Campeche Chair
The Campeche chair is a Spanish interpretation of a Roman curule chair. The curule chair was a piece of campaign furniture that was knocked down for transport between camps. The Campeche chair is locked tight with tenons and does not get knocked down.
This strong, lightweight chair by legend hails from the port town Campeche, located on Mexico’s gulf side. Right out of the gate, you can see that this is not a conventional project. To build a chair out of eight pieces of wood (20 if you count the wedges) is a testament to good design. Other iterations sport a wide variety of seating options, from tooled leather to humble wood slats. Dillon Baker, the designer behind this project, has streamlined the look of his version. He chose rugged duck canvas for the seat.
Mahogany is a Caribbean commodity that was in abundant supply at the time. It’s used here as an homage to the chair’s legacy. Plus, it’s easy to work with and so beautiful when finished.
As you see in the main photo, one big lap joint where the side stiles intersect is the foundation of the chair. The sides are
