The Close to Heart chair is a limited-edition seating design created by Muuto and Copenhagen-based studio Spacon to mark Muuto’s 20th anniversary. Unveiled during 3 Days of Design, the chair is produced in Denmark from extruded aluminium and limited to 150 pieces. The design is defined by a structural system in which every aluminium profile is shaped like a heart, transforming a familiar symbol into a functional construction element rather than a decorative motif.
The project was developed as part of Muuto’s Next Chapters in Scandinavian Design program, which explores future directions for the discipline rather than revisiting past achievements. The chair balances the heart’s contrasting geometry of pointed angles and soft curves, integrating these forms into its proportions, joints, and overall structure. An anodized finish softens the appearance of the aluminium.
Image Credit: Muuto, Spacon
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Symbolic Structures
- Embedding emotional iconography into load-bearing components creates room for products where sentiment, engineering, and brand storytelling converge.
- Limited-edition Functionalism
- Scarcity-driven design objects blend everyday utility with collectible value, opening new premium markets around furniture as cultural memorabilia.
- Soft-industrial Aesthetics
- Anodized aluminium and curved profiles are reframing metal furniture as warmer and more expressive, expanding the appeal of industrial materials in residential spaces.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Furniture
- Structural experimentation with extruded profiles introduces differentiated silhouettes and manufacturing methods that can redefine high-end seating categories.
- Interior Design
- Emotion-led statement pieces offer designers new ways to anchor spaces around symbolic forms rather than purely decorative accents.
- Metal Manufacturing
- Precision extrusion techniques gain creative value when functional profiles become branded design signatures, positioning fabrication capabilities as aesthetic differentiators.
