‘I’m obsessed with feeling cosy at night’: Willo Perron on designing Knoll’s Bun lounge chair

The Bun lounge chair defies easy categorisation – a sofa and armchair in one. Created by Willo Perron for US furniture firm Knoll, it’s inspired by a chair that the French-Canadian designer found at a California thrift shop. The Los Angeles-based creative has worked on everything from bespoke retail spaces and runway shows for high-end fashion brands to productions for global musical talent; his portfolio features an eclectic and unconventional mix that is also reflected in his furniture design. 

“Certain elements stayed from the original but I just kept working on its structure,” Perron tells Monocle. That structure centres on a thick, bao bun-type mass landing gently on stilt-like legs, which disappear beneath it, giving the whole piece a feeling of weightlessness. Sitting in the chair, its gentle curve invites an abundance of reclined positions, while its round form allows it to sit appropriately in any space. Here, Perron chats to us about his design intent and ambition for the piece.

Where did the initial inspiration for the Bun lounge chair come from?
I found a chair at a thrift shop and thought ‘this needs work’. I kept trying to improve and work around the original structure, developing it to find the right balance. There are probably about 10 different versions of it in my studio. I eventually brought it to Knoll as an almost finished piece and they used their expertise to finalise the ergonomics and the structural components.

How did you envisage the piece?
The initial ambition was [to find a way] to make something that’s quite heavy feel like it’s floating by placing all of that volume on tiny legs. That’s also true for the final version, especially with its chrome legs that reflect the environment. It feels like a big, fun, floaty cloud.

Does the piece respond to broader trends in the design industry?
We can lose the plot a little bit as designers when form proceeds function. You can make a really beautiful chair out of a rock but you wouldn’t want to spend any time in it. These are the kinds of things I want to address – making objects that are meant to be lived with. One of my main concerns is comfort and I’m obsessed with feeling cosy at night. The Bun responds to that by balancing a bit of indulgence.

How does this reflect your design ethos?
There are two distinct areas in my practice. There is the studio, which has a client base, and then there is a more personal part. This part involves me finding chairs at thrift shops and playing around with them until they become something like the Bun. I’m really curious and attracted by everything from the hyper contemporary to antiques. I don’t think I have a fixed aesthetic, which means there’s a playful, casual and unstructured approach to my work.
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