Product Story - Pondering her new project—build a
better stool—designer Carol Catalano noticed her own entwined
fingers and had her answer. The Capelli stool is two identical
plywood pieces, each with undulating "fingers" at the top
that interlock without tools or fasteners. It's an ingeniously
stable and graceful structure that's pleasant to sit on
and simply beautiful to look at.
Design Story - Carol Catalano is known for innovations
in high-end audio speakers, consumer electronics, seating,
and cutlery. "Most of my work is fairly technical in nature,"
she says, "so I thought it would be fun to take on a project
just for fun." Catalano's "fun" became the Capelli stool.
Once she had found her inspiration in her own hands, she
developed several ideas for the stool by studying the ergonomics
of comfortable sitting. Using cardboard and foam models,
she and her staff at Catalano Design took the Capelli stool
from concept to museum-quality prototype in less than two
months.
Inventive Design - Two molded plywood pieces fit
together to form the Capelli stool. The surfaces between
the "fingers" at the top of each piece meet and become stops
that hold each half of the stool firmly in place. Composed
of alternating dark- and light-stained hardwood inner plies
and light ash veneer.
