Multifunctional Rocking Chair Converts to Table

March 29, 2012 by

“Sometimes a chair is not a chair, it is a multifunctional vehicle,” explains designer Ding Liu of his multifunctional piece, ‘A Beginning,’ a handcrafted pine and redwood rocking chair that converts into a tea table.

Built without any nails or glue, the designer created the piece, he says, to make his stressful life more relaxing. Having lived in his homeland China, later in Switzerland, then in two places in the United States, Liu designed the chair to express his feelings associated with living and relocating–in effect, about changing, morphing from one person to another.

Liu used twenty redwood bars to connect four pieces of oval pine that symbolize his life in four different places while two small oval cuts on each of the circular legs were intended to represent both his happiness and sadness in each locality. “The eighty notches indicate the number of years I hope to experience in life,” explains Ding, “and last but not least, the twenty redwood bars symbolize my fingers and toes, as without them I would have no life.”
The chair was displayed in December 2004 at the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) art show in Sacramento, California.

3 Comments »

  1. Ena Ronayne (@plantmad) said:

    Surely the design should be both practical as well as functional so rather than glass for a table top which has to be stored somewhere while furniture is used as a chair, why not design the seat back using a plain piece of wood instead of slats which could then double up to become a table top / tray to accommodate tea cups etc?

    — March 30, 2012 @ 12:34

  2. Rocking chairs said:

    Great idea about modifying the design of the rocking chair back to be able to use it as the table top. This is a very unique design and a great work of art that would make a great addition to any outdoor living area, sunroom, proch or patio.

    — April 5, 2012 @ 20:46

  3. Agen Bola said:

    Great suggestions Barbara! Also, maybe it could keep your plants safe from garden thievesâ??I keep hearing about these!

    — August 17, 2012 @ 00:42

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