are made from polyester-painted aluminum, making them lightweight, durable, and long-lasting. The geometries of these stools evoke those of industrial stools, placing them in a liminal space between the workshop and the living room. They represent a return to essentials with a strong and ironic aesthetic, thanks to their interesting geometries, similar to other design objects by Grcic or Jasper Morrison.
