DESIGN MATTERS 03
A series of design stories from Chart Interiors, exploring the ideas, people and products behind the manufacturers we represent.
In this edition, we explore Leyform and how thoughtful seating design can shape the human experience of waiting — through comfort, dignity and a sense of belonging.
We design places for people to wait. But how often do we consider what they're waiting for?
We rarely know what someone is carrying when they enter a waiting room.
Anxiety about an appointment. The exhaustion of a difficult day. The uncertainty of what comes next.
For some, waiting is simply a pause between activities. For others, it can be one of the most vulnerable moments of their day.
Yet waiting is such a familiar part of life, and the spaces designed for it don't always reflect the people who use them.
So perhaps the question isn't simply where people should sit.
Perhaps it's how we can make them feel considered while they're there.
Noà by Leyform — creating a sense of personal space within shared environments.
Dignity by design
In a hospital in Monaco, Leyform was asked to consider something deceptively simple: how easily patients could sit down and stand up again.
For elderly patients and those experiencing mobility difficulties, the height of a seat can make a significant difference to their independence and comfort.
Working with its modular Ola seating system, Leyform introduced thicker seat padding and custom spacers to raise the overall seating height.
The adaptations were subtle, but their purpose was significant: to make an everyday movement easier for the people using the space.
Ola also offers different backrest heights and flexible configurations, allowing seating arrangements to respond to different environments and requirements.
Because dignity in design isn't always about making a grand statement. Sometimes it's about removing a small but very real difficulty from someone's day.
Ola by Leyform — modular seating with high and low backrest options. For the Monaco hospital project, Leyform also developed bespoke adjustments to seat height and padding to improve accessibility and comfort.
Ola by Leyform — modular configurations that respond to different spaces and architectural layouts.
The architecture of calm
A library asks something very different of its furniture.
Rather than simply accommodating people as they pass through, it invites them to stay. To read, reflect, concentrate or spend a little time away from the pace of everyday life.
At the Dammam Library in Saudi Arabia, Leyform's Lizzy seating and Gogo pouffes were selected in soft pastel tones, creating an inviting contrast with the surrounding architecture.
The furniture contributes to an environment where people can find their own way to occupy the space — whether settling into a chair with a book or gathering more informally.
It's a reminder that comfort isn't only physical. Colour, proportion and the arrangement of furniture all help shape how a space feels.
Sometimes the most welcoming spaces are those that give us permission to slow down.
Biblioteca Dammam, Saudi Arabia — Lizzy seating and Gogo pouffes by Leyform. Project: Milano International.
A little space of our own
In busy public environments, privacy isn't always about having a separate room.
Sometimes it's about creating a sense of personal space within a larger, shared setting.
Leyform's Noà collection explores this idea through what the manufacturer describes as a micro-architecture of privacy — upholstered forms that help define smaller, more sheltered spaces within an open interior.
Its design philosophy considers enclosure, acoustic protection and a sense of security, recognising that even in communal environments, people don't always want to feel exposed.
It's an interesting reminder that the experience of a space isn't determined by its size alone, but by how we feel within it.
Sometimes a little separation can make a shared space feel more welcoming.
Noà by Leyform — using modular seating to create smaller, more intimate settings within open, shared spaces. A thoughtful balance between connection and personal space.
Leyform's Around Box explores another dimension of personal space — creating a welcoming, home-from-home retreat within a shared environment.
With its high, softly upholstered sides and inviting proportions, it offers a cocoon-like sense of shelter from the activity around it. Somewhere to settle, gather your thoughts, read, catch up on work or simply enjoy a moment to yourself.
Thoughtful details, including a convenient surface and integrated power, bring everyday practicality into a setting that feels reassuringly domestic.
Because sometimes, feeling comfortable begins with feeling sheltered.
Around Box by Leyform — a softly upholstered, cocoon-like retreat offering comfort, personal space and everyday convenience within shared environments.
Designing for people, not just places
A hospital waiting area. A library. A shared public space.
Different environments, different expectations. But each asks something of the people who use it.
For architects and designers, the challenge goes beyond selecting furniture that fits a floor plan. It's about recognising the different ways people experience a space — and how even small design decisions can make those experiences better.
Accessibility, durability and practicality will always matter. But so do reassurance, comfort and the freedom to find a little space of our own.
Because the best spaces don't simply accommodate people. They make people feel understood.
Discover more with Chart Interiors
Chart Interiors works with architects and designers to explore thoughtful seating solutions for healthcare, education and shared public environments.
Discover Leyform's collections, or talk to us about creating spaces that consider the people who use them.