# Minimalist Squiggled Seating Softer Than Steel by Nendo Boasts a Blended Back- and Armrest By Meghan Young | Published 2014-05-24 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/softer-than-steel References: [trendir](http://www.trendir.com/archives/007858.html) & [desalto.it](http://www.desalto.it/Products/softer-than-steel_1082) Although nearly all seat designs connect the backrest to the armrest (if the latter is included at all), the Softer Than Steel chair shows the impact they can have on each other if played with in a sculptural way. In this case, the [backrest and armrest](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/press-armchair) of the Softer Than Steel chair is interpreted as a [single squiggly line](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-heart-chair) that makes the overall design appear slightly unfinished. Designed by [Nendo](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chaise-medallion-30), a design studio based in Japan, for Desalto, the Softer Than Steel chair is described as "avant-garde art," by Trendir. It is hard not to view it as such. Poetic and delicate, the chairs are part of a larger collection that is comprised of three benches, a collection of small tables, coat stand and range of shelves. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.2/10 - Popularity: 87% | Activity: 61% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Sculptural Seating Designs:** Exploring the impact of connecting the backrest and armrest in a sculptural way for unique chair designs. - **Unfinished Aesthetic:** Embracing slightly unfinished designs for a poetic and delicate aesthetic. - **Avant-garde Furniture Collections:** Creating furniture collections that can be described as avant-garde art. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Furniture Manufacturing:** Opportunity for furniture manufacturers to create and market sculptural seating designs that offer a unique aesthetic. - **Interior Design:** Opportunity for interior designers to incorporate slightly unfinished aesthetics in their projects for a poetic and delicate touch. - **Art and Design Retail:** Opportunity for art and design retailers to showcase and sell avant-garde furniture collections to customers seeking unique and artistic pieces for their homes or spaces. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Structurally Complex Chair Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-arch-chair.md) - [Cubic Featherlight Seat Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/please-hold-up-chair.md) - [Sculptural Upholstered Chairs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/amia.md) - [Circular Modernist Chair Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/zerogravity-chair.md) - [Aluminum Stainless Steel Chairs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/morph-chair.md) - [Wavy Lounge Chair Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wavy-lounge-chair.md) - [Ultra-Minimal Stool Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sedeo-chair.md) - [Aesthetically Pleasing Minimalist Chairs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/minimalist-chairs.md) - [Dynamic Structural Chair Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/foldont-chair.md)